CQD owners rejoice.

Hi,
Well I am a big detractor to Windows 8 but I am trying to get it to work out. I have done a dual boot install and those with P79xx's running CQD's will have something to look forward too.

That is much better thread handling. Windows 7 and prior split the load of a non optimized thread between all available cores. This is fine with a C2D but on a CQD this makes for a huge performance hit loading up the two on chip dies simultaneously. This can be seen with SuperPI on 2m as at 3.2 GHz I see 42s normally but 36s when affinity set to core 0 or core 0,1.

Now Windows 8 has no such setting for affinity and at 2m it runs at 36s. This can be seen in task manager as instead of a shared load to cores at 25% it interleaves the load between cores at 100%.

The reason posting this here is pre-Win8 I stated that a CQD was something you would not want to do because of the performance hit. This is something that Win8 addresses. Now there is still though the heat issues though and with the x9100 the core can be overclocked higher providing better single thread performance. This enhancement noticeably makes the system snappier with a CQD................

Edit; I ran 3dmark06 with the CPU @ 2.66 GHz. On Win 7 it was 3818 CPU marks aand on Win 8 it was 4212 cpu marks at 3.2 GHz Windows 7 gives 4505 CPU marks and Windows 8 4927............

Edit2; I finally installed system tools to correct clock my GPU for windows 8. The GPU scores were not majorly different. maybe slightly higher in Windows 7 but not something that can be definately looked at with any significance.

So it appears a preliminary result is the new thread handling gives out about a 10% or better increase in performance for the CQD................

 

I should note with further research that all of the CPU enhancement comes with a new install. I tried just an upgrade and the cores were all at 25%. there still was a slight boost in performance but not as much so...............

 

I finally got my main production app installed to Windows 8, Canon DPP. So I had to try out and see if it were faster than the same version installed to Windows 7. I used the same 136 raw images converting them to JPG's.

To my surprise both ran the exact same times at 3.2 GHz, 10 minutes and 45 seconds. So it appears that with an application already highly optimized for multithread operations there is no perceivable difference with the new OS.

One thing of note is with our systems and DPCLAT the latency of Windows 8 hovers about 1,000 ms and with Windows 7 I get about 250ms. I haven't noticed any audio or video skipping but this may, and I stress may, be an issue.....

 

Windows 8 3DMark06 results, 3.2 GHz. Will try to add some others

 

thanks for the updates TANWare! Keep them coming!

 

Well 3.2 GHZ as a comparison. I did these as first pic Win 8 then second pic Win7, no affinity. I just ran the respective programs.

Just an FYI again multithread optimized, where proper affinity is used, seems to have no enhancement between Win 7 or Win8. I tested this with my one program that is truly optimized, Canon DPP............…

Edit; for those that had not noticed Aero runs with 3DMark06! Where with win7 it switches to basic with Win8 it does not. You can see this in the title bar from the pic................

Edit2; Tried 3DMark vantage but something, even at 2.66 GHz, causes the CPU to shut down to 1.60 GHz as if it overheats on CPU test #2. I use TS but Win8 will under heat still slow the CPU down rather than let it overheat. On CPU Test #1 there was no observed speed increase.

 

I am typing this from W8 and I have to say, it is VERY quick. Explorer is very fast and it seems like it is able to process bandwidth a lot better than W7.

Not crazy about the "start" page. Based on that alone, I predict that this will not go over well with business owners. The traditional office environment will never make use of something so clearly designed for touch screen monitors.

But, if they can release a business version that bypasses that fluff, it could be a viable option for the business world.

 

did you do an upgrade, new install or a dual boot?

 

I did a fresh install on a second drive I had. Did dual boot with the W7 install I already have. I do like the boot loader though. Would be interesting to see if it would boot OSX.

I managed to get OSX Lion installed on the computer too. Almost too easy to get it installed. But, I didn't feel like building DSDTs and modding my plist to get all the hardware working in synch. So I wiped it and downloaded W8. Played around with that and then got rid of it. The tiles page replacing the start menu is just too clunky for me. Maybe I am not used to it.

I do think everyone should give it a shot though. Some people may fall in love with it.

 

I just use the desktop. Yes it takes a few extra steps to get there but it works great from that point. If they fix the issues with HP printer software I would go exclusively with Windows 8. I never use the start button anyway so it is a non issue for me.

I am not sure if with the C2D there is a performance enhancement but there sure is with the CQD's. My question over at the M$ forum is can this thread enhancement be given to Windows 7 or at least from the upgrade of 7 to 8. Still no answer though.

 

I think Microsoft released the Win8 scheduler in a hotfix for Windows 7. Here is the link: An update is available for computers that have an AMD FX, an AMD Opteron 4200, or an AMD Opteron 6200 series processor installed and that are running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 It says it only affects some AMD CPUs, but I've heard a lot of people are getting increases on their i7 rigs. I don't know if this is the same hotfix though. Maybe someone can test it.

 

Good find. It does increase single thread handling by about 5%. I went on SuperPI from 40 seconds to 38 seconds. It did not however increase 3DMark06 CPU. I still get 4,450 or so where as with Windows 8 I get 4,950 or so. I'll take whatever I can get though.

I thought ir would change intelppm.sys but it didn't,not sure of the other changes but do know windows 8 uses a new intelppm.sys

Edit; ran using affinity set and still 36 seconds so this most likely will have no enhancement to C2D owners...........

Edit 2; I unistalled the CPU and let it reboot, this took SuprPI 2m from about 38.5 seconds to 38 even. I got a 37.890s on one run. 3DMark06 went from 4,450 to 4,515 too, not sure if this statistcally matters though. definately slightly better than before................

 

I found a quote from one of AMD's marketing managers, he said the hotfix averaged a 1-2% increase in performance for Bulldozer. But that if all the cores are already maxed out there is little or no improvement. He also said that the Win8 scheduler would have further improvements, which I guess is why you have a better 3DMark score on Win8, it doesn't look like Microsoft is porting the entire new scheduler to Win7.

There is one more hotfix, but it is specific for power save states on Bulldozer CPUs, I don't think it affects any others.

 

Yes it definitely is the scheduler. Originally M$ said there was no improvement that could be made period. I knew this to be wrong but they blamed the CPU's architecture for the issue as compared to iCore’s. I knew this was wrong and essentially what Windows 8 gives is what was possible.

I never asked for a miracle just proper scheduling to allow the cores to properly utilize their structure. The way it is, with Windows 8, it just allows for a better clock for clock performance to a C2D CPU for single threads and better multi thread scheduling to maintain the enhancement. It still isn’t an iCore but at least it is now no longer stumbling over itself.

With proper optimized multithread apps where affinity is used there is no speed enhancement at all..................

Edit; Corporate America is wonderfull. rather than say we screwed the pouch with CQD and all of AMD's architecture for years they will say, "Look what we have done for you now!" or they will just sweep it under the rug...................

 

There is aalso a parking update for bulldozer but this seems to have no effect for CQD's, I really did not expect it too. There is also definately the same speed enhancement with the Bulldozer as the CQD's as I am seeing of about 10% with windows 8 compared to the orginal Windows7 and prior scheduler. There is no reason for M$ not to be able to make the scheduler available to Windows 7. I'd have no issue, like in Windows 8, to give up affinity setting from task manager..............