Subsequently reviewing all the twelfth generation Intel Core CPUs launched so far, today we're taking a look at how these new processors compare when using Windows 10 and Windows 11, plus Windows 11 running VBS (Virtualization-Based Security).

We briefly touched on Windows 10 vs Windows 11 operation in our Core i9-12900K review, however this time we're going more in-depth on the testing to describe more than solid conclusions. Moreover, including VBS results is important, as this is how some systems come configured and information technology's idea that since Intel did all their benchmarking with VBS enabled. Maybe it doesn't impact the newer compages to quite the same caste it did older generations.

VBS is an enterprise-class characteristic designed to secure corporate PCs past creating an isolated and secure region of memory from the normal operating system. Windows tin utilize this 'virtual secure way' to host a number of security solutions, providing them with greatly increased protection from vulnerabilities in the Os, and preventing the use of malicious exploits which attempt to defeat protections.

We don't feel VBS is a security characteristic that PC gamers demand to enable, just how secure y'all want your system is up to you lot, plus your system may be doing more than than just playing games. If the performance hit is but a few per centum information technology's probably worth it, but that wasn't ever the example with the 10th and 11th-gen Cadre serial processors, which often saw gaming performance tank by 10% or more.

It'due south also worth noting that for most enthusiast-built systems, that is, custom-congenital PCs using motherboards from the likes of Asus, MSI, Gigabyte or Asrock, they won't take VBS enabled by default. That beingness the case, it makes the virtually sense to test Windows 11 with VBS disabled as that volition be the state of affairs for the bulk of our audition, merely of grade, we're likewise interested to see how Alder Lake performs with the feature turned on.

We besides feel that if you lot're edifice a new PC from the ground upward, or even just upgrading your motherboard and CPU, a fresh install of Windows 11 is the ideal route, which is why nosotros spent two weeks updating all our CPU information on the newer platform.

Nosotros know at that place's a ton of discussion around how well Windows 11 works, which is the usual affair to expect when a new Microsoft OS is released, but we've not had any bad experiences afterward several installs on numerous test systems. Equally for the upgrade procedure from Windows ten to 11, it's an improvement over previous generations simply not even so perfect and it can hurt performance, so nosotros recommend a fresh install whenever possible.

For this twelfth-gen testing we're sticking with DDR4 retention by using the MSI Z690 Tomahawk Wi-Fi DDR4. We've likewise included the Ryzen vii 5800X Windows 11 results for reference only. All application and gaming data has been collected using a Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card.

Let's at present dive into the results...

Application Benchmarks

Starting with the Cinebench R23 multi-cadre results, we meet that the deviation betwixt Windows 10 and Windows 11 is non-existent with both operating systems able to maximize the performance of Intel's latest Cadre i7 processor. That said, you will see around a 5% drop in functioning with VBS enabled, which is non a massive difference, simply information technology'southward worth being enlightened of.

We're also seeing a similar thing for the unmarried cadre performance, Windows 10 and eleven are much the same here, but enabling VBS on Windows 11 reduced functioning by five%.

The 7-Zip file director compression operation is similar betwixt Windows 10 and Windows 11 once again, with both OS running with VBS disabled. However, enabling VBS does reduce Windows 11 performance with the 12700KF past 10%.

VBS wasn't as detrimental to performance for decompression work, just even so we're looking at a 7% reduction. Outside of that, Windows ten and xi were much the same.

We're looking at a similar affair with the Corona benchmark, though overall Windows eleven without VBS enabled produced the best result, beating Windows 10 by a five% margin. This fourth dimension enabling VBS reduced performance by 8%, which is getting up there and becoming noticeable.

Interestingly, the Adobe Premiere Pro 2022 results between Windows ten and Windows eleven running VBS were virtually identical. That made Windows 11 without VBS 5% faster than Windows 10. Not a massive difference, simply the newer operating system did deliver the best results.

Windows eleven was also superior in Adobe Photoshop 2022, beating the previous Os by 4%. VBS did reduce performance past 7%, making it slower than Windows 10.

We have yet some other example where Windows 11 is faster than 10 with Adobe After Effects 2022, this time by a iv% margin. VBS only reduced performance by 3% which is a negligible margin.

Windows 11 provided the best results in the Factorio benchmark, beating the previous version past seven%. It was too faster with VBS enabled, so overall a strong upshot for Microsoft's latest operating system.

We're looking at a iv% performance comeback for code compilation work using Windows 11 over 10, though enabling VBS did reduce performance by 6%. Minor margins in this one, only the performance trends are similar to the other application benchmarks.

The last application benchmark we're going to look at is Blender Open Data and hither we discover that Windows 10 and xi produce the verbal aforementioned result, a completion fourth dimension of 636 seconds. Enabling VBS slowed Windows 11 down to the tune of 4%, which is not meaning, just it does brand Windows 11 announced slower than x when in fact it's non.

Power Consumption

This is interesting to note, power usage between Windows 10 and 11 was identical, which makes sense given performance was besides identical. However, despite slightly reducing operation, VBS doesn't reduce power consumption, at least in this case. And then VBS enabled Windows 11 will provide worse efficiency data when compared to Windows 10.

Gaming Operation

Time to check out gaming results, and every bit usual the game data is mixed, but we'll showtime with F1 2022. Here Windows ten provided the all-time results, chirapsia Windows 11 by a small 3% margin when comparing the 1% low data. However, enabling VBS tanks performance, reducing 1% low operation past upwardly to 14%, which is a massive frame rate turn down and something gamers should be aware of.

Tom Clancy'southward Rainbow Six Siege results using the Vulkan API are interesting. Windows xi is up to 14% faster than Windows 10. We saw a 5% uplift for Ryzen, only 14% with the 12700KF is massive. It's also interesting to note that with VBS enabled, Windows x and Windows eleven delivered nearly the aforementioned level of performance.

The Borderlands 3 results are on the boring side as both Windows versions are much the aforementioned. Enabling VBS does reduce Windows 11 performance by upwardly to eleven%, seen when looking at the 1% low data.

The Watch Dogs: Legion data is shocking, and so much and so that I went dorsum and re-tested just to exist certain. Hither we see that Windows ten and 11 are a friction match as just seen in Borderlands iii. However, with VBS enabled Windows 11 performance tanks, dropping the average frame rate past 14% and the 1% low by an incredible 29%. We've heard reports of VBS destroying gaming operation past upwards to 30%, and here's one instance of that.

In Guardians of the Galaxy, Windows xi and 10 are virtually the aforementioned. But enabling VBS does injure gaming performance. While we're only looking at a five% reduction in average frame rates, the 1% low dropped past a staggering eighteen%, not every bit extreme as Watch Dogs, but all the same significant.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider performed slightly better on Windows 10, though we're merely talking about a two.5% comeback. That margin was small, but we did find that enabling VBS reduced performance by v-6% which is small-scale enough to worry about, at least in this example.

Performance in Hitman 3 was much the same between Windows ten and 11, but with VBS enabled we're looking at upwardly to an eleven% frame charge per unit reduction, seen when looking at the 1% depression.

Age of Empires IV provides u.s.a. with what looks to exist another typical looking set of results, that existence comparable operation betwixt Windows x and 11, with the VBS enabled Windows 11 configuration dropping a considerable amount of performance, this fourth dimension a 17% reduction for the ane% low.

Horizon Zero Dawn outputs some peculiar results. Windows 10 outperforms Windows 11 past a seven% margin, in both average frame rates and 1% low. Enabling VBS dropped one% low performance by a further 7%, though the boilerplate frame rate was only reduced past 1.five%. Either fashion, this was an unusually weak showing for Windows eleven.

Finally we have Cyberpunk 2077 where both Windows 10 and 11 performed similarly. However, enabling VBS destroyed i% low functioning in this title.

Despite only seeing a five% hit to the average frame rate, the one% depression was bedridden by nigh 30%, similar to what was seen in Watch Dogs: Legion. So while farthermost and somewhat unexpected, it's non an outlier every bit we did see another example of this is some other CPU demanding championship.

10 Game Boilerplate

In terms of average frame rates beyond our 10 game sample, nosotros observe that Windows x and Windows 11 are much of a muchness with no more than than a frame or two separating the ii as long as VBS is not enabled.

If we were to exclusively examination Windows 11 with VBS enabled, the conclusion would be quite different. Here Windows 11 ends up being 7% slower than Windows 10 when comparing the average frame rate and a massive fifteen% slower when looking at the i% low data.

This could be seen as placing Microsoft's latest OS in a rather bad calorie-free, which is not entirely authentic as both Windows 11 and 10 are capable of running with or without VBS enabled.

What We Learned

There are a number of things to unpack here, so let'due south intermission it downwardly in an order that makes sense. Let'south offset with a simple one: how should reviewers have tested the twelfth-gen Core series, with Windows 10 or 11? The respond to that is simple. Information technology doesn't thing, as long equally the aforementioned operating organization was used for all hardware configurations, and the same OS configuration was used for all testing.

Mixing operating systems in the same review could pb to inaccurate data, peculiarly if the security features differ. For the reasons I outlined before, I think the best course of action was to update everything to Windows 11, just I also fully acknowledge that there is no correct or wrong option here, every bit long as everything was apples to apples on the software side.

The next betoken of contention will be, should Windows 11 be tested with or without VBS enabled? For now, we're going to test with VBS disabled unless specified otherwise, so far that has been the default configuration for all our fresh installs.

Interestingly, Microsoft states that the default behavior is to enable VBS for Windows eleven on systems that support the characteristic, only once more, that hasn't been the case on whatsoever of the Intel Z690 systems nosotros've installed it on. Those systems do support VBS and it can exist toggled on or off without changing anything in the BIOS, yet by default Windows eleven didn't enable it.

Plainly all yous need for VBS to be enabled by default is an Intel 11th-gen CPU or newer, AMD Zen 2 CPU or newer, 8GB of RAM or more, 64GB SSD or more, and virtualization enabled in the BIOS. Our exam systems met this criteria and yet VBS still wasn't enabled by default.

In this article we've clearly shown the functioning impact VBS tin have, at least on our hardware configuration, though we're as well aware that in some instances, especially those surrounding gaming, the impact could exist amplified due to the way we're testing, given that we're using a high-stop GPU at a low resolution, which makes the game more CPU bound than it would exist under most normal atmospheric condition, then a slower GPU at a higher resolution.

But of course, this is the best way to highlight CPU performance and the data is accurate. But it does hateful under more GPU limited conditions, VBS might only reduce functioning past effectually 5%, which is adequately negligible.

Ultimately, I think for testing the all-time exercise is to disable VBS, simply whether or not gamers and users in full general should practice this, is best for them to decide. Personally, I'd disable VBS on my gaming PC, but I'd probably run with information technology enabled on my piece of work PC as I'm willing to take a minor performance hit at that place for improved security.

Now when it comes to choosing between these ii operating systems for new Intel 12th-gen owners, peculiarly those who are gamers, another factor is compatibility. In that location are some issues Intel faced with Denuvo's DRM software. In short, the DRM software doesn't recognize what these new hybrid CPUs are given, information technology wasn't adult with them in heed, and therefore can cause the game to crash or even fail to load. Intel discussed this with the media prior to the release, so it wasn't a surprise. Intel has already addressed the trouble for a huge number of games and there are workarounds for those that remain. This sort of teething issue with a brand new architecture is actually par for the form, but sadly so is bravado information technology massively out of proportion by some outlets.

Intel is however actively working to address whatever bug with the remaining games and should take them patched upward very soon for Windows 11 users. In that location's notwithstanding just shy of 30 games that take compatibility issues when running Windows 10 and the ETA for when those volition be addressed could push out to next year. That said, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is on that list and we've never had an issue running and playing it on Windows ten, so it could be very hardware specific.

Intel might actually be doing gamers a favor in the long run every bit some developers have only opted to remove DRM from their game, and bluntly that's what they should all do equally stuff like Denuvo is a cancer upon gamers. Games similar Shadow of the Tomb Raider that are at present 3 years quondam and sell for effectually $10 don't need DRM bogging them down.

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