Performance Difference

[SecretCrowds]

I have always wondered. Are there any difference in performance between full screen and borderless windowed? Why do some people prefer one over the other?

[Colorful]

AFAIK the performance difference is incredibly small, but I guess it depends on the game. I prefer borderless windowed as I can alt-tab quickly without any problems.

[Ooshima]

Yup it is minimal.

Full screen sucks for alt tabbing or if you run multiple monitor like me, even moving your mouse over to other monitors and click stuffs will be treated as alt tabbing and your screen "flashes" out as if single screen alt tabbing, pretty stupid.

[Zfz]

I'm guessing the lack of multi-display "support" for games that only run on one display is due to how DirectX itself doesn't provide such support. After all, DirectX 9.0c was released in 2004, a decade ago, at which time multi-display setups are not even remotely close to being the mainstream equipment.

Personally I'm hoping Windows 10 will have proper multi-display handling for games but seeing how DirectX 11 is a 2010 technology, I'm already not betting my money on it. Proper seamless multi-display handling for games will probably only be possible in 2025 or later, when games are starting to default on 2015-2020 technology.

See how FFXIV is only now going to release the DX11 client, and you'll see how 2025 isn't really so far fetched.

[Kaitlen]

Borderless Window here... (GTX 690)

I have two monitors with the main display running at 2500x1600 and then a 2nd simple older LCD 21" display for video/music/web/*gasp*work*gasp*.

There is a performance hit in FPS with the 2nd monitor enabled, but it's minor. (~128 FPS in idle/clear area and ~60/50 FPS in Mega S-Rank Hunt event)

[Adrian74]

Windowed. I know windowed consuems more, don't know if more than borderless windowed or not... The reason is just I like to watch sometimes something in youtube, consult my own notes about crafting recipes or materials or spiritbond stuff I need to see, or putting music, or, anything outside game that would be too annoying to minimize or alt+tab either way.

[Waliel]

Never noticed any difference when I've tested fullscreen and borderless over the years. It always makes me cry when there is no borderless option in the game.