Linux is about to get a significant performance boost that Windows has long possessed.
Recently, Microsoft released two notable improvements to enhance performance in Windows 11 and Windows Server versions. First is the new native NVMe feature, which increases SSD throughput by up to nearly 80% in some cases. Second is BitLocker hardware acceleration, promising significant performance improvements by reducing CPU bottlenecks.
Speaking of processors, one of the reasons Windows 10 and Windows 11 utilize CPUs so efficiently is thanks to intelligent task scheduling . Windows works closely with hardware drivers, such as AMD chipset drivers, to distribute tasks and workloads in a way that maximizes the chip's resources. Simply put, the CPU's cores, threads, and cache are used in the most balanced and efficient way possible.
A prime example is how AMD Ryzen X3D processors perform on Windows 11. The operating system can precisely assign tasks to the appropriate CCD, thereby making good use of the 3D V-Cache. Furthermore, AMD's chipset driver package provides additional support through its own optimization tool for 3D V-Cache, not to mention the unofficial tweaks within the community that further improve performance.
Cache-Aware Scheduling: The Missing Piece of Linux
One of the key techniques involved in cache-based task scheduling is called Cache-Aware Scheduling . As the name suggests, this method allows the operating system's scheduler to 'be aware' of the CPU's cache structure. The ultimate goal is to increase the number of successful cache accesses while minimizing cache slippage or unnecessary data transfers.
According to recent Linux kernel patches, the operating system is finally about to be equipped with Aware Scheduling. The patch notes indicate that for certain tasks, performance can be significantly improved, up to 44% in specific scenarios.
However, at the current stage, this feature is only applied to the CPU's primary LLC (Last Level Cache) , which is typically the L3 cache . Secondary LLCs such as system memory (RAM) do not seem to offer a clear benefit and are therefore not yet included in the optimization scope.
Windows has long been ahead of Linux.
Interestingly, Microsoft has actually been implementing Cache Aware Scheduling for quite some time. This feature has been present in the Windows kernel since Windows 10 and continues to be maintained in Windows 11. However, details about how CAS works on Windows are quite scarce and not widely publicized.
The inclusion of Aware Scheduling in Linux is considered a significant step forward, especially in the context of increasingly complex CPUs with multiple CCDs, multiple cache layers, and hybrid architectures. When fully implemented, this could help Linux close the performance gap with Windows, and even surpass it in some demanding scenarios.
