Windows 7 vs Windows 10: The better gaming OS

As you may already know, Microsoft has decided to finally cease support for Windows 7.

What this means for all Windows 7 users is that they will now have to migrate to Windows 10 if they want to continue using Windows in a safe and secure manner.

However, the biggest concern when migrating to another OS is how it behaves in certain scenarios compared to the previous OS.

For example, gamers may be wondering how moving from Windows 7 to Windows 10 will affect their gaming experience, and whether or not things will run more smoothly or not.

Which is better for gaming: Windows 7 or Windows 10?

The best answer to this question boils down to what exactly do you want out of gaming.

1. The gaming-dedicated tools

Ever since the original release, numerous updates were brought to Windows 10 that improved the way it handles games. Additionally, it is the only version of Windows to support DirectX 12, which further enhances the gaming capabilities of the OS.

More so, Windows 10 also comes with dedicated Xbox apps and other tools, like the Xbox Game Bar. This tool can, among other things, act as a screen recording tool specifically designed for games.

2. The drivers needed to play

As you all know, games are usually very resource-intensive, and sometimes having an outdated driver can mean you cannot run it at all. This makes installing and updating drivers rather frustrating on Windows 7.

However, this is no longer the case with Windows 10, since now drivers are automatically updated whenever you update the OS as well.

More so, Windows 10 is perfectly capable of identifying what drivers your PC needs, making initial setups and clean installs a whole lot smoother.

Finally, if for some reason the driver gets uninstalled or corrupted, Windows 10 automatically deploys its own generic drivers. While admittedly they aren’t as efficient as the originals, they are better than nothing, allowing more than some basic functionality.

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A good gaming benchmark tool can definitely tell you which OS is better for gaming!

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3. Basic FPS

Numerous tests conducted and even showcased by Microsoft proved that Windows 10 does bring slight FPS improvements to games, even when compared with Windows 7 systems on the same machine.

Speaking of FPS, Windows 10 has a built-in FPS counter. Read more about this neat tool in this in-depth article.

4. Switching tabs

One of the few advantages that Windows 7 has over Windows 10 is the way it handles switching tabs and exiting the game.

Gamers have argued that while Alt-tabbing out of a game can take about 1 second in Windows 7, the waiting times are longer in Windows 10.

5. Game compatibility

Another disadvantage to Windows 10 is that it may have problems running older titles. In fact, unless you buy an older game from a website and it clearly says it is optimized for Windows 10, chances are it isn’t.

This lack of optimization can lead to graphic error, black screens, or even causing the game not to launch at all.

Conclusion

As you can see, most arguments are in favor of using Windows 10 as an OS for gaming.

The differences may not be all that greater, but since Microsoft recommends that you upgrade your hardware to prepare for the migration, you may end up having better gaming experiences anyway.

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