Windows 7 Performance Guide
by Ryan Smith and Gary Key on October 26, 2009 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Systems
Multitasking
The vast majority of our benchmarks are single task events that utilize anywhere from 23MB up to 1.4GB of memory space during the course of the benchmark. Obviously, this is not enough to fully stress test our 4GB memory configurations. We devised a benchmark that would simulate a typical home workstation and consume as much of the 4GB as possible without crashing the machine.
We start by opening a instance of Internet Explorer 8.0 with six tabs opened to flash intensive websites followed by Adobe Reader 9.1 with a rather large PDF document open, and iTunes 9 blaring the music selection of the day loudly. We then open Lightwave 3D 9.6 with our standard animation, Cinema 4D R11 with the benchmark scene, and Microsoft Word with a few large documents.
We wait two minutes for system activities to idle and then start playing Pinball Wizard via iTunes, start the render scene process in Cinema 4D R11, and then the render frame benchmark in Lightwave 3D. Our maximum memory usage during the benchmark is 3.46GB with 100% CPU utilization across all eight threads.
This a pattern that will repeat itself throughout our benchmarks. In well threaded applications, Windows 7 has a slight advantage over Vista and a larger one over XP. In this particular case, Win7 completes the benchmark nine seconds quicker than XP for a 2% advantage.
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xrror - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - link
Well businesses that are stuck with an Exchange server and need computers on a Domain for it probably are still interested in a volume license.Heh, a small SOHO probably just get the "Family Pack"... or just keep running the WinXP machines they have into the ground. Why upgrade at all?
darwinosx - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link
Yet another superficial look at Windows 7. Not a word about the registry and it's egregious affect on stability and performance. Not a word about the malware fest that is still Windows. Nothing about Windows very poor utilization of multi-core procs and large amounts of memory. No, its all as if the only thing that matters about an OS is the UI. Is Anand the only one at Anandtech that has taken an operating system class? Is he the only one who knows anything about OS X? It would appear so.Your brief "comparison" of Snow Leopard and Windows 7 was worse. Of course. It is not a minor upgrade at all unless..you only look at superficial things as you did the Windows 7 review. SL has had a few minor issues affecting a few people. Hardly "teething problems". The only differentiator between 7 and SL is now hardware? Unbelievable. When did Anandtech turn into CNET?
You can barely spell Linux apparently so I don't think we will see any kind of comparison there.
If you don't know anything about OS X or Linux then don't bother to mention ether in the future.
Genx87 - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - link
Did you make a Youtube video about this? lolxrror - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - link
Which operating systems can I legally run on hardware I own:[X] Linux
[X] Windows XP
[X] Windows Server 2003
[X] Windows Vista
[X] Windows Server 2008
[X] Windows 7
[ ] Mac OS9
[ ] Mac OSX
When I visit AnandTech what computer trends/items do I find most relevant to me:
[X] Upcoming and exciting computer technologies
[ ] The latest and greatest media platform with DRM capitalization
[X] Upgrades for open and standards based x86 platforms
[ ] Hacks and modifications for closed x86 platforms
[X] Price/performance comparisons for gaming hardware
[ ] Articles denying relation of mal-ware output and OS marketshare
Griswold - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - link
Hello clown boy!tomaccogoats - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link
While I can't support this tirade, I will say Anandtech definitely suffers in Mac and Linux areas. Then again, their slogan is "your source for hardware analysis and news", which I guess doesn't really warrant that it needs to be classed in those areas. Still, the latest Linux articles are August 2009, and then 2005!JimmyJimmington - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link
Mind if I log into your guest account?darwinosx - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link
If thats all you got it isn't much. That is certainly a bug and a highly visible one. But it affects a tiny number of users who upgraded Leopard to Snow Leopard in a very specific way under a certain set of circumstances and even not all of them have the issue. Apple has a fix in 10.6.2 which will be out in a matter of days. To bring that up in the face of the yawning chasm of security vulnerabilities that is Windows 7 is pretty laughable.ibarskiy - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link
Once again, it's time you actually supported your statements with facts. What security chasm? Please cite vulnerabilities and extent to which OSX is not subject to them. And while you are at it, please explain how come it is that Mac OS got broken into faster when the compensation for the break in was the same between Mac OS and (at the time, but for all practical purposes immaterially) Vista [pwn2own 2009]. Oh, and MacOS was broken into twice to Vista's one time. So which again is more secure?ibarskiy - Monday, October 26, 2009 - link
Correction; it was Windows 7, indeed.