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Use A Single Process To Deploy A Windows 10 Pro Image in Mixed CPU Environments

The document discusses deploying a Windows 10 Pro image to two HP laptops, one with an AMD processor and one with an Intel processor, using Configuration Manager. It found that the deployment took a similar amount of time on both laptops, with the AMD laptop deploying slightly faster. Adding necessary drivers to the image required the same steps and similar time for both laptops as well.

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35 views

Use A Single Process To Deploy A Windows 10 Pro Image in Mixed CPU Environments

The document discusses deploying a Windows 10 Pro image to two HP laptops, one with an AMD processor and one with an Intel processor, using Configuration Manager. It found that the deployment took a similar amount of time on both laptops, with the AMD laptop deploying slightly faster. Adding necessary drivers to the image required the same steps and similar time for both laptops as well.

Uploaded by

Principled Technologies
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A Principled Technologies report: Hands-on testing. Real-world results.

Use a single process to deploy a


Windows 10 Pro image in a mixed
CPU environment
We compared time and steps on AMD Ryzen
5 PRO 4650U and Intel Core i5-10310U vPro
Allocate the same time
processor-based HP EliteBook 800 G7 Series
It took 18 min. 3 sec. to deploy Notebook PCs
a Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
image on an AMD processor- You may be reading this because you’re exploring new
based HP EliteBook 835 G7 Windows 10 Pro PC options for your business. But what
Notebook PC compared to 18
happens if the higher-end options you’re considering for your
min. 20 sec. on an HP EliteBook
sales force contain a processor from a different manufacturer
830 G7 Notebook PC with an
Intel processor than the ones other departments are already using? Will your IT
team have to alter existing deployment processes or develop
new ones to accommodate the new PCs?

To find out, we used Configuration Manager (formerly SCCM)


to deploy a Microsoft Windows 10 Pro image on two HP
EliteBook 800 G7 Series Notebook PCs: an EliteBook 835 G7
powered by an AMD Ryzen™ 5 PRO 4650U processor and an
EliteBook 830 G7 powered by an Intel® Core™ i5-10310U vPro®
processor. We found that deployment took the same number
Use the same procedure of steps and a similar amount of time on each enterprise PC.
We deployed a Windows 10 So, if you’re thinking about introducing AMD or Intel processor-
Pro image using the same based PCs into your environment, deployment time for a
steps for both AMD and Intel Windows 10 Pro image should not worry you.
processor-based HP EliteBook
800 G7 Series Notebook PCs

Use a single process to deploy a Windows 10 Pro image in a mixed CPU environment February 2021
What we tested
Today’s more remote workforce makes no-touch PC management a top priority. Standardizing enterprise PC
management tasks, such as OS deployment and driver installation, enables IT teams to focus their time and
energy on higher-priority initiatives.

We created and ran the same automated Configuration Manager task sequence to deploy a Windows 10
Pro image on both enterprise PCs. This automated sequence included applying the OS, configuring network
settings, adding drivers, and installing Office 365 and Slack applications.

This study is an update to a 2018 study we conducted involving four business-class systems powered by AMD
or Intel processors. At that time, we found “Windows 10 image deployment to AMD processor-powered laptops
and desktops took similar time and the same number of steps as deployment to systems powered by Intel.”1
You can read the 2018 report here.

We used a Configuration Manager task sequence to deploy a Windows 10 Pro


image and necessary drivers to the following enterprise PCs:

AMD Intel

HP EliteBook 835 G7 Notebook PC HP EliteBook 830 G7 Notebook PC


13-inch enterprise PC with an AMD Ryzen 5 13-inch enterprise PC with an Intel Core i5-10310U
PRO 4650U processor (8MB cache, 2.1GHz) vPro processor (6MB cache, 1.7GHz)

Deploying the OS
Deploying one laptop using Configuration Manager
Having a standard deployment process that works Time (mm:ss)
smoothly regardless of processor helps ensure that
20:00
new devices arrive in employees’ hands promptly. 18:20
18:03

In our hands-on tests, we deployed a Windows We


15:00
10 Pro image to the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U followed
processor-based HP EliteBook 835 G7 Notebook the same 6
steps
PC in slightly less time than the same process took 10:00
16:25 16:38
on the Intel Core i5-10310U vPro processor-based
HP EliteBook 830 G7 Notebook PC. In Figure
1, Admin time is the time it took us to start the 5:00

installation process on the target PC. System time


is the time it took our Configuration Manager task
0 1:38 1:42
sequence to install the operating system, install
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U Intel Core i5-10310U vPro
drivers and applications, and configure the system. processor-based system processor-based system
HP EliteBook 835 G7 HP EliteBook 830 G7
Notebook PC Notebook PC
Admin time System time Admin time System time

Figure 1: Total time (mm:ss) to deploy one laptop using Configuration


Manager. Lower is better. Source: Principled Technologies.

Use a single process to deploy a Windows 10 Pro image in a mixed CPU environment February 2021 | 2
Cloud-based device management in mixed CPU environments
While our evaluation focused on traditional IT deployment processes via
Configuration Manager, IT staff can also use cloud-based services such as
Windows Autopilot to deploy their devices. Windows Autopilot provides in-factory
setup and pre-configuration services for new business PCs—making them ready to
use right out of the box.2 This means mixed-processor environments will not be a
problem for these traditional or cloud-based deployment tools.

Installing drivers
Enterprises often have well-established procedures for preparing new devices for end-users. These
procedures may include loading a custom image that installs the company-supported OS and deploys
company-approved applications.

We added the driver packages for each solution to Configuration Manager before we deployed the
Windows 10 Pro image. This enabled the automated sequence to complete all OS updates and
customizations on each PC. Adding the drivers for both AMD and Intel processor-based enterprise
PCs required the same eleven steps. The difference between driver installation times was a second.

Adding drivers to 4:00


the boot image and
driver package
3:00 2:53 2:52
Figure 2:
We Admin time (mm:ss)
to add drivers to the
2:00
followed
boot image and driver
Time the same 11 package. Lower is better.
(mm:ss)
steps Source: Principled
Technologies.
1:00

0
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U Intel Core i5-10310U vPro
processor-based system processor-based system
HP EliteBook 835 G7 HP EliteBook 830 G7
Notebook PC Notebook PC

Use a single process to deploy a Windows 10 Pro image in a mixed CPU environment February 2021 | 3
Conclusion
When we used Configuration Manager, deploying a
Windows 10 Pro image to an HP EliteBook 835 G7
Notebook PC powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 PRO
4650U processor was as fast and easy as deploying
that same image to an HP EliteBook 830 G7
Notebook PC powered by an Intel Core i5-10310U
vPro processor. This means there’s no need to develop
or alter existing Windows 10 Pro image deployment
processes when introducing AMD or Intel processor-
based PCs into your homogeneous CPU environment.

Key takeaways:

• Admins can allocate the same amount of


time to deploy Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
images for AMD and Intel processor-based
HP EliteBook 800 G7 Series Notebook PCs
• Admins can use the same Windows 10 Pro image
deployment process for AMD and Intel processor-
based HP EliteBook 800 G7 Series notebook PCs

1 Principled Technologies, “Deploy a Microsoft Windows 10 image to AMD Processor-based


systems without altering existing processes,” accessed January 29, 2021,
https://www.principledtechnologies.com/AMD/PRO_processors_image_deployment_competitive_0518.pdf .
2 Microsoft, “Overview of Windows Autopilot,” accessed January 29, 2021,
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/autopilot/windows-autopilot.

Read the science behind this report at http://facts.pt/dxnv42z

Principled Principled
Facts matter.® Facts matter.®
Technologies ®
Technologies ®

Principled Technologies is a registered trademark of Principled Technologies, Inc.


All other product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.
This project was commissioned by AMD. For additional information, review the science behind this report.

Use a single process to deploy a Windows 10 Pro image in a mixed CPU environment February 2021 | 4

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