When I read that Borg started using Application Variables for Active users I knew the program would be faster so I decided to test it.

I use the Microsoft Application Center Test program against all web pages I do, especially after changes. 

This program allows you to feed it a web page on your machine and tells you how many requests per second your machine can handle on that 1 page.

What I've done is setup a bare bones forum install on my machine of v7.51, v7.51a and now v7.6. I use the SQL Server version and setup a separate database for each version.

Now the requests per second that you or I get are really not that important because we have much different machines and certainly different from our web hosts machines.  But when you use this program, you use it relative to how many requests per seconds you get for other asp pages on your same machine. How I tested:

Set up each forum per the instructions.  Added 1 category and 1 forum in each version. Added 1 user to each forum.  Added 1 topic post to each forum(same to each).  Added 1 topic reply(from admin & same to each).

I then run the test calling up the home page in each forum. (repeat 3 times each and average)

Results:
7.51 - 40 requests per second
7.51a - 39 requests per second
7.6 - 64 request per second (roughly 60% faster)

Bare in mind, my goal was not to stress load the program, just to bare bone speed test it.

FYI - I've got an Asus A7N8X Deluxe w/2500+ Athlon & 512k ram.
I've also come up with what I call my "Base Results" for requests per second for my machine.  I simply test an .asp page with nothing on it but the following:
<% response.write "Hello World!" %>

On my development machine, I get 363 requests per second.  So for me, I watch that number go down from there as I start to add more code.  363 is my base.

FYI,

In all my testing that I've ever done on asp, for speed you need to

1) Minimize database calls
2) Use application variables
3) Don't be afraid to use session variables.  If used smartly, they are fine to use.  I just don't buy the talk about "Don't ever use session variables".  Now if you are running an MSN or Yahoo site, that may be true, but for 99.9 of us, smart use of session variables is fine, and will not only make your programming easier, but faster.

It comes with Visual Studio.net Enterprise.  I don't think you can buy it by itself, I remember someone asking that at a seminar once.  But I'm not really sure.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/act/htm/actml_main.asp - http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/e n-us/act/htm/actml_main.asp

Search in google for "Microsoft Application Center Test" and you'll find sites that show tutorials on the product.