KEY FINDINGS OptiPlex running Windows 7 vs. …

1 TEST REPORT. JANUARY 2010. A performance comparison of current and previous-generation Dell OptiPlex desktop systems Executive summary KEY FINDINGS . Dell Inc. (Dell) commissioned Principled Technologies The current Dell OptiPlex systems (PT) to run a set of performance tests on a mix of current- running Windows 7 provided up to . and previous-generation Intel processor-based Dell greater SYSmark Preview 2007. OptiPlex desktop systems. We tested two current system performance than the previous- systems: generation Dell OptiPlex systems Dell OptiPlex 780 with Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 running Windows XP. (See Figure 1.). Dell OptiPlex 380 with Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 The current Dell OptiPlex systems . running Windows 7 provided up to We compared performance of Microsoft Windows 7 faster application responsiveness . Ultimate ( Windows 7), Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate than the previous-generation Dell SP2 ( Windows Vista), and Windows XP Professional OptiPlex systems running Windows XP.

2 SP3 ( Windows XP) on the current systems and of (See Figure 2.). Windows XP on the following previous-generation The current Dell OptiPlex 960 desktop systems: running Windows 7 provided up to Dell OptiPlex GX620 with Intel Pentium 4.. faster system responsiveness Processor 630 (4-year-old system) than the previous-generation Dell Dell OptiPlex 745 with Intel Pentium Processor OptiPlex systems running Windows XP. E2160 (3-year-old system) (See Figure 3.). Appendix A provides detailed system configuration information. We compared the systems in three categories of tests: performance, application responsiveness, and system responsiveness. We used SYSmark 2007 Preview to test overall system performance. We used custom hand-timed tests to measure application and system responsiveness. In most instances, we found the current Dell OptiPlex 380 desktop and the Dell OptiPlex 780 desktop running Windows 7 outperformed the previous- generation Dell OptiPlex desktops running Windows XP.

3 Figure 1 shows highlights of SYSMark 2007 Preview performance: Current Dell the SYSmark 2007 Preview OptiPlex running Windows 7 vs. previous-generation Dell performance testing. The OptiPlex desktop PCs running Windows XP current Dell OptiPlex 780. Perf ormance (higher is better). 180 running Windows 7. 150 outperformed the previous- generation Dell OptiPlex 120. GX620 by percent, 90 and outperformed the 60 previous-generation Dell OptiPlex 745 by 30 percent. The current Dell 0 OptiPlex 380 running Dell OptiPlex Dell OptiPlex 745 Dell OptiPlex 780 Dell OptiPlex 380 Windows 7 outperformed GX620 the previous-generation Dell XP Professional SP3 Windows 7 Ultimate OptiPlex GX620 by percent, and outperformed Figure 1: SYSmark 2007 Preview performance results for our test systems. Higher numbers are the previous-generation Dell better. OptiPlex 745 by percent. Figure 2 shows highlights of Application responsiveness: Current Dell OptiPlex the application desktops running Windows 7 vs.

4 Previous-generation Dell responsiveness testing. The OptiPlex desktops running Windows XP current Dell OptiPlex 780. Minutes (lower is better). 8 running Windows 7. responded percent 6 faster on our application tests than the previous- generation Dell OptiPlex 4. 745 and percent faster than the previous- 2 generation Dell OptiPlex GX620. The current Dell 0 OptiPlex 380 running Dell OptiPlex GX620 Dell OptiPlex 745 Dell OptiPlex 780 Dell OptiPlex 380 Windows 7 responded percent faster on our XP Professional SP3 Windows 7 Ultimate application tests than the previous-generation Dell Figure 2: Application responsiveness results for our test systems the sum of the averages for all application responsiveness tests. Lower numbers are better. OptiPlex 745 and percent faster than the previous-generation Dell OptiPlex GX620. Figure 3 shows highlights of System responsiveness: Current Dell OptiPlex desktops the system responsiveness running Windows 7 vs.

5 Previous-generation Dell OptiPlex testing. The current Dell desktops running Windows XP OptiPlex 780 running Minutes (lower is better). Windows 7 responded percent faster than the previous-generation Dell OptiPlex GX620, and percent more slowly than the previous-generation Dell OptiPlex 745. The current Dell OptiPlex 380 running Windows 7 responded percent faster than the Dell OptiPlex Dell OptiPlex 745 Dell OptiPlex 780 Dell OptiPlex 380 previous-generation Dell GX620 OptiPlex GX620, and XP Professional SP3 Windows 7 Ultimate percent faster than the previous-generation Dell Figure 3: System responsiveness results for our test systems the sum of the average for all OptiPlex 745. system responsiveness tests. Lower numbers are better. Principled Technologies, Inc.: A performance comparison of current and previous-generation Dell OptiPlex desktop 2. systems Workload SYSmark 2007 Preview SYSmark 2007 Preview is a performance metric BAPCo created to measure system performance.

6 SYSmark 2007 Preview determines its overall rating from the mean result from four workload scenarios: e- learning, office productivity, video creation, and 3D modeling. SYSmark 2007 Preview records the time the system takes to complete each individual operation in each scenario. SYSmark 2007 Preview consists of the following applications and corresponding tasks: Adobe After Effects 7. (e-learning), Adobe Illustrator CS2 (video creation), Adobe Photoshop CS2 (video creation), AutoDesk . 3ds Max 8 (3D modeling), Macromedia Flash 8 (e-learning), Microsoft Excel 2003 (office productivity), Microsoft Outlook 2003 (office productivity), Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 (office productivity), Microsoft Word 2003 (office productivity), Microsoft Project 2003 (office productivity), Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9. series (video creation), Sony Vegas 7 (video creation), SketchUp 5 (3D modeling), and WinZip (office productivity).

7 To learn more, visit Test results In this section, we average the results from Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 on the current Dell OptiPlex systems and compare them to the Windows XP results on the previous-generation Dell OptiPlex systems. Figure 4 shows the SYSMark 2007 Preview performance: Current Dell SYSmark 2007 Preview performance for the current OptiPlex running vs. previous-generation Dell OptiPlex 180. desktop PCs Dell OptiPlex systems Perf ormance (higher is better). running Windows 7, 150 Windows Vista, and 120. Windows XP, and the previous-generation Dell 90 OptiPlex systems running 60. Windows XP. The current Dell OptiPlex 780. 30 outperformed the previous- 0. generation Dell OptiPlex GX620 by an average of Dell OptiPlex Dell OptiPlex 745 Dell OptiPlex 780 Dell OptiPlex 380. GX620 percent and the Dell OptiPlex 745 by an average XP Professional SP3 Vista Ultimate SP2 Windows 7 Ultimate of percent.

8 The current Dell OptiPlex 380. Figure 4: SYSmark 2007 Preview performance results for our test systems. Higher numbers are better. outperformed the previous- generation Dell OptiPlex GX620 by an average of percent and the Dell OptiPlex 745 by an average of percent. Principled Technologies, Inc.: A performance comparison of current and previous-generation Dell OptiPlex desktop 3. systems Figure 5 shows the Application responsiveness: Current Dell OptiPlex application responsiveness desktops vs. previous-generation Dell OptiPlex desktops for both the current Dell 8 OptiPlex systems running Minutes (lower is better). 7. Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP, and the 6. previous-generation Dell 5 OptiPlex desktops running 4 Windows XP. The current 3 Dell OptiPlex 780. responded an average of 2. percent faster than the 1 Dell OptiPlex GX620 ( 0 seconds) and percent Dell OptiPlex GX620 Dell OptiPlex 745 Dell OptiPlex 780 Dell OptiPlex 380 faster than the Dell OptiPlex 745 ( seconds).

9 The XP Professional SP3 Vista Ultimate SP2 Windows 7 Ultimate current Dell OptiPlex 380. responded an average of Figure 5: Application responsiveness results for our test systems the sum of the averages for all application responsiveness tests. Lower numbers are better. percent faster on our application tests than the previous-generation Dell OptiPlex GX620 ( seconds) and percent faster than the Dell OptiPlex 745 ( seconds). Figure 6 shows the system System responsiveness: Current Dell OptiPlex desktops responsiveness for both the vs. previous-generation Dell OptiPlex desktops current Dell OptiPlex systems running Windows Minutes (lower is better). 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP, and the previous-generation Dell OptiPlex desktops running Windows XP. The current Dell OptiPlex 780. responded an average of percent faster than the Dell OptiPlex GX620 ( seconds) and percent Dell OptiPlex Dell OptiPlex 745 Dell OptiPlex 780 Dell OptiPlex 380.

10 GX620 faster than the Dell OptiPlex 745 ( seconds). The XP Professional SP3 Vista Ultimate SP2 Windows 7 Ultimate current Dell OptiPlex 380. responded an average of Figure 6: System responsiveness results for our test systems the sum of the averages for all system responsiveness tests. Lower numbers are better. percent faster than the previous-generation Dell OptiPlex GX620 ( seconds) and percent faster than the Dell OptiPlex 745 ( seconds). Figures 7 and 8 show a more detailed breakdown of application and system responsiveness results for the current Dell OptiPlex desktop systems running Windows 7 and the previous-generation Dell OptiPlex GX620. desktop system running Windows XP. As Figure 7 shows, the current Dell OptiPlex 780 running Windows 7 completed the below tasks almost 30. seconds faster than did the previous-generation Dell OptiPlex GX620. For 100 users, this translates to 50 minutes saved moving to the current Dell OptiPlex 780 running Windows 7.