‘All modern operating systems do this, including macOS and Linux’: Microsoft executives fire back at critics who accuse it of ‘cheating’ with Windows 11 speed boost feature

Microsoft is bringing a new feature to boost the CPU briefly to make Windows 11 apps and menus more responsive
Critics have dismissed Microsoft for “cheating” and this is a blanket solution
A Microsoft executive has made it clear that this is not some kind of scam and that other major operating systems are doing the same

Microsoft will boost Windows 11 performance by using a trick that briefly speeds up the CPU when opening apps or menus, and an executive has defended the concept after it came under fire from online commentators.

Windows Latest discovered that Scott Hanselman, a VP, member of technical staff at Microsoft, and a key part of the team tasked with fixing Windows 11 this year, took to X to fight back against critics who have called Microsoft too lazy for this particular idea, which goes by the name of ‘Low Latency Profile’.

There is a general feeling among some that Microsoft is cutting corners and polishing a solution for performance here.

Analysis: emotions run hot

File Explorer tabs in Windows 11

(Image credit: TechRadar)

It’s clear Hanselman feels compelled to put some people in their place here, and fair enough, they’re valid points he makes, and there’s a general sentiment towards shooting down whatever Microsoft is trying to do, which is unfair.

However, I think the Microsoft CEO needs to pay some attention to where a lot of this flak is coming from – namely years of Windows 11 where people felt they weren’t being listened to, where Microsoft is failing a number of fixes to the operating system.

I’ve written many times about how faith and trust in Microsoft has been eroded over the past few years (well, way back really, but especially recently). And this kind of reaction is a symptom of that.

But yeah, admittedly, it can’t feel good to have a lot of the ideas you have for fixing Windows 11 get shot down in a general atmosphere of ‘let’s see Microsoft screw this up’.

On a broader level, some critics don’t directly criticize Low Latency Profile, but rather say it’s more of a patch that doesn’t address major issues with core Windows 11 apps (especially the web-based effort) running sluggishly. Or indeed issues around general resource mismanagement in Windows 11 – although overall performance improvements are of course something that’s on Microsoft’s fix list.

In short, a lot needs to be fixed with Windows 11, and Microsoft needs to start somewhere. From where I sit, the general attitude so far from Microsoft has been impressive, however, in terms of implementing some important fixes quickly and engaging with the community.

I feel the critics need to give Microsoft more time and a chance, but at the same time I realize how some frustrations run pretty deep with Windows 11 – and Windows 10 before it, for that matter – and Microsoft has only itself to blame.

However, a key question for me is simple: why didn’t Microsoft include this CPU trick in Windows 11 in the first place? Or at least start developing it as a performance fix at an earlier time, since all other modern desktop platforms make good use of similar features.

The answer is likely tied to addressing power efficiency and battery life issues — and that remains a concern for this feature now. Sources within Microsoft have already said that any impact on battery life will be minimal, and it’s likely that with the huge battery lives we see with some modern laptops, this gives Windows 11 more room to breathe anyway.

Interestingly, another observation Hanselman makes is that the Low Latency Profile will work particularly well with Windows 11 laptops that have Arm-based (Snapdragon) chips, which are better suited to switching power modes quickly than AMD and Intel CPUs.