Although still incubating, the java.exe in JDK 17 recognizes new flags like --add-modules jdk.incubator.vector, allowing CPU vector operations (AVX-2, AVX-512) on modern Intel/AMD Windows x64 chips. This yields 2x–4x speedups for numeric and matrix operations compared to JDK 11’s scalar execution.
Pro tip: Run
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-17\bin\java.exe -XshowSettings:vm -versionto see which JVM compiler thresholds Microsoft/OpenJDK tuned for Windows.
During the installation wizard, you might see an option to install a "Public JRE."
Uncheck it.
As a developer, you don't need a separate JRE. The JDK (jdk-17_windows-x64_bin.exe) contains a complete JRE inside it. Installing a separate Public JRE just clutters your system and confuses your PATH variable. jdk17windowsx64binexe better
Given that JDK 21 (released September 2023) is now the latest LTS, why stick with JDK 17? Because JDK 17 has reached "Critical Patch Update (CPU)" maturity. It is the "better" choice for risk-averse organizations.
This is the most critical step for developers. Without this, typing java or javac in your command prompt will not work. Although still incubating, the java
Path Variable:
ZGC (Z Garbage Collector) was experimental in JDK 11 and unstable on Windows. In JDK 17, ZGC is production-ready for Windows x64. To enable it:
%JAVA_HOME%\bin\java.exe -XX:+UseZGC -Xmx16g -jar myapp.jar
Why this is "better":
JDK 17’s java.exe can dump an application-specific archive:
java.exe -XX:ArchiveClassesAtExit=myapp.jsa -jar myapp.jar
Next launch:
java.exe -XX:SharedArchiveFile=myapp.jsa -jar myapp.jar
Startup time drops by 40% .