January 22, 2009
The generation gap: Windows on multicore
Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 show their multiprocessing mettle in our dual-core and quad-core performance tests
120 RecommendationsThey say you can never be too young, or too rich. Or too handsome or too beautiful. And in the case of Intel-architecture PCs, it also seems that you can never have too many cores. With both the industry leader and its archrival, AMD, ratcheting up the core count, the future of personal computing will be experienced in parallel -- parallel processing, that is. The days of cranking up the clock speed to keep the pipeline flowing are gone. These days, it's all about width: How many instructions can you execute per clock cycle simultaneously?
Going hand in hand with the multicore push has been the evolution of desktop Windows to support these new chips. Today's dominant flavors -- Windows XP, Windows Vista, and soon Windows 7 -- all support Symmetrical Multiprocessing (SMP) out of the box, a trait they inherited thanks to their Windows NT (New Technology) lineage. However, experience has shown that multiprocessing across discrete CPUs is not the same thing as multiprocessing across integrated cores within the same CPU.
[ Is it Windows 7, or Windows Vista R2? See "Windows 7 unmasked." Read the great Windows 7 debate. Is Windows 7 necessary? See "Death match: Windows Vista versus XP." Monitor the performance of your Windows systems with Windows Sentinel. ]
As a result, current-generation software products incorporate additional optimizations to allow them to perform at their best in the low-latency, shared-cache world of multicore. This includes Windows Vista, which shipped at the beginning of the multicore transition, and Windows 7, of course, but not Windows XP. All of which begs the question: How much of an impact does this additional multicore tuning have on real-world OS performance and scalability? And what, if anything, do you gain or lose by sticking with Windows XP versus migrating to one of Microsoft's more modern versions?
In order to test the limits of Windows multicore support, I constructed a comprehensive, multiprocess workload test package using the ADO (database), MAPI (workflow), and WMP (media playback) Stress objects from the DMS Clarity Studio; see "How I tested" for the details. I then executed the package across representative dual- and quad-core systems in an effort to document the scalability, the execution efficiency, and the raw performance of the workloads when running against each of the available Windows incarnations.
What I found may surprise you. Not only does Microsoft have a firm grasp of multicore tuning, but its scalability story promises to keep getting better with time. In other words, Windows Vista and Windows 7 are poised to reap ever greater performance benefits as Intel and AMD extend the number of cores in future editions of their processors.
White Paper
D2D Virtual Tape Library Replication Primer
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
White Paper
An Alternative to Virtualization for Datacenter Cost Savings
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
White Paper
Why Your Firewall, VPN, and IEEE 802.11i Aren't Enough to Protect Your Network
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
White Paper
Bringing the Edge to the Data Center
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
NickFie
16-Jun-09 9:38am
Great article. Would love to find out where Windows Server 2008 stands in your ranking. My subjective conclusion is that its code path length is much closer to XP's than Vista's.
shadfurman
11-Sep-09 11:59am
At first I thought that this was an unbiased article, until you basically stated that anyone who had a different experience than you wasn't a mature windows user. You left out the obvious benchmarks where windows 7 shines. I've never actually done database benchmarks, but most of the benchmarks I've ran come out in favor of win7 over XP.
And all this junk about win7 being the same kernel as vista? Like thats such a big deal? How often has windows rewrote the windows kernel? USUALLY a new windows release is just an update/optimization/GUI overhaul. The only one I seriously balked at was WinMe, every other one was a SERIOUS improvement. Granted... if you want to continue using old hardware, by all means, use the OS it came with. They're designed for each other. No one is expecting Vista to be installed on a Pentium 4 and perform like a champ (though I've done it and it performs fine)
The problem is when people think of the benefits of an OS only in terms of speed. Optimization IS important. But I have a feeling you picked benchmarks that showed a performance difference, cause in the benchmarks I have done, on new hardware windows 7 beats XP near across the board. Add with that the INCREDIBLE increase in technology in windows 7, XP is really a junker by comparison.
Of course you'll always have people who idealize how things were better in their day. I love to reminisce (I have a version of windows from every release setup in my virtualbox, JUST so I can go back when I want to. From 1.0 to Win7, except Vista thats what I currently run.)
Sign up to receive Platforms Resource Alerts
Make IT work as one. Register for Novell BrainShare 2010. Complimentary Energy Efficiency Kit - Cut Energy Costs NowRestrict internet access with GFI WebMonitor™. Now 30% Off! www.gfi.com/web-filterToday’s IT means business. New eBook shows you how to align your IT investments.A new level of interoperability. Make IT Work As One at novell.comLimited-time offer: Save up to $100 on Polycom phones. 64-page prescriptive guide to security, compliance, and IT operations.Learn about Foundations of Green IT, from CTO Marty Poniatowski802.11n Drives an Architectural EvolutionSee IBM CloudBurst's self-service user interface in action
Return on Information: Google Enterprise Search pays you back. Get the facts.Analytics: Use your data to drive insights that enable better decisions.See how AT&T can help protect your network. Make IT Work As One at novell.comHP ProLiant G6 Servers. Perform like a superstar, Save like an accountant.HP ProLiant G6 Servers. Perform like a superstar, Save like an accountant.Unified Communications: Thoughts, Strategies and Predictions. Join the discussion.Increase UPS efficiency without sacrificing protectionIn less than 45 minutes, Palisade Systems protects your dataA smarter approach to IT is needed. That smarter approach is IBM CloudBurst.
