aigomorla, it's interesting to see that even the upcoming 6 core gulftown (which I'm assuming you have overclocked quite nicely) cannot score a 7.9 on the CPU section.
I would hypothesize that the rating formula is setup on an exponential curve so to get that extra .2 for we may need to double the horsepower.
This would also explain several anecdotes I've read where people upgraded components only to see very small or no visible gains in the performance index, since if you are near the top of the exponential curve it takes a lot more to get to the next .1 increment.
I did read somewhere in an interview with one of the developers of the new index that an 8 core system would be in the ballpark for a max CPU rating.
It should be possible to extrapolate the curve if we were to chart enough datapoints on a the same processor architecture.
Anyways, this is my first post here and the reason I've been drawn in from my normal lurking mode is to post another hard drive 7.9 score.
This system is not by any means a god box but was still able to achieve a 7.7 overall rating once the HD bottleneck is taken out of the picture.
System specs:
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i7 920 @ 4.0 Ghz with an Asetek LCLC cooler (upgraded radiator fans)
2x Intel X-25 M (G2) 80 GB SSDs in Raid 0 (Using Asus P6T motherboard's onboard SATA Raid)
ATI 5850 HD 1GB
Regards,
Jason