I’ve been gaming for many years and have played on many different kinds of computers, and operating systems.
Windows 7 is one of the most liked versions of Windows, but there are now newer versions such as Windows 10 and 11 that have a sleeker user interface.
Gaming puts a lot of demand on computer resources, so here is whether Windows 7 is good for gaming.
Windows 7 is good for gaming. Windows 7 uses the least amount of resources out of all of the Windows versions, except for Windows Vista, and XP. But, Windows XP, and Vista don’t support most games. So, Windows 7 is the best version of Windows for gaming, especially on older computers.
However, if you are building a custom PC, or are buying a pre-built computer that is designed for gaming it will have more than enough specs – such as RAM, and the graphics card to handle Windows 10 and Windows 11 and have a very smooth gaming experience.
Below, I will provide a breakdown of how Windows 7 compares to other versions of Windows for gaming, and when it makes sense to use Windows 7 on a computer you want to use for gaming, based on what specifications your computer has, such as the amount of RAM.
Gaming on Windows 7 Versus Other Versions of Windows
There are many different types of games but most popular games require a decent amount of RAM, a fairly fast processor, and a dedicated graphics card, also called a GPU.
If not, popular games will stutter, have a subpar framerate, take a very long time to load, and will typically crash in certain parts of a game when there is a big demand for resources.
Different versions of Windows require different amounts of resources to run, so here is how Windows 7 compares to other versions of Windows
Overall, Windows 7 is the fastest version of Windows for gaming. But, only if your computer has average to low specifications. On high end PCs, such as custom built PCs or gaming PCs, Windows 10 or 11 are the best.
All versions of Windows are OK for gaming but there are a few reasons why you would use Windows 7 on a gaming computer instead of newer versions such as Windows 10 or Windows 11.
Windows 7 is also a bit unique because most popular games like CS:GO, Dota 2, and Fortnite can’t be installed on versions of Windows that are older than Windows 7.
Here’s a table that shows when other versions of Windows are not the best for a computer you want to use for gaming. I’ve ordered them from oldest to newest:
| Version of Windows | When you should not use it for a gaming computer |
| Windows Vista | Never use it. Virtually no games can be installed on it, except for very simple games like Minesweeper. |
| Windows XP | Never use it. Virtually no games can be installed on it, except for very simple games like Minesweeper. |
| Windows 7 | Good to use for gaming. Computer needs at least 4GB of RAM. Ideally, you should get or have a dedicated graphics card, rather than the stock graphics card (integrated graphics card). |
| Windows 8 | Never use it. Has the worst user interface of all the Windows versions. Very different user interface to other versions of Windows. |
| Windows 10 | Only use it when your computer has decent specs. Should not be used on any computer with less than 4GB of RAM. Ideally, you should have 8GB of RAM. 16GB of RAM is optimal. |
| Windows 11 | Only use it when your computer has decent specs. Should not be used on any computer with less than 4GB of RAM. Ideally, you should have 8GB of RAM. 16GB of RAM is optimal. |
There are a few different versions – called editions – of Windows 7. These are:
- Windows 7 Starter
- Windows 7 Home Basic
- Windows 7 Home Premium
- Windows 7 Professional
- Windows 7 Enterprise
- Windows 7 Ultimate
They differ slightly. Below, is if the version of Windows 7 you use matters for a gaming PC.
Does the Windows 7 version matter for gaming
The version of Windows 7 you install on a computer for gaming has virtually no effect on gaming performance. Therefore, you can install whichever version you want. Below is a video where a person did a side by side speed test comparison of the different versions of Windows 7:
He gets into the nitty gritty of each version of Windows. But, in my opinion you don’t need to know specific features of each version of Windows 7.
The main consideration is whether your processor (CPU) is 32-bit or 64-bit. If you have a 64-bit computer you should always install the 64-bit version of Windows.
This can easily be checked in your Windows settings. Some editions of Windows 7 do not have a 64-bit version. So, if you have a 64-bit computer – which is faster – you can only install the version of Windows that has a 64-bit version.
Is Windows 10 Better Than Windows 7 for Gaming
Each version of Windows tried to improve and build upon previous versions.
Windows 10 came out after Windows 7, so it’s safe to assume any issues found in older versions of Windows such as Windows 7 have been fixed, and also new features are available on Windows 10 compared to Windows 7.
But, is Windows 10 better for gaming than Windows 10?
Overall, Windows 10 is not better than Windows 7 for gaming. Both Windows 7 and Windows 10 have virtually identical frames per second (FPS) for high end games. But, if your computer has less than 4GB or RAM, then Windows 7 is a better option because it uses less computer resources than Windows 10.
For some selected games, Windows 7 has 7% less frames per second (FPS), than Windows 10. But, on most games there is no difference in FPS. Below is a video that shows a side by side comparison of Windows 7, Windows 10 and Windows 11 on high end games:
If your computer has more than 4GB of RAM, then Windows 10 is a better option. Most people would agree the user interface looks better.
But any less than 4GB and there will be a noticeable slow down in a computer’s performance if you use Windows 10, instead of Windows 7. This is because of the amount of resources required for Windows 10 to run in the background compared to Windows 10.
Here’s a table that shows how much of a computer’s resources each version of Windows uses when sitting idle, and not running any programs:
| Version of Windows | Percent of the processor (CPU), and amount of RAM when idle |
| Windows XP | 853 MB of RAM, and 0% of the processor |
| Windows Vista | 1.36 GB of RAM, and 1% of the processor |
| Windows 7 | 1.2 GB of RAM, and 0% of the processor |
| Windows 8 | 2.2 GB of RAM, and 4% of the processor |
| Windows 10 | 2.54 GB of RAM, and 10% of the processor |
| Windows 11 | 2.77 GB of RAM, and 25% of the processor |
As you can see Windows 10 uses about double the RAM that Windows 7 uses, and uses 10% of the processor when not doing anything. Whereas, Windows 7 doesn’t use any of a processor’s (CPU) capacity when idle.
The tests to find this info were done on a computer that has mid-range specs. It had 8GB or RAM.
As part of this test, I also looked at how fast each version of Windows is for doing things on a computer such as opening a program, installing a program, starting up, and shutting down.
You can see the full analysis with side by side comparisons of how long it takes for each version of Windows to do the main tasks in Windows, in this article I wrote about whether Windows 10 is good for old computers.
How Much RAM Is the Best for Windows 7
Upgrading all of the major components on a computer improves the performance of a computer. The key components that affect performance are RAM, the processor (CPU), and the graphics card.
Windows 7 is more lightweight than newer versions of Windows, but here is how much RAM you need to run Windows 7 smoothly.
Overall, 4GB of RAM is sufficient for Windows 7. But, if you intend to use Windows 7 on a computer for gaming, 8GB is OK, and will run modern games on a medium graphics setting smoothly. For a work, school, or university computer 4GB is enough for Windows 7 to run really well.
2GB is the minimum amount of RAM to use Windows 7 at all, according to Microsoft
. But, in my experience this is not enough to run Windows 7 fast enough. And is definitely not enough to run any of the latest games.
Typically, RAM is the cheapest upgrade you can make to a computer. So, if you want to use an older computer for gaming, but it only has 4GB, you should add 4 more gigs of RAM – if possible for your motherboard.
Also, if your computer has an integrated graphics card, rather than an external (dedicated) graphics card, you should consider getting a dedicated graphics card, also called a GPU.
A dedicated graphics card vastly outperforms the inbuilt dedicated graphics card that comes stock with many motherboards.