Since Microsoft unveiled Windows 11, users across a spectrum of hardware have voiced persistent concerns about lag, slowness, and an overall lack of the responsiveness that once typified Windows 10. The promise of a sleeker interface, refined system apps, and improved productivity tools has been dampened in many quarters by frustrations over performance—especially on recent, high-performance hardware. Complaints intensified within communities of gamers and power users, where even small inefficiencies or stutters can feel like regressions. As feedback has mounted, Microsoft has continually pledged to address these problems, and with the imminent arrival of the Windows 11 25H2 update, the company is making its most data-driven push yet to close the performance gap.
Even from its earliest public builds in October 2021, Windows 11 suffered from performance complaints. These issues were glaringly evident with hybrid CPUs—such as Intel’s Alder Lake and Raptor Lake, and AMD’s latest Ryzen lines—where the interaction between Windows scheduler and hybrid cores resulted in unpredictable performance dips, higher latency, or inefficiencies in real-world gaming. For comparison, many users noted Windows 10 remained snappier on the same hardware in daily workflows and gaming benchmarks.
One underlying cause has been the heavier focus on background telemetry, enhanced cloud integrations, and increased system requirements, including strict enforcement of TPM 2.0 and newer CPUs. These measures, while bolstering security and enabling future-facing features, have also introduced overhead that some machines—especially those skirting minimum specs—struggle to manage efficiently.
User discontent has not been limited to anecdotal reports. Independent benchmarks and technical analyses, such as those from Windows Central and TechRadar, consistently demonstrate that Windows 11’s File Explorer, for example, is notably slower than its Windows 10 predecessor, sometimes posting double the launch time on identical devices. Experts have traced this to the new WinUI 3 interface, deeper integration with online features, and expanded content indexing routines. While intended to enhance user experience and productivity, these add measurable overhead for those who would prefer barebones, local-only operation.
Still, although some lag and slowness abated after these patches, the improvements were not universal. Advanced users regularly reported that performance remained inconsistent, especially on AMD-based systems and new-generation hybrid CPUs. Notable issues included slow “cold starts” for File Explorer, unresponsive transitions, and unexplained stutters in gaming scenarios—even on clean installations.
Critical reviews and user testimonies in the Feedback Hub and forums continue to spotlight that, while the situation is improving, Windows 11 has not universally matched Windows 10’s responsiveness. One key pain point: users uninterested in features like Microsoft 365 cloud integration find themselves paying a speed penalty, with no easy way to toggle these integrations completely off. Similarly, Windows 11’s virtualization-based security (VBS) and Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI)—activated by default on modern machines—have been repeatedly linked to small but meaningful drops in game and app performance, raising hard questions about trade-offs between cutting-edge security and seamless user experience.
AMD’s collaboration with Microsoft produced forthcoming kernel-level patches—deployed via Windows 11 version 24H2 and later 25H2—that specifically augment handling of Zen 5’s branch prediction. Early figures released by AMD indicate that, for heavy single-threaded workloads like those in Far Cry 6 or Cyberpunk 2077, users may see performance gains ranging from 6% to as much as 13% after the update. Notably, these improvements are not limited to cutting-edge hardware; Zen 4 and Zen 3 CPUs are expected to benefit as well.
For hybrid CPU users—especially on Intel’s latest platforms—the culprit is often a combination of Windows task scheduling and background security policies. Windows 11 continues to refine its core scheduler to better recognize and allocate E-cores and P-cores, but quirks remain, occasionally leading to fluctuating framerates in GPU-bound workloads or application stutters during multitasking.
This system-level innovation marks a significant step up from past diagnostic efforts. Previously, Microsoft depended mostly on voluntary user logs, which required time-consuming manual collection and technical savvy—dampening the utility and scale of the feedback received. The new, automated log capture tied to real complaints not only expedites root cause analysis but may shorten the cycle between issue identification and permanent fixes.
This diagnostic leap, coupled with an ongoing refinement of update platforms (like the emergent Germanium base, which supports both ARM and x86 architectures for smoother, less disruptive patching), signals a fresh approach. By consolidating update mechanisms and focusing on true telemetry-driven enhancements, Microsoft is acknowledging that real-world user experience must be front and center.
For users, the upshot is greater transparency. When a system runs slowly and feedback is submitted, there is now a demonstrable, technical record accompanying the complaint. No longer is the troubleshooting process confined to generic “have you tried rebooting?” scripts—Microsoft’s engineers can observe and solve slowness issues as they truly appear in the wild.
The steady march of cumulative updates—each addressing a fine-tuned set of bugs, subtle UI glitches, and under-the-hood inefficiencies—demonstrates Microsoft’s long-term vision: to craft an OS that gently but steadily evolves, honoring user feedback at every step.
Second, the ongoing reliance on background security infrastructure—while undeniably important in an era of expanding cyber threats—continues to nibble at peak performance. Gamers, in particular, remain wary of VBS and HVCI by default, with some resorting to complex scripts or unsupported tweaks to disable these protections and reclaim lost frames per second. Yet, turning off these features exposes users to heightened risk, undermining one of Microsoft’s core justifications for modern system requirements.
A further risk lies in the potential for “silent regressions.” As seen with updates like KB5041585, poorly tested patches can inflict new slowdowns or break compatibility with third-party software—most acutely felt in the gaming community, where anti-cheat systems and driver interplay are crucial. In several publicized cases, users weighing whether to apply security updates have faced a Hobson’s choice: patch and endure poor performance, or delay and risk vulnerabilities.
Finally, the shift to platform unification carries its own perils. As support for Windows 10 and earlier editions expires, millions of users—especially in managed or resource-constrained environments—are being corralled toward Windows 11, sometimes onto hardware that will only just meet the minimum specifications. For these users, escalating system requirements and update mandates may represent less of an upgrade and more of an unavoidable drag.
Much will depend on the successful rollout and effectiveness of the 25H2 update and subsequent builds. While cautious optimism is warranted—especially given Microsoft’s track record of incremental, telemetry-driven reform—there are no guarantees. If feedback-driven diagnostics work as designed, stubborn bottlenecks in File Explorer, resource management, and cloud integration may finally receive the targeted attention they deserve. If Microsoft falters, however, a sizable portion of its user base may begin to seriously reevaluate the cost-benefit calculus of Windows as their daily driver.
For now, Windows 11’s evolution is an instructive case study in operating system stewardship in the era of cloud, security, and AI. The lesson is clear: feature innovation must keep pace with (and never come at the expense of) the core OS experience. As the 25H2 update approaches, users will continue watching closely—and, for the first time in years, every performance complaint may finally reach the ears (and the engineering dashboards) of the people who can truly make a difference.
Source: TechJuice Microsoft Working to Fix Lag and Slowness in Windows 11
The Roots of Windows 11 Performance Woes
Even from its earliest public builds in October 2021, Windows 11 suffered from performance complaints. These issues were glaringly evident with hybrid CPUs—such as Intel’s Alder Lake and Raptor Lake, and AMD’s latest Ryzen lines—where the interaction between Windows scheduler and hybrid cores resulted in unpredictable performance dips, higher latency, or inefficiencies in real-world gaming. For comparison, many users noted Windows 10 remained snappier on the same hardware in daily workflows and gaming benchmarks.One underlying cause has been the heavier focus on background telemetry, enhanced cloud integrations, and increased system requirements, including strict enforcement of TPM 2.0 and newer CPUs. These measures, while bolstering security and enabling future-facing features, have also introduced overhead that some machines—especially those skirting minimum specs—struggle to manage efficiently.
User discontent has not been limited to anecdotal reports. Independent benchmarks and technical analyses, such as those from Windows Central and TechRadar, consistently demonstrate that Windows 11’s File Explorer, for example, is notably slower than its Windows 10 predecessor, sometimes posting double the launch time on identical devices. Experts have traced this to the new WinUI 3 interface, deeper integration with online features, and expanded content indexing routines. While intended to enhance user experience and productivity, these add measurable overhead for those who would prefer barebones, local-only operation.
Incremental Progress: Updates and User Feedback
Microsoft has not stood still in the face of criticism. Throughout 2023 and into 2024, the company released several cumulative updates aimed at tackling slowness and perceived bloat. The 24H2 update, for instance, brought substantive speed boosts to system elements like the taskbar, quick settings, and the notification center, as well as reducing the impact of startup apps on boot time. There were direct attempts to optimize resource management and smooth out performance on older and less powerful PCs, reflecting Microsoft’s awareness that its user base is broader than just those with flagship hardware.Still, although some lag and slowness abated after these patches, the improvements were not universal. Advanced users regularly reported that performance remained inconsistent, especially on AMD-based systems and new-generation hybrid CPUs. Notable issues included slow “cold starts” for File Explorer, unresponsive transitions, and unexplained stutters in gaming scenarios—even on clean installations.
Critical reviews and user testimonies in the Feedback Hub and forums continue to spotlight that, while the situation is improving, Windows 11 has not universally matched Windows 10’s responsiveness. One key pain point: users uninterested in features like Microsoft 365 cloud integration find themselves paying a speed penalty, with no easy way to toggle these integrations completely off. Similarly, Windows 11’s virtualization-based security (VBS) and Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI)—activated by default on modern machines—have been repeatedly linked to small but meaningful drops in game and app performance, raising hard questions about trade-offs between cutting-edge security and seamless user experience.
Gaming and Hardware Compatibility: AMD and Beyond
Gaming benchmarks and content creation workflows have emerged as flashpoints for Windows 11’s performance conversation. The stakes are especially high for users of AMD’s Ryzen processors. AMD’s Zen 4 and Zen 5 architectures, while architecturally advanced, often failed to meet their potential under Windows 11 compared to Linux, due to scheduling and optimization shortfalls. For instance, the Ryzen 9000 series initially struggled with branch prediction under Windows 11, an inefficiency AMD itself acknowledged.AMD’s collaboration with Microsoft produced forthcoming kernel-level patches—deployed via Windows 11 version 24H2 and later 25H2—that specifically augment handling of Zen 5’s branch prediction. Early figures released by AMD indicate that, for heavy single-threaded workloads like those in Far Cry 6 or Cyberpunk 2077, users may see performance gains ranging from 6% to as much as 13% after the update. Notably, these improvements are not limited to cutting-edge hardware; Zen 4 and Zen 3 CPUs are expected to benefit as well.
For hybrid CPU users—especially on Intel’s latest platforms—the culprit is often a combination of Windows task scheduling and background security policies. Windows 11 continues to refine its core scheduler to better recognize and allocate E-cores and P-cores, but quirks remain, occasionally leading to fluctuating framerates in GPU-bound workloads or application stutters during multitasking.
The 25H2 Update: Diagnostics, Transparency, and the Road Ahead
To address these stubborn issues head-on, Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 11 25H2 update introduces a dedicated performance logging tool—an integrated system that automatically collects forensic details from affected machines. When a user files a complaint of lag or slowness through the Feedback Hub, the tool quietly gathers underlying system logs and submits them alongside the feedback, essentially transforming end-user reports into actionable diagnostic data.This system-level innovation marks a significant step up from past diagnostic efforts. Previously, Microsoft depended mostly on voluntary user logs, which required time-consuming manual collection and technical savvy—dampening the utility and scale of the feedback received. The new, automated log capture tied to real complaints not only expedites root cause analysis but may shorten the cycle between issue identification and permanent fixes.
This diagnostic leap, coupled with an ongoing refinement of update platforms (like the emergent Germanium base, which supports both ARM and x86 architectures for smoother, less disruptive patching), signals a fresh approach. By consolidating update mechanisms and focusing on true telemetry-driven enhancements, Microsoft is acknowledging that real-world user experience must be front and center.
For users, the upshot is greater transparency. When a system runs slowly and feedback is submitted, there is now a demonstrable, technical record accompanying the complaint. No longer is the troubleshooting process confined to generic “have you tried rebooting?” scripts—Microsoft’s engineers can observe and solve slowness issues as they truly appear in the wild.
Strengths of the Modern Windows 11 Performance Push
1. Commitment to Iterative, User-Driven Improvement
One of the most encouraging signs is Microsoft’s adoption of an “enablement package” strategy for updates like 25H2. Instead of the disruptive, whole-version upgrades of the past, this approach rolls out significant new features within existing frameworks, unlocking them only once proven safe and stable. The result is a gentler learning curve and reduced risk of mass compatibility issues—an important consideration for enterprise IT and cautious consumers alike.The steady march of cumulative updates—each addressing a fine-tuned set of bugs, subtle UI glitches, and under-the-hood inefficiencies—demonstrates Microsoft’s long-term vision: to craft an OS that gently but steadily evolves, honoring user feedback at every step.
2. Emphasis on Broader Hardware Support
The inclusion of substantial improvements for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 and better ARM compatibility is more than a technical tidbit—it underlines Microsoft’s ambition to make Windows 11 a genuinely universal platform. Enhancements targeting next-generation SoCs position the OS to thrive not just on desktops and gaming rigs, but also on ultraportable and battery-sensitive devices. Energy efficiency, sustained performance, and seamless updates for ARM devices are finally in focus, paralleling developments seen in the broader mobile computing world.3. Direct Attack on Legacy Issues
In both public build notes and community forums, Microsoft has detailed a sustained campaign against long-standing sources of lag: unoptimized startup routines, outdated drivers, inefficiencies in File Explorer, and performance penalties tied to security features. With each update, the company has chipped away at these chokepoints—significantly improving boot times, reducing cold-boot lag in system apps, and, in the best cases, exceeding prior performance standards.4. Enhanced Diagnostic and Troubleshooting Toolkit
The automated performance log collection is a potential game-changer, offering granular insights that could eventually give rise to self-tuning optimizations and more responsive out-of-box configurations. These subtle but vital improvements offer a pragmatic pathway towards ironclad reliability—even if the impact remains incremental until a critical mass of user data enables major breakthroughs.Continuing Risks and Unresolved Weaknesses
Despite these strides, several concerns linger. First, even with the upcoming 25H2 improvements, independent benchmarks confirm that Windows 11’s File Explorer is still slower than its Windows 10 counterpart under identical conditions, especially for first-time launches after reboot. Cloud checks, telemetry hooks, and background indexing remain active, and for now, there’s no global toggle for truly local-only operation—a persistent point of frustration for privacy and speed purists.Second, the ongoing reliance on background security infrastructure—while undeniably important in an era of expanding cyber threats—continues to nibble at peak performance. Gamers, in particular, remain wary of VBS and HVCI by default, with some resorting to complex scripts or unsupported tweaks to disable these protections and reclaim lost frames per second. Yet, turning off these features exposes users to heightened risk, undermining one of Microsoft’s core justifications for modern system requirements.
A further risk lies in the potential for “silent regressions.” As seen with updates like KB5041585, poorly tested patches can inflict new slowdowns or break compatibility with third-party software—most acutely felt in the gaming community, where anti-cheat systems and driver interplay are crucial. In several publicized cases, users weighing whether to apply security updates have faced a Hobson’s choice: patch and endure poor performance, or delay and risk vulnerabilities.
Finally, the shift to platform unification carries its own perils. As support for Windows 10 and earlier editions expires, millions of users—especially in managed or resource-constrained environments—are being corralled toward Windows 11, sometimes onto hardware that will only just meet the minimum specifications. For these users, escalating system requirements and update mandates may represent less of an upgrade and more of an unavoidable drag.
Expert Strategies for Mitigating Lag Today
For those still wrestling with slowness, a combination of best practices and advanced tweaks can help bridge the gap while awaiting deeper updates:- Audit and Trim Startup Applications: Disable unnecessary background programs via Task Manager to minimize resource draw at boot.
- Clear Temporary Files and Bloat: Use Disk Cleanup, Storage Sense, or tools like PC Manager and Win11Debloat to free up space and improve transactional efficiency.
- Manage Visual Effects and Power Plans: Turning off transparency and animation brings instant speed-up, especially on older hardware. Switching to the High-Performance power plan unleashes CPU headroom for intensive tasks.
- Driver Updates: Ensure GPU, chipset, and storage drivers are all current, applying both Microsoft’s and OEM’s certified packages as needed.
- Evaluate Security Feature Trade-offs: Where gaming is the priority, advanced users might selectively disable virtualization features (with full awareness of the attendant risks).
- Monitor With Task Manager: The revamped Performance tab in Windows 11 now uses standardized, industry-aligned metrics to provide clearer, actionable data on CPU, memory, and disk bottlenecks. Regular monitoring helps confirm whether slowdowns are the result of system bloat, hardware failures, or background OS tasks.
Looking Toward the Future: Can Microsoft Win the Performance Race?
The stakes for Microsoft remain immense. Windows isn’t just an OS for desktops—it’s the beating heart of global enterprise, education, and a flourishing creator economy. The company’s willingness to open up, respond to user pain points in real time, and implement system-level performance diagnostics marks a departure from the more monolithic, top-down model of years past. By tapping into the lived experiences of the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft has forged a more symbiotic relationship with its most demanding (and often most vocal) user base.Much will depend on the successful rollout and effectiveness of the 25H2 update and subsequent builds. While cautious optimism is warranted—especially given Microsoft’s track record of incremental, telemetry-driven reform—there are no guarantees. If feedback-driven diagnostics work as designed, stubborn bottlenecks in File Explorer, resource management, and cloud integration may finally receive the targeted attention they deserve. If Microsoft falters, however, a sizable portion of its user base may begin to seriously reevaluate the cost-benefit calculus of Windows as their daily driver.
For now, Windows 11’s evolution is an instructive case study in operating system stewardship in the era of cloud, security, and AI. The lesson is clear: feature innovation must keep pace with (and never come at the expense of) the core OS experience. As the 25H2 update approaches, users will continue watching closely—and, for the first time in years, every performance complaint may finally reach the ears (and the engineering dashboards) of the people who can truly make a difference.
Source: TechJuice Microsoft Working to Fix Lag and Slowness in Windows 11
