Win 8.1 vs Win 7

[Z-Zx Zzxz]

Hi guys, I wanted to know what u guys think about win8.1 pro and Win7 Ultimate.
I am using Hp ProBook 450 G1: I5 4200m 2.5GHz, 4GB ram, 750gb HDD, HD 8750M 2GB/128, right now i am using windows 8.1, it takes about 20 seconds to open any browser and my HDD stays at 90-100% when I logon for like 2 minutes.I want to install win7 Ultimate but, first i wanna hear u guys out.Thanks

 

[Jameson Clark]

Well 8.1 is better and more efficient and that is certainly not right the way you describe it. Check for viruses or something else not working right, it's not your OS

 

[Z-Zx Zzxz]

Thanks for the reply,I have the system installed from 2 days now, I have all the latest drivers for all the components, and Virus free.

 

[Tom Tancredi]

First off your running only 4GB of RAM, if your trying to run 20 or 30 tabs at the same time, plus streaming music, plus the AV running, etc,. your more then likely just low on RAM. Second to that, depends what that 750GB drive is, if it is a 5400RPM drive, then..... it.... takessss.... a loooongggg.. time to read the data / write the data (cache for your browser) and is a performance killer with the RAM, this especially true for Win8 which is very sensitive for that.

Secondly I hear what you said, but as we don't know your system much less what has happened to it please bare with us and just follow these basics please:

Download and run SPECCY, copy and paste the first tab to show your idle temps
Can Air dust out the bunnies and use paint brush on the vents, coolers, fans, etc. you can access externally.

Did you install all Windows Updates? Including OPTINALS except BING? Check them and repeat till ALL are installed.
Download and run Slim Drivers, install all the latest updates for alot of the other things 'under the hood' the video card interfaces with, but you don't need to reboot until you do the last update

Remove whatever AV your using and get AVIRA http/www.avira.com/en/download/product/avira-free-ant... (or go to www.filehippo.com and download Comodo/Panda or AVG (AVAST! was hacked so I don't recommend them anymore)) and do a full system scan - this repeatedly has resolved alot of people issue relying on MS Essentials.
Download Malwarebytes do a full system scan (AV doesn't pick up alot of malware) - this resolved almost ALL other similar posts to date as most had Malware the AV didn't pick up.
Repeat the AV/Malware scans till the system comes up clean (( YES we heard you SAY it was clean, but just because you checked it for one thing or using something as poor as MSE, doesn't mean there isn't still Malware or things loading poorly in the browser)).

Go to Programs and uninstall ANY and all TOOLBARS listed.
Download Update Checker from www.filehippo.com and scan for then update all the stuff it finds. I can't count the number of times a old copy of JAVA or Flash gets 'stuck' or never updated and causing issues because the new 'browser update' is looking for the new 'code' but only finds the 'old code'.

 

[Z-Zx Zzxz]

Hi, I never run 20-30 tabs in one whole day...anyway here is the Speccy summary.Operating System
Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
CPU
Intel Core i3/i5/i7 4xxx @ 2.50GHz 43 °C
Haswell 22nm Technology
RAM
4.00GB Single-Channel DDR3 @ 798MHz (11-11-11-28)
Motherboard
Hewlett-Packard 1942 (U3E1)
Graphics
Generic PnP Monitor (1366x768@60Hz)
Intel HD Graphics 4600 (HP)
2048MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 8750M (HP) 38 °C
Storage
698GB Seagate ST750LM022 HN-M750MBB (SATA) 39 °C
Optical Drives
DTSOFT Virtual CdRom Device
hp CDDVDW SU-208CB
Audio
High Definition Audio Device.

So every time my windows starts i see in taskmanager the HDD working at 90-100% for 2 min, I disabled all start-up programs only CCC runs at start-up and it does not matter if i have or don't have an AV system,0 toolbars installed .In games I have really good FPS, BF3 50+, Skyrim 55-60, LoL 60+, but the CPU gets 80°C (with cooling pad).
I will try with Slim Drivers to see what changes.Avira just finished scanning No detection! Thanks.

 

[Z-Zx Zzxz]

Ok, I Installed SlimDrivers got 14 out-of-date drivers, tried to install Intel HD Graphics 4600, error:The driver being installed is not validated for this computer.I've managed to install the other out-of-date drivers, but now the HDD stays even more at 99% for like 4-5 min,in Device manager I have 8600/8700m instead of 8750M after i installed the drivers from SlimDrives.Avira AVG full scanned and noting not even 1 detection.I think i am gonna give it a try with windows 7.

 

[Tom Tancredi]

.Avira AVG full scanned and noting not even 1 detection.I think i am gonna give it a try with windows 7.

Okay first off you can't have TWO or more Antivirus systems, you can ONLY have one. They will impact each other and cause your entire system to have issues.

Secondly your 'performance' for gaming and your concerns are rooted that the issue is Windows 8 over Windows 7,
YOU ARE IN ERROR.

First off, as I warned before, if your system is low end (which it is and I will explain) it will be impacted, and what you're seeing is 'typical'.

First your running only 4GB of RAM, if you have alot of 'things' running you will run out of the necessary RAM to support a game (running your IM client in the background, streaming music, etc. all eat away for a bit of the 4GB). This then adds LOAD to the demand to the HDD as the Virtual RAM is tapped to support your needs (4GB installed 2.3GB available, Swap File 12GB game needs 3GB to run, so it 'borrows' from the Swap File 1GB or so and keeps 'swapping' back and forth to the HDD as you 'play').

2nd your hard drive http/www.amazon.com/Samsung-SpinPoint-ST750LM022-750GB-5400RPM/dp/B008I780R2 is a low end HDD and sloooooooowwwww as they come. The reason your seeing so much 'impact' ( HDD working at 90-100% ) is because it is so slow and taking so long that Windows keeps twiddling its thumbs waiting.

3rd the video card in it is WAY low end. THIS is the common performance you will see http/www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-8750M.87147.0.html

Note Battlefield 3 2011 has to be on low graphics at 1024x768 to get 43.4 fps
med. 1366x768 32.2 fps high 1366x768 25.5 fps ultra 1920x1080 10.3 fps

NORMAL game play is 1920x1080 (1080p) and normally on High with normally over 50FPS smooth game play, this system can't perform at that level even for a old game like BF3 for example. As I pointed out, you would need to keep the system throttled down to that low end graphics, low end display (1024x768 ) and then take into account the low amount of memory you have left over with a sloooowww low end HDD and you will get the performance level your getting NORMALLY. So it isn't "Windows 8 is the problem", in fact I can provide (SURPRISINGLY) hundreds of tests showing Win8 performs better then Win7 especially in games.

My typical advice, of such low (ugly) graphics and low screen display (1024x768) just to get over 30FPS that the game isn't 'stuttering' too bad I suggest they are wasting their money, because the 'price' they would spend ($500 for a low end laptop like this) if used to get a PS4 would be better SPENT as the same amount of $$ you get a gaming system that can play the Assassin's Creed Unity at HIGH 1080P and get over 60FPS among other titles.

Laptops costs 2x as much as a desktop to achieve the same level of 'game performance', and desktop is 2x's that of a console . So in numbers consoles around $500, PCs (to get that game level you see on Youtube) $1000, and laptops $2000. Just to have some 'perspective'.

 

[Z-Zx Zzxz]

Wow...I am not using 2 AV ..I scanned with avg after uninstalled it, then Avira.I do not run out of RAM the problem I had was in Idle Ram never passed 45%.Just installed windows 7 Ultimate, problem solved. I think my Win8.1 got bugged or something more than 50 seconds to get desktop.Anyway i run BF3: Texture quality - High, Shadows - low, Effects High, Mesh-Medium, terrain -high, terrain decoration - medium, Anisotropic Filter 4x, Antialiasing 2x, Blur - Off 1366x768 50-57 FPS.So i am happy with it. Thanks

 

[Z-Zx Zzxz]

Hi again.I finally found out what my problem was with windows 8.1 and disk usage 100% even in idle, a friend told me that i have registry problems.I used CCleaner one scan, pressed Fix and voilà windows 8.1 runs perfectly boots faster responds to tasks faster even when i download disk usage stays below 60%. Thanks