[image of digits]

Windows 7 vs. Windows XP, Benchmarked with CodeGear RadStudio Applications
Part A: Which applications run more slowly in Windows7?

Benchmark

Windows 7
Student Machines in Classroom #6
Windows XP
Home Office Machine
Slowdown
(Win7 time / WinXP time)

Sluis 2003 map, color render

2s
3/10s
6.6

Chaos game, bent, 5 sides, center point, 10M iterations

59s
9s
6.5

Game of Life CA with 449,068 cells run to 500 iterations
(Adopted as benchmark for parts B and C.)

94s
23s
4.1

Key Word In Context, Tristan, search term "the"

29s
8s
3.6

Segregation v23, show always, 200 iterations

97s
37s

2.6

Lorenz attractor, single, color, 1.2M iterations
Under Win7, the application window responds only hesitantly to being moved

134s
58s
2.3

Evolutionary Concert Tour v10, show all, 1000 generations

296s
140s
2.1

Evolutionary Concert Tour v10, show best, 1000 generations

5s
5s
1.0

Segregation v23, show never, 200 iterations

19s
17s
1.1

Folder Copy Desktop to USB

29s
27s
1.1
Folder Copy USB to Desktop
6s
6s
1.0
Windows API Beep(Hz, ms)
slow (sent to sound card)
fast (sent to internal speaker)
considerable
Changing MIDI Patches while Application is Running
fails
works
 

 

The slowdown appears to be related to the
ratio of API graphics to C/C++ commands.

I teach using a variety of CodeGear applications which rely heavily on graphics. We've just upgraded from WinXP to Win7 at our university and I've documented an up to 80% slowdown in application running speed. This seems to be a function of the intensity of graphics updates in the applications. The benchmark tests are here: http://www.duke.edu/web/isis/gessler/borland/win7-winxp.htm Is this likely a problem with Win7, with how Win7 was set up with the graphics card, or with CodeGear? Am I likely to see an improvement in speed using Embarcadero? I also note that Beep() now talks to the graphics card in Win7, not the internal speaker as in WinXP, and as a consequence is much slower. And MIDI operates differently. I (we) would appreciate any advice and insights you may be able to provide.
Thanks, Nick, Duke University
(Embarcadero Discussion Group, September 8, 2010)


Zach Saw
Hi, My guess is that there's a difference in the level of hardware acceleration GDI / GDI+ functions between XP and Win7 as implemented by the hardware vendor. In the change of display driver model going from XP to Vista, the various vendors have neglected to implement a lot of the 2D drawing functions in accelerated mode. A recent article about this could be found on tomshardware: [http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/2d-windows-gdi,2539.html] The recommendation is to switch to non-aero mode desktop.
HTH.
(Embarcadero Discussion Group, September 8, 2010)


Perhaps the code by Roy Nelson on CodeCentral could help:http://cc.embarcadero.com/Item/26740
"Because of the modifications to the Vista Graphics subsystem the GDI calls are now routed along a different route to go to the Graphics driver, hence the GDI output show a significant drop in performance compare to Windows XP. Using the supplied control canvas one use Direct3D to get comparable performance to WinXP while still keeping the old TCanvas code." (Embarcadero Discussion Group, September 9, 2010)


Any user, while logged on, can easily turn off "aero" function, which is providing all the transparencies and other style functions of the desktop.  But this will be a profile preference.  If that takes care of you, go for it. While logged in, right click on any clear (no icons) area of desktop.  Select "personalize".  Scroll down to and select "basic" or "classic" themes.  That will turn off aero.
Patrick (OIT, Duke, September 8, 2010)

from www.tomshardware.com
How-to: Deactivate Aero for a Specific Program

Right-click the program icon, then select the Properties item from the resulting pop-up menu. Click the Compatibility tab in the properties window, then select the setting checkbox that reads "Disable visual themes" (or similar language).

DWM usage gets deactivated when visual themes are disabledc

DWM usage gets deactivated when visual themes are disabled

Part B: Changing the settings in Windows7 will NOT help. Neither will rebuilding with Embarcadero::

Benchmark:
Game of Life CA with 449,068 cells run to 500 iterations

Built with CodeGear RadStudio 2007

Windows7
Student Machines in Classroom #6
WindowsXP
Home Office Machine
Slowdown
(Win7 time / WinXP time)

Win7 desktop, run from web

90s
23s
3.9

Win7 desktop, run from desktop

92s
23s
4.0

Win7 desktop, visual themes disabled

89s
23s
3.9

Win7 desktop, all 3 items disabled

199s
23s
8.7

Win7 desktop, WinXP SP3 compatibility

92
23s
4.0

Win7 desktop, WinXP SP3 compatibility, visual themes disabled

92
23s
4.0
Win7 desktop, WinX SP2 compatibility
91
23s
4.0
Win7 desktop, WinXP SP2 compatibility, visual themes disabled
92
23s
4.0
Windows Classic desktop, run from desktop
199
23s
8.7
Windows Classic desktop, visual themes disabled
202
23s
8.8
Windows Classic desktop, WinXP SP3 compatibility
204
23s
8.9
New Benchmark:
Game of Life CA with 449,068 cells run to 500 iterations

Rebuilt with Embarcadero RadStudio 2010
Windows 7
Student Machines in Classroom #6
Windows XP
Home Office Machine
Slowdown
(Win7 time / WinXP time)
Win7 desktop, run from RadStudio
201
23s
8.7
Win7 desktop, run from desktop
90
23s
3.9
Windows Classic desktop, run from desktop
204
23s
8.9
Part C: Comparisons with Windows7 running on different hardware: