- Microsoft boasted of the advantages of Windows 11 (again)
- He claims that Windows 11 pc can be “ up to 2.3 times faster ” than Windows 10 machines
- This comparison was made by performing operating systems on different equipment, and it is very misleading accordingly
He probably did not escape your attention that Microsoft is busy trying to drive people to go from Windows 10 to Windows 11, with the old operating system close to its end of life.
In a recent blog article (noticed by Tom’s Hardware), Microsoft has again praised the virtues of Windows 11 (and Copilot + PCS), Yusuf Mehdi (who directs consumption marketing) presenting a range of reasons for which the new operating system is the place.
The message addresses the advantages of Windows 11, including accessibility features, AI, safety and performance, and it is the latter on which we focus here. More specifically, the following claims that Mehdi does: “Windows 11 PC is up to 2.3x faster than Windows 10 PCs.”
This declaration is delivered with an attached bottom note – a vital warning, in fact, to which I will come back, but the wide suggestion here is very clear: Windows 11 is a lot Faster than Windows 10. But is it true or just to say? No, this is not the case; So let’s explore why and consider the ins and outs of what Microsoft says here.
What Microsoft claims
Microsoft maintains that Windows 11 is “faster and more efficient” and that compared to Windows 10, it offers faster updates, faster wake times (for laptops), and generally better performance on the desktop. Then comes the central assertion that Windows 11 computers are “up to 2.3x faster” than the old Windows 10 machines.
Notice the use of “older” there, and this is where the footnote comes into play. Setting it and you will see that Microsoft says that it is based on this estimate on a multi-core reference (CPU) Geekbench 6-and that’s all that tells us in this post.
However, we are presented with an URL nailed at the end of the footnote, which is actually the source of this reference – a table of Details of PC Windows 11 ‘in the Microsoft learning portal.
Here, we learn that these comparative tests were not performed on the same PC, but a different material. In short, Windows 10 PCs running geekbench benchmark were older machines with Intel Core 6th, 8th and 10th-gen processors, while Windows 11 devices used Intel Core 12th and 13th-Gen processors. As Microsoft also notes: “Performance will vary considerably depending on the device and with parameters, use and other factors.”
Why it’s very misleading
There is a big problem here which is clear to see – these much older PCs (with in some cases 6th generation processors) will clearly be much slower than a modern machine with an intel chip from the 12th or 13th generation.
What Microsoft should have done is to run the Windows 10 reference on a PC, then installed Windows 11 on the same equipment and compared the results. It would be a fair playground – what we see here is absolutely not.
In short, this assertion “up to 2.3 times faster” is very misleading, because it mainly shows the difference between the hardware components involved, not the software (the operating systems themselves). This is why the Gulf of Performance seems so large and the rise in eyebrows.
In addition, it is a weak argument to simply cite a single reference (geekbench) anyway. Preferably, we must pass some performance tests on average (or an entire suite ideally). Otherwise, the suspicion is that the reference in question has been selected in the icing to make marketing as convincing as possible.
This is a relatively minor problem, of course, compared to the fundamental problem here to compare very different PCs running Windows 10 compared to computers with Windows 11 installed.
Okay, so Microsoft could say that this only means as an illustrative performance metric, and this specifies that Windows 11 PCs can be “up to” more than twice as fast as Windows 10 machines – so technically it’s true. In most cases, they will not be close to that, however; And as already indicated, not having a comparison of apple apple performance here makes the assertion so misleading.
What I am not satisfied with is how the footnote is written. It is designed so that even if the reader takes a look – and many will probably not do it – they will think “Oh it’s geekbench” and probably leave that, may not investigate the supplied URL (with real test details). In particular, this URL is not hyperlink, it is therefore easy to miss, and you must really highlight it and copy it to go to the Learn portal to see the story behind the comparison of the operating system. All this seems a little smoke and mirrors to say the least.
The verdict
Marketing is marketing, of course, and as indicated, the declaration is technically true – a Windows 11 PC can undoubtedly be more than twice as fast as Windows 10 PC. Especially if this Windows 10 computer has been removed from your attic, that dust is blown, then performs a reference that is later compared to a relatively new Windows 11 PC.
Go Microsoft – You can do better than that. Frankly, the cunning way in which this particular part of Mehdi’s blog post has been concocted feels despair in the effort to persuade people to go to Windows 11.
What aggravates this is that, anecdotal for me, Windows 11 feels a little more snapping than Windows 10 in general daily performances (although I realize that it is a very subjective thing, and everyone’s experience does not present themselves according to some of the complaints I see online).
In short, I think Microsoft has one point to boast here in terms of Windows 11 offer somewhat The more specific performance, and be more reactive in some respects – but it has spoiled all positivity with an exaggerated marketing effort here.
