Windows 11 24H2 vs. 23H2: A Comparative Performance Review
With the launch of Windows 11 back in 2021, Microsoft aimed to excite users about the alleged performance improvements promised by the new operating system. The company emphasized that Windows 11 was engineered to optimize the performance of existing hardware. However, this assertion was met with skepticism, particularly because the OS came with enhanced system requirements that left many users with older hardware behind.
Initial promises of better performance waned as users reported minimal enhancements. By November 2021, developers from Microsoft shifted their focus publicly toward enhancing the user interface’s responsiveness throughout 2022.
Recent Developments: Performance Claims and Testing
Fast forward to May 2023, Microsoft’s blog revealed various improvements, yet independent third-party evaluations indicated that many anticipated performance gains remained elusive. In our previous tests involving clean installations and upgrades, we discovered that while Windows 11 did show a speed increase in some cases, it fell short of the exaggerated performance claims made by Microsoft, often backed by favorable studies.
As we delve into the distinction between Windows feature updates, particularly from 23H2 to 24H2, our goal is to assess user experience when upgrading. Anecdotal evidence suggests some users find 24H2 enhances their systems’ overall performance—even on unsupported configurations.
The Upgrade Test
In conducting this comparison, we decided to simulate a typical user experience with default settings throughout our tests. Features such as Core Isolation and Virtualization-based Security (VBS) remained enabled, ensuring a thorough evaluation of the in-place upgrade process to Windows 11 24H2 following the installation of the initial patch for 24H2 in October 2024 (Patch Tuesday KB5044284).
The testing environment included a robust setup with an Intel Core i7-14700K CPU and an AMD 7800 XT GPU, overseen collaboratively by Steven and myself, using the latest GPU drivers (Adrenalin version 24.10.1).
Synthetic Benchmark Results
We initiated our assessment with synthetic benchmarks, focusing on CPU performance through 3DMark’s Fire Strike Ultra and Time Spy Extreme. While Fire Strike’s results highlighted performance deficits in the 24H2 update, notably in single-threaded tasks, this raised questions about the update’s optimization for DirectX 11.
We proceeded to evaluate the 3DMark CPU Profile, another scaling test, and were surprised to observe that 24H2 exhibited poor scaling in certain areas, contradicting our expectations that the update would enhance multi-threading performance.
Next, we examined GPU performance utilizing both Speed Way and Steel Nomad tests, finding consistent performance across both updates with scores remaining within an acceptable margin of error.
Real-World Gaming Performance
Transitioning to real-world gaming performance, we maintained default settings to measure typical user experiences. Remarkably, when testing Black Myth: Wukong with Frame Generation enabled, 24H2 offered a 17.3% improvement in average framerate, making it a standout performer in this scenario.
Conversely, in Far Cry 6, performance in 24H2 fell behind its predecessor, likely due to the game’s single-threaded nature affecting overall performance metrics.
Similarly, performance in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey remained equal across both versions, while compatibility tests in supported games like Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy displayed no differences in game performance.
Productivity and Compression Tests
Shifting gears to productivity benchmarks, we tested Cinebench 2024 for CPU and GPU rendering. The results did not present any significant differences. However, when evaluating compression performance with 7-Zip, Windows 11 24H2 led by approximately 6% in compression tasks, demonstrating slightly improved efficiency.
Finally, our PCMark 10 tests revealed a shortfall in app start-up performance for 24H2, which contrasted sharply with 23H2’s efficiency.
In conclusion, the overall scoring favored Windows 11 23H2 with 10,734 points against 10,460 for 24H2, indicating a slight edge for the previous version in general usability.
Is Upgrading Worth It?
As Microsoft begins rolling out the 24H2 feature update more widely, the decision to upgrade hinges on individual user experience and priorities. While 24H2 excels in specific areas like Frame Generation, it appears to falter in single-threaded performance and app start-up times. Users valuing snappiness and lower RAM allocations may prefer sticking with 23H2.
What has your experience been with either Windows 11 23H2 or 24H2? Share your thoughts below, as they could help fellow users navigate their upgrade decisions.
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