Microsoft is known to work with Intel to make its operating system run better on Intel’s processors, and if you happen to own a computer with the new six-generation Skylake processors, such as the case of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, then you’re about to get a little boost on speed.
According to AnandTech, the new Intel processors include a new Speed Step technology, which is now called “Speed Shift”, that allows the operating system to delegate the control of voltage and frequency to the processor.
The benefits include a faster control to ramp up and down the processor frequency, and the processor has more accurate control over its states that allows it to choose the most optimum performance level when performing tasks, which results on improved energy management and system responsiveness.
While “Speed Shift” is a feature bundled on Skylake processors, up until now the latest Microsoft’s operating system did not support such technology. However, it appears that the Windows 10 Fall Update will include and enable the technology on PCs, of course, including Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book.
During a WebXPRT test using a Surface Pro 4 with a Core i5-6300U processor running Windows 10 build 10586 shows that tablet outperformance the Surface Book with Intel’s Core i7-6600U. The Core i5 Surface Pro 4 scores a 425 with Speed Shift enabled while the Core i7 Surface Book scores a 414 using the WebXPRT 2015 benchmark test. Using the WebXPRT 2013, the Core i5 tablet scored 1979 and the Core i7 laptop scored 1831.
The improvements are noticeable and it seems users will see the benefits of Speed Shift. Users are likely to experience longer battery life and the overall performance of devices using the latest Skylake processors should be more responsive on certain tasks running Windows 10, such as loading web pages, apps, etc.
Source AnandTech via Windows Central
