Microsoft has just released the M3 built for Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista. The new OS is expected to enter the market by early 2010. As being a Microsoft MVP, I have been given the chance to test the OS first hand. So let us take a quick look at the Microsoft Windows 7.

Over next few weeks I shall be exploring various aspect of Windows 7 and today’s post would primarily demonstrate the hardware performance of the OS.

So far I am able to get the OS installed starting from the lowest END PC configuration to one of the highest hardware configs.

To be honest, at first glance the OS looks like a Windows Vista running with custom theme and boot screen, but as soon as you start your PC you feel there is a major improvement from Windows Vista in terms of speed.

Below are some results from Windows 7 running in different configurations with default Windows driver.

System 1 (Notebook)

System Make and model :- Toshiba Satellite L40
Processor :- Celeron M 530 / 1.73GHz / 533 FSB / 1 MB L2 (single core)
Chipset / GPU :- Intel GL960 / GMA x3100
RAM :- 1 GB DDR-II 667MHz (512×2)
HDD :- 5400 RPM 120 GB SATA

System 2 (Notebook)

System Make and model :- Lenovo 3000 N200
Processor :- Intel Dual Core T2310 / 1.46 GHz / 1 MB L2 / 533 FSB / EM64T
Chipset / GPU :- Intel GM965 / GMA x3100
RAM :- 1.50 GB DDR-II 667MHz
HDD :- 160 GB SATA 5400 RPM

System 3 (Desktop)

System Make and model :- Assembled PC
Processor :- AMD Athlon X2 4200+
Motherboard :- ASUS M2A-VM
Chipset / GPU :- AMD 690G / ATi x1250
RAM :- 2 GB DDR-II 667MHz (1×2)
HDD :- 160 GB SATA-II 7200 RPM

System 5 (Desktop)

System Make and model :- Assembled PC
Processor :- Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 / 2.4 GHz / 1066 MHz FSB / 4 MB L2 / EM64T
Motherboard :- XFX 630i 7150
Chipset / GPU :- Nvidia 630i / GeForce 7150 IGP
RAM :- 2 GB DDR-II 667MHz (2×1)
HDD :- 160 GB SATA-II 7200 RPM

System 6 (Desktop)

System Make and model :- Assembled PC
Processor :- AMD X2 4600+ / 1 MB L2
Motherboard :- Gigabyte M61PME-S2
Chipset / GPU :- Nvidia 430 / GeForce 6150 IGP
RAM :- 2 GB DDR-II 667MHz (2×1)
HDD :- 160 GB SATA-II 7200 RPM

System 7 (Desktop)

System Make and model :- Assembled PC
Processor :- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 / 2.4GHz / 8 MB L2 / 1066 Mhz FSB / EM64T
Motherboard :- ASUS P5N-E SLi
Chipset :- Nvidia 650 SLi
GPU :- XFX 8400 GS
RAM :- 4 GB DDR-II 667MHz (2×2)
HDD :- 250 GB SATA-II 7200 RPM 16MB

Here is a minor change you may notice, as Windows 7 is rating Q6600 beyond 5.9 mark which happens to be the highest possible rating under Windows Vista SP1.

By so far, I have installed the product on at-least dozen PCs with alternate configurations from all types of platform, AMD / Intel, Nvidia / ATi / Intel, Laptop / Desktop and till now it really seems to be a stable OS with no BSOD yet.

Another thing to note, though with its performance improvement over Vista, Windows 7 is not really the seventh version of Windows rather its version 6.1. Windows 2000 is version 5, where as XP is version 5.1. Just like that Windows Vista is 6.0 where as till now the built numbers suggest, it is version 6.1.

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