Should I Get Windows 8 Instead

warustar

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Jun 6, 2013
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Greetings everyone.

I was wondering whether or not to get Windows 8 for my build. I have generally heard that Windows 8 is a lighter OS being that it doesn't really use as many processes as Windows 7, like the Aero feature.

Although, I don't know if this upgrade is worth it. I want a more fluid and responsive OS. As far as gaming and design goes, which OS is more friendly towards it? Can anyone running Windows 8 currently validate this? I am currently running my build on Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate.

If so, which version of Windows 8 should I get?

Here are my system specs if it helps:

Computer Chassis: NZXT Phantom 410 (WHITE) [w/ 3 fans]
CPU: AMD FX-8350 FX-Series Eight-Core Processor Edition, Black AM3+ (4.0GHz by default)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
Motherboard: ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Blue 16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR3 1600MHz (PC3 12800)
Power Supply: Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 500w Power Supply
Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SIGNATURE2 2048MB GDDR5 (Base Clock: 1072 MHz)
Hard Drive: WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache
Display: ASUS 24" (1920x1080) LCD/LED
 
Solution
Windows 8 is somewhat "lighter" though it's most relevant on low-power hardware. Since you seem to be running a higher-powered gaming rig the performance improvement would only be modest. Most programs that work in 7 will run on 8, though there are a few exceptions.

The most important consideration is the new user interface. Things work a bit differently, and it can take time to get used to (or you just might not get along with it even if you do adjust). Personally I've had little trouble adjusting, but YMMV.
Windows 8 is somewhat "lighter" though it's most relevant on low-power hardware. Since you seem to be running a higher-powered gaming rig the performance improvement would only be modest. Most programs that work in 7 will run on 8, though there are a few exceptions.

The most important consideration is the new user interface. Things work a bit differently, and it can take time to get used to (or you just might not get along with it even if you do adjust). Personally I've had little trouble adjusting, but YMMV.
 
Solution

warustar

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Jun 6, 2013
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Yeah, that makes sense. As far as the new user interface goes, I'm sure I'll get used to it and adjust it to my liking (if I wanted it to strictly be the desktop-view and NOT metro).

My main thing is having a more fluid and responsive OS. Here are my computer specifications if it helps:

CPU: AMD FX-8350 FX-Series Eight-Core Processor Edition, Black AM3+ (4.0GHz by default)
CPU Fan: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
Motherboard: ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Blue 16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR3 1600MHz (PC3 12800)
Power Supply: Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 500w Power Supply
Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SIGNATURE2 2048MB GDDR5 (Base Clock: 1072 MHz)
Hard Drive: WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache
Display: ASUS 24" (1920x1080) LCD/LED
 
Given those specs, if all you're looking for is faster performance from the OS I wouldn't expect a tremendous difference from the upgrade to win 8. That system should be pretty quick already (so there won't be too much room for improvement). Windows 8 does generally feel smooth in the navigation through the system and UI, which most reviews comment on and I've seen myself.

If you could afford it an SSD might make a bigger difference.
 

warustar

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Jun 6, 2013
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Yeah...I figured there wouldn't be much room for a difference. :(
About the SSD, I do plan on waiting for the Samsung 840 EVO to come out, because I will be upgrading to that.

For fluidness, I just sort-of assumed Windows 8 was more fluid because of how clean the interface looks (not talking about Metro, definitely not).
 

warustar

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Jun 6, 2013
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Haha, I see. So, if I were to upgrade to Windows 8, which version should I choose? First thing that comes to mind would be to get the "highest" edition, but it might not be a good idea since it might just be bundled with extra features that are useless and make the OS slower.

What do you think?
 

warustar

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Jun 6, 2013
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Ah, I see. Now, as far as the upgrade version vs. the retail version goes for Windows 8, is there a difference between them?
 
The software is the same but the terms of the license key are the only difference. The full retail license "officially" supports stand-alone installation while the "upgrade" license is meant to upgrade an existing Windows installation. You can do a clean install over the previous windows with the Upgrade disk if you wish, but "officially" that version needs to go over some previous activated copy of Windows.
 

warustar

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Jun 6, 2013
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Oh okay, that perfectly answers my question. I thought for a second that I wouldn't be able to make a clean install and that it would be a very limited upgrade since it's the "upgrade" version and all, but that's awesome. Even though it might not make a tremendous difference, it's more fluid and will be amazing with my new SSD that I plan on getting in August.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate you time and help. :)