The Shiny New Office: A Performance Comparison Between Windows 10 and Windows 8.1

As we settle into our new office, it's clear that while the space may have changed, some things remain the same – including our love of terrible jokes. However, today's video topic shifts our attention to a different kind of upgrade: performance under Windows 10 compared to its predecessor, Windows 8.1. But what about users still running on Windows 7? Do they need to upgrade?

To start with the differences between various Windows versions is not just about performance in CPU-intensive tasks; it's also about new features and user interface improvements. Windows 8 and its free upgrade to Windows 8.1 brought SMB 3.0, which theoretically allows for aggregated speeds during network transfers, although the author has never managed to get it working. In contrast, Windows 10 boasts Cortana, a new Edge browser, and DirectX 12, which may not make a significant difference until games supporting these features are released.

One of the notable differences between Windows 8 and Windows 10 is the UI improvements. The lack of a traditional Start menu in Windows 8 was a major point of contention for some users, but with the release of Windows 10, this feature has been revisited and improved upon. The new Start menu, which displays an all-apps list without taking up the entire screen, has received praise from many users. Additionally, features such as automatically prompting the user for a second window when arrow snapping and tiling open applications have made significant improvements over previous versions.

Another notable feature of Windows 10 is its 3D accelerated desktop experience and virtual desktops. While this may seem like a minor change to some users, it represents a significant advancement in terms of usability and flexibility. The new Start menu also includes improved search functionality, although the author still hasn't figured out how to lock notification tray icons for certain apps.

The author has personally upgraded to Windows 10, performing both an in-place upgrade on their daily driver laptop and a fresh install on their desktop. To test the performance of each version, they enlisted the help of John, their new benchmarking expert, who ran a suite of tests on identical hardware configurations across Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.

The results may surprise users: both Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 left Windows 7 in the dust when it came to cold boot times and going to sleep times. However, when it comes to wake times, all three versions performed similarly. In terms of PCMark 8 performance, the author notes that the numbers for Windows 7 may not be entirely representative of real-world performance but suggests that Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 are close in terms of overall performance.

Finally, gaming performance was tested across a range of modern games that tax both CPU and GPU. To the author's surprise, no significant differences were observed between Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. This may be due to the limited scope of the tests or the fact that DirectX 12 is still a relatively new feature, but it represents an encouraging sign for users considering upgrades.

In conclusion, with its free upgrade policy, improved UI features, and strong performance across various tests, Windows 10 emerges as a solid choice for users running older versions of the operating system. While some may be hesitant to switch due to concerns about DirectX support or potential issues with specific graphics cards, the author recommends giving Windows 10 a try.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enWe are moved into the new office and with it came new windowsMusic*Yeah a shiny new office, but still the same old terrible jokes, but you know what's not a joke today's video topicPerformance under Windows 10 does it hold up to Windows 8.1. What about Windows 7 users out there?Do they need to upgrade?Drop a like on this video if you're glad that our upload schedule isSuch a mess right now that I can't even tease a future video and ask you to like this video if you're amped to seeitSong: Lazlo SupernovaIntel's bringing DDR4 to the mainstream with their all-new core i7 6700 K and Core i56600 K processors check out the link in the video description to learn moreNow to start with the differences between different windows is areObviously more than just you know performance in CPU intensive tasks. I mean Windows 8 and the free upgrade to Windows 8.1brought SMB 3.0 which in theory allows aggregated speeds during network transfers, althoughI've never gotten it to work Windows 10 has Cortana the new edge browserActually, there's one let us know if you'd like to see us use our sexy new 200 up 200 down fiber connection to determine whichBrowser is indeed the fastest by mashing that like button HA, I knew I could come up with something, sorryWhere was I right Windows 10 features?It's got DirectX 12, although that won't make much of a difference until some games for it come out and of courseIt's got some UI improvements now that last part probably wasn't getting you too excited about Windows 8Unless you were one of the tiny minority who actually bought a touchscreen laptopAnd even though I have one the lack of a traditional Start menu has really put an acorn in my tailpipe over the last coupleof years and breathed new life intothird-party Start menu add-on companiesBut with Windows 10 that might be a little different the UI improvements are many, some are pretty small things likeAutomatically prompting me for a second window when I arrow snapTiling all my open applications when I alt have a huge improvement over that rubbish rolodex thing that was introduced with Windows VistaOh lookWe have a 3d accelerated desktop experience, but some of them are huge virtual desktopsWhich are accessed with Windows and tab areFinally a Windows feature by default this has been available for years on LinuxOS 10 and even Windows with third-party tools and the new Start menu, which I actually really reallyLike it was as simple as giving me an all apps list and not taking up my whole-BEEP- screen with the Start menu. Good on you, MicrosoftThere are still a few things that are broken as all get-out like searchI mean seriously if I type uninstall how isUninstall a program not the first search result and there are still a few thingsI just need to learn like I haven't figured out how to lockNotification tray icons so I can always see certain things like safe remove hardware and networking so yeah so farI really like Windows 10I did an in-place upgrade on my daily driver laptop and a fresh install on my desktop andHaven't thought for a moment about reverting to Windows 8.1. Or Windows 7 respectively, but what about that performance?wellI had John our new benchmark err and writer put together a small suite of tests and run them for you folks on an identicalHardware configuration across Windows 7 Windows 8.1. And Windows 10 all of themFreshly installed and with the latest drivers and updates he used a test bench that consists of an Intel Core i7 59 30kAnd he Zeus x99 deluxe motherboard 16 gigs of DDR 4 gtx 980tiand a data SP 900s SD and I guessThat's pretty much the relevant components and the results may shock youOn our test bench and please note that with quick bootEnabled and fewer devices in the boot menu, and whatnot these times could be much fasterBut the importance here is the relative performance not the absolute performance Windows 10 and Windows 8.1Both left Windows 7 in the dust for cold boot times and go to sleep timesBut all performed very similarly when it came to wake time, so there you goIn pc mark 8. I don't really know what to make of that Windows 7 number. There's no way on this blue orbWe're standing on that that represents real-world performance but on Windows 8.1and 10 it basically tells us that they're within spitting distance ofEach other then finally we arrived at gaming performance where across a test suite that includesBasically a couple of modern gains that tax both the CPU and GPU we ended up with wellNo difference whatsoever a testament to the repeatability of our gaming tests if nothing else?But maybe there's more to this than meets the eyeRight now for legitimate owners of Windows 7 and 8 Windows 10 is a free upgrade so while in the pastupgrading for who knew DirectX support that my graphics card might not even handle even ifGames that utilize that come out before the next Windows upgrade cycle was a bit of a tough sell this time aroundThere's that. I mean directx12 looks ballin AF, and you can learn more about it in this tech quickie video here, but there's also justNo downside so Windows 10 gets a big recommendation from us from a performance point of viewNothing to lose with our config although, pleaseNote we only tested a limited cross-section of games and only one graphics cardSo I still think it would be prudent to see if others with similar configs to your owner having any issuesBut yeah, it's looking pretty good so farThanks for watching guys if this video suckedDo you know what to do?But if it was awesome get subscribed hit that like button or even consider supporting us directly by using our affiliate code to shop atAmazon which you can find instructions were here buying a cool t-shirt like this one or with the direct monthlyContribution through our forum now that you're done doing all that stuffYou're probably wondering what to watch nextSo check out that little button in the top right corner to check out our moving vlog, which is actually surprisinglyentertaining\n"