Windows 7 review

Our final and definitive verdict on the best Windows operating system ever

Windows 7
Windows 7 will go on sale to the public on October 22 2009

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

To properly put Windows 7 through its paces, we ran real-world benchmarks on a Dell XPS M1330 and compared the differing results between Windows Vista, Windows 7 Release Candidate and the final Windows 7 RTM version.

Here are the results:

PC boot time

PC shutdown

pc hibernation

PC resume from hibernation

PC copy from

PC copy to

TOPICS
Contributor

Mary (Twitter, Google+, website) started her career at Future Publishing, saw the AOL meltdown first hand the first time around when she ran the AOL UK computing channel, and she's been a freelance tech writer for over a decade. She's used every version of Windows and Office released, and every smartphone too, but she's still looking for the perfect tablet. Yes, she really does have USB earrings.

Latest in Pro
An image of network security icons for a network encircling a digital blue earth.
US government warns agencies to make sure their backups are safe from NAKIVO security issue
Computer Hacked, System Error, Virus, Cyber attack, Malware Concept. Danger Symbol
Veeam urges users to patch security issues which could allow backup hacks
UK Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer
The UK releases timeline for migration to post-quantum cryptography
Gmail at 20
Your Gmail search results are about to get a huge change - and I'm not sure you're going to be happy with it
A person holding out their hand with a digital AI symbol.
Taking AI to the edge for smaller, smarter, and more secure applications
Image depicting a hand on a scanner
Hackers are targeting unpatched ServiceNow instances that exploit 3 separate year-old vulnerabilities
Latest in Reviews
Xiaomi 33W 10,000mAh Power Bank leaning on plinth on desk with pink background
I wouldn't take the Xiaomi 33W 10,000mAh Power Bank on extreme adventures, but it's great for my basic traveling needs
VQ Cath Kidston 5,000mAh Power Bank leaning on plinth on desk with pink background
The VQ Cath Kidston 5,000mAh Power Bank is one of the most stylish batteries I’ve seen, but it’s too slow for the price
Atomfall
I survived Atomfall’s testing countryside and became an ethically murky mercenary
TinEye website
I like this reverse image search service the most
Epos Expand Vision 5 Bundle main image
I tested the Epos Expand Vision 5 Bundle - read why this video conferencing solution is recommended
Biamp MRB-M-X400-T main image
I tested the Biamp MRB-M-X400-T - read what this meeting room solution is actually like