I've attached the archive
fsum.zip to this mail. It contains a test program for AVX instructions under 32-bit Windows. It sums up an array of float values and measures the calculation time. That's the programs output under Windows 7-32, SP 1 as virtual machine under VirtualBox:
Calculating the sum of a float array in different ways.
That'll take a little while. Please be patient ...
Simple C implementation:
------------------------
sum1 = 8390656.00
Elapsed Time = 13.55 Seconds
C implementation with 4 accumulators:
-------------------------------------
sum2 = 8390656.00
Elapsed Time = 6.89 Seconds
Performance Boost = 197%
Assembly Language with 4 XMM accumulators:
------------------------------------------
sum3 = 8390656.00
Elapsed Time = 1.15 Seconds
Performance Boost = 1176%
Your current CPU doesn't support the AVX instruction set.
The application terminates now.
No AVX support is available with that configuration. But that's tricky. CPU-Z indicates AVX:

In the compatibility mode under Windows 7-64, SP 1 the same application gives that output:
Calculating the sum of a float array in different ways.
That'll take a little while. Please be patient ...
Simple C implementation:
------------------------
sum1 = 8390656.00
Elapsed Time = 13.04 Seconds
C implementation with 4 accumulators:
-------------------------------------
sum2 = 8390656.00
Elapsed Time = 6.52 Seconds
Performance Boost = 200%
Assembly Language with 4 XMM accumulators:
------------------------------------------
sum3 = 8390656.00
Elapsed Time = 1.11 Seconds
Performance Boost = 1173%
Assembly Language with 4 YMM accumulators:
------------------------------------------
sum4 = 8390656.00
Elapsed Time = 0.77 Seconds
Performance Boost = 1701%
The frame is written in C and compiled with gcc. With a few minor changes it should compile with MSVC, too. The dirty work is made by the assembly language procedures. Those are assembled with jWasm, but ml should work, too. I've provided the full source.
Some test results by other members under different environments would be fine.
Gunther