Windows 7 versus Windows XP on the ASUS Eee PC 1005HA Netbook

Futuremark 3DMark06 & PCMark05

3DMark06

3DMark 06 is still a popular standard in advanced 3D game performance benchmarking and is the latest version in the popular 3DMark series available to run on Windows XP. 3DMark06 tests include HDR/SM3.0 graphics tests, advanced SM2.0 graphics tests, AI and physics driven single and multiple cores or processor CPU tests and a collection of comprehensive feature tests to reliably measure next generation gaming performance.

Windows 7 had a better overall 3DMark score than Windows XP, but XP did better in the CPU tests while Windows 7 did better in the SM2 tests. It was interesting to me that Windows 7 would do so much better in the graphics tests than Windows XP did. We were also happy that the 1005HA performed well enough on the Windows Experience Index test to be able to enable Aero on our Windows 7 desktop!

PCMark05

PCMark05 is an application-based benchmark and a premium tool for measuring overall PC performance. It uses portions of real applications instead of including very large applications or using specifically created code. This allows PCMark05 to be a smaller installation as well as to report very accurate results.

PCMark shows that Windows XP has slightly better overall system performance than Windows 7. We did not notice any real system slow-downs while using the ASUS 1005HA with Windows 7 while we were using the netbook to write this review or do any other net surfing.