No, Windows 11 is not required for Alder Lake.
No, Windows 11 is not required for Alder Lake.
Hi, for Alder Lake you likely don’t need Windows 11 unless you want the latest features. The new scheduler in Windows 10 isn’t available there, so performance differences with multitasking and work tasks are similar between both versions. If efficiency and workload balancing matter to you, sticking with Windows 10 should be fine.
Windows 11 includes a central scheduler designed for Alder Lake's big.LITTLE design. It isn't strictly necessary, but it ensures the performance and efficiency cores work together properly. Without it, background processes might use the efficiency core instead of the performance core when they should.
Some reviewers highlight the emphasis on benchmarking, noting that the focus tends to be on a single metric rather than overall efficiency. The updated scheduler aims to optimize performance and efficiency in real-world conditions. Essentially, you can have multiple browser tabs open, listen to music, and play your game while Windows handles updates or other tasks. The system should keep your game running on the most efficient cores, with other processes moving to less demanding ones. The practical advantages in everyday use are still unclear due to the complexity of testing. Personal interest plays a role here, but it's reasonable to expect value given the significant investment by Intel and Microsoft.