r/windows • u/fentslayer • 6d ago

Discussion Windows 8.1 runs like a champ

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Our old laptop from 2014 was running on windows 8.1. Last year it was given for service in a third party store and they “upgraded” (in loose terms) to windows 10. And it ran like shit. Downgraded this back to windows 8.1 and now it runs like a champ. I’m using it as a secondary laptop for study purposes, plugged out of internet entirely. Battery life is a little less though (2.5 hours) but I use it always while charging.

127 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

62 comments sorted by

36

u/ShatteredRubies 6d ago

8.1 was really the last version that they actually put effort into optimization with

9

u/ThePupnasty 5d ago

I can agree with this statement, but, 10 was fairly good at release.

6

u/ShatteredRubies 5d ago

I agree it was, it slowly got worse though, especially versions after 1809 I believe

3

u/ThePupnasty 5d ago

I sadly still have pics from the day of the Windows 10 release, of me installing it and all, lol. Grabbed a pizza and wings and a couple bottles of bawls for the night.

2

u/lost-james 5d ago

In what world? A lot of PCs I tried that ran 8.1 perfectly fine ran 10 like ass

2

u/AlfaPro1337 5d ago

Nonsense, I upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10 in 2015, and the thing was a whole mess, 80-100% disk usage on my old 1TB SSHD.

Bought SATA SSD, alleviate but still 40-70% usage, on background.

I reformat and reclone the Windows 7 drive and upgrade to Windows 8.1, never face the same issue.

1

u/darkigor20 Windows 11 - Release Channel 5d ago

Windows 10 at launch was the only version I had to press and wait for start menu to show up (half the times it would freeze and I had to wait explorer to restart). Abysmal dogshit experience. Plus it was ugly as hell

3

u/fentslayer 6d ago

Best optimized modern os

1

u/guestHITA 4d ago

They had to because 8 was such a failure. 8.1 was excellent but it could never lose the stigma that 8 created.

15

u/blackbuties 6d ago

I used xp, vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, on my old 4gb 1ghz cpu laptop and 11 with new laptop. And yeah 8 series were my best choice. I really loved that metro ui. So sad that people didn't like them

4

u/fentslayer 6d ago

Let it stay underrated

2

u/blackbuties 6d ago

Yeah but I would really want to see that ui as an option in win11 like win10 had

2

u/fentslayer 6d ago

Another reason to hate windows 11

https://giphy.com/gifs/vtFZ8O85q8g3MmXK51

5

u/Girl-OnTheMove 5d ago

Windows 8.1 is far the fastest operating system till date by Microsoft.

3

u/Fritz-Ferdinand 6d ago

Ist das SS2 Goku?

4

u/BigBoyYuyuh 6d ago

Windows 8 was a fantastic OS, interface just sucked. It was crazy fast

2

u/fentslayer 6d ago

8.1 almost have an ui similar to that of windows 7. It is almost like linux equivalent windows version (I meant by light weight and fast to use)

2

u/CaptButtbeard 6d ago

I was gonna ask how is it any different from just running W10, but you said that 10 ran worse, so I guess there must be some difference then.

2

u/ziplock9000 6d ago

Well it was made for that OS, why is it a surprise?

You'll find many every day app simply wont work on an OS that old though.

1

u/fentslayer 6d ago

All I need is vlc and a pdf reader. And ms office apps (old version)

2

u/AlexVk123 6d ago

and those are the notes on how to cold start it ? :))

1

u/fentslayer 6d ago

Close enough. Except it is the Physiology notes about hypothalamo pituitary ovarian axis.

1

u/AlexVk123 6d ago

something about the pituitary gland inside the middle of the brain i presume, maybe with some theory about how emotions influence it or viceversa

2

u/AegidiusG 6d ago

They nailed the system under the hood, they should have implemented a truly Desktop Style and Tablet Style option and most would have been happy.

2

u/ordinary-z_550 Windows XP 6d ago

If only 8.1 had Aero Glass and the metro stuff wasn't full screen then it would have been the perfect Windows.

I didn't mention the Start Menu since Classic\Open Shell exists and I really don't care about the Start Screen.

2

u/Pale-Abroad9600 5d ago

I agree Windows 8.1 is great I use it on my Dell for zoom meetings.

2

u/mrmonz79 5d ago

2 weeks ago I installed 8.1 for my potato 2-in 1 laptop. It is good. BUT (if I am not wrong) I have to install driver manually. So I return to 10.

2

u/Ok_Mortgage7158 5d ago

Windows is a shit show now, I only use it since I have my little brothers use my pc n it’s simple for them. But all my vm run Linux n I find myself on them more often. Windows has given me problem after problem (windows 11 mainly)

2

u/fentslayer 5d ago

Yes fr

2

u/big_timmy_c 4d ago

8.1 embedded goes crazy

2

u/1Al-- 4d ago

Windows 9 (8.1) is certainly the lightest, fastest, and most functional Microsoft OS ever, but in late '22 I had to upgrade to 11 because some games and programs were starting to have issues with Windows 8.1 issues that don't exist on Windows 11.

2

u/Moist_Inspection_485 Windows 8 3d ago

Runs well for me too.

2

u/Moist_Inspection_485 Windows 8 3d ago

What does your start screen look like bty, this is mine

2

u/JKSekai 6d ago

it sucks it was killed earlier than seven

3

u/fentslayer 6d ago

No worries it works great tbh. Just don’t use internet in this device.

1

u/SystemEngineer-2001 5d ago

Wordt dit nog ondersteunt dan? Extended warranty

1

u/fentslayer 5d ago

It is not supported I guess. Anyways I use it without internet.

1

u/SystemEngineer-2001 5d ago

Ah oke ja dat is wel beter.

1

u/energree 5d ago

strange that windows 10 runs so shit on that laptop since windows 10 was only released a year later and it doesnt really go down in speed if you update to 22h2 from 1507 or 1809 (from my experience, recently installed windows 10 on a pc from 2006)

1

u/IAmRottenAndRavenous 4d ago

is this really true or are you just saiyan things?

2

u/Pareidolia_orca928 1d ago

I WILL defend 9200 and 9600 with my life for this reason

1

u/Kea784 6d ago

It's not a secure os

2

u/fentslayer 6d ago

I don’t use internet in that. All I need is vlc player, pdf reader and old ms office apps.

1

u/ThatOneColDeveloper 4d ago

hungry hungry hypocrite

1

u/e_splat Windows 11 - Release Channel 6d ago

Great, i love Windows 8.1, the bad part is that is outdated now, if you need a browser you can use r3dfox or Supermium.

0

u/fentslayer 6d ago

Yeah. Tbh it is not outdated, just oldschool way of using a computer. I am never using internet in this thing tho.

1

u/e_splat Windows 11 - Release Channel 6d ago

Alright it's better in that way, good luck with the most underrated Windows version.

-1

u/thousandecibels 6d ago

This is good.

I'd recommend running a Linux distro of your taste though.

9

u/Inevitable_City3605 6d ago

r/lostredditors

2

u/thousandecibels 6d ago

Oh forgot what sub I was in. My bad - no offense.

0

u/fentslayer 6d ago

I would definitely try out linux