Review: Windows 10 RTM - Intel Atom (GMA 500)

Finally I decided to test the rtm version of Windows 10 Home 32 bit (Updated Sept 2015) and here there are my considerations.
The Intel Atom Z520 cpu and gma 500 aren't the best hardware for running this new OS but anyway with some tweak you can run it with enough satisfaction a basic Windows 10.


Let's start:
Min System Requirements:
-CPU 1GHz or faster with PAE,NX and SSE2
-RAM 1GB (32bit version)
-Hard Disk 16GB (32bit version)
-Graphic Card DirectX 9 with a WDDM driver

Test Device: Asus 1101HA with Intel Atom Z520 @1.33MHz, 2GB, Hardisk @5400rpm

Installing on my fresh cleaned hardisk ,i've immidiately found a bug on installer. Like in Inseder preview, is not possible to disable all functions in the setup (the installer will restart) so I've used common settings.
At the first boot (without any driver) there is something that isn't working correctly: CPU usage isn't costant in idle so i've started my optimization.
 
Installed Programs:
-All Suggested Updates until 08 sept 2015
-Adobe Flash Player for Qupzilla
-Qupzilla
-Video Driver Iemgd 1.18
-Optimus IEMGD 1.2 (internal test)
-Winrar
-K-lite codek pack 1140 LAV+DXVA2+Render stock
-Asus suite driver package by me (Asus ACPI, Asus SHE,Synaptics Driver). On Win 8.x and 10 synaptics driver uses 3% CPU always, it's a software problem. To solve it, if you don't need gestures, go to scheduler and disable synaptics autorun.

Reducing CPU,RAM and HD Stress
-Enabled hyperthrading
-Fixed Boot Settings because still win 8.1 option was present  (easyBCD tool)
-Disabled onedrive autorun
-Local account (suggested because preserve RAM,CPU and your Privacy)
-Avalon/WPF Disabled + no filter
-System V-sync Disabled
-Disabled 3 services
-Disabled milions of settings in settings\privacy ect
-Disabled UAC
-Setted no trasparent color for windows bar and start menu (i've also resized it)
-Disabled Windows Defender (reduce CPU stress; with No Defender tool but probably works also Winaero one)
-KMS for win 10 (with a fresh install you need a product key..so let's use warez)
-No hd buffering cache
-Qupzilla setted with: no scroll animations, chrome theme, enlarged cache,no osd,ect
-Disabled Synaptics Software Autorun from Scheduler
-Disabled Cortana (reduce CPU,RAM stress and improve your Privacy
-Disabled momentarily Fast Boot to renable SHE overclock at 30% (only for Asus 1101HA)
-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop|"MenuShowDelay"="0"
-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse|"MouseHoverTime"="0"
-Disabled Notification Center: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer DWORD:DisableNotificationCenter =1
-Disabled Windows Defender notification
-Disabled Microsoft Visual Effects too heavy for GMA500
-Removed Store and Windows App (film and TV ect,ect. My device doesn't have enough power for HTML5) via Powershell command
-Removed OneDrive link from start menu
-Disabled Windows Update
-Superfetch setted registry value: 2=Only on boot (i know it is usefull but when HD is above 80% of usage system is slow: hardware limit )
-Removed all password requests

Initial Results:
It is faster than win 8.1 and Win 7
CPU usage in idle 5'min after boot =  2%
RAM usage in idle 5'min after boot =  30%
Hardisk space 11.6GB
Adele set fire HD fullscreen and windowed youtube @1.33GHz with Multipler x10 = 10-12 fps
Adele set fire HD fullscreen youtube @1.74GHz with Multipler x10= 10-14 fps
Adele set fire 480p fullscreen and windowed youtybe @1.74GHz with Multipler x10= 13-16 fps
As always no hardware opengl supported and restart pc causes BSoD with intel embedded driver
Few glitches
Reduced  compatibility with old games: FIFA 2002 demo crash, GTA III really low fps also after update the diretx SDK. Note. Version of diretx used by gpu in win 10 is 9Ex.
System stability and multimedia work Good! Anyway embedded video driver works a little better with win 7, expecially for opengl and old game.
This test is only to show how is possible to optimize windows, but is too extreme because it leaves the core system. Without many services system is faster than windows 7 but you will only have an updated GUI OS with many problems with old programs and worst gpu performance. I still love windows 7 home premium 32bit
Bugs\Info with Intel Embedded driver for GMA 500:
-Restarting PC causes BsoD (IEMGD problem) Seems to be bugfixed in newer release
-Metro Video App doesn't use Hardware rendering anyway desktop mediaplayer uses it
-No Hardware OpenGL rendering (you can still use MESA3D OpenGL but are software accelerated and so slow)
+Using QupZilla,as web browser, Adobe Flash Player uses hardware rendering for Video decoding and rendering (so supported HD videos on youtube).Strange behaviour of Adobe Plugins: The performance are really slow with Chrome and Internet Explorer where Video decoding is software while in FireFox and Opera is hardware.
-HTML5 Videos are not supported by GPU so only an intel Z540 can play this format quickly.
-Cold system boot with IEMGD Driver: 25' sec (on win 8.1 = 40')
-RAM usage with few tips and IEMGD Driver 32% (on win 8.1=  range 35-40%)
-More stable than Win 8 with Embedded Video Driver
-Better performance than Win 8 (GMA 500 works better with Windows 7)
-My package Asus Suite Driver works correctly (overclock and Fn functions)



Still need to check if it is possible:
-Remove Windows Feedback app or link in start menu
-Remove Contact Support app or link in start menu
-Remove Cortana app or link in start menu

Still not performed: 
-Disable some service
-No windows indexer
-Fix paging file

Edit. Retested Jan 2021 Nothing more to say require a lot of time to disable services. Not suggested! Disable DWM mode is changed in years, it is still disable but with a lot of problems. Remember the best OS of this soc is Windows 7 where you can play with xpdm or wddm driver and optimize tasks

2 commenti:

  1. If you have to chose, what version would you advise to run in our ASUS1101? XP, 7 or 10?
    Thanks!

    RispondiElimina
    Risposte
    1. really hard question!
      GMA500 works better on Windows 7 but anyway Win10 is faster for read/write documents/files.
      summary
      -windows xp is good for multitasking but really poor support for video decoding (so i suggest it for only 1gb Ram devices)
      -win7 home premium 32bit, takes all the advantages of dxva 2.0 decoding and so is good for videos/streaming
      -win10 (edited like i wrote in this post) is good for read/write documents/files but loose some performance is video rendering and also loose the ability to reproduce opengl games(optimus iemgd tool can help but speed in rendering isn't good); forward there are some problem with restart pc function and some glitches (optimus iemgd tool,in feature, will apply some workaround to the system to reduce it).
      so i suggest win 7!..anyway i'm using,since 3 months, win10 for my tests with few problems.
      install them in dual boot and then chose one of them :)

      Elimina