[SOLVED] Windows 7 on new build??

Jedimaster520

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Nov 28, 2012
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I am about to undergo a new build. Primarily a gaming rig. I still have my Window 7 keys but as you know, Win 7 is no longer supported. I have used Win 10 on other machines and absolutely hate it. Plus I have heard a lot about Win 10 actually slowing down the pc it is installed on. Any input that might be helpful for me going forward? I would love to stay with 7 but worry that it will put my machine at risk.
 
Solution
  • 99% of the time I'm using an application and don't care about the OS it's on.
  • Windows 10 is only slower if you are using hardware that was terrible 10 years ago. In many ways, it's better and I have seen tests where it can run on less ram than Windows 7.
  • Most modern hardware does not support Windows 7 with drivers, so it cannot always be installed.
  • Honestly, in like a week, you will be used to W10. For day to day usage, they are very similar to use, they just look different.

    I was using Windows 7 on another PC the other day, and you can use Windows 7, just don't go onto fishy sites and you will be fine with regards to security. This was an older period correct AM2+ PC that ran Windows 7 fine.

    However, you try to run...
  • 99% of the time I'm using an application and don't care about the OS it's on.
  • Windows 10 is only slower if you are using hardware that was terrible 10 years ago. In many ways, it's better and I have seen tests where it can run on less ram than Windows 7.
  • Most modern hardware does not support Windows 7 with drivers, so it cannot always be installed.
  • Honestly, in like a week, you will be used to W10. For day to day usage, they are very similar to use, they just look different.

    I was using Windows 7 on another PC the other day, and you can use Windows 7, just don't go onto fishy sites and you will be fine with regards to security. This was an older period correct AM2+ PC that ran Windows 7 fine.

    However, you try to run W7 on Ryzen or newer intel CPUs and you can have issues.
 
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Solution

Math Geek

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this info has been all i needed so far.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/11182/how-to-get-ryzen-working-on-windows-7-x64

i've put win 7 on both new ryzen and intel builds so long as i followed the usb2 advice.

of course this will begin to be more of a problem as drivers stop being made for win 7. but if you do your homework you can ensure driver support. you may have to do some serious detective work but normally you can find compatible drivers. may have to pick a different mobo to ensure you can get drivers.

for instance, msi may not put out a win 7 driver for the audio chip on the shiny new board. however, often the chip has win 7 drivers from the manufacturer page or possibly an older mobo has the chip on it and has win 7 drivers. can take time and may not get 100% compatibility but i've not had problems getting what i needed this close to support ending.

had to do the same thing when vista came out and people wanted xp back. same when win 8 came out and people wanted win 7 still and so on and so on.
 

Math Geek

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i know its hard to understand but some of us just don't want win 10. it's that simple. i and others (including the OP here) don't want to use it and are willing to do a bit of extra work to avoid it.

you don't have to understand if you don't want to but the least you can do is sit quietly by and let us have our fun :)

what is annoying though is that rather than allowing some of us to offer help sticking with win 7, any thread asking this question gets slammed with "just install win 10" posts which offer nothing to the conversation
 
I came here just to state the obvious and you know it. Not one people who recommend systems in this forum for people will recommend Windows 7 on a new 2020 system but there is nothing wrong with people who wants to use it.
 
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runner105

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Jul 6, 2018
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As long as you make sure that you are finding valid and up-to date drivers and are using good security software, it should be fine to use any OS down to Win7. Something that was possible with Windows Vista was that people could install security updates meant for Windows Server 2008 in order to stay "in support" for much longer than otherwise. This may be possible with Windows 7 and Server 2008R2 as well, but you'd have to do some research.