Windows 8.1 RTM Ready by August, OEMs Get it First

btarunr · Jul 9, 2013

Microsoft will be ready with an RTM (release to market) version of Windows 8.1 as early as by August, according to the company. In a recent company blog, it stated that OEMs (pre-built desktop and notebook manufacturers) will begin receiving the software in August, so their products running the software could reach markets by October, when the operating system is expected to formally launch.

OEMs typically get a disc image for Windows 8.1, and reels of certificates of authenticity (COA) to stick on each of their products that ship with the software pre-installed. The companies then modify the image to include device drivers and settings specific to their products, and deploy them en-masse. When a customer purchases a notebook or desktop, the software key on the (COA) sticker has to be used to activate Windows. Given that Windows 8.1 RTM will be given to OEMs this early, customers can expect a slew of day-one software updates when they unbox their PCs in October.

Windows 8.1 is currently given out as a free "Release Preview" for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. Users coming from Windows 7 will get an option to purchase Windows 8.1 in October, update to Windows 8.1 RTM without changing files or settings, and continue using the software; whereas users coming from Windows 8 get a free upgrade to Windows 8.1.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

Prima.Vera · Jul 9, 2013

You mean Windows 8 Service Pack 1...

btarunr · Jul 9, 2013

Prima.Vera said:
You mean Windows 8 Service Pack 1...

I mean Windows Vista Service Pack 6.

Solidstate89 · Jul 9, 2013

Well, yeah, of course the OEMs get it first. That's what RTM means.

nickbaldwin86 · Jul 9, 2013

who cares.... they can keep 8.1 :slap:

hckngrtfakt · Jul 9, 2013

Prima.Vera said:
You mean Windows 8 Service Pack 1...

btarunr said:
I mean Windows Vista Service Pack 6.

I think you both mean Windows NT 6.3 :slap:

Hood · Jul 9, 2013

btarunr said:
I mean Windows Vista Service Pack 6.

They're all derivatives of the Windows NT OS, so you might as well make that Windows NT SP 13. One day maybe we'll see something new...

TheOne · Jul 9, 2013

btarunr said:
Windows 8.1 is currently given out as a free "Release Preview" for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. Users coming from Windows 7 will get an option to purchase Windows 8.1 in October, update to Windows 8.1 RTM without changing files or settings, and continue using the software; whereas users coming from Windows 8 get a free upgrade to Windows 8.1.

Source: Windows Team Blog

Could you imagine the backlash if they actually tried to charge Windows 8 users for 8.1.

riffraffy · Jul 9, 2013

TheOne said:
Could you imagine the backlash if they actually tried to charge Windows 8 users for 8.1.

How'bout the backlash with the free version . And rightfully deserved .

btarunr · Jul 9, 2013

TheOne said:
Could you imagine the backlash if they actually tried to charge Windows 8 users for 8.1.

Nobody would upgrade from Windows 8 to 8.1.

Deadlyraver · Jul 10, 2013

To hell with Hypersoft, I'm sticking with Windows 7 the same way we stick to XP in Vista.

eidairaman1 · Jul 10, 2013

If oem editions of win 7 are scarce ill do 8.1 with a start menu and a true aero desktop.

Hood · Jul 11, 2013

I see that Classic Shell has their new version out for Windows 8.1 Preview, so Windows 8 users may as well upgrade to 8.1 when the final version is released (the preview has limitations and will probably screw up your Windows 8 installation). I plan on doing a clean install of 8.1 RTM in a few months after the dust settles, instead of doing it twice in 3 months.

D007 · Jul 11, 2013

How many threads do we need for windows 8 exactly?
It seems like everyday you make a new thread about it.
News flash. No matter how many threads you make for windows 8.
No ones buying it..

hellrazor · Jul 11, 2013

If only my shits had a release date...

Prima.Vera · Jul 11, 2013

Hood said:
They're all derivatives of the Windows NT OS, so you might as well make that Windows NT SP 13. One day maybe we'll see something new...

METRO OS.

(God forbidden!)

eidairaman1 · Jul 12, 2013

Hood said:
They're all derivatives of the Windows NT OS, so you might as well make that Windows NT SP 13. One day maybe we'll see something new...

yeah maybe W9X :laugh:

hckngrtfakt said:
I think you both mean Windows NT 6.3

see below to why W7 is still great

Deadlyraver said:
To hell with Hypersoft, I'm sticking with Windows 7 the same way we stick to XP in Vista.

see below

Hood said:
I see that Classic Shell has their new version out for Windows 8.1 Preview, so Windows 8 users may as well upgrade to 8.1 when the final version is released (the preview has limitations and will probably screw up your Windows 8 installation). I plan on doing a clean install of 8.1 RTM in a few months after the dust settles, instead of doing it twice in 3 months.

Why does any customer have to purchase a extension that hogs additional resources to put in Real Windows Functionality and Productivity cues?

D007 said:
How many threads do we need for windows 8 exactly?
It seems like everyday you make a new thread about it.
News flash. No matter how many threads you make for windows 8.
No ones buying it..

Windows 7 was the best iteration of NT thus far, it boots faster than XP or Vista, runs easily on 1 GB of Memory for older machines, was very polished compared to the turd MS is trying to push now (see below) MS= Multiple 5#1+$

hellrazor said:
If only my shits had a release date...

It comes out in Windows 8/8.1 (Really means Windows 3/3.1) colors? :roll:

Prima.Vera said:
METRO OS.

(God forbidden!)

lmao- Yeah God Forbidden- They should of just left Aero alone and worked under the hood, I think Aero Desktop Interface would of worked as a Tile Interface for Phones and Pads, and Looked Better than Metro anyday, Microsoft needs to grow some balls.

Windows 8 in any derivative means W8/Wait.

mastrdrver · Jul 12, 2013

H8.1

Fwiw, I love W8. Much more stable then W7. Used to have problems with BF3 (when it crashed) would crash the system. Has not happened once with W8. I got used to the start menu and actually prefer it over the old one.

Naito · Jul 14, 2013

I must be living in the Jurassic period.

matar · Jul 17, 2013

Microsoft What we want is Windows 7 SP2.
or Windows 8.1 with the real old windows 7 start button menu look then I will upgrade.

Hood · Jul 18, 2013

matar said:
Microsoft What we want is Windows 7 SP2.
or Windows 8.1 with the real old windows 7 start button menu look then I will upgrade.

You can have the benefits of Windows 8 right now and keep Windows 7 Start Button functionality, by installing Classic Shell or any of dozens of free Start Button/Windows Explorer programs - it takes one minute to install and about two minutes to configure to your liking. Most of them have already updated to cover Windows 8.1. I've been using Classic shell for months now with no problems at all. It boots straight to the desktop, and the start button is highly customizable, much more so than Windows 7. Now when I use a Windows 7 system, it feels dated and slow, and all the updates and the service pack slows it down even more. It's all about performance - Windows 8 has several optimizations for SSDs and new hardware built in, as well as a much improved Task Manager, Control Panel, and Performance Tools section. When SATA Express and NVM Express debut next year (to replace SATA600 and AHCI respectively), Windows 8.1 or later will be required to take advantage of the new storage standards, so that's when we'll see massive migration to Windows 8.x by enthusiasts, because the new SSDs will be 2 to 3 times faster.

shovenose · Jul 18, 2013

I like Windows 8 and Windows 7 equally but in different ways.

WhiteLotus · Jul 18, 2013

Hood said:
You can have the benefits of Windows 8 right now and keep Windows 7 Start Button functionality, by installing Classic Shell or any of dozens of free Start Button/Windows Explorer programs - it takes one minute to install and about two minutes to configure to your liking. Most of them have already updated to cover Windows 8.1. I've been using Classic shell for months now with no problems at all. It boots straight to the desktop, and the start button is highly customizable, much more so than Windows 7. Now when I use a Windows 7 system, it feels dated and slow, and all the updates and the service pack slows it down even more. It's all about performance - Windows 8 has several optimizations for SSDs and new hardware built in, as well as a much improved Task Manager, Control Panel, and Performance Tools section. When SATA Express and NVM Express debut next year (to replace SATA600 and AHCI respectively), Windows 8.1 or later will be required to take advantage of the new storage standards, so that's when we'll see massive migration to Windows 8.x by enthusiasts, because the new SSDs will be 2 to 3 times faster.

I never understood that argument. If I was to spend over 50quid on a product I want it to do what I want it to do. Not have to go and download some 3rd party software for the OS to have what it bloody well should have had anyway!
Its like buying a car then putting new tires on straight after because the original ones are made of Styrofoam.

Hood · Jul 19, 2013

WhiteLotus said:
I never understood that argument. If I was to spend over 50quid on a product I want it to do what I want it to do. Not have to go and download some 3rd party software for the OS to have what it bloody well should have had anyway!
Its like buying a car then putting new tires on straight after because the original ones are made of Styrofoam.

I understand your reasoning, and it's valid for a lot of users. In a perfect world, all Windows apps and utilities would work perfectly, and be perfectly suited to all users needs. Moving on to the realm of reality, many parts of Windows just plain suck, and I've always used a raft of third party programs to replace those that do. Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Movie Maker, Messenger, Outlook Express, Disc Burner, Firewall, Malware and Antivirus apps, compressed file utilities, etc, etc, etc, they all suck. So why would I balk at installing one more little utility to vastly improve my experience? I use Windows because of the wide range of third party apps developed for it, and because it's the only game in town for high-end gaming. I like Windows 8 best of all. and it actually has some utilities built in that render a few third party programs unnecessary. Since Windows 98SE I have never used any of the built-in programs, because there have always been better alternatives. But if you are the kind of person who still uses IE, WMP, and Outlook Express, you may be perfectly happy with Windows 7 as it stands, and no wonder you are outraged that Windows 8 is "forcing" you use the failed "Start Screen".

MxPhenom 216 · Jul 19, 2013

Everyone prepare for a massive flood of I hate Windows 8 posts.........oh wait they are already here.

System Name	RBMK-1000
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Motherboard	ASUS ROG Strix B450-E Gaming
Cooling	DeepCool Gammax L240 V2
Memory	2x 8GB G.Skill Sniper X
Video Card(s)	Palit GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GameRock
Storage	Western Digital Black NVMe 512GB
Display(s)	BenQ 1440p 60 Hz 27-inch
Case	Corsair Carbide 100R
Audio Device(s)	ASUS SupremeFX S1220A
Power Supply	Cooler Master MWE Gold 650W
Mouse	ASUS ROG Strix Impact
Keyboard	Gamdias Hermes E2
Software	Windows 11 Pro

Processor	Intel® Core™ i7-13700K
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX
Cooling	Noctua NH-D15
Memory	32GB(2x16) DDR5@6600MHz G-Skill Trident Z5
Video Card(s)	ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 3080 AMP Holo
Storage	2TB SK Platinum P41 SSD + 4TB SanDisk Ultra SSD + 500GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD
Display(s)	Acer Predator X34 3440x1440@100Hz G-Sync
Case	NZXT PHANTOM410-BK
Audio Device(s)	Creative X-Fi Titanium PCIe
Power Supply	Corsair 850W
Mouse	Logitech Hero G502 SE
Software	Windows 11 Pro - 64bit
Benchmark Scores	30FPS in NFS:Rivals

System Name	RBMK-1000
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Motherboard	ASUS ROG Strix B450-E Gaming
Cooling	DeepCool Gammax L240 V2
Memory	2x 8GB G.Skill Sniper X
Video Card(s)	Palit GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GameRock
Storage	Western Digital Black NVMe 512GB
Display(s)	BenQ 1440p 60 Hz 27-inch
Case	Corsair Carbide 100R
Audio Device(s)	ASUS SupremeFX S1220A
Power Supply	Cooler Master MWE Gold 650W
Mouse	ASUS ROG Strix Impact
Keyboard	Gamdias Hermes E2
Software	Windows 11 Pro

System Name	CUBE_NXT
Processor	i9 12900K @ 5.0Ghz all P-cores with E-cores enabled
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Master
Cooling	EK AIO Elite Cooler w/ 3 Phanteks T30 fans
Memory	64GB DDR5 @ 5600Mhz
Video Card(s)	EVGA 3090Ti Ultra Hybrid Gaming w/ 3 Phanteks T30 fans
Storage	1 x SK Hynix P41 Platinum 1TB, 1 x 2TB, 1 x WD_BLACK SN850 2TB, 1 x WD_RED SN700 4TB
Display(s)	Alienware AW3418DW
Case	Lian-Li O11 Dynamic Evo w/ 3 Phanteks T30 fans
Power Supply	Seasonic PRIME 1000W Titanium
Software	Windows 11 Pro 64-bit

System Name	Red 101
Processor	9th Gen Intel Core i9-9900k
Motherboard	EVGA Z370 Classified
Cooling	Custom Primochill and Heatkiller water cooling loop
Memory	16GB of Gskill 3200Mhz CL14
Video Card(s)	EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW2 with Heatkiller block @2114Mhz
Storage	4- Samsung Evo 250GB, 1- Pro 512GB and 1-512GB M.2
Display(s)	LG 38" UW
Case	In Win 101 customized a lot and painted red
Audio Device(s)	Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma
Power Supply	EVGA 850w G2
Mouse	Razer DeathAdderv2
Keyboard	Razer Ornata Chroma
Software	Win10Pro and games
Benchmark Scores	NA

Windows 8.1 RTM Ready by August, OEMs Get it First

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

Prima.Vera

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

Solidstate89

nickbaldwin86

hckngrtfakt

Hood

TheOne

riffraffy

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

Deadlyraver

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

Hood

D007

hellrazor

Prima.Vera

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

mastrdrver

Naito

matar

Hood

shovenose

WhiteLotus

Hood

MxPhenom 216

ASIC Engineer

System Name	HP ProLiant DL360P G8
Processor	2x Xeon e2690
Motherboard	HP
Cooling	6 Delta fans
Memory	192gb ECC ddr3 @1333
Video Card(s)	Quadro k4200
Storage	4x 1.2TB Dell SAS raid 0
Display(s)	iDrac over IP
Case	HP 1U
Power Supply	2x 1100w Platinum PSUs
Mouse	iDrac
Keyboard	iDrac
Software	Windows Server 2019

System Name	DEVIL'S ABYSS
Processor	i7-4790K@4.6 GHz
Motherboard	Asus Z97-Deluxe
Cooling	Corsair H110 (2 x 140mm)(3 x 140mm case fans)
Memory	16GB Adata XPG V2 2400MHz
Video Card(s)	EVGA 780 Ti Classified
Storage	Intel 750 Series 400GB (AIC), Plextor M6e 256GB (M.2), 13 TB storage
Display(s)	Crossover 27QW (27"@ 2560x1440)
Case	Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow
Audio Device(s)	Realtek ALC1150
Power Supply	Cooler Master V1000
Mouse	Ttsports Talon Blu
Keyboard	Logitech G510
Software	Windows 10 Pro x64 version 1803
Benchmark Scores	Passmark CPU score = 13080

System Name	Desktop
Processor	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X [3.7GHz/4.6GHz][6C/12T]
Motherboard	ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO [X570]
Cooling	Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition
Memory	G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 32GB [DDR4 3600][2x16GB][16-19-19-39@1.35V]
Video Card(s)	ASUS KO GeForce RTX 3060 Ti V2 OC Edition 8GB GDDR6 [511.65]
Storage	[OS] Samsung 970 Evo 500GB \| [Storage] 980 1TB \| 860 Evo 1TB \| 850 Evo 500GB \| Seagate Firecuda 2TB
Display(s)	LG 27GL850 [27"][2560x1440@144Hz][Nano IPS][LED][G-SYNC Compatible][DP]
Case	Corsair Obsidian 750D
Audio Device(s)	Realtek ALC S1200A High Definition Audio CODEC
Power Supply	EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G1+ [+12V: 83.3A 999.6W][80 Plus Gold]
Mouse	Logitech M570 Trackball
Keyboard	Corsair Gaming K55 RGB
Software	Microsoft Windows 10 Pro [21H1][64-bit]

System Name	Game Raver
Processor	Core i7-770K
Motherboard	ASRock Z170A-X1
Cooling	Coolermaster AIO
Memory	16gb
Video Card(s)	GTX 1060
Storage	1TB Crucial SSD. 4TB Seagate HDD
Display(s)	AOC 1080p 144Hz
Case	NZXT Phantom 410 /w/ Silverstone FN121P-BL fans
Audio Device(s)	ASUS Essence STX
Power Supply	Corsair AX760

System Name	PCGOD
Processor	AMD FX 8350@ 5.0GHz
Motherboard	Asus TUF 990FX Sabertooth R2 2901 Bios
Cooling	Scythe Ashura, 2×BitFenix 230mm Spectre Pro LED (Blue,Green), 2x BitFenix 140mm Spectre Pro LED
Memory	16 GB Gskill Ripjaws X 2133 (2400 OC, 10-10-12-20-20, 1T, 1.65V)
Video Card(s)	AMD Radeon 290 Sapphire Vapor-X
Storage	Samsung 840 Pro 256GB, WD Velociraptor 1TB
Display(s)	NEC Multisync LCD 1700V (Display Port Adapter)
Case	AeroCool Xpredator Evil Blue Edition
Audio Device(s)	Creative Labs Sound Blaster ZxR
Power Supply	Seasonic 1250 XM2 Series (XP3)
Mouse	Roccat Kone XTD
Keyboard	Roccat Ryos MK Pro
Software	Windows 7 Pro 64

System Name	HAL
Processor	Core i9 14900ks @5.9-6.3
Motherboard	Z790 Dark Hero
Cooling	Bitspower Summit SE & (2) 360 Corsair XR7 Rads push/pull
Memory	2x 32GB (64GB) Gskill trident 6000 CL30
Video Card(s)	RTX 4090 Gigagbyte gaming OC @ +200/1300
Storage	(M2's) 2x Samsung 980 pro 2TB, 1xWD Black 2TB, 1x SK Hynix Platinum P41 2TB
Display(s)	65" LG OLED 120HZ
Case	Lian Li dyanmic Evo11 with distro plate
Audio Device(s)	Klipsh 7.1 through Sony DH790 EARC.
Power Supply	Thermaltake 1350
Software	Microsoft Windows 11 x64

System Name	Eldritch
Processor	AMD Ryzen 5 5800X3D
Motherboard	ASUS TUF X570 Pro Wifi
Cooling	Satan's butthole after going to Taco Bell
Memory	64 GB G.Skill TridentZ
Video Card(s)	Vega 56
Storage	68TB Western Digital Blues in RAID 6, 2512 GB Samsung 960 Pros
Display(s)	Acer CB281HK
Case	Phanteks Enthoo Pro PH-ES614P_BK
Audio Device(s)	ASUS Xonar DX
Power Supply	EVGA Supernova 750 G2
Mouse	Razer Viper 8K
Software	Debian Bullseye

System Name	Money Hole
Processor	Core i7 970
Motherboard	Asus P6T6 WS Revolution
Cooling	Noctua UH-D14
Memory	2133Mhz 12GB (3x4GB) Mushkin 998991
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Tri-X OC R9 290X
Storage	Samsung 1TB 850 Evo
Display(s)	3x Acer KG240A 144hz
Case	CM HAF 932
Audio Device(s)	ADI (onboard)
Power Supply	Enermax Revolution 85+ 1050w
Mouse	Logitech G602
Keyboard	Logitech G710+
Software	Windows 10 Professional x64

System Name	Matar Extreme PC.
Processor	Intel Core i9-12900KS 5.3GHZ All P-Cores ,4.2GHZ All E-Cores & Ring 4.2GhZ
Motherboard	NZXT N5 Z690 Wi-Fi 6
Cooling	CoolerMaster ML240L V2 AIO with MX6
Memory	4x16 64GB DDR4 3600MHZ CL16-19-19-36-55 G.SKILL Trident Z NEO
Video Card(s)	Nvidia ZOTAC RTX 3080 Ti Trinity + overclocked 100 core 1000 mem. Re-pasted MX6
Storage	WD black 512GB Nvme OS + 1TB 970 Nvme Samsung & 4TB WD Blk 256MB cache 7200RPM
Display(s)	Lenovo 34" Ultra Wide 3440x1440 144hz 1ms G-Snyc
Case	NZXT H510 Black with Cooler Master RGB Fans
Audio Device(s)	Internal , EIFER speakers & EasySMX Wireless Gaming Headset
Power Supply	Aurora R9 850Watts 80+ Gold, I Modded cables for it.
Mouse	Onn RGB Gaming Mouse & Logitech G923 & shifter & E-Break Sim setup.
Keyboard	GOFREETECH RGB Gaming Keyboard, & Xbox 1 X Controller
VR HMD	Oculus Rift S
Software	Windows 10 Home 22H2
Benchmark Scores	https://www.youtube.com/user/matttttar/videos

System Name	Sierra
Processor	Core i5-11600K
Motherboard	Asus Prime B560M-A AC
Cooling	CM 212 Black RGB Edition
Memory	64GB (2x 32GB) DDR4-3600
Video Card(s)	MSI GeForce RTX 3080 10GB
Storage	4TB Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink NVMe SSD
Display(s)	2x Dell S2721QS 4K 60Hz
Case	Asus Prime AP201
Power Supply	Thermaltake GF1 850W
Software	Windows 11 Pro

System Name	Vintage
Processor	i7 - 3770K @ Stock
Cooling	Scythe Zipang II
Memory	2x4GB Crucial DDR3
Video Card(s)	MSI GTX970
Storage	M4 124GB SSD// WD Black 640GB// WD Black 1TB//Samsung F3 1.5TB
Display(s)	Samsung SM223BW 21.6"
Case	Generic
Power Supply	Corsair HX 520W
Software	Windows 7

System Name	Ryzen Reflection
Processor	AMD Ryzen 9 5900x
Motherboard	Gigabyte X570S Aorus Master
Cooling	2x EK PE360 \| TechN AM4 AMD Block Black \| EK Quantum Vector Trinity GPU Nickel + Plexi
Memory	Teamgroup T-Force Xtreem 2x16GB B-Die 3600 @ 14-14-14-28-42-288-2T 1.45v
Video Card(s)	Zotac AMP HoloBlack RTX 3080Ti 12G \| 950mV 1950Mhz
Storage	WD SN850 500GB (OS) \| Samsung 980 Pro 1TB (Games_1) \| Samsung 970 Evo 1TB (Games_2)
Display(s)	Asus XG27AQM 240Hz G-Sync Fast-IPS \| Gigabyte M27Q-P 165Hz 1440P IPS \| Asus 24" IPS (portrait mode)
Case	Lian Li PC-011D XL \| Custom cables by Cablemodz
Audio Device(s)	FiiO K7 \| Sennheiser HD650 + Beyerdynamic FOX Mic
Power Supply	Seasonic Prime Ultra Platinum 850
Mouse	Razer Viper v2 Pro
Keyboard	Corsair K65 Plus 75% Wireless - USB Mode
Software	Windows 11 Pro 64-Bit