Windows 8 Benchmarks Banned by HWBot

[jmt]

Article

TL;DR: Microsoft reconfigured the RTC in Windows 8 for low-end devices and it causes the RTC to be off when the BCLK is adjusted. Benchmarking programs utilize the RTC to measure performance over time. If the RTC reports 5 minutes, but the actual run time was 5 minutes and 12 seconds, the benchmark would report higher performance than it should.

Interesting read. I realize this isn't the sole reason for the claim, but I'm curious as to how much this has to play in with Windows 8 being "faster" for gaming, etc.

Add: It happens when the BCLK is adjusted after the computer has booted into Windows (ie: via software).

[vesseblah]

I realize this isn't the sole reason for the claim, but I'm curious as to how much this has to play in with Windows 8 being "faster" for gaming, etc.

You missed this little bit from the end of that article before putting on your tinfoil hat...

The moderator also says they don’t think that this flaw in the Windows 8 RTC is being actively exploited, but it’s obviously a case of better-safe-than-sorry.

[tielknight]

You missed this little bit from the end of that article before putting on your tinfoil hat...

Plus this doesn't really have anything to do with it being better for gaming, it mostly has to do with people chasing benchmarks.
It still handles gaming better than Win7.

[Ishayu]

Plus this doesn't really have anything to do with it being better for gaming, it mostly has to do with people chasing benchmarks.
It still handles gaming better than Win7.

Not on my rig it didn't. It was exactly the same.

[tielknight]

Not on my rig it didn't. It was exactly the same.

Two systems with the same specs & setup will generally run a game better under Win8 than 7 because it is better optimized. Sure there are games that don't and some that run the same and even some that don't run at all, but the general consensus is that it can run the majority of games better.

[Drunkenvalley]

Two systems with the same specs & setup will generally run a game better under Win8 than 7 because it is better optimized. Sure there are games that don't and some that run the same and even some that don't run at all, but the general consensus is that it can run the majority of games better.

The benefits are largely marginal for games.

Anyhow, more importantly this RTC issue was only an issue if you changed the clocks after booting. Which meant that by lowering the BCLK but raising the multiplier would increase the time the benchmark took and very likely give you a bit better of a score, is the idea.

[Azgraal]

My computer, ever since i upgraded from Win7 to Win8, still has the same hardware, still has virtually the same drivers (albeit on the correspondent OS version) and has increased its performance on WoW. I went from having 15 FPS at peak time at the Shrine to having 40-50 FPS, which the very same settings.

On the other hand, Darksiders II now stutters a little bit...

[tielknight]

The benefits are largely marginal for games.

Anyhow, more importantly this RTC issue was only an issue if you changed the clocks after booting. Which meant that by lowering the BCLK but raising the multiplier would increase the time the benchmark took and very likely give you a bit better of a score, is the idea.

So the score would look better even though it was lowered? Well ain't that......illogical as hell but is kinda odd that it does that in the first place. You think that would only be able to be done the low-end devices and not be able to do it across all the available platforms.

[Drunkenvalley]

So the score would look better even though it was lowered? Well ain't that......illogical as hell but is kinda odd that it does that in the first place. You think that would only be able to be done the low-end devices and not be able to do it across all the available platforms.

The lower BCLK wouldn't affect your overclock much, and may allow for some multiplier compensation. Overall it's probably a bit less performance, but because of the overclock while underclocked (...yeah, let's not try and think about that expression much) allows for the benchmark to supposedly run longer, allowing more work to be done before the normal time limit is reached.

That's the rough idea at least. It's not necessarily practical and won't necessarily guarantee an increased score.

- - - Updated - - -

My computer, ever since i upgraded from Win7 to Win8, still has the same hardware, still has virtually the same drivers (albeit on the correspondent OS version) and has increased its performance on WoW. I went from having 15 FPS at peak time at the Shrine to having 40-50 FPS, which the very same settings.

Yeah, no, I'm not going to take that as truth sorry.

[Azgraal]

Yeah, no, I'm not going to take that as truth sorry.

Suit yourself, it's not like i'd be getting something for lying. *shrug*

[jmt]

Suit yourself, it's not like i'd be getting something for lying. *shrug*

That sort of example probably had more to do with drivers or something interfering on your Windows 7 install.

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What I was getting at is: if FPS is calculated using the RTC and the adjustment causes each second in Windows 8 to actually be slightly more than a second, will it yield higher FPS scores?

Admittedly, software knowledge is not my strong suit. It's speculation on my part, but it does make me curious.