It seems that Microsoft has once again impacted Windows 11 24H2, as performance declines with the latest Intel processors.
Windows 11 24H2 is quietly limiting the performance of some gaming PCs, leading to a debate about who is responsible for this issue: Microsoft or Intel?
Several users of the 24H2 version of Windows 11 are reporting performance issues and crashes after installing the latest updates to the operating system. These difficulties, which include slowdowns and freezes, are being attributed to the most recent patches (KB5050094 and KB5051987).
One of the first to highlight these issues was a user in a forum who mentioned that the game The Settlers: New Allies crashed after applying the updates. Another user, who was using an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor along with an ASRock Z890 Pro RS motherboard, couldn’t get their new system to work properly unless they used a beta version of the BIOS. This problem was linked to a microcode update from Intel integrated into the BIOS, despite having the latest version of Windows 11 installed.
Performance issues are not limited to startup errors. With the 24H2 version of Windows 11, it has been reported that when minimizing any application, the system begins to experience what is described as a “major performance problem.” Applications suffer a drastic decline in performance, even causing a reduction in processor frequency. Screenshots illustrating the differences in CPU usage have been shared.
What’s most alarming is that these crashes occur regardless of the workloads used. The user was able to replicate the issues with various applications, including 7Zip and Prime95, suggesting that there are general compatibility and stability issues with the patches. For example, the performance in the 7Zip benchmark test was cut in half when minimizing the application, and distributing the load across the 24 cores of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K did not alleviate the situation. Currently, there is no definitive solution, except for a possible workaround that involves forcing a power-saving plan to maximize CPU performance for background processes, which is not a convenient long-term solution.
In contrast, it has been observed that these same problems do not occur with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X or the older Intel Core i9-12900K model. This could indicate that the severe difficulties are primarily associated with Intel's latest LGA 1851 platform, although software instability remains a recurring theme.
Setbacks in Windows 11 are not new, as the 24H2 version has reported several failures. Aside from stability issues, this version also brought more ads in the settings menu, high CPU usage from the Task Manager, and constant reminders to perform backups. Additionally, there has been a bug where part of the interface appears in one language while the other half shows in another language. This error is related to a flawed installation where two language options overlapped, something unusual that has been recently reported.
It is evident that performance issues and bugs are more critical than the ads and language errors, which contributes to a quite unsatisfactory user experience since the release of this version on October 1, 2024. Fortunately, the latest patches are optional, allowing users to consider reverting to a more stable previous version or completely reinstalling Windows 11.
