Windows gaming leads by less than 10%, but more and more people are choosing Linux
Title: Windows Gaming Leads by Less Than 10%, but More People Are Choosing Linux
The latest round of Windows 11 vs. Linux gaming benchmarks is in. Meta PCs used an all-AMD platform—Ryzen 7 9850X3D + RX 9070 XT—running Windows 11 and Fedora 44.
💡 What You Will Learn
Title: Windows Gaming Leads by Less Than 10%, but More People Are Choosing Linux The latest round of Windows 11 vs. Linux gaming benchmarks is in. Meta PCs used an all-AMD platform—Ryzen 7 9850X3D +
📜 Table of Contents
Title: Windows Gaming Lead Is Under 10%, Yet More People Are Choosing Linux
The latest round of Windows 11 vs Linux gaming benchmarks is in.
Meta PCs ran a full AMD setup—Ryzen 7 9850X3D + RX 9070 XT—across Windows 11 and Fedora 44.
The verdict is clear: Windows wins.
But it wins by less than 10%.
And what's more interesting than the results is the comment section.
01. The Data: How Big Is the Gap Really
This configuration is actually already biased toward Linux—AMD's Linux drivers are open-source with native support, while NVIDIA is a whole different headache.
Benchmark results:
In productivity tests, Linux actually takes the lead. - Geekbench 6: Linux is 3-4% faster - Blender rendering: Linux is 4-10% faster
In gaming, Windows claws back a small edge. - Cyberpunk 2077: At 1440p high settings, Windows leads by 6%; at 4K, it leads by 7% - Arc Raiders: Windows averages 9% higher frame rates - Marvel Rivals: Windows leads by 5%
But here's a key detail: while Arc Raiders shows higher average frames on Windows, Linux actually has better 1% Low frames.
What does that mean? 1% Low frames represent "how bad the worst moments feel"—they reflect real gameplay experience better than averages. Higher 1% Low frames on Linux mean it might actually feel smoother in practice, even if the average frame rate is slightly lower.
02. The Comment Section Steals the Show
The original author ultimately awarded the "best gaming system" title to Windows.
But open the comments, and the sentiment is completely different.
A flood of users who've already switched to Linux are chiming in with a strikingly unified view: a performance gap under 10% isn't worth it. Not worth putting up with Windows' privacy issues, not worth the forced Copilot integration, not worth those inexplicable restart-updates.
Many are also questioning the test itself: Why vanilla Fedora? Bazzite, CachyOS, Nobara—these gaming-focused distros with newer kernels, scheduler optimizations, and pre-installed drivers would surely produce different results.
Another recurring point: On older hardware, Linux's advantage becomes even more pronounced. Because Linux is lighter by design—there aren't all those background services running that "you don't need, but Microsoft thinks you do."
03. Microsoft's Boomerang
This is actually a pretty fascinating phenomenon.
For the past decade, Linux couldn't beat Windows on the desktop, and the biggest weakness was the gaming ecosystem. No DirectX, no vendor optimization, driver headaches—this was Linux's Achilles' heel.
But Steam Deck changed all that. The Proton compatibility layer has matured rapidly over the past two years, with more and more games working out of the box. Even anti-cheat systems are gradually adapting.
Meanwhile, what's Microsoft doing?
Shoving Copilot buttons into Windows, force-installing Microsoft 365 apps, putting ads in the taskbar, forcing update restarts, collecting telemetry data... every single move is burning user goodwill. Users tolerated it before because there was "no choice"—what could Linux do? Even gaming was a struggle.
But that's no longer the case.
When Windows' gaming lead shrinks from "crushing" to "under 10%," when Linux gaming goes from "unplayable" to "roughly the same experience," that tipping point is approaching.
When the gap becomes negligible, the user's choice is no longer a technical question—it's a question of principle.
04. This Hits Closer to Home Than You Think
You might be thinking, what does the Linux desktop have to do with me?
A lot, actually.
If you're a regular gamer, you might face a choice in the next two to three years that never existed before: stick with Windows or give Linux a shot? Previously, this wasn't even a question—but now, when the gap is under 10%, you'd at least hesitate.
If you're a PC builder, you might see more Linux-preinstalled options when buying your next machine. Steam Deck has already proven the model works, and other manufacturers aren't blind to that.
If you're just fed up with Windows' ads and Copilot, now's the time to seriously consider it—at least on the gaming front, the cost has become minimal.
Over to You in the Comments
How much performance would you trade for a clean system?
5%? 10%? Or not at all?
If every game on Steam ran on Linux, would you make the switch?
Written by our editorial team; tools listed here are tested or verified against public sources. Links point to official sites or GitHub repos for reference only — no paid placements.
