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Definitions
ARM CPUs
Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) central processing unit (CPU) is a type of processor architecture based on the Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) design philosophy. Unlike traditional Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) architectures like Intel’s x86/x64, ARM CPUs are optimized for power efficiency and simplicity, making them ideal for mobile devices, embedded systems, and increasingly, lightweight laptops and cloud workloads.
ARM in Windows ecosystem:
- Windows on ARM supports ARM64-native apps and emulates x86/x64 apps.
- Devices like Surface Pro X and Copilot+ PCs use ARM chips (for example, Snapdragon X Elite).
- Microsoft is investing in ARM for AI acceleration, cloud efficiency, and education-first devices.
Intel CPUs
Intel CPU is a central processing unit developed by Intel Corporation, one of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers. Intel CPUs are based on the x86 and x86-64 (x64) architectures, which are widely used in personal computers, servers, and enterprise systems.
Key characteristics of Intel CPUs:
| Feature | Intel CPU |
|---|---|
| Architecture | CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing) |
| Instruction Set | x86 (32-bit), x64 (64-bit) |
| Performance | High single-thread and multi-thread performance; excellent for legacy apps |
| Power Efficiency | Improving with newer generations (for example, Intel Core Ultra), but generally lower than ARM |
| Thermal Output | Higher TDP (Thermal Design Power); often requires active cooling |
| Use Cases | Desktops, laptops, servers, workstations, gaming PCs, enterprise systems |
| Popular Series | Intel Core (i3, i5, i7, i9), Xeon, Atom, Pentium, Celeron |
| AI & Graphics | Integrated GPUs (Intel Iris Xe, UHD), emerging NPUs in Core Ultra chips |
Intel in the Windows Ecosystem:
- Full compatibility with all Windows applications, drivers, and peripherals.
- Preferred in enterprise environments for its stability, performance, and broad software support.
- Widely used in education, business, gaming, and content creation.
Performance and Compatibility: ARM vs Intel CPUs
- Application Compatibility and Ecosystem Support
- Windows on x64 (Intel/AMD) offers broader support for legacy and modern applications, drivers, and peripherals. This is due to decades of ecosystem maturity.
- ARM-based Windows devices, particularly those using Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, have historically struggled with software compatibility. However, newer chips like the Snapdragon X Elite show significant improvements in performance and compatibility.
- Performance Benchmarks
- Intel Core Ultra processors outperform ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite in real-world productivity workloads and gaming.
- ARM excels in power efficiency and thermal performance, making it ideal for lightweight, mobile-first devices.
- Developer and Build Issues
- There are known build issues with ARM64 in Visual Studio, particularly involving wchar.h and type conversion errors. These are being tracked and addressed but highlight ongoing tooling challenges for ARM development.
Market trends and forecasts:
- Adoption and Growth
- ARM CPU share in the server market is projected to grow from 0.5M units in 2021 to 2M by 2024, but this growth is slowing as ARM saturates its most applicable use cases.
- Intel and AMD still dominate CPU purchases, with Intel alone accounting for over 6.6M units in Azure’s 2022 simulation, compared to less than 0.9M for ARM.
- Customer Sentiment
- Enterprise IT decision-makers often prefer Intel for its reliability, driver support, and brand familiarity. AMD is considered interchangeable in many cases, especially when cost savings are significant.
- ARM is gaining traction in niche use cases, especially where power efficiency and AI acceleration are critical.
Deployment and manufacturing:
- Windows on ARM Deployment
- Deploying Windows 11 on ARM is nearly identical to AMD64, with minor differences in setup and servicing. The Windows ADK and PE tools support ARM images, and language/feature customization is consistent across architectures.
- AI and Hardware Acceleration
- ARM-based NPUs (Neural Processing Units) offer faster inference times for AI workloads but suffer from limited hardware support and inconsistent DirectML acceleration across devices.
Experimental and community use:
- Raspberry Pi and ARM Testing
- Raspberry Pi 4 is a popular ARM64 testbed for Windows, though not officially supported by Microsoft. It’s used by enthusiasts to validate ARM scenarios and test deployment pipelines.
Side-by-side comparison of Windows on ARM chips versus Intel CPUs
| Category | Windows on ARM (for example, Snapdragon X Elite) | Intel CPUs (for example, Core Ultra) |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Strong in power efficiency and thermal control; improving in raw performance but still behind Intel | Superior in raw performance, especially for multitasking, legacy apps, and compute-heavy tasks |
| App Compatibility | Limited legacy app support; relies on emulation for x86/x64 apps; improving with native ARM64 builds | Full compatibility with all Windows apps and drivers; mature ecosystem |
| AI Acceleration | Integrated NPUs offer fast inference but limited DirectML support across devices | NPUs emerging in newer chips; broader support for AI workloads via CPU/GPU acceleration |
| Battery Life | Excellent due to ARM’s efficiency-first design | Good, but generally lower than ARM in mobile scenarios |
| Deployment | Similar to AMD64; minor differences in setup and servicing | Standardized and widely supported across enterprise deployment tools |
| Tooling & Dev Support | Some build issues in Visual Studio (for example, wchar.h, type conversion bugs) | Mature and stable development environment |
| Market Adoption | Growing in niche and mobile-first use cases; slower in enterprise | Dominant in enterprise and cloud workloads |
| Use in EDU Context | Ideal for lightweight student devices, long battery life, and AI-enhanced learning tools. | Better for faculty/admin workloads, legacy software, and high-performance computing |
Recommended ARM-compatible software
Browsers:
- Microsoft Edge (AI-powered, native ARM64)
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Brave
- Vivaldi
- Opera
- Arc for Windows
These are all natively compiled for ARM and offer full performance and battery efficiency.
Media and streaming:
- Spotify
- VLC Media Player
- Netflix
- Disney+
- Windows Media Player
These apps are optimized for ARM and run smoothly on devices like Surface Pro X and Snapdragon X PCs.
Productivity and utilities:
- Microsoft 365 Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook—all ARM-native)
- OneNote
- Microsoft Teams
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Notepad++ (via emulation)
- 7-Zip (native builds available)
These tools are either fully native or run efficiently under emulation.
Cloud and dev tools:
- Azure DevOps ARM64 Agent (Node 20 support)
- GitHub Desktop (beta ARM builds)
- Visual Studio Code (native ARM64)
- Windows Terminal
- WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
Incompatible or partially supported software on Windows ARM
General limitations
- No support for legacy x86 drivers or kernel-level apps
- 64-bit x64 emulation is improving but still has gaps
- Virtualization requires ARM-compatible guest OS and tools
Creative and professional software:
- Adobe Creative Cloud (some apps not ARM-native):
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe InDesign
Antivirus and VPN tools:
- Avast Free Antivirus, Cleanup, SecureLine VPN
- Avira Security
- FortiClient VPN
- Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus
- Kaspersky Anti-Virus
Virtualization Tools:
- VirtualBox (headless frontend)
- VMware Workstation (limited or no support)
Cloud and storage clients:
- Google Drive
- Naver MyBox
- Samsung Recovery and Update tools
Games (due to anti-cheat or performance issues):
- Valorant
- League of Legends
- Apex Legends
- Fortnite
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Halo Infinite
- Roblox
- Team Fortress 2
- Dead by Daylight
- Fall Guys
- Far Cry New Dawn
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Uncharted
- VRChat
Tools to check compatibility
Education product recommendations
Use ARM devices for:
- Student and faculty devices focused on battery life, mobility, and AI-enhanced learning.
- Lightweight productivity and collaboration tools.
- Pilots of Copilot+ PCs in classrooms or hybrid learning environments.
Use Intel devices for:
- Admin staff or faculty needing legacy app support (for example, Examplify, Excel Solver).
- High-performance computing, virtualization, or content creation workloads.
- Environments with complex deployment or driver dependencies.
ARM-Compatible Software vs Intel Software (EDU Context)
| Category | ARM-Compatible Software | Intel Optimized Software |
|---|---|---|
| Productivity | Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), OneNote, Teams (ARM-native) | Full Microsoft 365 Suite with legacy add-ins and macros |
| Development | Visual Studio Code (ARM64), Windows Terminal, GitHub Desktop (beta), WSL | Visual Studio (full), Docker Desktop, Hyper-V |
| Media & Streaming | VLC, Spotify, Netflix, Disney+, Windows Media Player | Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, OBS Studio |
| Security & VPN | Windows Defender, Microsoft Authenticator | FortiClient VPN, Webroot, Kaspersky, Avast |
| Browsers | Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera | All browsers supported |
| Cloud & Storage | OneDrive, SharePoint, Azure DevOps ARM Agent | Google Drive, Samsung Recovery Tools |
| AI & NPU Tools | Copilot+ PCs with NPU acceleration, Windows Studio Effects | CPU/GPU-based AI acceleration |
| Education Tools | Flipgrid, Microsoft Whiteboard, Immersive Reader | Examplify, Analytic Solver for Excel (limited ARM support) |
| Deployment Tools | Windows ADK for ARM, Intune, Autopilot, Configuration Manager | Full MDT, SCCM, legacy deployment scripts |
| Compatibility Tools | WorksOnWoA.com, App Assure, ARM App Compatibility Framework | N/A |