Futuremark 3DMark Vantage	Source: FutureMark

3DMark Vantage is a PC benchmark suite designed to test the DirectX10 performance of your graphics card. We’ve been making 3DMark for over 10 years, with each new edition using the latest 3D technology to determine real-world performance. A 3DMark score is an overall measure of your system’s 3D gaming capabilities, based on comprehensive real-time 3D graphics and processor tests. By comparing your score with those submitted by millions of other gamers you can see how your gaming rig performs, making it easier to choose the most effective upgrades or finding other ways to optimize your system.

The Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (125W) and the Core i5 750 are again neck and neck in Futuremark's 3DMark08 Vantage.

Futuremark 3DMark08 Vantage 1.0.1 - Windows 7 Performance Overall: (P) Ranking Intel Core i7 920 7817 Intel Core i5 750 7516 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 6567 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (140W) 7493 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (125W) 7487 AMD Athlon II X4 620 7087 AMD Athlon II X3 435 6802 AMD Athlon II X2 240e 5974 CPU Score: Points Ranking Intel Core i7 920 16555 Intel Core i5 750 12335 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 6240 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (140W) 11777 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (125W) 11812 AMD Athlon II X4 620 8789 AMD Athlon II X3 435 7162 AMD Athlon II X2 240e 4527

Windows 7 giveth and Windows 7 taketh away. In this case performance scores are slightly higher across the board when compared to Windows Vista.

Futuremark 3DMark06 1.1.0	Source: FutureMark

3DMark06 is the worldwide standard in advanced 3D game performance benchmarking. A fundamental tool for every company in the PC industry as well as PC users and gamers, 3DMark06 uses advanced real-time 3D game workloads to measure PC performance using a suite of DirectX 9 3D graphics tests, CPU tests, and 3D feature tests. 3DMark06 tests include all new HDR/SM3.0 graphics tests, SM2.0 graphics tests, AI and physics driven single and multiple cores or processor CPU tests and a collection of comprehensive feature tests to reliably measure next generation gaming performance today.

Higher results are better.

Futuremark 3DMark06 1.1.0 - Windows Vista Overall: Points Ranking Intel Core i7 920 15134 Intel Core i5 750 14877 Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 13789 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 10196 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (140W) 15360 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (125W) 15475 AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 15060 AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition (DDR2) 9618 AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition (DDR3) 9609 AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition 12830 AMD Athlon II X4 620 12526 AMD Athlon II X3 435 12924 AMD Athlon II X2 250 12391 AMD Athlon II X2 240e 11708 CPU: Points Ranking Intel Core i7 920 4658 Intel Core i5 750 4155 Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 2928 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 2805 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (140W) 4560 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (125W) 4814 AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 4446 AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition (DDR2) 3281 AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition (DDR3) 3271 AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition 2490 AMD Athlon II X4 620 3675 AMD Athlon II X3 435 3275 AMD Athlon II X2 250 2424 AMD Athlon II X2 240e 2277

3DMark06 doesn't stress multiple cores as well as 3DMark08 Vantage does, so the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (125W) pulls ahead of the Core i5 750 and Core i7 920 processors in this test.

Futuremark 3DMark06 1.1.0 - Windows 7 Overall: Points Ranking Intel Core i7 920 15124 Intel Core i5 750 14826 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 13274 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (140W) 15420 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (125W) 15422 AMD Athlon II X4 620 12447 AMD Athlon II X3 435 12798 AMD Athlon II X2 240e 11661 CPU: Points Ranking Intel Core i7 920 4656 Intel Core i5 750 4140 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 2794 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (140W) 4761 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (125W) 4762 AMD Athlon II X4 620 3650 AMD Athlon II X3 435 327 AMD Athlon II X2 240e 2282

No real change in Windows 7. If you own a processor made in the past two or three years, you'll likely get as good performance out of Windows 7 as you did out of Windows Vista.