After AMD unveiled its new Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 series processors, Steve Walton of Hardware Unboxed made an unusual discovery regarding performance. His tests indicated that gaming performance improved by approximately 3.8% for Zen 5 CPUs and 2.8% for Zen 4 CPUs when operating under a Windows administrator account compared to a standard user account.
This performance boost was consistent across 13 games but did not affect application benchmarks. AMD has confirmed Walton’s results and acknowledged that admin accounts currently offer the best performance. Nevertheless, AMD discourages relying on this as a long-term solution due to the security vulnerabilities associated with admin accounts.
Risks of Using Windows Admin Accounts:
Windows administrator accounts have broad permissions that allow for significant system changes, such as creating and deleting user accounts and altering passwords. While this access is useful for certain tasks, it also increases susceptibility to security threats, including malware and phishing attacks.
For general use, it is advisable to operate under a standard user account to protect against these risks. Administrator accounts should be used only when necessary for specific tasks, and you should return to a regular account for everyday activities to maintain better security.