Older, better hardware < Newer, worse hardware!?

#1

So my mom brings home a computer from work because the hard drive was clicking, telling me that she needed it to get checked out. I opened up this elegant, thin XPS 200 (built in 2005ish, XPS stands for Extreme Performance Systems) which is a brand name started by Dell where they implement batshit insane specs on these computers and sell them for a lot of money, to my understanding. While my mom was not around, I decided to look up the specifications of this neat computer, seeing if perhaps I could swap the RAM and the processor with my main desktops’ RAM and processor in order to, perhaps, gain a few cores in CPU power or better performance for the RAM.

I find out, lo and behold, that the processors have an identical socket (LGA 775), and the RAM is the same, except that the processor in the XPS is 3.0 GHz (according to my computer when I booted it up, but the Intel spec page says otherwise), dual-core, while my current processor was merely 2.8 GHz dual-core (2.6 GHz according to the Intel spec page). The RAM from both machines were completely identical, except that one had a heat protection thing on it and the other was a smaller stick of RAM (image; “new” RAM on bottom, “old” RAM on top).

So I move forward and swap the processor and RAM for both systems, brag about it being a funny joke on MITB IRC, etc. My computer runs fine, works out great, seems to be faster, until I run the Windows Experience Index (a way for Windows to numerically rate your hardware). The “old” specs on my desktop happened to be 5.9, 6.0, 6.2, 6.2, and 5.9 respectively for CPU, Memory, video, graphics, hard drive, etc. When I swapped the BETTER hardware into my desktop, the Index dropped significantly… I was down to 4.1, 4.9, 6.2, 6.2, and 5.9, even with the CPU and RAM being better in terms of processor speed and heat resistance.

So I guess What I’m looking for in terms of an answer is… why was the processor, which was faster, yet released in Q2’05 (compared to the other processor which was released in Q1’08) slower? Why was the heat protected RAM (bought years, and years ago) worse than the newer RAM with the same speed?

tl;dr: mom brought home computer from work and i swapped the hardware from the computer she brought home with my desktop because it was better in specs, but it turns out that it was way worse, perhaps due to age?

#2

better specs doesn’t necessarily mean better hardware

the only way to solve your dilemma is to run cpu benchmarks as well as benchmarks for games to figure out the best hardware for desktop use

#3

Are you sure the processors are from the same generation?
It’s well possible that one of them is a different generation processor, but still uses the same socket, and that would, I guess, explain the difference.

#4

This thread is funny to me because I have this same exact xps 200 sitting right next to me

#5

[quote=“mwiebelhaus, post:4, topic:428235”]This thread is funny to me because I have this same exact xps 200 sitting right next to me[/quote]Windows Experience Index ratings?

#6

[quote=“zachera, post:5, topic:428235”][quote author=mwiebelhaus link=topic=530926.msg3878363#msg3878363 date=1325821243]
This thread is funny to me because I have this same exact xps 200 sitting right next to me
[/quote]Windows Experience Index ratings?[/quote]

Doesnt have a harddrive right now I can probably tell you next week.

#7

[quote=“mwiebelhaus, post:6, topic:428235”][quote author=zachera link=topic=530926.msg3879143#msg3879143 date=1325890770]

Doesnt have a harddrive right now I can probably tell you next week.[/quote]What was the ratings like when you had stock hardware in?

#8

[quote=“zachera, post:7, topic:428235”][quote author=mwiebelhaus link=topic=530926.msg3879266#msg3879266 date=1325900487]

[quote author=zachera link=topic=530926.msg3879143#msg3879143 date=1325890770]

I dont exactally remember but they were pretty good except for the video card

Doesnt have a harddrive right now I can probably tell you next week.
[/quote]What was the ratings like when you had stock hardware in?[/quote]