Windows 7 to Extend Notebook Battery Life

[dhilipkumar]

Windows 7 to Extend Notebook Battery Life

According to jkOnTheRun, notebooks running on a pre-beta version of Windows 7 use less power compared to systems on Windows Vista.

Various tests were run since Microsoft's new operating system was launched into pre-Beta. To test power draw, a setup comprised of two identical machines (one on Windows 7 and another on Vista) played DVDs at the same time. While the computer running on Vista drew 17 watts, the one on Windows 7 used only 13 watts of power.

This result could lead to at least 11 percent more battery life (which means a minimum of 20 minutes to an hour more battery life). Microsoft claims the results are not system-dependent; the company also allegedly ran similar tests using other systems and the new OS apparently fared better regardless of the hardware. Engadget reports that the low power draw stemmed from Microsoft tweaking the Windows 7 kernel which allows longer idling time for the CPU and even allows it to run at lower frequency.

This video from Engadget explains Windows 7's low battery draw.