---
title: 'Windows Is Ruining New Laptops'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=fDwt9AiItqU'
video_id: 'fDwt9AiItqU'
date: 2026-07-21
duration_sec: 361
channel: 'Dave2D'
---

# Windows Is Ruining New Laptops

> Source: [Windows Is Ruining New Laptops](https://youtube.com/watch?v=fDwt9AiItqU)

## Summary

The video reviews Intel's new Core Ultra Series 3 chips, highlighting their impressive graphics performance and energy efficiency, but argues that Windows 11's poor software experience—bloated with AI features, ads, and surveillance—undermines the hardware's potential, driving users to macOS and Linux.

### Key Points

- **Hardware vs. Software Focus** [00:01] — The reviewer notes that while he usually focuses on hardware, Windows 11's bad state forces him to consider software's impact on the overall experience.
- **Windows Chasing Apple** [00:14] — Windows devices have long chased Apple's MacBooks in build quality and later in chip performance, especially after Apple's M1 chip caused many to switch ecosystems.
- **Intel's Core Ultra Series 3** [00:38] — Intel's new chips offer multi-core performance equal to previous gen at same power, with major gains in graphics thanks to XE3 architecture and a 12-core GPU.
- **Benchmark Context** [01:35] — Benchmarks are from the top-tier X9 388H chip; lower SKUs have fewer GPU cores. Integrated GPU is great but not as powerful as AMD's Strix Halo at high wattage.
- **Efficiency at Low Wattage** [02:19] — Intel's chip maintains performance at low wattages (e.g., 20W, 15W), outperforming Strix Halo, making it ideal for handhelds like the ROG Ally.
- **Energy Efficiency Improvement** [03:00] — The chip shows better energy efficiency than previous Intel chips, though there are faster chips on the market.
- **Windows 11's Bad State** [03:27] — Windows 11 is plagued by forced AI features like Copilot, ads, and surveillance (e.g., Recall), solving problems nobody has.
- **Microsoft CEO's Remarks** [04:31] — The CEO urged users to adopt AI tools to justify electricity costs, highlighting the disconnect between Microsoft and users.
- **Reverse of M1 Era** [05:09] — While M1 made people switch to Apple for great hardware, now Windows' bad software is driving users away despite excellent hardware.
- **Rise of macOS and Linux** [05:50] — There is an increase in macOS and Linux users due to Windows' poor software experience.

### Conclusion

Intel's new chips are excellent, but Windows 11's intrusive software—full of AI, ads, and surveillance—ruins the user experience, pushing users to alternative operating systems.

## Transcript

because typically, when I cover a new laptop, I will focus primarily on the hardware. But right now, because Windows, the operating system, is in such a bad state, I think it has an impact on how we should view all of this
hardware to begin with. So, for years, Windows devices have been chasing Apple's MacBooks. First, it was about build quality. We wanted Windows laptops that were built as well as Apple's MacBooks. But then, in 2020, it became
about their chip. When Apple dropped the M1 chip, that thing was so much better than anything else in the market, that it was crazy. People switched operating systems, people switched ecosystems because of that chip. It was so good.
Now, for Intel, it was a journey. Ever since then, they've been in the kitchen just cooking, desperately trying to make laptop chips that were competitive in something that's excellent, like actually excellent. So, this is their
Core Ultra Series 3, and this thing is so good. For multi-core, we're getting previous generation at the same energy consumption. If you're doing renders, or that can just take advantage of all the different cores on a chip, these are
really nice. But the biggest gains, like the most impressive thing about these new chips, are the graphics. The new GPUs are built on their XE3 architecture, and the highest performing version of it is their 12-core GPU, and
performance that they were claiming. These are so good. I genuinely feel ranked match on this device. And considering these are like thin and light productivity work-focused laptops that are not marketed as gaming devices,
Keep in mind that all these benchmarks come from their top-tier chip, the X9 388H. And if you want that super powerful GPU, it only comes in the chips there's three of them, I think. There's one X9 and two X7 SKUs. If you do go for
GPU cores, and so they're not as powerful graphically. Now, if you compare this to other integrated GPUs, these are clearly great performers, but it is not as powerful at the top end as the Strix Halo chips from AMD. But those
chips, as nice as they are, are for one, crazy expensive, but two, are not energy juice to be able to pull off those frame rates. So, they got shorter battery life, louder fans, hotter devices, the whole works. Now, the other thing I
when you reduce the wattage on this chip, it maintains great performance. So, once you get to like 20 watts, it already starts to outperform the Strix Halo. At 15 watts, it's even more pronounced. And that's the power profile
that a lot of handhelds try to target, like something like the ROG Ally. These handhelds love that lower wattage, and I feel like Intel knows they have a surprised if they have some kind of handheld that use some kind of like
numbers you're seeing there are just off the laptop. Uh 3D applications also see some decent gains. I'm not going to say that they compete with discrete GPUs. performers, but for an integrated solution, these are great. Now, in terms
a bit better with energy efficiency over the past couple of years. This chip is If there was one thing I would knock about this chip, it's just the great, but if you compare it and you look at what else is on the market,
there are faster chips than this when you benchmark it. Uh okay. Now, like I not just about hardware, right? The user experience you get from a device like this, a large part of it stems from the software. And right now, Windows 11 is
software. And right now, Windows 11 is just it's in a bad bad space. A lot of it stems from the fact that they're just shoving AI down our throats. The big one is Copilot. That's I mean, it's got its own key, it's in the taskbar, it's in
the start menus, it's everywhere, it's in your apps. And everybody who uses a Windows laptop knows how just obtrusive that whole Copilot thing has been. Uh that takes snapshots and like is basically a keylogger on your device.
people should be stupid enough to want this. And then there's the ads. Like machines sometimes. And they're like, "Hey, these are some suggested apps. Do you want to install Microsoft OneDrive? Do you want these like apps that you'll
never ever use and clearly don't want, but we're getting paid to show you, so we're going to show it to you?" Like this is so Windows 11 right now. They're trying to solve problems that nobody has. The worst part of it is that at
Microsoft, they know that nobody has these problems, and yet they continue to force-feed this stuff to us. They're like, "Hey, maybe you'll like it this time." So, recently, the CEO of Microsoft was at some event,
and he was basically like, "You know, you guys need to start using our AI tools that we've been forcing onto you, so that we can justify the electricity used that it costs to provide this stuff." And like, clearly nobody wants
right? This is like there's everything about this is wrong. Now, I bring this people who are interested in this laptop, or interested in devices that use these new chips, remember I said at the beginning of the
video, years ago, when M1 dropped, people switched operating systems, and people switched ecosystems because of that chip. That chip was so good that was like, "Okay, I will I will try this Apple stuff, because it's just such an
awesome chip." This is it's like the reverse right now. People are like, "This software is so bad. This is such a terrible operating system that even if this amazing hardware has caught up, and in many ways like exceeded what Apple
even though this hardware is awesome, it comes at a time when Windows is arguably And people have choice here, right? These aren't gaming laptops where you have to use a Windows system. This is like
people are making investments for their productivity by purchasing these things, hopefully improve the way that you work and just improve your workflow. And if all this like surveillance software, like it's just ridiculous. So,
uh yeah, you can see why there's been an increase in like macOS users and Linux increase in like macOS users and Linux users, like there's a reason.