Windows on Arm - Does Project Volterra Solve the Performance Problem?

Power efficient but performant devices, like Apple's M1 MacBook and Mac Mini range, are all the rage. But Microsoft has a performance issue on Arm. In this video, I look at the recently released Project Volterra hardware and ask whether it going to change the game for Microsoft on Arm?

#microsoft #projectvolterra #windows11

[petri]

Would you buy Project Volterra to use as a daily driver?

[robgreen]

I've ordered one to support the porting of our application to ARM. Starting on x64, the application already runs on M1 and Linux on ARM ... but we waited until there was proper support from Microsoft with VS 2022 and this hardware to develop and debug NATIVELY on ARM. Native development is critically important to (a) efficient workflow for developers using the actual device for the port and (b) confidence that we can debug real-world problems on the actual hardware. It is a pity that Microsoft didn't get going with this more quickly ... but better that they follow along behind Apple than give up and don't try. x64 will live on for a long long time, but ARM will become increasingly relevant, even in the Windows world.

[riopato]

Volterra wasn't meant to be a Mac mini competitor, it was meant to be a device that helps Windows catch up with the M1/M2 software. It's upto QUALCOMM to compete with the Apple's M1/2. I'm curious what the Surface team is doing with the Studio 3 since The Studio is the only product that would compete with the Mac mini.

[PlushPenguinPal]

I’m tempted to buy it and use it as my main computer just because it looks cool. 32 gigs of RAM is also probably all I’ll ever need.

[rrsharizam]

I'm using Windows 11 ARM laptop rn and it actually beats the crap out of my previous i5. Intel HD Graphics can't compete with Adreno. Iinm, 8cx gen 3 is around 80% of M1 performance so am not sure why you keep saying it can't compete with Apple. And that only uses Cortex X1 core. We have Cortex X3, Nuvia cores and Immortalis G715 coming.

[xan-ss]

Video games not running on ARM is a big problem

[giacintoboccia]

If Microsoft was to make their own processors, this would discourage the other hardware producers, they should rather parthmer with ARM for the design of a new core that works better.

[lieathie]

I actually dream about next Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio being without bottom cooling part and with Qualcomm's Nuvia ARM CPU inside.

[joenathane]

If MS can make a Windows Arm Device that everyone wants, I mean lining up at the door to buy it, then the apps will come. MS should have gone all in and made a true competitor to Apples M-Series chips, as it stands I think Woa is a dead end.

[tauheedulali]

I've bought the Volterra Dev Kit and performance is very good, where it slows down is the applications that use heavy graphics features. I have ran x86 and x64 applications on the device and in most cases it is not noticeable that the application is running under emulation. There is no slowdown. I think the 32GB of RAM has helped a lot there. VS 2022 17.4 is now ARM native and it makes a big difference.

Microsoft could release a Mac version of Windows on ARM to run natively with bootcamp. There is a bigger footprint of high performance ARM laptops in the Mac hardware space and the Apple Silicon processors would handle emulation of 64bit applications easily. They just need to optimise for those processors as they have already done with Qualcomm processors.

[Theskullsplaylist]

do you think it would run the android apks in stuff

[Technocrat.]

Microsoft can add a seperate translation section in to the SOC.

[wkwkour]

I'm curious, are you an IT professional? I.e. do you work in the tech industry / do you have any sort of degree in technology? I ask this because your videos are very level headed and well-articulated, unlike most tech youtubers just talking up the latest 'hype'.

[EER]

I am interested in windows on arm, but to be fair mostly because it’s a niche. I develop software and for the customers to be even considering paying us for a migration to arm, it would have to be available on azure. Right now there is no market except other people who think it’s kind of nifty. Currently open source is leading the way in that regard.

[paulharrison]

I would like an 11-inch slim windows laptop resembling my HP Stream 11 but much faster and with a longer battery life. I think that windows 11 on ARM could fulfil this dream of mine.

[davidgrisez]

There is one area where the ARM cpu architecture is better than the Intel and AMD X86 cpu architecture. That area is power consumption efficiency. The ARM architecture consumes less electricity than the X86 architecture. As an example I have an Apple Mac Studio computer with the M1 Max and both this computer and the Studio Display consume about 60 watts together most of the time. The computer I used before this one was a 2015 Apple Intel iMac that used about 2.5 times more watts. It is possible that the government may develop energy efficiency standards for computers. If the government develops energy efficiency standards for computers, computer manufacturers will start switching to the ARM architecture to meet the standards. It could be that Microsoft company believes that there will be an eventual switch from X86 to ARM cpu's and the company wants to be ready for this switch.

[HiltonT]

I've been using a Samsung Galaxy Book2 for some time now, based on the older generation Snapdragon CPU. An M1 MacBook Ait it definitely ain't, but a touchscreen it doth have.

Being a long-term Windows user and admin, I recently recommended a local NFP startup buy M1 MacBook Air devices and they haven't looked back - even Microsoft 365 seems to be more functional on macOS than on Windows, they don't have to deal with the Win 11 foibles, and the performance and battery lifetime is insane compared to any available Windows laptop.

Would I but these? Yes. But I wish Qualcomm could make processors that approach the performance levels of even the original M1 from a couple of years back.

[IgorEngelen]

Very controversial probably but to avoid ending up with another Windows Phone situation, would it make sense for MS to license the CPU tech from Apple? If even possible that is. Performance would no longer be an issue and app porting could possibly solve the lack of developer interest for Windows on ARM.

[kirkn]

I own a Lenovo Yoga 5G 14 which has a Snapdragon 8cx Gen2 running Windows 11 ARM64. I only use it for web browsing and it does that no problem whilst running fanless. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen2 is about the same as a Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 with a Intel Core i7-8650U. Arm devices are meant to be portable, light, quiet and energy efficient. Windows on Arm could easily be released now if some more laptops and mini PC's were created with a Snapdragon 8cx Gen3 as that processor offers similar performance to a Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 with a AMD Ryzen 5 3580U. Windows on Arm is ready now for anyone who does everything via a web browser.

[wkwkour]

I disagree with the battery life part, the Surface Pro 9 Arm variant has pretty good battery life? Most reviews indicate it's about 20% better compared to the Intel variant.