In a recent and unconventional experiment, a YouTuber has thrown a spotlight on the performance characteristics of Microsoft's operating systems across generations. The test, which has sparked considerable discussion online, pitted six different Windows versions against each other on identical, aging hardware. The results were surprising, with the modern Windows 11 consistently placing at or near the bottom in a majority of benchmarks, while older systems like Windows 8.1 and Windows XP showed unexpected vigor. This comparison, while methodologically flawed for evaluating modern OS performance, raises interesting questions about software bloat, optimization for legacy components, and the evolving priorities of operating system design.
The Controversial Testing Methodology
The experiment conducted by YouTuber TrigrZolt utilized six identical Lenovo ThinkPad X220 laptops, each equipped with a second-generation Intel Core i5-2520M processor, 8GB of RAM, and a traditional 256GB hard disk drive (HDD). On these machines, he installed the latest available versions of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11. It is crucial to note that this hardware configuration is unsupported for Windows 11, which officially requires a much newer CPU, a TPM 2.0 security chip, and benefits immensely from a solid-state drive (SSD). This foundational choice inherently skews the test in favor of operating systems designed for that era of technology, making it more of a historical curiosity than a practical performance guide for current users.
Test System Configuration:
- Model: Lenovo ThinkPad X220 (x6)
- CPU: Intel Core i5-2520M (2nd Gen, 2 cores, 4 threads)
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
- OS Versions Tested: Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1 Update, Windows 10 22H2, Windows 11 23H2
A String of Performance Shortfalls for Windows 11
Across a battery of tests, Windows 11 struggled to keep pace with its predecessors. It recorded the slowest boot time, despite having a "Fast Boot" feature that older versions lack. In memory management, it consumed significantly more RAM at idle—approximately 3.3GB compared to Windows XP's 0.8GB—largely due to background services and telemetry processes. When tasked with loading browser tabs until hitting a memory ceiling, Windows 11 managed only 49 tabs, a fraction of the 252 tabs Windows 8.1 handled. It also finished last in application opening times for core apps like File Explorer, Paint, and Calculator, and was the slowest in video rendering and audio export tasks. Its battery life was the shortest, albeit by a marginal two-minute difference in this controlled drain test.
Key Performance Results Summary:
| Test Category | Winner | Windows 11 Placement | Notable Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boot Time | Windows 8.1 | Last (6th) | Win 11 has Fast Boot, but was slowest. |
| Idle RAM Use | Windows XP (~0.8 GB) | Last (~3.3 GB) | Highlights background service overhead. |
| Browser Tab Load | Windows 8.1 (252 tabs) | Last (49 tabs) | Tested until system used 5GB RAM. |
| Storage Used | Windows XP (18.9 GB) | 3rd (37.3 GB) | For OS + same set of applications. |
| File Transfer | Windows 10 | 2nd | A relative strength for Win 11. |
| App Open Speed | Windows 8.1/7 | Last | Tested File Explorer, Paint, Calculator, etc. |
| Video Render | Windows 10 | Last | XP/Vista could not run the editor. |
| Overall Winner | Windows 8.1 | N/A | Cited for fluidity and speed on this hardware. |
Where Windows 11 Managed to Hold Its Ground
Despite the overall poor showing, Windows 11 did not come in last in every single metric. It secured a respectable second place in file transfer speeds, trailing only Windows 10. In terms of disk space usage for a standard set of installed applications, it used 37.3GB, which was less than Windows Vista and significantly less than Windows 7. It also performed adequately in some synthetic benchmarks, tying with Windows 10 in CrystalDiskMark and scoring higher in a single-core Geekbench test against Windows 10. These results hint that on supported, modern hardware with an SSD, the performance delta would likely shrink or reverse entirely.
The Surprising Champions: Windows 8.1 and XP
The clear standout in this specific test environment was Windows 8.1, which the tester awarded the overall victory for its fluid feel and speed. It booted the fastest and demonstrated exceptional efficiency in RAM management for multitasking. Windows XP also showed remarkable leanness, winning tests for idle RAM usage and storage footprint. These results have fueled nostalgic discussions about the efficiency of older, less feature-rich operating systems, contrasting them with the perceived bloat of modern software ecosystems that prioritize background services, security, and cloud integration over raw speed on decade-old components.
Context and the Reality of Modern Computing
While the test results are striking, they must be interpreted within their limited context. The ThinkPad X220's mechanical hard drive is the single greatest bottleneck, an component no modern OS is optimized for. Windows 11's higher baseline resource usage funds features like enhanced security (Virtualization-Based Security), the Windows Subsystem for Linux and Android, and a more complex graphical shell—none of which were factors in 2012. A fairer comparison would involve period-correct hardware for each OS generation or testing all systems on a modern, SSD-equipped platform. The experiment ultimately serves as a demonstration of how software evolution has increased hardware requirements, rather than a definitive indictment of Windows 11's performance on systems it was designed to run on.