Windows 7 – Part 7: Performance and Final Verdict

Our in-depth look at Microsoft’s Windows 7 has focused on many of the enhancements pertaining to the usability of the operating system. We’ve looked at deployment, user interface, media experience, networking and security, and applications. Now we turn our attention to general performance.

For the seventh and final part of our review, we’ve tested Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), Windows Vista Home Premium (Service Pack 2, 64-bit), and Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 3, 32-bit) on a mid-range system comprising of an Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 CPU; an Intel 975XBX motherboard; 4GB of Corsair DDR2-800 RAM; a Corsair X128 SSD, and a Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512MB graphics card. Intel’s 9.1.1.1016 and ATI’s Catalyst 9.9 drivers were used. We’ve limited XP to 32-bit because the 64-bit edition is no longer supported and doesn’t facilitate Service Pack 3.

We’ve already taken a brief look at install, boot and shut down performance on a Dell Inspiron 1520 notebook, now let’s turn our attention to the desktop.

Install

The majority of home users will install Windows via optical media. We time how long it takes to install the various Windows editions, taken from the CD-ROM prompt until the install has fully loaded the desktop. – Hexus

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