W7: my Windows Experience Index experience

indokyne

2[H]4U
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just did a new build with a fresh install of Windows 7 7600 Ultimate (32-bit)

I've been impressed w/ the adaptability of Win 7 in terms of drivers, plug & play behavior so
I wanted to see how much a difference drivers made to the whole Windows Experience Index.

My rig:
AMD 785G / SB710 mobo (Gigabyte)
Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition
4GB DDR3 1333
HD4870 1GB
Maxtor 300GB SATA
Maxtor 500GB SATA

All at stock speeds (for now ...)

I took a few screenies

Fresh install of Windows with no drivers added...
1-6.jpg



Score:
2-6.jpg



After installing Catalyst (driver only)
3a-1.jpg



So as I suspected Windows worked great right out of the box. I just gained a tenth of a point on my Graphics Index after installing the ATi Radeon Driver.

But I have to ask you all on how to improve that 5.4 Data Transfer Rate index... that's pretty low.

Are there drivers for hard drives / SATA etc that would help this??
 
Are there drivers for hard drives / SATA etc that would help this??

Not really. For simple mechanical HDD configurations, that's about as high as it's getting. If you want to see a higher number there, SSD is probably the best option.
 
Windows Experience is hardly a serious benchmarking suite, I wouldn't put too much stock into it.
 
You've already wasted more time thinking about this than most people would with WEI. Besides, you are probably using the built-in or chipset driver for your motherboard, which means your score is what it is. Spend your time using your system for something fun or useful, and don't worry about a score that doesn't represent much anyway.
 
Thats really the only good experience i've had with W7. I installed it and i didn't have to install a SINGLE driver, it picked up everything. Now im not saying W7 is BAD, it still feels like vista, and i don't like the feeling of vista. Its got great support apparantly, but for me, i think im gonna go with XP x64.

BTW im running on a Gigabyte motherboard (forgot model), GeForce 9600, had an OfficeJet 6110 printer that got installed automatically as well.
 
I still install the latest Intel chipset drivers, graphics drivers, etc. Windows 7 is definitely snappier than Vista, and I was a huge fan of Vista. Going back to an outdated OS isn't going to bring you any speed boosts. Load your proper drivers, and don't base your performance or feel from a worthless score. Use common sense instead. Windows Update drivers are only meant to be used if you can't find manufacturer drivers.
 
Not sure if speed boosts were directed at him or me, but for me, i don't game. I use photoshop and office programs. I don't need the flashy vista/W7 stuff thats going on. I like my standard Windows XP interface, don't like the W7 interface at all, nor did I like vista, which is why i never used Vista.
 
Your 4870 beat my 4870x2 score.

Graphics: 6.8
Gaming Graphics: 6.8

So take that for what it's worth ;)

Edit:

I tried it the test again without ATI powerplay enabled, so my card would idle in desktop at full speed. Doing this actually bumped my graphics score up to 7.5 / 7.5.
 
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As others have hinted towards, the only way to get 7+ in the data transfer benchmark is with a SSD...

This is because the windows benchmark factors in the nearly instant access times...I've got 3 raptors in a raid 0 and I get a 5.9.
 
As others have hinted towards, the only way to get 7+ in the data transfer benchmark is with a SSD...

This is because the windows benchmark factors in the nearly instant access times...I've got 3 raptors in a raid 0 and I get a 5.9.

I've got 4 250GB 16MB Cache hard drives in raid 5 and I get the same score.
 
Yeah, I agree...why do I only get 7.1 with my 4870X2?

You're using lower clock speed in desktop. Your full speed is used in game / 3D.

You can set your normal clock speed in profiles.xml for the sake of the test, you should get 7.5/7.5.

That was my score while running default 750 - 900.
 
SSD is sounding tastier and tastier but $/gig is still a bit high for me.

I'm surprised RAID 0 Raptors aren't seeing that big a jump. I guess 0.7 points over 5.2 is decent but again - prolly not worth the $/gig & potentially higher failure risk.
 
Why? RAID0 doesn't translate into much of a performance gain in real world usage anyway....if it does at all. In many cases, seek times actually increase. That whole myth was debunked years ago.
 
Indokyne,

Thank you for evaluating Windows 7 and it's great to hear that you are enjoying your experience so much! If you are planning on purchasing Windows 7 when it is released it may be helpful to know you don't have to wait until October to reserve your copy of Win 7! You can pre-order your copy of Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional today. For more information, see the Windows 7 Pre-Order offer page.
For additional help with data transfer in Windows 7, Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 RC Support Forum. It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams.

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team
 
I get 7.3 for both cpu/ram scores, 6.8 for both gpu scores, and 5.9 for hd.
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