Following AMD’s recent launch of its Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 series desktop processors, Steve Walton from Hardware Unboxed discovered an intriguing performance anomaly. His testing revealed that gaming performance was notably better when using a Windows administrator account compared to a standard user account. Walton observed a performance boost of approximately 3.8% for Zen 5 CPUs and around 2.8% for Zen 4 CPUs when run under an admin account.
This discrepancy was evident across 13 different games, although application benchmarks showed no such variation between account types. AMD has verified these findings and noted that currently, using an admin account yields the best performance. However, AMD advises against relying on this workaround long-term due to the potential security risks associated with admin accounts.
Security Implications of Admin Accounts:
Administrator accounts in Windows have extensive permissions, including the ability to create and delete user accounts, change passwords, and execute restricted actions. While this level of access can be useful, it also poses significant security risks. Admin accounts are more vulnerable to attacks from malware, viruses, and phishing attempts.
For everyday tasks, it’s safer to use a standard user account to minimize these risks. Reserve administrator accounts for specific tasks that require elevated privileges, and switch back to a regular user account for routine activities.
