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    Question about Windows themes and gaming performance

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by Selenium, Oct 13, 2009.

  1. Selenium

    Selenium Notebook Evangelist

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    This is something I've been wondering about for a while now. It's probably a stupid question, though. Do Windows themes affect gaming performance? For over a year now I've been switching to a bare bones theme before gaming, then switching back to my theme with all the bells and whistles afterwards.

    Is this necessary? Does it even make a difference?
     
    Selenium, Oct 13, 2009
    #1
  2. ZP=WIN

    ZP=WIN Notebook Consultant

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    run a benchmark of before and after....
     
    ZP=WIN, Oct 13, 2009
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  3. Selenium

    Selenium Notebook Evangelist

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    OK, I just did that with the RE5 benchmark.

    Average of 40.9 FPS with all the bells and whistles, transparency effects, etc.
    Average of 41 FPS with everything as bare bones as possible.

    So I guess it really doesn't make a difference.
     
    Selenium, Oct 13, 2009
    #3
  4. Thibault

    Thibault Banned

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    Yeah that would have been my guess...
    Any effects would be minimal and most likely very hard to notice.
    Though thanks for taking the time and actually getting numbers out for this.
     
    Thibault, Oct 13, 2009
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  5. JosePerez

    JosePerez Notebook Evangelist

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    I think, not sure, that when you open a 3D Software, like a game, Vista automatically changes to "basic windows vista" view, no Aero... So i think is not necessary to do it by yourself before gaming...
     
    JosePerez, Oct 13, 2009
    #5
  6. melthd

    melthd Notebook Evangelist

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    then what about running the games by setting the exe properties to 640x480, display scaling off and all that? will it affect performance as well?
     
    melthd, Oct 13, 2009
    #6
  7. osomphane

    osomphane Notebook Evangelist

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    I think if you're running in full screen, it does not matter what you had on windows unless it is an active process consuming cpu/memory. Themes, I think, are inactive because they are not getting viewed/rendered/or anything else. If you run in windowed mode, you are likely to see a bigger difference.
     
    osomphane, Oct 13, 2009
    #7
  8. v_c

    v_c Notebook Evangelist

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    Yep, this is correct.
     
    v_c, Oct 14, 2009
    #8