Why is Windows 11 slower than Windows 7 and Windows 10?
Why is Windows 11 slower than Windows 7 and Windows 10?
Windows 11 benefits from enhanced security measures in contemporary CPUs and motherboards that older versions of Windows lack support for. More specifically, Windows 11 depends on a TPM—a hardware-based cryptographic tool used for secure authentication and overall system protection. It also mandates SecureBoot, leveraging UEFI firmware capabilities to verify the legitimacy of boot files. UEFI replaces the MBR and completely transforms the boot procedure, along with changing the disk format to GPT. Additionally, Windows 11 requires CPUs to support MBEC and mode-based execution control, which are essential for running HVCI and ensuring code integrity of loaded modules. While it's technically feasible to run HVCI without MBEC on Windows 10, performance will be significantly affected. Windows 11 also employs DCH-compliant drivers, a method that enhances driver security, complemented by all drivers being digitally signed by Microsoft.
These improvements aim to strengthen Windows security and safeguard your data from external threats. If Microsoft had implemented these features in Windows 10, most older PCs would have failed to boot due to hardware limitations. This is why Windows 11 is currently only available on newer systems equipped with the required components.
It remains possible to attempt installation on very old hardware, but achieving smooth operation isn't guaranteed and may not match optimal performance.
I tested Windows 11 on some very old hardware and noticed it was slow. After installing it on my home computer, it ran smoothly and quickly, confirming the old hardware.
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The thing I don't really understand is this FOMO with a new OS. There's nothing new or exciting about Windows 11 that is a must-have feature from Windows 10.
Even when Windows 10 goes EOL in two years, that doesn't mean the OS is going to shut off and you can no longer use it. At best all I can see is Microsoft insistently nagging you to upgrade (or not, since you don't have a compatible PC). From there on, it's a matter of risk management: do you want to continue using an OS with vulnerabilities that won't get patched?
People that say it's slower on older hardware have certainly not tried it. I had it for 1 year on an i5 3rd gen. on MBR bios with no secure boot and TPM and it ran exactly the same as Windows 10. With the same hardware and software configuration there is no reason it would run slower, it's surely not the partition table or the missing secure boot that will slow it down.