[H] Battlefield 4 Windows 7 vs 8.1

[Shmee]

I agree for the most part about the windows 7 vs windows 8 argument, I still run 7 atm, don't see a reason to upgrade. I recently got a deal on Bf4 and I am dling it now, any suggestions for running it on windows 7? Specs are in sig, running the i7 at 4.4 GHz with HT on. Any special tweaks needed? Someone mentioned something about core parking.

 

[Deasnutz]

I'm still on 8.1 preview, the performance increases on bf3 & bf4 were incredible. People on hardforum were laughing at me (before. 8.1 released), but mostly the ignorant win7 users that are too lazy to upgrade. Dice has said dx11.1/11.2 have rendering optimizations being used, with respect to the CPU. Has absolutely nothing to do with core parking. http://bf4central.com/2013/07/battlefield-4-windows-8-feature/

The most noticeable thing was the jump in min fps. It's so much smoother that it justifies the upgrade price. As much coin as I've dumped into this machine, I'm not going to hamper the performance.

 

[Childs]

I agree for the most part about the windows 7 vs windows 8 argument, I still run 7 atm, don't see a reason to upgrade. I recently got a deal on Bf4 and I am dling it now, any suggestions for running it on windows 7? Specs are in sig, running the i7 at 4.4 GHz with HT on. Any special tweaks needed? Someone mentioned something about core parking.

Utitilty to set CPU Core Parking state:

http://www.coderbag.com/Programming-C/Disable-CPU-Core-Parking-Utility

To unpark your cores, download the UnpackCPU app
Run as Administrator
Click Check Status
Click Unpark All
Reboot

 

[Skurge]

I'm still on 8.1 preview, the performance increases on bf3 & bf4 were incredible. People on hardforum were laughing at me (before. 8.1 released), but mostly the ignorant win7 users that are too lazy to upgrade. Dice has said dx11.1/11.2 have rendering optimizations being used, with respect to the CPU. Has absolutely nothing to do with core parking. http://bf4central.com/2013/07/battlefield-4-windows-8-feature/

The most noticeable thing was the jump in min fps. It's so much smoother that it justifies the upgrade price. As much coin as I've dumped into this machine, I'm not going to hamper the performance.

Yeah, I don't see the sense in paying as much for PCs as we do and then staying on a slower, less optimised, less secure OS just cause you can't figure out how to get the start menu back if you even want it. I don't. I just pin everything to the taskbar.

 

[lopyx]

I've benched a ton of games where core parking had no meaningful impact. I don't know if having all of the latest patches for Win7 makes a difference, but yeah, no difference.

Also I'm sure Brent was "aware" of core parking. The goal of the benchmark was to test Win7 more or less out of the box compared to Win 8.1 out of the box. It's not like core parking is going to double your performance or anything like that in Win7 - i'm pretty sure Win 8.1 is just better for BF4.

Core parking has a HUGE impact on BF4 (W7 64 bit)

Singleplayer or Multiplayer doesn't matter, there is "a pause, or chop, in the frames randomly" (quote from hardocp)

After I unparked the cores, that massive pause/stutter/fpsdrop however you call it is gone..

Do yourself a favor and unpark those cores on W7 for BF4, it will change your life (well the bf4 life :awe: )

 

[skipsneeky2]

During beta,i found a massive fps increase going from 7 to 8.1 with the i5 in my sig. Guessing core parking isn't something a i5 owner needs to do as the simple os switch was all it took to gain me those fps.

Had so many issues with this game when i bought it and played it that i took Ea up on its best game guarantee and got a refund, will see what mantle does and how the game runs in January and perhaps i may reorder it or will order a 290/780 ti first then the game.....

Beta on windows 8.1 ran smoother then the release version did for me on windows 7 by a long mile.

 

[XiandreX]

8.1 can boot directly to the desktop, but there's about 50 ways for it to take you back to the damn Start Screen. The 'Start' button they added is akin to a dick slap in the face. ClassicShell, Start8, StartIsBack, etc, are pretty much requirements to use Windows 8 and not go blue in the face with rage and frustration.




EA dropped the ball with BF4. Everywhere I go, I hear how buggy and unstable it is. AJ had a nice rant video about it. Once they clean their crap up and drivers progress a little, there'll be almost no difference between the two OSs. 3fps isn't worth moving to Windows 8 and spending half the day fighting with the OS to do basic tasks.

As much as I agree that classic shell is almost required (or similar utility) the FPS advantage is not the only reason to switch to 8. I have little to no issues running a gambit of programs so not sure what problems you are experiencing exactly. I am sure your concerns are valid though.

There are other benefits to 8 compared to 7 that are behind the lines that for me personally was worth the switch. Each to his own I guess.

 

[XiandreX]

Yeah, I don't see the sense in paying as much for PCs as we do and then staying on a slower, less optimised, less secure OS just cause you can't figure out how to get the start menu back if you even want it. I don't. I just pin everything to the taskbar.

Thats how I feel as well. I bought Windows 8 pro 64bit given that I am in the industry I need to stay on top of new OS for troubleshooting purposes. The icing on the cake was the downgrade rights associated with Windows 8 Pro. There was no negativity in switching to Windows 8/Windows 8.1 for me.

 

[imaheadcase]

Funny that you say "most people". To me it has been an everyday thing for about 4 years now, and a few of my friends can say the same thing. You're on a tech forum, 30"ers are more common than you think and most of us can make sense out of those pesky squiggly lines.

heck I do a lot of problem solving in my head with similar type graphs.....


--- unless you are make reference to the graph being meaningless due to it being of BF4 multiplayer. Even then I would imagine then "averages" would remain just that, an average

The point is majority of people don't play at that res. So the stats mean nothing but to a few.

 

[Capt Caveman]

8.1 can boot directly to the desktop, but there's about 50 ways for it to take you back to the damn Start Screen. The 'Start' button they added is akin to a dick slap in the face. ClassicShell, Start8, StartIsBack, etc, are pretty much requirements to use Windows 8 and not go blue in the face with rage and frustration.




EA dropped the ball with BF4. Everywhere I go, I hear how buggy and unstable it is. AJ had a nice rant video about it. Once they clean their crap up and drivers progress a little, there'll be almost no difference between the two OSs. 3fps isn't worth moving to Windows 8 and spending half the day fighting with the OS to do basic tasks.

After installing Start Menu on my Win 8.1, I don't miss Win7 at all.

 

[Attic]

Put support for DX 11.1and.2 into win 7. No good reason it shouldn't be there.

My move from 7 won't be to windows 8. I'll either drop ms OS or upgrade to ms next based on what it offers. What MS is doing with DX support between win7 and 8 may push me to anything but MS stuff in the future. Hoping for good things from steam box.

 

[Z15CAM]

Would not a program like "parkcontroldist64_v6.6.0.84 (GUI 1.5.0.4)" which gives you manual over ride of the C6 State in Win7 even out the playing field with Win8?

I disable CPU Parking on all 8 threads of my i7 2700K in Win7 SP1 [64-bit] with that app and the OS seems to respond to it very well; however, I've yet to load BF4.

 

[XiandreX]

Put support for DX 11.1and.2 into win 7. No good reason it shouldn't be there.

My move from 7 won't be to windows 8. I'll either drop ms OS or upgrade to ms next based on what it offers. What MS is doing with DX support between win7 and 8 may push me to anything but MS stuff in the future. Hoping for good things from steam box.

Attic I hear you man. I was on Windows 7 for a very long time and short of 8.1, it is my favourite OS of all time. It was that good.
On Microsofts side they need leverage to get people to let go of 7 and move to 8 hence why they did that. (thats my guess)

I love steam and hope it works out well.. but in reality dropping MS Os if you game on a regular basis is not something viable right now or even in the near future. Again don't get me wrong, competition is great and if SteamBox can push Microsoft to relax things and release stuff for those that want to keep 7 by all means.

 

[2is]

I used Windows 8 for about a year, but when I put my new system together I went back to Windows 7. I'll take the 3fps hit to not have to use the start screen.

Ummm, you don't need to use the start screen. I have Windows 8.1 and have never used the start screen. My system doesn't even boot into it.

So the better option is sticking with windows 8, learning how to actually use it and not take the 3 fps hit while at the same time enjoying an overall faster OS.

 

[Teizo]

The Windows 8 GUI sucks. No way getting around it. W7 is a much more polished desktop user experience. I'm not going to be a sheep and upgrade to W8 for one game for 3 fps when that one game was not even released properly. Sounds more like a gimmick to try to get people to upgrade.

But back on topic, is core parking only for i7's, or will it equally help my i5? I have my overclock set using Speed Step, so it only goes up to 4.4ghz on all four cores when the cpu is stressed.

 

[2is]

You can absolutely get around the start screen (by not using it) and the lack of start menu (by installing one) it's a non-issue unless you don't know the options exist.

The performance difference during the beta for me was closer to 30 fps than 3 fps. Not going back. 8 is faster than 7 at everything, Full DX 11.1 and 11.2 support and there's virtually no difference in my interaction with the GUI over Windows 7. The "one game" argument is silly unless you really think there's not going to be any games based on DX 11.1 or 11.2 besides BF4

 

[Teizo]

Well, when that one game was released in such a moronic fashion by EA...jumping the gun and upgrading OS's over 3fps is not worth it. I'm not going to spend money I don't have to just because...

The game needs fixing. Period.

And I don't need lecturing about how to use W8. I'm not an idiot. I know all about Start8 and the others. I've used it, and I still prefer the GUI of W7. For all the so-called 'advantages' of W8...it's not like W7 is a crappy OS. Microsoft and their shills can get over it.

 

[2is]

Hey, I like Aero Glass too... But it was between sticking with that and complaining that the game needs to be fixed or living without it and having a faster OS and not complaining that the game needs fixing... Once they fix the audio cut out issue, the game is 100% fixed for me. Can't say the same with Windows 7. I don't see much I need to "get over"

 

[blackened23]

Windows 8.1 is a great OS, IMO. But i'm not here to tell anyone what to use. Use whatever the heck you want, man.

I have found that most complainers about 8.1 haven't even...used it. It's whatever. Some people are just resistant to change or are just comfortable with what they're using. And that's fine. As far as BF4 performance, it does seem that BF4 is using Windows 8.1 or DX 11.1 specific features to enhance performance - I have tried BF4 on a win 7 machine and honestly, it felt completely fine to me. I don't see what the big deal is because as far as I can tell, with latest drivers BF4 runs just fine on both Win 7 and Win 8.1. Sure you can get 3 more fps in 8.1, but that isn't a game changing performance difference...

 

[Teizo]

I have tried BF4 on a win 7 machine and honestly, it felt completely fine to me. I don't see what the big deal is because as far as I can tell, with latest drivers BF4 runs just fine on both Win 7 and Win 8.1. Sure you can get 3 more fps in 8.1, but that isn't a game changing performance difference...

Thanks for letting me know that. I don't have the game yet, so I'm going on heresay. I'm getting it this Friday on a BF special. But I do believe the community needs to pound it in that releasing a game in the fashion EA did is not acceptable. They knew what they were doing and used the loyalty of the fanbase as leverage. That is a crappy practice.

I know W8 is a good OS. As much as their is to like about it, I just can't get past the GUI. I use my monitor as a picture frame...like art. I don't mind the metro interface, but the lack of a real aero theme just turns me off. Microsoft got W7 exactly right...so for now I don't really see the need to jump to W8. If MS can convince developers to screw over their customer base by making future games run like crap on W7...I may look into it...but I somehow doubt game devs are that stupid.

 

[pieguy]

But back on topic, is core parking only for i7's, or will it equally help my i5? I have my overclock set using Speed Step, so it only goes up to 4.4ghz on all four cores when the cpu is stressed.

Disabling core parking also helps i5 cpus. None of my i5 2500k's cores were parked while playing BF4, but the game was stuttering badly until I disabled parking. I didn't realize how bad it was until I did. Butter smooth afterwards.

 

[moonbogg]

The Windows 8 GUI sucks. No way getting around it. W7 is a much more polished desktop user experience. I'm not going to be a sheep and upgrade to W8 for one game for 3 fps when that one game was not even released properly. Sounds more like a gimmick to try to get people to upgrade.

But back on topic, is core parking only for i7's, or will it equally help my i5? I have my overclock set using Speed Step, so it only goes up to 4.4ghz on all four cores when the cpu is stressed.

I was terrified about "learning" to use windows 8, but after installing 8.1 it was a no brainer to use. Seriously. All the programs, windows tools and everything else is all right in your face by clicking a little arrow on the metro screen. It takes you to another screen that shows everything. There is a window called "desktop". You can imagine where you go by clicking that. Windows 8.1 is easy and I didn't expect to be OK without a start button, but I don't miss it and don't need it, and i'm lazy and don't want to learn a new OS. Theres nothing to learn with 8.1 AND BF4 runs better.

 

[24601]

Disabling core parking also helps i5 cpus. None of my i5 2500k's cores were parked while playing BF4, but the game was stuttering badly until I disabled parking. I didn't realize how bad it was until I did. Butter smooth afterwards.

If it helped your i5 that means you should have just disabled speedstep.

 

[broken_pixel]

I got BF4 running on my Debian box, woohoo! I wish.

 

[guskline]

8.1 plus startisback on all three of my machines.