Aero's effect on 3D Performance

[flutie98]

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/...ce/default.asp

good little mini review, guess Microsoft made a good move

[Revv23]

finnally, i couldnt seem to find any info at all on vista... i dont want to try it blindly and i didnt want to be a beta tester ( though im sure if i am an early adopter i will be anyways, just i will pay MS to be one haha)

[nn_step]

in summation it doesn't matter if you use Aero, because it turns off when other things need the GPU

[lowfat]

nice to see

[aintz]

as expected. some results even went up lol

[Timmay]

Does anyone have a really good link that has heaps of info on this Aero thing?

[nn_step]

Does anyone have a really good link that has heaps of info on this Aero thing?

well this is always a wonderful starting source
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...a/WhatsNew.asp
and wiki has a nice article too
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Aero

[Revv23]

ok i finnaly went to the store and messed around with Vista.

can someone explain this to me?

I can't find anything different at all.

I mean, OK, interface is in 3D(a gimmick anyways IMO). And the my documents folder is reorganized. Is that why you pay $500? I can't seem to find anything else thats really different... Oh yeah, they added widgets, something ive had for almost 4 years now, but wait, widgets are annoying and useless. Certainly its probably more secure for most users as it has better malware protection but I know how to take care of my XP so i dont get malware anyways. Is there any reason for the enthusiast to upgrade?

So besides aero whats new about vista? Because I dont see any reason to upgrade whatsoever.

Crysis maybe but im not paying $500 for one game. XSOS kthanks.

Edit - To clarify, Vista is better then XP interface wise, but not $500 better. maybe like $20 better... i feel like its just XP with a new theme.

[Timmay]

Thanks NN.

[nn_step]

ok i finnaly went to the store and messed around with Vista.

can someone explain this to me?

I can't find anything different at all.

I mean, OK, interface is in 3D(a gimmick anyways IMO). And the my documents folder is reorganized. Is that why you pay $500? I can't seem to find anything else thats really different... Oh yeah, they added widgets, something ive had for almost 4 years now, but wait, widgets are annoying and useless. Certainly its probably more secure for most users as it has better malware protection but I know how to take care of my XP so i dont get malware anyways. Is there any reason for the enthusiast to upgrade?

So besides aero whats new about vista? Because I dont see any reason to upgrade whatsoever.

Crysis maybe but im not paying $500 for one game. XSOS kthanks.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/n...taBeta1FS.mspx
the long and the short is: the addition of Aero, finally added a prefetch, and a boatload of attempts at protecting the kernel

[flutie98]

and a new installation system, which works quite well

[Vapor]

New networking subsystem (great...really is....if you have any network problems ever, or want to configure a good, simple and safe personal file sharing network), new audio subsystem (control the volume of applications independently, including Windows sounds....multiple sound cards also work fine now), new interface (big deal for me....also reduces what little GUI load there is, but it helps), a better search (which, IMO, is significantly worse, although faster.....it has problems searching in the middle of a word).

[Revv23]

thanks vapor....

I guess i just need to wait for the price to come down, those are all good things for me, but not $500 good.

[cantankerous]

Why not just get the OEM version? It is half the price of the retail.

[phi|os]

Is it so hard to believe that one 3D application can be turned off when any other is turned on?

[Soulburner]

thanks vapor....

I guess i just need to wait for the price to come down, those are all good things for me, but not $500 good.

Where are you paying $500?

Vista Home Premium Retail is $239 and OEM is 1/2 of that.

[xlink]

I like playing games windowed, it makes alt+tabbing easier...

so this pretty much means nothing to me since aero would still be running... unless I dedicate a PCI card just for it and maybe another monitor or two..

[phi|os]

I like playing games windowed, it makes alt+tabbing easier...

so this pretty much means nothing to me since aero would still be running... unless I dedicate a PCI card just for it and maybe another monitor or two..

Dude...have you read anything? If there is a 3D application running, aero turns off...there is no 3D performance penalty, AT ALL by running aero. Yes, all gasp to see that M$ accomplished something cool.

[ahmad]

Aero does not use the CPU/Memory to do its fancy work, rather uses the GPU. Thats why there is no difference...

I am downloading my version of Vista right now (Business DVD). 100% legal with my own key.

[xlink]

Dude...have you read anything? If there is a 3D application running, aero turns off...there is no 3D performance penalty, AT ALL by running aero. Yes, all gasp to see that M$ accomplished something cool.

have you read it?

when you're running a FULL SCREEN 3d app aero, which can no longer be seen turns off...

[Thorry]

Also:

The new file manager interface is pretty nice (more functions), it's very good.

The kernel is now more a micro-kernel with modules attached to it so you don't have to restart after a driver install (though not many drivers support this, but that's the manufactors fault, not MS).

Aero looks nice, and because it uses the GPU (otherwise not used) it takes a load of the CPU and memory. Also the Windows + TAB function is nice (but not that useful). However the preview in the taskbar (hold mouse over task in taskbar) is useful. When you have many windows open with a lot of same names you can directly see which window it is so you don't have to click on all of them. So is the preview in ALT+TAB.

The sound subsystem is nice.
The error reporting feature is great (much better as in XP).

You get more software with the OS and there are more improvements.

Anybody who says Windows Vista is the same as Windows XP is talking nonsense, what ya think Microsoft has been smoking weed all these years?

Vista is very nice.

[phi|os]

have you read it?

when you're running a FULL SCREEN 3d app aero, which can no longer be seen turns off...

Windowed 3D app still counts as full screen. I'll test it for ya, that way you can rest assured there are no loop holes. I don't think you get the point, that this OS is intended to NOT stand in the way of gaming, but only to ameliorate how closely the 3D application and GPU communicate. I don't think M$ would be that stupid to let such a mistake happen. Have you even used and tried this?

[ahmad]

Also:

The new file manager interface is pretty nice (more functions), it's very good.

Is it as good as Total Commander?

[MaxxxRacer]

wow. im shocked at how well aero is eliminated when a 3d app is run.

[Thorry]

Is it as good as Total Commander?

Dunno, I don't use total commander.

I would say it's just as good (but prolly different), but I haven't used a commander since Norton Commander back in the DOS days.

I've never felt the need for another file manager, so I wouldn't know.

Just find out for yourself :P