VBS (Virtualization Based Security) Feature in Windows 11 – Microsoft has planned Windows 11 to be a secure operating system from the beginning of its release. They have even set strict requirements for users to switch from Windows 10 to version 11, such as enabling Secure Boot and TPM 2.0.
Microsoft’s goal in doing this is not without reason. The Windows operating system has long been known for security vulnerabilities. Windows 11 also enables Virtualization Based Security in its OS settings.
VBS feature in Windows 11 is suspected of decreasing gaming performance, even when using RTX 4090.
This caused a commotion in the PC community at the time, and many protested that the feature would reduce overall gaming performance. Although there were debates here and there, now there seems to be a convincing answer.
The Tomshardware site conducted tests and benchmarks on Windows 11 with VBS and HVCI enabled using high-end VGA cards such as the RTX 4090. They also performed the test with VBS disabled.
In tests conducted by Jarred Walton of Tomshardware, he used the Intel Core i9-13900K processor paired with an RTX 4090. Jarred found that when enabled, game performance would decrease by about 5% to 10% depending on the resolution and game used. The decrease was not significant when testing at 4K resolution, only about 2%.
The most affected games were Microsoft Flight Simulator, Far Cry 6, and Control, with a decrease of around 10%. Far Cry and Control were tested at a resolution of 1080p. While some gamers may not consider this percentage decrease significant, considering the attention this issue received during the initial release of Windows 11 proves that many people care about their PC’s performance being affected by OS features.
What is VBS, and how can it be disabled?
VBS is a virtual-based security feature that virtually isolates some memory segments for use as credential storage, such as passwords and codes used by Windows security systems. The use of separate segments can keep data in them safe from exploitation.
Fortunately, users in both Windows 10 and 11 can disable this feature through a Windows search by typing Core Isolation and then disabling Memory Integrity. After that, users can restart the computer, and the feature should be turned off.
