Windows 11 Outperforms Ubuntu and CachyOS in AI Tests

The latest Windows 11 vs Linux performance test shows Microsoft’s operating system leading in local AI workloads, while Linux dominates several video-encoding benchmarks.

Phoronix compared Windows 11 with Ubuntu and CachyOS across 99 tests using a high-end Razer Blade 18 RZ09-0582 workstation laptop. The system comfortably exceeded the hardware requirements for all three operating systems.

Windows 11 Leads in Local AI Tests

Windows 11 consistently outperformed Ubuntu and CachyOS in several artificial intelligence workloads.

Microsoft’s operating system delivered faster token generation and prompt processing when running large language models locally. In one benchmark, Windows 11 recorded performance approximately three times faster than Ubuntu.

The results suggest Windows 11 currently offers a substantial advantage for users who run AI models directly on their PCs.

Windows 11 Performs Well in Speech-to-Text Testing

Windows 11 also delivered strong results in Mozilla’s Whisperfile benchmark.

Whisperfile measures speech-to-text processing performance using technology based on OpenAI’s Whisper model. Windows 11 completed the workload faster than the tested Linux distributions.

The benchmark further highlights Windows 11’s strength in selected AI and machine-learning tasks.

However, the results do not mean Windows 11 performs better in every workload.

Linux Dominates APV and AV1 Video Encoding

Linux led Windows 11 in professional video encoding, with Ubuntu and CachyOS delivering better performance in both APV and AV1 tests.

The results highlight Linux as a strong option for media-processing and video-compression workloads, though performance can vary depending on encoders, drivers, and software optimizations.

Windows 11 Essentially Ties With CachyOS Overall

Phoronix completed a total of 99 benchmark tests covering AI, encoding, development, compression, and other computing workloads.

When the results were combined using a geometric mean, Windows 11 essentially tied with CachyOS.

The result is notable because CachyOS focuses heavily on performance and includes optimizations designed to improve responsiveness and processing speeds.

Ubuntu also performed strongly in many tests, although the results varied significantly depending on the workload.

Neither Operating System Wins Every Test

The benchmarks show that neither Windows 11 nor Linux delivers the best performance in every category.

Windows 11 holds a major advantage in several local AI, language-model, and speech-processing tests. Linux performs substantially better in some professional video-encoding workloads.

Users should choose an operating system based on the applications and workloads they use rather than relying only on overall benchmark scores.

In other Windows news, Microsoft released the KB5121767 emergency update for certain Dell PCs and published the KB5106056, KB5101719, and KB5099551 Dynamic Updates. Microsoft also confirmed WSUS synchronization delays and timeout problems affecting enterprise administrators.