‘All modern operating systems do this, including macOS and Linux’: Microsoft exec fires back at critics accusing it of ‘cheating’ with Windows 11 speed boost feature
Publish Date: 2026-05-11 18:00:00
Source Domain: www.techradar.com
- Microsoft is bringing in a new feature to boost the CPU briefly, in order to make Windows 11 apps and menus more responsive
- Critics have fired flak at Microsoft for ‘cheating’ and this being a general fudge of a fix
- A Microsoft exec has made it clear that this isn’t some kind of cheat, and that other major operating systems do the same thing
Microsoft is going to boost Windows 11 performance by using a trick that briefly speeds up the CPU when opening apps or menus, and an executive has defended this concept after it came under some fire from online commenters.
Windows Latest spotted 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 in order to fight back at critics who’ve called Microsoft lazy for this particular idea, which goes under the label of ‘Low Latency Profile’.
There’s a general feeling among some that Microsoft is taking shortcuts and fudging a fix for performance here.
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To recap on what the Low Latency Profile actually does, it boosts the processor speed for around one to three seconds or so, giving a brief bit of extra pep for when opening an app, or the likes of the Start menu, to ensure this happens a good deal more snappily. And based on early testing, it does indeed do the job in terms of making Windows 11 feel more responsive in these scenarios.
The accusations leveled are that Microsoft is ‘cheating’ by calling on the CPU in this way, but Hanselman points out that this is nothing new for modern operating systems.
Hanselman responded to one thread (among others) on X, which began: “What a disgrace MicroSlop boosting the processor performance right on time and briefly just to make apps open faster. No other company would dare to do the same.” (Note that this is translated from Spanish.)
Hanselman replied that: “All modern operating systems do this, including macOS and Linux. It’s not…
