June 29, 2025 – In a high-profile push to encourage Windows 10 holdouts to upgrade before its October 2025 end-of-support deadline, Microsoft recently claimed Windows 11 PCs are "up to 2.3x faster" than their Windows 10 counterparts. The impressive statistic, prominently featured in marketing materials and a Windows Experience Blog post, touted significant performance gains in app launching, browsing, and gaming. However, scrutiny of the underlying benchmarks reveals a critical flaw: the tests compared Windows 11 running on modern next-gen hardware against Windows 10 running on significantly older processors.
The claim hinges on internal Microsoft testing using "Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs" equipped with cutting-edge neural processing units (NPUs) and the latest Snapdragon X Elite or Intel Core Ultra processors. These systems were benchmarked against older devices running Windows 10, often using CPUs several generations old. This discrepancy was noted in a less-publicized Microsoft Claims Disclosure page, which states the performance comparisons are "based on testing of pre-release Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs" versus "Windows 10 on devices from prior generations." Critics argue this amounts to comparing "apples to bowling balls."
Independent tech analysts were quick to question the validity of presenting this as a pure OS-versus-OS speed gain. TechSpot's deep dive into the methodology concluded that the massive performance leap is primarily attributable to the new hardware, not the operating system itself. Their testing indicates that while Windows 11 is well-optimized for these new chips, running it on the same hardware as Windows 10 typically yields only marginal real-world performance differences, far short of 2.3x.
PC Gamer echoed these concerns, highlighting that the comparison is particularly misleading for gamers and power users who might interpret the claim as a reason to upgrade their existing Windows 10 PC to Windows 11. Their report bluntly stated that Microsoft neglected to mention it was comparing apples to bowling balls, emphasizing that the raw power of the new Snapdragon X Elite and Core Ultra chips is the dominant factor, not a magical speed boost from Windows 11 alone.
While Microsoft isn't falsifying its test results, the framing of the "2.3x faster" claim omits the crucial context of the hardware disparity. This marketing approach comes as the company intensifies efforts to migrate users off Windows 10 before security updates cease. Performance improvements in Windows 11, especially for newer hybrid workloads leveraging NPUs, are real – but attributing a 130% speed increase solely to the OS is seen by many as an oversimplification that benefits hardware sales of new Copilot+ PCs.
The Takeaway: Should you upgrade to Windows 11 for a potential speed boost? If you're buying a brand-new PC with the latest silicon (especially Copilot+ PCs), yes – you'll experience excellent performance largely driven by that cutting-edge hardware. If you're hoping your existing Windows 10 machine will suddenly run more than twice as fast by simply installing Windows 11, however, temper your expectations. The significant gains touted by Microsoft are intrinsically linked to major leaps in processor technology, not just the operating system upgrade.
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