In an unusual turn, benchmarks on a Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 8 laptop show Windows 11 delivering superior performance to Ubuntu Linux in several demanding workloads. The device features Intel's new Core Ultra 7 255H processor from the Arrow Lake H series. This result challenges the long-standing pattern where Linux typically leads in such tests.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 8, a high-end mobile workstation, comes equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor, which includes 16 cores comprising six performance cores, eight efficiency cores, and two low-power efficiency cores. It has a base power rating of 28 watts and a maximum of 115 watts, paired with 64GB of LPDDR5-7467 memory, NVMe storage, and NVIDIA RTX Pro 1000 graphics.
Reviewers expected Linux to excel, as it has consistently outperformed Windows 11 in past benchmarks across laptops and desktops, particularly in creative tasks. As one tester noted, "Typically when receiving any review hardware preloaded with Microsoft Windows I tend to run some Windows vs. Linux benchmarks just as a sanity test plus it still seems to generate a fair amount of interest even though the outcome is almost always the same: Linux having a hefty performance advantage over Windows especially in the more demanding creator-type workloads."
However, tests conducted in November using Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS, both with the OEM kernel and Linux 6.18 Git, revealed Windows 11 ahead in multiple areas. This included CPU-based 3D rendering in Blender and proprietary renderers like V-RAY and Indigo, where static binaries were used to avoid compilation issues. The Linux advantage has historically been pronounced in these scenarios, with better scaling on higher core counts due to its scheduler.
After initial surprise, discussions with Lenovo's BIOS, thermal, and power teams, as well as Intel representatives, confirmed the hardware operates as intended. Adjustments to power and thermal settings in follow-up tests did not alter the outcome, ruling out firmware or kernel bugs. Whether this Windows edge is specific to this model or signals a broader shift with newer hardware remains unclear, as further testing on other devices is needed.
