Given the swift global transition to ARM processing architecture in energy-efficient portable devices, Microsoft has wisely embraced this shift with a new version of its operating system. Despite its near-identical visual interface to the traditional version, this iteration includes several significant modifications, adaptations, and trade-offs that impact user interaction. This guide examines how to use Windows 11 for ARM, highlighting its contrasts with more traditional editions.
Content
- Windows 11 for ARM in a Nutshell
- How Windows 11 ARM Runs Traditional Apps
- Which Devices Are Suitable for Windows 11?
- How Do I Obtain Windows 11 for ARM?
Windows 11 for ARM in a Nutshell
Microsoft’s Windows 11 for ARM is the third version of Windows supporting the architecture, following Windows RT (based on Windows 8) and Windows 10 on ARM.
Developers designed this operating system for ARM CPUs with a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architecture. To simplify, Windows 11 has an edition that reduces power usage, extends battery life, and delivers optimal performance per watt.
Traditional desktop experiences rely on the complex instruction set computer (CISC) x86-64 architecture, as opposed to ARM. It is clunky and power-hungry because of the large amount of physical space occupied by registries and transistors that perform roles many modern applications can live without.
ARM chips are smaller, reducing traversal distance, therefore also reducing the amount of power required to perform operations. You’ll find ARM chips running on devices like the Microsoft Surface Pro X, Samsung Galaxy Book Go, Acer Spin 7, and HP Elite Folio.
These laptops, tablets, and convertible computers offer a Windows experience with much longer battery life than their ancestors. They are also generally thinner, cooler, and lighter than power-hungry x86-64 systems.
How Windows 11 ARM Runs Traditional Apps
You’ll notice little difference running native ARM software on these computers. The snappy performance on such a thin platform may surprise you, depending on its specifications.
The real difference from the x86 CISC architecture becomes clear when running non-ARM Windows apps.
The key issue with running traditional desktop applications on Windows 11 for ARM is that it’s all emulated. This may cause slight stuttering, delays, or errors when attempting to run programs. Nonetheless, Windows’s emulation on ARM, for the most part, is pretty seamless and doesn’t have a huge impact on performance.
Where we run into serious issues, however, is when an application decides to “ask the wrong question.”
For example, an application may throw an error if it detects an architecture other than WoW64. As a result, it refuses to run on ARM, even though Windows can emulate it well.
Which Devices Are Suitable for Windows 11?
Every device with an ARM processor that is designed for Microsoft Windows will run an ARM version of it. This includes tablets, some laptops, and convertible devices.
Although ARM hardware is also found in other devices like smartphones, this isn’t something that Windows 11 will actively support. Technically, you can run Windows 11 for ARM on a phone, but the user interface won’t work well on such a small screen.
Technically, the operating system will run on other devices, as long as they are capable of emulating an ARM environment or, like the Raspberry Pi, run on an ARM chip. QEMU, for example, can emulate ARM operating systems in x86-64 hardware, but traditional virtual machine software will run into issues.
How Do I Obtain Windows 11 for ARM?
Device manufacturers typically preinstall Windows 11 for ARM on devices that are designed to run it.However, if you’d like to give it a try and emulate it on other systems or run it on ARM hardware, you can find all of its latest builds on the Microsoft Insider website. You’ll need a Microsoft Insider account to download it.
Alternatively, you can also find Windows 11 for ARM on the UUP dump website. When downloading it, if you’d like to put it on bootable removable hardware, like a USB stick, be sure to select Download and convert to ISO before downloading it.
Low Draw, High Stakes
Despite the success of ARM-based smartphones, ARM laptops, convertibles, and tablets are still relatively new. The Surface Pro X was released in 2019.and Apple’s MacBook Air with an M-series ARM CPU came out in late 2020.
ARM’s low power draw gives it an advantage in portable devices over x86-64. It’s uncertain if Microsoft will expand beyond the PC and server market or if it will play out like Windows Phone. So far, things look great. So far, things look pretty great.
As long as Microsoft can continue to find new ways to improve its x86-64 emulation on ARM, like Apple did with Rosetta, the world is its oyster.