The release of Windows 11 was only a day ago, but already the first users are complaining about poor performance. Microsoft has not officially confirmed the issues yet.
In the meantime, you can install Windows 11 on your system and take advantage of numerous new features alongside the new design.
The current discussion revolves around a technology that was previously available as an option in Windows 10 and has now been introduced as an important feature in Windows 11.
Specifically, it concerns VBS, a virtualization technology. However, this function is now causing trouble among gamers. MeinMMO explains what VBS actually is and whether you are affected by it.
New security may worsen gaming performance
What technology is involved? The issue apparently lies with Virtualization-Based Security, or VBS for short. This function utilizes hardware virtualization to create a secure area in memory. This secure memory can then be utilized by other security features like Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) and Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI). Think of it like a virtual machine where certain things can be executed.
How significantly does this affect performance? The online magazine Tomshardware conducted initial benchmarks with Windows 11 (via tomshardware.com). The initial tests show that performance is at least somewhat impacted:
- With an Intel processor of the 11th generation, the performance loss is between 5 and 7%.
- With an AMD processor, the loss is between 4 and 8%, depending on the game.
Tomshardware explains that while the problems are not severe, a performance loss of nearly 10% is still noticeable. Many users likely wouldn’t see a reason to sacrifice a tenth of their performance for new security measures.
Online magazine PCGamer (via pcgamer.com) notes even more clearly. Here, editor Dave James speaks of a performance loss of up to 28%.
Both Tomshardware and PCGamer point out that the extent of the losses really depends on the game.
Pre-built PCs may be affected, those upgrading themselves likely not
Am I affected by the problems? It really depends on whether you install Windows 11 independently or use a pre-built computer. According to some testers and benchmarks, it varies based on both the installation and the hardware:
- For custom systems that you are upgrading to Windows 11, the new security settings are not activated, and you need to do this manually. You must check the box consciously.
- For pre-built systems (or OEM), however, Microsoft recommends activating these features. This depends on how manufacturers distribute their updates with Microsoft.
Is there a statement from Microsoft? Microsoft clearly stated that VBS does not have to be used during the upgrade to Windows 11 and all features are optional (via blogs.microsoft.com):
While we do not require VBS during an upgrade to Windows 11, we believe that the security benefits it provides are so important that we wanted to ensure through the minimum system requirements that every PC running Windows 11 offers the same security relied upon by the Department of Defense.
Microsoft also explained that this feature is intended as an offering for businesses. This allows companies to lock down their computers with the technology to prevent them from being compromised by malware. Microsoft has not provided recommendations for pure gaming machines so far.
Microsoft also states: “In collaboration with our OEM and partners, we will activate VBS and HVCI on most new PCs over the next year.” Therefore, if you buy a new PC with Windows 11, the security features may already be activated.
What do you think of Windows 11? Do you like the new operating system? If you are still unsure whether to upgrade, you can find all the important points regarding Windows 11 in our checklist:
Windows 11 launches today – Who should consider the switch? The quick check
