Windows 11 is Much Slower Than Windows 10 on High-End Hardware

I actually despise Windows 11.

I have two gaming laptops that I downgraded to Windows 11 on and they are both absolutely terrible now.

Laptop One: Asus ROG G713pi-R94070

Ryzen 9 7845HX, 32GB DDR5, RTX 4070, 2x 2TB high end Gen4 NVMe

Laptop Two: Asus ROG G713qr-R93070

Ryzen 9 5900HX, 64GB DDR4, RTX 3079

2x 4TB high end Gen4 NVMe (running in Gen3)

One regrettably came with Windows 11 and the other I downgraded to 11 pro (clean install).

It's painful. Windows 11 feels like I'm back in 2007 running a NetBook that came with Windows Vista Home Basic.

Everything is slow, I have to put it in gaming mode just to tolerate browsing the internet. I shouldn't have overclock a 2 month old gaming laptop just to be able to surf the internet and run VS Code. This thing was slow out of the box. I'm most likely going to pay for the extra time on Windows 10, then if something isn't changed, I will go where I need to. I'm a programmer so the temptation to leave is very real.

I found this because I was just having issues with using VS Code because of delays in hot keys. Simple stuff is sluggish.

I just turned off all UI enhancements, all drivers are updated, I've optimized everything, there's no viruses, and I use this strictly for work, there's nothing running on this that should matter at all. All drivers, bios, software, etc is all up to date. I'm running both in the highest performance modes, I've combed through all power management settings, and none of them are even close to 50% on either storage. I even upgraded to the higher watt power supplies meant for the higher GPU models.

This OS is just bad, period, there's a reason people don't like it. Sometimes it's fine, but that seems to greatly vary based on Windows updates.

Hey Peter5367,

I think you misunderstood the core issue here. Boot speed is not the problem, Windows 11 boots fast for me too. But once you're in the system, that's when things go south.

We're talking about fundamental UI responsiveness, the kind of subtle, low-level latency that builds up frustration over time. Right-click the desktop? You feel that extra beat before the menu appears. Open File Explorer? There’s a noticeable delay. Scroll through settings or snap windows around? There's a softness to it—not laggy, but just not crisp. That instant feedback you get in Windows 10? Gone.

And it’s not placebo. I’ve run clean installs, high performance mode, latest drivers, even disabled animations. Everything. Windows 10 on the same hardware is like slicing through butter with a hot knife. Windows 11? Like using a dull blade in cold molasses.

It’s like the whole OS has a thin layer of friction on top of everything. You don’t notice it right away, but once you do, it’s everywhere. You feel it in every click, every drag, every launch. It’s not about how fast it boots. It’s about how fast it feels.

So, no!. this isn’t just a "works fine for me" thing. This is a real experience difference that shows up after boot, and Windows 11 is failing the vibe check on that front.

Windows 11 is booting fast and working great. Nothing slow about it. Very responsive.

My Rig:

-

• Processor: 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13620H @ 2.40 GHz
• RAM: 32 GB DDR5 Ram
• Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD (Micron 2400)
• Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 4050 Laptop GPU
• System Type: 64-bit OS, x64-based processor

Hi Bo,

Thanks so much for the detailed response.

I really appreciate the time you took to read through everything and offer thoughtful suggestions.

To answer your question, my device is MSI Cyborg 15 A13v, and it's running on the following configuration:

• Processor: Intel Core i7-13620H (13th Gen)
• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop GPU + Intel UHD
• RAM: 16 GB DDR5
• Storage: 512 GB Micron 2400 NVMe SSD

I’ve already gone through most of the steps you mentioned (including disabling animations, setting power mode to High Performance, and ensuring the BIOS/chipset drivers are current), but the system still lagged noticeably compared to Windows 10—even in basic UI interactions. File Explorer delays and choppy context menus were the most annoying parts.

I might give Windows 11 another shot down the line, especially if future updates improve its responsiveness. But for now, Windows 10 just delivers a far better experience on the same hardware.

Thanks again for understanding and helping out!

Best regards,
Naveen Dhananjaya

Hi Naveen Dhananjaya,

Thank you for posting here in Community.

I hear you—experiencing sluggish performance on a high-end system is frustrating, especially when you expect an upgrade to enhance speed, not hinder it. You're not alone in noticing performance issues with Windows 11, as others have reported similar concerns.

You've already done an excellent job troubleshooting—checking drivers, disabling startup apps, verifying SSD health, and even trying a clean install. Since you've rolled back to Windows 10 and found it significantly faster, it makes sense that you'd hesitate to upgrade again. Please answer the question below.

What is the brand and model of your device?

If you ever decide to give Windows 11 another shot, here are some additional steps that might help optimize performance:

• Disable unnecessary visual effects: Windows 11 has more animations and transparency effects that can slow things down. Try disabling them via Settings > System > Advanced system settings > Performance settings.
• Check background processes: Some new Windows 11 services may be consuming extra resources. Use Task Manager to identify and disable unnecessary ones.
• Adjust power settings: Ensure your laptop is set to High Performance mode under Control Panel > Power Options.
• Update BIOS and chipset drivers: Sometimes, outdated firmware can cause compatibility issues with newer OS versions.
• Try a different SSD driver: Some users have reported better performance after switching to a different NVMe driver.

If none of these work, sticking with Windows 10 might be the best option for now. Microsoft may release updates to improve Windows 11’s performance on high-end hardware, so keeping an eye on future patches could be worthwhile

Best regards,

Bo

Microsoft Community