Windows 11 was recently released, and typically a newer version of Windows uses more computer resources, and as a result, is slower than the previous version when installed on the exact same computer.
However, I was curious whether this is actually the case with Windows 11 compared to Windows 10, so I compiled a whole bunch of data from independent tests, and here is what I found.
Overall, Windows 11 is slightly faster than Windows 10. Based on a range of independent tests it was found that on the exact same computer Windows 11 is 2 seconds slower at starting up and 7 seconds slower at shutting down. But, for other tasks they are about equal.
I compiled the data from about 15 different independent tests, such as how long it takes to copy and paste a large file, and how long it takes to open Google Chrome.
Below, I will show the results of the tests, as well as, how the amount of RAM and CPU usage compare, and what version of Windows is the fastest. Here’s a quick video where I explain how they compare in detail:
How Much Faster Is Windows 11 Than Windows 10
There are many different tasks that can be done on a computer, as well as, core functionality like starting up and shutting down. Surprisingly, Windows 11 and Windows 10 vary quite a lot in terms of how fast or slow they are for individual tasks. But, here is how much faster Windows 11 is overall.
On average, Windows 11 is 2% faster than Windows 10. However, the data is heavily skewed due to Windows 11 being significantly faster or slower for very specific tasks. For example, Windows 11 is about 50% slower at shutting down, but about 50% faster at opening Adobe Premiere Pro.
Below is a table that shows specific tests such as opening Youtube.com, and starting up Windows:
| Test | Windows 10 | Windows 11 |
| Start up | 11.01 seconds | 12.07 seconds |
| Start up test 2 | 19 seconds | 21 seconds |
| Exporting an mp3 file | 4.25 seconds | 4.00 seconds |
| Opening an application | 1.01 seconds | 1.03 seconds |
| Shutting down | 6.21 seconds | 13.11 seconds |
| Opening File explorer | 0.17 seconds | 0.19 seconds |
| Opening Google Chrome | 1.06 seconds | 1.00 seconds |
| Opening Youtube.com | 3.05 seconds | 3.05 seconds |
| Opening Youtube.com 2 | 5.02 seconds | 5.0 seconds |
| Opening discord desktop | 7.29 seconds | 8.02 seconds |
| Opening Adobe Premiere Pro | 19.28 seconds | 9.06 seconds |
| Exporting a video | 19.05 seconds | 19.01 seconds |
| Exporting a video 2 | 15.18 seconds | 16.01 seconds |
| Copying a large folder of files | 1 minute 2.03 seconds | 1 minute 22.18 seconds |
| Copying a large folder of files 2 | 2 minutes 15 seconds | 2 minutes 5 seconds |
(source: tests performed by TrigrZolt, and Tech Sanjeet Youtube creators)
From the table you can see that there is a bit of difference in which specific tests run faster or slower. However, if you convert the differences into a percentage, and then average them out, overall Windows 11 is 2% faster than Windows 10.
There are also other metrics, such as how much memory they use, and how much storage each operating system takes up. Below, is a table that shows how these differ.
| Non speed related tests | Windows 10 | Windows 11 |
| Memory usage (RAM) | 3.9 GB | 4.7 GB |
| Memory usage 2 (RAM) | 2.6 GB | 3.1 GB |
| Battery life (before it turns off at low battery warning) | 1 minute 27 seconds | 1 minutes 25 seconds |
| Storage used | 40.0 GB | 41.1 GB |
As you can see there isn’t a big difference for each of these. Overall, the difference in performance between Windows 11 and Windows 10 is almost identical.
How Windows 10 and 11 Compare to other versions of Windows
There are various different versions of Windows, some of these are better for old computers (computers with lower specs), or because they use less of a computer’s RAM and CPU. A few independent tests have revealed that Windows 8 is the fast version of Windows.
The main drawback is the user interface, which is very different to other versions of Windows. Therefore, although Windows 8 is the fastest, Windows 7 is the best for computers with lower end specs.
I wrote about whether Windows 10 is good for old computers. It covers in detail what version of Windows is best for computers with low end specs and why.
Does Windows 11 Slow Down a Computer
Newer versions of Windows are typically designed to reflect the changes in how fast current computer hardware is. Therefore, typically each version of Windows has a higher demand for computer resources. But, here is if this is the case for Windows 11, and if it slows down a computer.
Overall Windows 11 does not slow down a computer. Independent tests have found Windows 11 is 2% faster than Windows 10 overall. However, for some specific tasks such as rendering video, and shutting down, which version is faster varies.
But, if you average out all of the tasks done on Windows they are virtually identical. Therefore, you can take advantage of all the new features that Windows 11 has if you are currently using Windows 10 without worrying about a dip in performance.
As well as, the very nice looking user interface. Which in my opinion is a big improvement to the Windows 10 user interface.
Is Windows 11 Faster or Slower Than Windows 10
Windows 11 has a nicer looking user interface, but typically better graphics comes at the expense of computer performance. However, here is if Windows 11 is faster or slower than Windows 10.
On average, Windows 11 is 2% faster than Windows 10. But, there are many different tasks that can be performed on a computer, as well as, the core Windows functionality such as restarting and shutting down. Some of these are faster on Windows 11, while others are slower.
For gaming performance they are virtually identical. Therefore, it’s clear Microsoft really did a good job on Windows 11, and it will definitely be on everyone’s list to upgrade to in the future. However, not all CPUs that could easily run Windows 10 are supported by Windows 11.
If you install Windows 11, it’s possible it will crash. And Windows won’t offer support to fix this issue. It’s easy enough to simply install Windows 10 again if this happens a lot. But, it’s a good idea to check the official Windows website to see if your CPU supports Windows 11.