Is Windows 11 good enough yet?

Windows 11 will be five years old on October 5th. Is it good enough yet to merit upgrading from Windows 10?

The question is moot for me, since I reviewed Windows 11 back when it launched in 2021 and have been using it ever since. But for anyone still on the fence, it’s a question you should be asking yourself because you have the option of enrolling in the Windows 10 Extended Support Program to keep your classic OS updated with critical security patches through October 2027.

It’s also a question one viewer put to the hosts during the Q&A portion of this week’s The Full Nerd show, and it got me thinking: am I willing to change my tune on Windows 11 after watching it evolve for half a decade? I think I might be.

I made peace with using Windows 11 as my daily driver years ago, but the ever-present ads for Microsoft products, disappointing optimization and AI nonsense turned my stomach. However, some recent projects we’ve been working on here at PCWorld made me realize it might be time for a second opinion.

For example, I’ve been testing out the new Dell XPS 13 so we can shoot a video about it and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how snappy and normal it feels to use despite only sporting 8GB of RAM. I recall that Windows 11 was quite a resource hog back when I reviewed it years ago on PCs with 16-32GB of RAM, so I expected the anemic XPS 13 would chug like a frat boy when I started multitasking.

Instead, I’ve found it feels as snappy to navigate as my 32GB-equipped desktop PC, even when I have Chrome open with 20+ tabs while I’m streaming music and writing up something in Word. Sure, the laptop can’t hold a candle to my desktop when it comes to demanding tasks like gaming, video editing and the like, but for basic browsing and productivity work? I’d never have known this little XPS 13 was packing a paltry 8GB under the hood.

At least, not until I opened the Task Manager and saw the memory usage at 6GB minimum even if nothing is open. Because while Windows 11 feels smooth and responsive on this 8GB laptop it still eats up a ton of resources, even while idling. Once I started launching apps and opening tabs that number climbed steadily, but in my limited testing I’ve yet to redline it or cause the system to stutter using just productivity apps.

That got me thinking that maybe, just maybe, all the wailing and complaining writers like myself have done over the years has actually led the likes of Google and Microsoft to put in serious work optimizing their software for PC.

Another project I’ve been working in is a video about Windows 11, and for one aspect of it I actually did a fresh install on a new machine and went looking for as many examples of annoying ads as I could find. I’m talking pop-up ads for OneDrive, intrusive reminders to put personal information into Windows, even that nagging pop-up to choose Bing instead when you go to download Chrome. I really wanted to snag evidence of as many annoying Windows 11 ads as I could find, but to my surprise it was a real struggle.

That’s not to say there are no longer annoying ads for Microsoft products and services in Windows 11, just that they’re far less common and intrusive nowadays than I remember. That seems like a good thing, and while there are still things I don’t like about Microsoft’s latest operating system I have to grudgingly admit it’s gotten better with age. That’s faint praise, I know, but I’m not sure I could say the same about myself so I suppose I should cut Windows 11 some slack. Now if only Microsoft would sell a Pro edition for enthusiasts, like The Full Nerd team suggests!

In this week’s episode of The Full Nerd

On this week’s episode of The Full Nerd regular cohosts Alaina Yee and Adam Patrick Murray were joined by regular third chair Brad Chacos to chat about Adam’s time testing Control Resonant, the fall PC game release calendar and the Flydigi Vader 5S PC gamepad. It’s still a streamlined show as Adam packs up his studio for a cross-country move, but of course Alaina came in clutch with those handheld segment titles.

There was also a good Q&A section where the hosts took questions from the chat and the Discord about everything from favorite games to that query about whether Windows 11 is finally good enough yet or not. It was a fun chat you won’t want to miss!

Nerd news of the week

I’ve got to make this quick as I’m gearing up for a trip down to L.A. to check out (among other things) that new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, but even at a glance there’s a smorgasbord of intriguing news in the PC hardware space this week.

• $14,000 gaming PC features 70 handcrafted titanium cherry blossoms which unfurl as temperatures rise: Sure, 99% of us can’t justify spending $14k on a gaming PC like this no matter how beautiful it is, but we can’t afford to buy a Rothko either. Sometimes art is meant to be appreciated rather than owned, ya know? That’s what I tell myself, at least.
• Gigabyte admits an oopsie with Gigabyte Control Center software leaving kernel exposed to attackers: If you’ve got a PC running on a Gigabyte motherboard, probably a good idea to update the software sooner rather than later now that some bad folks have compromised the Gigabyte Control Center software.
• AMD starts the ball rolling for GDDR7 in next-gen GPUs with small code adjustment in its Linux drivers: Sure it might be nothing, but this code change spotted by some eagle-eyed open-source fans suggests AMD is gearing up to catch up to Nvidia by putting GDDR7 memory on its next generation of GPUs.
• Airbus turned the Steam Deck into a controller for a prototype Mars rover: Uhhh okay, this is just cool. Can you imagine if someone at NASA were piloting a Mars rover using a Steam Deck, and could just Alt + Tab over to Astroneer during downtime? That’s a world we could live in one day.

That’s it for your Full Nerd newsletter this week, as I’ve got a plane to catch. Until next week, be sure to bookmark PCWorld and subscribe to the PCWorld YouTube channel! Want this newsletter to come directly to your inbox? Sign up on our website!

This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld.