2,001 Tips
Applications
Diagnostics

Winutne 95

Never Feel Out of Sorts

In the Wintune 95 Database tab, click on any of the column headings to sort by that item. The first time you click the heading it will sort in ascending order; a second click on the same heading will sort in descending order.

Call Out Your Orders

When you generate a chart or report, the order in which the systems appear in the chart or report depends on the sort order from the Database tab. For example, if you want your chart to be sorted by increasing CPU megahertz, go to the Database tab and click the CPU Speed table heading to sort by increasing CPU speed.

Do the Right-Click Thing

Do you want to change the system name or notes on one of Wintune's database entries? Just use your mouse and right-click on the entry in the Database tab. You'll get a menu of actions you can perform, including delete, export or change properties.

Don't Sweat the Details

Wintune's Details tab delivers just what it says: a detailed view of all sorts of information about your system. On the left-hand part of the screen there's an Explorer-like tree view of the information, arranged by subsystem (System, CPU, Video, Disk, Memory and Apps). On the right is an explanation of the item you've currently selected. Click on any item on the left and you'll see an explanation on the right. If that's not enough information, click Tell Me More and you'll be taken to the detailed help file entry for that item.

One Test at a Time

It's usually best to run all of Wintune's tests once using the Analyze Now button on the Summary screen. Sometimes, though, all you want to do is run one test. Or, you may want to test a removable disk such as a Zip or Jaz drive, that Wintune doesn't test by default. To do this, go to the Details tab, right-click the test or disk drive you want to test, and select Run This Test.

Look at All the Tips

When your system is in good working order, you won't see most of the tips Wintune 95 can give you. If you're curious about the kinds of things Wintune can detect, go to the Details tab, right-click one of the analyzers (System, CPU, Video, Disk, Memory) and select Tell Me More. From there you'll be able to browse through the list of tips for each analyzer.

Check Your RAM Cache

Wintune 95 provides three tests that exercise a PC's RAM subsystem. The most useful one for checking the effectiveness of caches is the RAM Read test. To see the results, select your system in the Database tab, then click on the Charts tab and choose Memory Read Performance from the list box. You should see high performance at the 4KB and 8KB levels due to the CPU's internal cache, and a lower level of performance after that. Most systems will also have a slightly increased performance between 8KB and about 256KB thanks to a secondary RAM cache on the system board.

Get the Latest Test Results

Our Web site (http://www.winmag.com) has all the Wintune results for the systems we've tested in the past year, ready for you to download. You can import the data into a database file and use it for comparing to your existing system. It's also a handy tool for finding the best performers before you make a trip to the local computer store.

Importing Is a Drag-and-Drop

To import new results (WTX files) into your Wintune database, you can select File/Import. In most cases, though, it's easier to select the WTX files from your desktop or Explorer, drag them over to the Wintune window and drop them. Either way, the files you import will be placed into your database, ready for use in charts and reports.

Crunching Wintune Numbers

If you want fancier graphs or reports than Wintune provides, send the Wintune data to Clipboard and use another application to process it. From the Report or Database tab, type Ctrl+C or select Edit/Copy. The entire report or database table will be copied to Clipboard and can be pasted into an application such as Excel.

The Making of Wintune 95

Wondering how Wintune 95 was built, who built it, and what tools were used? Select Help/About from the menu and click the Credits button.

Choose and Compare Systems

Wintune 95's Database tab is also where you select the systems used for charts and reports. When you click on a system in the Database tab, it will be highlighted and a check will appear next to the entry. All the selected systems will be used when you move to the Charts or Reports tab.

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