What features Windows 7 lacks for Skylake?

[HorizonTech]

Hi, haven't found the subject via forum search, so decided to ask you.

What specific features for Intel Skylake are there in Windows 10 that Windows 7 lacks?

I'm aware of Win 7's installation problems because of xCHI, but it can be resolved with the use of updates. Here I'm interested in changes in Windows core or something else, that make Windows 7 not beneficial on Skylake.

In other words, what useful optimizations for Skylake on Desktop Windows 10 has, that Windows 7 lacks and can't now get as updates?

MS actively pushes upgrading to Windows 10, but as far as I know, hasn't provided technical information beside marketing slogans (e.g. battery life).

So is it reasonable (for me as Desktop PC user) from technological (not economic or privacy) perspective to continue to use Windows 7? Does Win 7 in fact remain technologically modern OS on SkyLake/KabyLake?

Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[vailr]

DX 12 is one feature that's only available on Win10.
If you're worried about stealth telemetry going to Microsoft, there's free 3rd party software such as:
https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10
The Start button can also be altered to be more like Win7 using "Classic Shell":
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/classic_shell.html
With those two free softwares, you pretty much have Windows 7.

 

[HorizonTech]

DX 12 is one feature that's only available on Win10.
If you're worried about stealth telemetry going to Microsoft, there's free 3rd party software such as:
https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10
The Start button can also be altered to be more like Win7 using "Classic Shell":
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/classic_shell.html
With those two free softwares, you pretty much have Windows 7.

Thanks! Just want to make more unbiassed opinion on Windows 10.
I might give Win 10 a try on VM but not as a primary system for near future.

 

[quikah]

The new low power states introduced in Skylake are not supported in Windows 7. This is important for laptops/tablets. These features though seem to be pretty buggy as evidenced by all the problem Surfacebook and Surface Pro 4 have had.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

10 vs 7 running on Skylake?

DX12, Intel Speedshift, out-of-the-box support for NVMe drives and xHCI. Much better UEFI support, including Secure Boot.

I think that's the highlights.

 

[TheRyuu]

Intel Speedshift

Supposedly this can noticeably improve perceived interactivity if your motherboard supports it. Although I struggle to tell the difference on my Haswell between Balanced and High Performance profiles.

 

[nerp]

The new low power states introduced in Skylake are not supported in Windows 7. This is important for laptops/tablets. These features though seem to be pretty buggy as evidenced by all the problem Surfacebook and Surface Pro 4 have had.

Been pretty much worked out quite well at this point. Have to say the implementation by Lenovo on my ThinkPad is great. Instant wake up/sleep and the battery simply does not drain when not in use. Hibernate is pointless/waste of space. Insta-always.

 

[thewhat]

Instant wake up/sleep and the battery simply does not drain when not in use.

How is it different from regular sleep and how can it not use any power?

 

[nerp]

How is it different from regular sleep and how can it not use any power?

Lenovo has their own special power management tricks for their ThinkPad hardware. There is a 30-day standby mode, for example. All I know is that with default settings, I don't have to go into an old-fashioned dump-to-disk hibernate and simply close the lid and open the lid like you've always dreamed a laptop should let you and it doesn't drain in any real significant way. I notice that if I close the lid and reopen within a short window of say 10 minutes, it's instant. If I leave it closed for some hours, upon reopening, I get a delay of a second or two and see the Lenovo logo as if it were booting cold. But it's so brief -- much better than the resume we're familiar with. When in standby or sleep mode, the machine uses so little power that I might lose 1 percent in 24 hours.

This is the kind of stuff that hardware companies have been working on a lot as opposed to just pushing raw speed.

 

[HorizonTech]

Thanks for all the comments!
So far, it seems Skylake doesn't have anything extremely useful for desctop,
that Windows 7 lacks.

 

[VirtualLarry]

FWIW, I still run Win7 on both of my overclocked G4400 rigs. I haven't seen any compelling reason to move to Win10.

 

[XavierMace]

I find the whole question funny and it's getting asked all the time. They are offering it to you for free if you upgrade before the end of the month. Shouldn't the question then be why NOT to do it? Yes, privacy concerns, blah, blah. That's been gone over a thousand times. It's up to you to decide if that's an issue.

But it's a free upgrade and people are asking for more reasons to upgrade as if getting a new version for free wasn't good enough. All my systems are running 10 and have been since beta. They boot faster, run thinner, and install easier than 7 or 8. You're living in a fantasy if you think you're going to keep running 7 (or XP, lol) forever.

Personally I don't need any other reason. If my car dealer called and told me "Hey we'll upgrade you to the new model at no charge, only catch is the car will tell the manufacturer where you go", my only question would be "when do I come in".

 

[Mem]

FWIW, I still run Win7 on both of my overclocked G4400 rigs. I haven't seen any compelling reason to move to Win10.

Funny you say that, I've not seen any compelling reason to stay on or go back to a dated OS like Win7, good luck when Win7 EOL arrives, should be amusing to see what the die hard Win7 users do .

As to Win10 well being free upgrade, far longer life span, more secure OS in general, DX12 etc, however most of the features of Win10 have been covered to death.

End of the day you have to move on sooner or later.