14 DAY TRIAL // Overclocking community HWBOT decided to ban Windows 8 completely a couple of day ago because of an issue with real-time clock data, as administrators spotted that in many cases the operating system reported inaccurate stats.
In an updated blog on the matter, HWBOT moderators explain that the problem most likely lies in the way Windows 8 fetches time data, even though it was initially believed that it was all caused by a compatibility issue with Intel systems.
While all benchmarks seem to be correct when performed on AMD-based systems running Windows 8, the latest tests indicate that it’s the operating system the one leading to a number of false reports, the blog post reads.
“Based on the information we gathered from clock drift problem on various operating systems and hardware platforms, we are still of the opinion that Windows 8 is the root cause of the problem. Windows 8 seems to be using a different source to fetch ‘real time’ on an Intel based system compared to an AMD based system,” the team behind the overclocking website reads.
“It’s still guess why and which at the moment, but it seems to be related to the power saving features integrated in Windows 8. With Windows 7 unaffected, and Windows 8 affected on all Intel platforms (including old generations), the root of the problem lies with Windows 8. Having the Intel system unaffected when coming from and AMD Windows 8 installation indicates that the correct timers are available on Intel too, but unused by Windows 8.”
Microsoft hasn’t yet released a statement on this, but FutureMark, the company that developed the famous benchmarking solution 3DMark, says in a post that consumers can safely continue using its app on Windows 8.
Basically, FutureMark explains that those who are trying to exploit the glitch found in Windows 8 have “no practical benefit,” as the only thing they get is a false score which does not reflect the actual performance of their system.