This is a quick example to show X3e performance under Win7x64 vs. Win8.1x64:
http://www.studiocat.com/temp/Win7_vs_Win8.mp4

• i7 4790k @ 4.4GHzh
• Z97 chipset Motherboard
• Fully optimized for DAW purposes
• RME Babyface @ 64-sample ASIO buffer size 44.1k

To gauge DAW performance, I like to use a typical audio project instead of generic benchmarks.  
Many Cakewalk users have access to Jodi Good's "Where Did We Go"... so it's a nice/consistent project for test purposes.
 
To increase load on the CPU, I set the Babyface's ASIO buffer size to 64-samples (sample-rate at 44.1k to match the project).
 
Though certainly not a comprehensive example (didn't have time for that)... I think it makes the point pretty clear.
 
 
 

Thanks Jim.
 
It's good to know that when I finally have to migrate to Win8 that it will not be too big a step backwards.
 
:-)
 
BTW, I enjoyed seeing your bushy hair-doo in the reflections.

tl/dr?

In previous threads, I was saying that (on current generation hardware), there's very little performance difference between Win7x64 and Win8.1x64.
The video demonstrates that... using a test project that's available to many Sonar users.

thx, couldn't watch the vid ;-)

Interesting for sure.  thx.

Ya, video stalls and was super slow loading?? 2 pictures might have told the story a little less bandwidth wise// but I guess the results where close ,,, right? 

It does load slowly, so I just loaded the page and surfed on another tab for a while and when I came back I hit play and it was all there.

FWIW, You can go to www.studiocat.com/temp and right-click and choose to "Save Link As" to download the file "Win7_vs_Win8.mp4".
Once downloaded, you should be able to view without issue.
 
Although a couple of pics could have showed essentially the same thing, I wanted to show the transport running (at least for a short while), so you could see the results over a period of time.
 
Win8 CPU use is slightly higher (insignificantly so with current generation hardware)... but CPU use is more consistent/smooth than Win7.
 
Both Win7 and Win8 make fine DAW platforms.