Would it be advisable to use an older Windows 10 version? y/n
Would it be advisable to use an older Windows 10 version? y/n
For about four to five years I've been limited to just Civ 6 and XCOM 2 because those are the only games that play well. After much research and updates, I suspect it might be due to the infamous additions like kb5001330 or kb601554, though they seem essential in Windows versions 20h1 and later. I'm considering preinstalling with 1809 but am concerned about possible major changes.
My system specs are: CPU I5 7500 @ 3.4 GHz up to 3.8 GHz; GPU MSI 1060 with a 6GB gaming trio (some minor OC edits); RAM 16 GB of Kingston HyperFury X, clocked via an XMP profile; PSU Bequiet SystemPower 9 750 watts; Motherboard b250g by ASUS RogStick.
If you can run the system without any internet, then you have no reason to update though please be forewarned that practically every software have an expiry date stamped into their code, so chances are you might end up with a borked OS sometime in the future.
One known issue with Windows 10 and it's update is that KB5034441 wouldn't go through for most individuals. It required users to recreate their bootable USB installers, dissolve the partitions on their OS drive, so the installer recreated the partitions. Namely the recovery partition to a slightly larger size. To add, you shouldn't be on Windows 10 as Microsoft will no longer support the OS, in favor of Windows 11 and above.
Out of curiosity, what OS version have you updated to...as in a clean install?
Motherboard: b250g asus rog stircks
What BIOS version are you on for your motherboard?
Just made the latest update on the Asus site – the motherboard, chipset controllers, and management engine everything I could find.
DDU was started in safe mode and every GPU driver from 378 to 552 was tested.
Right now I’m at 21h1 with no updates applied. Before this upgrade, all CPU-intensive games (Ac Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla, Witcher 3, Fallout 4, etc.) ran well, as did single-core or dual-core titles (older titles like Grim Dawn, or newer Unity-based games like Darkest Dungeon 2 or Rogue Trader).
I refreshed everything except the Windows update itself on a brand new clean install. I don’t keep personal files outside of games to allow easy reinstallation. The PC is functioning perfectly except for the occasional BSOD with Riot Anti-Cheat Engine.
I keep monitoring temperatures – nothing overheats, stays cool.
Back when I first bought the PC and installed Windows (around 2019), everything ran smoothly on an extremely old system. Even infamous Origins and Odyssey handled high performance without issues, except for volumetric clouds and space reflections.
Now, Skyrim SE feels off in some cases (just under 30 FPS). For other games like CIV 6 and XCOM 2, it works fine or barely.
In short – I haven’t tried going back to an older Windows version yet.
Sorry to be the one to suggest it, but perhaps you should try dual booting into a Linux distribution. If you have enough storage available, it might be worth a shot—most of the games you mentioned should work fine.
Just a minor adjustment - I restored the 1809 image I previously had, and everything is now working properly again. It looks like those extra KB I referenced might be affecting the CPU scheduling.