Make the switch to Win 8 or wait?

[GodM0dEngaged]

I have been contemplating whether to switch to Win 8 over Win 7 for a while now. Does Win 8 support all games that Win 7 does? Games and benchmarking are 99.9% of what I do so any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[B00nie]

Unless you get the Win8 with a new computer there's absolutely no reason to switch.

Upgrading to Win8 is totally brainless as it brings only trouble and virtually no benefit. Bootup time is a tad faster with 8 but the tradeoff is worse compatibility with some older softwares. My win7 desktop boots in 11 secs post included as it is so I don't need much faster.

 

[mavrocket]

I'd do a search on the specific programs/games/benchmarks that you run and see if anyone has had any compatibility issues with Win8.

On top of that, 8.1 is due to launch soon, and I'd wait to see what the potential benefits or fallout are from that.

I'm using W8 with no problems, and I play games from 1990 through 2013 using the same tools I used in W7. I'm waiting on 8.1 to hit the streets, and haven't tried it's RC yet.

 

[Dogs]

I have been contemplating whether to switch to Win 8 over Win 7 for a while now. Does Win 8 support all games that Win 7 does? Games and benchmarking are 99.9% of what I do so any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Yes. Windows 8 is as fast or faster than Windows 7 in games. Also, to my knowledge, there aren't any major compatibility issues with any games on Windows 8 that work on Windows 7. I haven't tried every game in the world, though, so I would say you should research the games which are important to you. Additionally, titles released after Windows 8 was released will all work on Windows 8.

 

[Phog]

I didn't see any noticeable performance difference between Windows 7 and 8. I believe the UI for 8 may be slightly snappier.

With that said, the Metro interface still drives me fucking BONKERS, and the only way I could operate was with a third party start menu addon (Start 8). After a few weeks of that, I went back to 7, just couldn't handle the stupidity of navigating the OS.

 

[nekrosoft13]

I didn't see any noticeable performance difference between Windows 7 and 8. I believe the UI for 8 may be slightly snappier.

With that said, the Metro interface still drives me fucking BONKERS, and the only way I could operate was with a third party start menu addon (Start 8). After a few weeks of that, I went back to 7, just couldn't handle the stupidity of navigating the OS.

agree 100%

keep Win7

 

[XOR != OR]

Download the 8 trial, load it up and give it a shot. If the UI doesn't offend you, then go with 8. If you just can't get yourself past the UI, then go with 7.

If performance is your only concern, I'd say go with 8.

 

[DPI]

I didn't see any noticeable performance difference between Windows 7 and 8. I believe the UI for 8 may be slightly snappier.

Because by and large there isn't one. A lot of people move from a Win7 install that was bloated up with months or years of accumulated software and then clean install Win8 and proclaim "it feels so much snappier". They're also dazzled by "how much faster it starts up" when its simply a hibernation trick happening behind the scenes - having the kernel resume from file instead of a full init. Yeah its cool but the point is do your research, look under the hood, never just accept marketing bulletpoints as fact or the blind notion that newer must mean better.

I run both W7 and W8 on my PC's here and there is no framerate difference in games, all other things being equal, if that is the concern. There are some under the hood improvements like SMB3.0 (useful for multiple NICs), as well as task manager and file copy dialog are improved to name a few, there are certainly something things they got right in W8.

I'd say get whatever's cheaper and if that happens to be Win8 then install StartIsBack as your first order of business. Remember, you ride the horse. The horse doesn't ride you.

 

[bigdogchris]

I have been contemplating whether to switch to Win 8 over Win 7 for a while now. Does Win 8 support all games that Win 7 does? Games and benchmarking are 99.9% of what I do so any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Windows 8 should pretty much be completely compatible with games that run on 7. Performance on 8 is also going to be virtually identical to 7. The only reason I would see to switch is if you absolutely desire the latest tech, even if it's not an improvement, or like Metro UI.

 

[B00nie]

Some games do version checks and will refuse install on W8 due to operating system unknown. As stupid as it is.

Startisback and the likes have been causing problems to people when windows updates come so I wouldn't call them a solution. They're a dirty hack like all GUI mods previous to them were.

 

[Dogs]

Some games do version checks and will refuse install on W8 due to operating system unknown. As stupid as it is.

The only game I have encountered so far which does this is Splinter Cell Chaos Theory....But it does the same thing on Windows 7, as well. White-listing your compatible OS space is abysmally poor design, and the person responsible for making that decision should be kneecapped.