Windows Vista on a Budget
Windows Vista comes loaded with a lot of new features and a slick new interface, but not without a price. Windows Vista is more demanding of a computer’s resources than it’s predecessor, Windows XP.
I recently purchased a "budget" laptop for $650. I did a lot of online research before going to a local store to purchase my new HP Pavilion 2175. The 5.3 lb, 14.1" wide screen notebook comes standard with:
- Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
- TL-58 Processor (AMD Dual Core 64-bit, 1.9 GHz)
- 2 GB RAM
- MCP67M Video Card
- 160 GB Hard Drive
- DVD Burner
- 5 in 1 card reader
- 3 USB ports
- S Video Port
- Firewire
The major selling point was the number of ports, which is unusual for a machine at this price point. Also important in my decision is the low heat output of this model., and also the low heat output.
These specs far exceed the minimum requirements to run Windows Vista, yet when I brought the machine home it felt sluggish. This was really noticeable whenever i had several programs running or was using multiple displays.
It’s no secret that the slick new AERO interface requires a lot of graphics power to run smoothly, so I paid careful attention to this when shopping.
I compared each model’s Windows Experience Index rating, which can be found by clicking Start –> Control Panel –> System and Maintenance –> Performance Information and Tools.
This new feature measures the capability of a computer’s hardware components, including processor, RAM, graphics, and hard disk. Each component is assigned a score ranging from 1.0 to 5.9, with the overall score being determined by the lowest scoring component.
Machines with a base score of less than 3.0 can run Vista, but generally aren’t powerful enough to run Windows Aero. Almost all of the laptops I looked at in my budget were 3.0 or less - mostly due to graphics.
The good news is that with a little fine-tuning Vista now runs like a champ on my new laptop. I was able to accomplish this without disabling the new AERO interface.
Up next:
Putting AERO on a diet
