Windows 10 vs 11 for Music Production & Mixing (should I update)?

[MogwaiBoy]

Will updating my machine to Windows 11 bring any benefit to music production?

Benefits would be things like better plugin efficiency (CPU use), lower latency (I doubt it), multi-threading enhancements - that sort of thing.

I am aware there are other changes to the Start menu, Taskbar, features etc - I'm talking purely just about in-DAW.

[Pictus]

Yes and no...
I use Win 11 and for me right now it is more no than yes, wait a
bit more and it may be more yes than no. YMWV!

Stuff that may help it be more yes than no:

https://forums.mydigitallife.net/thread ... st-1687577
https://www.w10privacy.de/english-home/
https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10
https://forums.mydigitallife.net/thread ... kit.50572/
https://www.sordum.org/9470/windows-upd ... cker-v1-7/
https://www.sordum.org/9480/defender-control-v2-1/
https://www.binisoft.org/wfc.php
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysint ... s/autoruns
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysint ... s-explorer
https://www.nirsoft.net/
https://doublecommander.com/

[chk071]

Will updating my machine to Windows 11 bring any benefit to music production?

Benefits would be things like better plugin efficiency (CPU use), lower latency (I doubt it), multi-threading enhancements - that sort of thing.

Not really, but, considering that updating is free, and Windows 11 is supported for 9 more years compared to Windows 10's 3 more years, I think it's a worthy upgrade.

[BONES]

There is no benefit to music productioon but, by the same token, it doesn't make anything worse. I wasn't keen on Win11, mostly because of the pointless limitations of the new Start, but my new laptop came with it preinstalled and I've not found any reason to revert to W10, since I spent $10 on a Stardock utility to give me back a W10-like Start experience. So if you're OK with the new Start, there is no reason not to upgrade and, overall, it feels like a much slicker version of Windows. I definitely prefer W11+Stardock to W10.

[MogwaiBoy]

Thank you good people : )

I have some researching and deciding to do.

[Chickenman]

I went to 11 as soon as I could, mostly because I was bored. I have it on all my computers from a Celeron laptop to a 9900k and I don't think there is a difference in performance either way. I do use winaero tweaker to disable a few things but I think I just prefer the look of win 11 so it stays.
Modern hardware is way beyond what most musicians will ever need to run some instruments and plugs on even 50+ tracks so it's much harder to notice any supposed flaws in OS.

[BONES]

Oh, I don't know about that. It's pretty easy for me to reach the limits of my 11th Gen Core i7. Using bx_oberhausen, Knifonium and Korg's Odyssey VSTi in the same project is a surefire way to run out of CPU cycles. It's easy enough to get around, mostly by reducing the number of unison voices, but it's definitely not hard to do.

[chk071]

What is also worth mentioning: Everything, really EVERYTHING audio software which ran on Windows 10 here also runs on Windows 11. So, I don't think there's a big risk to take in updating. It all works. It's Windows, after all.

[lb24569]

Windows 11 is basically Windows 10 with a new skin so you'll be fine.

[ideny]

I run Windows 11 and in my scenario the CPU is hotter. Enabled all the security options such as ransom and advanced thread potectiion Windows 11 seems to user now AVX code and was using ligter SSE code before.

With such features enabled , typilly not on daw system.

The CPU gets hotter on Windows 11, because the OS is using more AVX code when using security features, which puts more power on it.

I had to reduce my overcked 6 coreb from 5gz to 4,5ghz for all core. Intel 8086k. It was working with higher speed, but the fan became to noisy and some ground taks.

[SLiC]

I must be getting old, doesn't seem like 5 minutes ago that everyone was saying Windows 10 was the anti-Christ and to stray on Windows 7! A few things that seem improved to me-

multi-monitor support
multiple desktops on a single monitor
Snap Layouts and Groups (this is actually very useful for business, not so sure about pro-audio!)

I read Windows 11 has fewer background processes which can only be good- don't k now if anyone has don e comparative latency tests?

Overall I prefer the look and feel of Win 11...it just feels more modern to me, maybe because it is and I like change!

[BONES]

I don't know about more modern but it definitely feels more complete, like the changes they started in Win8 have finally all been done. My only problem with it is that it seems too dumbed down, too much like macOS. They have taken away some really useful features that I use all the time in W10, like Task View and the Sidebar. As mentioned previously, I also find the new Start absolutely useless and if it wasn't for Stardock, I'd have reverted to W10 months ago. Thank Dog we're still on W10 at work or I'd be really annoyed.

Windows 11 is basically Windows 10 with a new skin so you'll be fine.

... which was a skin of Windows 8, which was a skin of Windows 7, which was a skin of Windows Vista, which is the last time they really changed things up. I'm all for incremental improvement over reinventing the wheel.

[GaryG]

My new laptop came with 11 and I fully intended to test and then revert to 10 but have so far found no need.

I like the look and feel overall though, yeah, Start menu is too dumbed down and other little changes are annoying (not being able to drag a file to a running app thats minimised on the tasbar, having to hack the registry to get small taskbar icons etc) but understand a lot is being addressed in the upcoming release so we'll see. No show stoppers for me, all apps work fine as do my audio interfaces and controllers.

[SLiC]

Usually takes a year or so after initial release to get it as it should be based on mass user feedback!
Given Win 10 only has 3 years left of support I would recommend anyone has has the option takes Windows 11.

The forthcoming update looks pretty good as well- drag and drop to the taskbar back etc.

https://www.windowslatest.com/2022/02/1 ... -features/

[GaryG]

That's the stuff I've been reading. I like the way they're thinking in terms of the start menu folders, dragging apps to folders combined with 11s appearance will do me.