Speed: Is it improving?

TheGrantFitz

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So, for as I've measured, Speed isn't much different from Windows 7, but then again, they are using almost identical hardware. How is Windows 8 running on XP or Vista?
 

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8 is the fastest version of Windows I've ever used, its also the lightest. I have tried it on much older hardware, but everything I've ran it on p4 or better flies.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro x64
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built by me
    CPU
    QX9770 @ 4.3ghz
    Motherboard
    EVGA 780i A1
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    4gb Corsair XMS2 DDR800 @ 1.0ghz
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    EVGA 8800GT SSC SLI
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    Soundblaster Live Xtreme Gamer
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    22" Samsung LED LCD
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    1920 x 1080
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    2 x 150GB WD Raptors in Raid 0 (OS)
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    Enermax Galaxy 1000watt
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    Lian Li Extended ATX
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    Thermalright Ultra 120 with 2 x 120MM fans
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    Dell Soft touch USB
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    Dell Optical USB
    Internet Speed
    FIOS 40Mb down / 40Mb Up
8 is the fastest version of Windows I've ever used, its also the lightest. I have tried it on much older hardware, but everything I've ran it on p4 or better flies.

Most say that it is bloated like vista, but I'm siding with you. It is much faster on my computer than on 7.
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro, iOS 7.1, Elementary OS
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    Tablet
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Apple
    Memory
    1 GB
    Screen Resolution
    2048x1536
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    iPad Air
for me 8 is faster than 7, it shutsdown a lot faster too. glad i ignored all the negative press and tried it, i like it and will not be going back to 7
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8 pro x64
    CPU
    INTEL sandy bridge 2600k
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte P67A-UD4 B3 REV. 1.1
    Memory
    16gb G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 1600mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    crossfired radeon 6950's
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 2408WFP
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M G2 160GB, western digital black 2TB
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    Antec TPQ-850
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    Cooler master HAF932
    Cooling
    XIGMATEK SD-1283 Gaia
    Keyboard
    MS wireless 5000
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    MS trackball explorer
    Internet Speed
    50 mb\s
    Other Info
    Pioneer BDR-205, Samsung SH-S243N 24X DVD-RW
for me 8 is faster than 7, it shutsdown a lot faster too. glad i ignored all the negative press and tried it, i like it and will not be going back to 7

8 is amazing, it will be my primary OS.
 

My Computer

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    Windows 8.1 Pro, iOS 7.1, Elementary OS
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    Tablet
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Apple
    Memory
    1 GB
    Screen Resolution
    2048x1536
    Other Info
    iPad Air
8 is the fastest version of Windows I've ever used, its also the lightest. I have tried it on much older hardware, but everything I've ran it on p4 or better flies.

Most say that it is bloated like vista, but I'm siding with you. It is much faster on my computer than on 7.

Most have no idea what they are talking about lol. When MS first showed it, they had a side by side presentation of W8 preview, Win7 SP1, and Win Vista SP2 all 64bit and Win8 was on average using 30% less ram idle at the desktop then the other two OSs.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro x64
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built by me
    CPU
    QX9770 @ 4.3ghz
    Motherboard
    EVGA 780i A1
    Memory
    4gb Corsair XMS2 DDR800 @ 1.0ghz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 8800GT SSC SLI
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster Live Xtreme Gamer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" Samsung LED LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    2 x 150GB WD Raptors in Raid 0 (OS)
    1 x 750GB Hitachi (Storage)
    PSU
    Enermax Galaxy 1000watt
    Case
    Lian Li Extended ATX
    Cooling
    Thermalright Ultra 120 with 2 x 120MM fans
    Keyboard
    Dell Soft touch USB
    Mouse
    Dell Optical USB
    Internet Speed
    FIOS 40Mb down / 40Mb Up
8 is the fastest version of Windows I've ever used, its also the lightest. I have tried it on much older hardware, but everything I've ran it on p4 or better flies.

Most say that it is bloated like vista, but I'm siding with you. It is much faster on my computer than on 7.

Most have no idea what they are talking about lol. When MS first showed it, they had a side by side presentation of W8 preview, Win7 SP1, and Win Vista SP2 all 64bit and Win8 was on average using 30% less ram idle at the desktop then the other two OSs.

At the desktop... :smile:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro, iOS 7.1, Elementary OS
    Computer type
    Tablet
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Apple
    Memory
    1 GB
    Screen Resolution
    2048x1536
    Other Info
    iPad Air
Most say that it is bloated like vista, but I'm siding with you. It is much faster on my computer than on 7.

Most have no idea what they are talking about lol. When MS first showed it, they had a side by side presentation of W8 preview, Win7 SP1, and Win Vista SP2 all 64bit and Win8 was on average using 30% less ram idle at the desktop then the other two OSs.

At the desktop... :smile:

Metro is just an interface, and even with it added, 8 is still lighter then 7
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro x64
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built by me
    CPU
    QX9770 @ 4.3ghz
    Motherboard
    EVGA 780i A1
    Memory
    4gb Corsair XMS2 DDR800 @ 1.0ghz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 8800GT SSC SLI
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster Live Xtreme Gamer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" Samsung LED LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    2 x 150GB WD Raptors in Raid 0 (OS)
    1 x 750GB Hitachi (Storage)
    PSU
    Enermax Galaxy 1000watt
    Case
    Lian Li Extended ATX
    Cooling
    Thermalright Ultra 120 with 2 x 120MM fans
    Keyboard
    Dell Soft touch USB
    Mouse
    Dell Optical USB
    Internet Speed
    FIOS 40Mb down / 40Mb Up
Startups and shutdowns are faster for sure, not sure there is any real noticeable difference anywhere else.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
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    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
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    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
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    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
Hi there
What exactly do you mean by "Fastest".

Booting up W8 is definitely quicker than W7 -- but on the same hardware I can boot up XP or W2003 server (W2K3 server probably the best OS ever to come out of Redmond--even compared with W7 and W8 ) so fast even on a VM that I sometimes wonder should I just run a few XP or w2003 server VM's or run a W8 system. !!!

Lack of RAM and slow disks will kill ANY system even if you've got the latest MOBO with the fastest Intel I7 in it.

With decent HDD's (especially if you go for SSD's) Boot time should not be an issue any more whatever Windows version you want to run.

W7 definitely takes longer to shutdown --but that's probably because I'm using the default "Services" start up -- if you only start services that are really needed this should fix that problem too.

Where W8 scores of course is the far superior security protection built into the kernel.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
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    PC/Desktop
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    1 X LG 40 inch TV
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    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
Windows 8 will probably perform about the same as Windows 7 if you have high end hardware. But if you have marginal hardware, Windows 8 will be much better. It makes far better use of resources and will self-optimize itself based on the current hardware conditions.
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    CPU
    Intel i7 3770K
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    Gigabyte Z77X-UD4 TH
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 1600
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    nVidia GTX 650
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    Onboard Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Auria 27" IPS + 2x Samsung 23"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 + 2x 2048x1152
    Hard Drives
    Corsair m4 256GB, 2 WD 2TB drives
    Case
    Antec SOLO II
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
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    Logitech MX
I've noticed Windows 8 to be a gift to older hardware as it is MUCH more light footed, which makes upgrading from an xp or vista machine more worthwhile. From 7 to 8, there are some speed improvements like startup and shutdown, and overall lower system usage which translates into lower power usage. Also, overall, Windows 8 seems to stay running fast and lean due to ye Automatic Maintenance feature over 7. From my usage, I've had the most consistent boot times every and I was using it as my main OS since the Developer Preview days.

I don't know if it's the Enterprise version, but the RTM seems to be slower than before. Not only on my system but on another one as well. Boot time is longer compared to the RP and even setup identical to the RP.
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
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    OCZ 500 watt
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    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
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    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
I've noticed Windows 8 to be a gift to older hardware as it is MUCH more light footed, which makes upgrading from an xp or vista machine more worthwhile. From 7 to 8, there are some speed improvements like startup and shutdown, and overall lower system usage which translates into lower power usage. Also, overall, Windows 8 seems to stay running fast and lean due to ye Automatic Maintenance feature over 7. From my usage, I've had the most consistent boot times every and I was using it as my main OS since the Developer Preview days.

I don't know if it's the Enterprise version, but the RTM seems to be slower than before. Not only on my system but on another one as well. Boot time is longer compared to the RP and even setup identical to the RP.

Same here, but where is that extra baggage in the RTM, since i have had the same problem.

The Marketplace may slow down the computer the bigger it gets if it is left open.
 

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    Windows 8.1 Pro, iOS 7.1, Elementary OS
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    Tablet
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    Apple
    Memory
    1 GB
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    2048x1536
    Other Info
    iPad Air
My Win8 experience thus far (three days) is much faster and responsive than Win7, on the same hardware (dual boot system). To me, Win8 has less "eye candy" than Win7 and maybe that's why things seems to be faster? I haven't measured anything yet, so this is "seat of the pants" experience, not objective at all...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 10 Pro 64bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home built Intel i7-3770k-based system
    CPU
    Intel i7-3770k, Overclocked to 4.6GHz (46x100) with Corsair H110i GT cooler
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z77 OC Formula 2.30 BIOS
    Memory
    32GB DDR3 2133 Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GTX 980ti SC ACS 6GB DDR5 by EVGA
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD, Corsair SP2500 speakers and subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 27EA33 [Monitor] (27.2"vis) HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB (system drive)
    WD 6TB Red NAS hard drives x 2 in Storage Spaces (redundancy)
    PSU
    Corsair 750ax fully modular power supply with sleeved cables
    Case
    Corsair Air 540 with 7 x 140mm fans on front, rear and top panels
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    Corsair H110i GT liquid cooled CPU with 4 x 140" Corsair SP "push-pull" and 3 x 140mm fans
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    Thermaltake Poseidon Z illuminated keyboard
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    Corsair M65 wired
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    85MBps DSL
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    Chrome and Edge
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    Windows Defender, MalwareBytes Pro and CCleaner Pro
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    Client of Windows Server 2012 R2 10 PC's, laptops and smartphones on the WLAN.

    1GBps Ethernet ports
I think true with the older hardware. As you can see I have an older Acer. 8 flies past 7 in boot time, resources, and speed. Seems to be very stable as well. No problems whatsoever. :)
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
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    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
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    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
considerably quicker as an os, just takes some getting used to the layout of the different aspects of the os.

ran some games minor fps increase across the board, were talking 1-10 fps increase so nothing major and then it really depends on the game some games were the same others were 1-2 fps increase on avg and some seen as much as 10 fps increase, could be early drivers versions which may mean some will see larger improvments as time goes on.

ran some rendering in 3ds which is important to me, a long scene render in win 7 tested 10 times for a base line, finished in 9 min 20 secs ish quickest was 9 min, done the same render in win 8 in 8 min 30 sec with the quickest render taking 8 min 19 secs. not colossal improvments but noticable(note both renders done using the same ssd drive and setup)

all in all given some minor tweaking the os is solid and stable, runs fine on small netbooks as well and has all the major functions you expect.
 

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W8 boots faster than W7 that's confirmed here too.
The shutdown doesn't seem faster (using the hybrid boot / swapfile.sys seems to make the startup faster and the shutdown slower) but most tests were made on IDE drives and some VM's. I still use W7 as the main OS and I'm still thinking over the switch. But I know I wouldn't encounter any problems as long as VBox / VMPlayer work ok.

I'm glad they removed the 16bit display color modes (and put something to compensate this in compatibility mode) and Explorer is better with more UI features.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
Never have seen these so called w8 speed increases outside of boot times. Throw a couple of hundred windows updates onto w8 and lets see how snappy it is, lol.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W7
Never have seen these so called w8 speed increases outside of boot times. Throw a couple of hundred windows updates onto w8 and lets see how snappy it is, lol.

True
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
Dual booting W7 & W8 on the same hardware and 8 seems a lot faster for me, boot times are really good too.
I am planning on putting W8 on my partners laptop for the speed improvements...I just got to prepare myself for the "WTF is this and where has the blue thing gone, and how do I get back to the main screen?". Should be fun :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7
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