Windows 8 v Windows 7: is it a greater load>

This is further to an earlier query but I thought I might start a new thread. I've got my daughter a new laptop which has Windows 8. It doesn't have the strongest chip, a Celeron something or other and is at the lower price end, and I was wondering whether it would help if I installed Windows 7 on it in the hope it might be a little less demanding. Or would that be complete cobblers?

The other solution is to transfer the old hard drive (or cloning it), but then the various extensions the Medion (the new one) needs wouldn't be on it.

Had a look at the recommended software for transferring files and I might go down that route. But my real question is would it be worth installing Windows 7 as a less demanding OS?

Comments

  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,301
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    I upgraded my oldish HP laptop from W7 to W8 and it runs faster now. And no it's not an effect of a clean install, it was an in-place upgrade.
  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    generally win 7 & 8 are pretty equal in grunt requirements but win 8 being a new OS the driver writers may still not be used to the subtle things required to wring out the last few % of performance but really i'd say for most things they should be equal
  • Zack06Zack06 Posts: 28,304
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    Windows 8 is a lighter OS than Windows 7. Microsoft said on their Windows blog that a lot of legacy and superfluous code was removed in Windows 8, and it is more efficient with RAM and CPU cycles.

    I would keep the PC on Windows 8. Windows 7 is a great OS, but it's still quite a heavy OS and may slow down the PC.
  • alanwarwicalanwarwic Posts: 28,396
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    Zack06 wrote: »
    ..I would keep the PC on Windows 8. Windows 7 is a great OS, but it's still quite a heavy OS and may slow down the PC.

    About the same. In fact tests have shown W7 was better for battery life.
  • StigStig Posts: 12,446
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    pfgpowell wrote: »
    I was wondering whether it would help if I installed Windows 7 on it in the hope it might be a little less demanding. Or would that be complete cobblers?
    I think the verdict is 'complete cobblers'.
  • Zack06Zack06 Posts: 28,304
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    alanwarwic wrote: »
    About the same. In fact tests have shown W7 was better for battery life.

    In fact, I've found several tests where Windows 8 has come out on top of Windows 7 for battery life, and for an OS designed with portable devices in mind, that figures. Windows 8 also has the ability to suspend apps which aren't being used, where Windows 7 keeps them running in the background using up the system resources.

    http://www.itworld.com/windows/254380/hands-windows-8-cp-battery-life-test?page=0,1

    http://www.tomsguide.com/us/win8-speed-performance,review-1760-3.html

    http://www.pallareviews.com/1217/windows-7-vs-windows-8-battery-life/
  • Tal'shiarTal'shiar Posts: 2,290
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    If you want it to be more responsive go with linux, as long as your daughter is not looking to game (browser gaming is fine and facebook games), and with them specs you couldnt really game anyway. Not to mention they are easy to use and much safer than PCs in terms of spyware etc.

    Linux Mint is very simple and is similar to windows in a lot of ways, has browser and music player.

    But if it has to be 7 or 8, as 8 is on the computer I would leave it at that.
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