How Windows rate netbook CPUs

This analysis shows how Windows rate different netbook processors

We know Windows Vista and 7 have a built-in rating mechanism for rating various system components of the PC including the processor, graphics, RAM, hard drive etc. A hardware having a better score will essentially run smoother than one with a lower score.

Yogatech did a study of this rating on different netbook processors and this can well be a handy guide in buying your next ultraportable. They examined 10 Intel and 4 AMD ultraportable processors and you can see the graph on the right to have an idea of what Windows thinks of these.

The CULVs are clearly more powerful than the Atom and likes. But within Atoms there are some interesting results. For example, the 1.6GHz N270 gets a higher rating than the faster 1.66GHz N280 and the Pineview 1.66GHz N450 – which is surprising. Again, although N450 consumes has the highest TDP of 5.5 watt but because it combines both the CPU and GPU inside the same die – it turns out to be more energy efficient overall.

Among the 14 processors, the Z520 expectedly gets the lowest ranking of 1.9 and on the other extreme is the AMD Athlon 64 X2 L335 with 4.1 .