In order of poorest to best performance numbers:
N.B that the last one is my live keyboard playback rig machine - it probably has had stuff turned off in the BIOS to improve performance (I forget; it's been awhile).
But I did not run the script I normally run when using it that (pretty ruthlessly) shuts down every last service that's not needed to run Cantabile + Ivory

, not even
sure Live would run in the face of all the stuff I like to shut down (that's an experiment for another day). So the machine was run with no special optimizations other than what may have been done at BIOS-level in the past; I left wireless radios on, no bluetooth on anybody, antivirus software still going, etc.
Just as a final note: the Macbook Pro is actually my machine for running Live, but...I'm not too surprised the Lenovo W520 beats it (if a 4 point difference is significant); the Lenovo is pretty much a snarling beast. The first Lenovo actually should have won, because it's hypothetically a faster machine (it's a software development laptp), but again, probably BIOS-level optimizations on the last one. Or maybe it's the RME soundcard? Don't know, but...the Mac had a Babyface, yet got a poorer score than the Lenovo using built-in sound hardware (I think the test specification of 512 samples kind of is intended to equalize out the impact of audio hardware).
No idea, but these are the numbers I got; I ran the test multiple times; peak numbers are reported.
1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 25
2) Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model? Mac Mini
3) Operating System? OSX Mountain Lion
4) Ableton Live version? Live 9 Demo
5) CPU Make, Model, and Speed? Intel Core i7 2.3 Ghz
6) Amount of Ram? 16 Gbytes
7) Soundcard (and driver version if you know it)? Built-in Core Audio driver

Hard Disk Drive Speed (if you know)? most likely 5400 rpm
9) Number of playback tracks? 8
1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 19
2) Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model? 4 year old homemade Windows box.
3) Operating System? Win 7 64 bit Ultimate
4) Ableton Live version? Live Demo 9
5) CPU Make, Model, and Speed? Intel Core i7 920 2.67 Gyz
6) Amount of Ram? 16 G
7) Soundcard (and driver version if you know it)? device mgr says 'ATI'. I have no idea, just whatever we built this box with.

Hard Disk Drive Speed (if you know)? 7200 rpm
9) Number of playback tracks? 8
1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 15
2) Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model? Macbook Pro 17 inch
3) Operating System? OSX Snow Leopard
4) Ableton Live version? Live 8 (licensed)
5) CPU Make, Model, and Speed? Intel Core i7, 2.4 Ghz.
6) Amount of Ram? 16 G
7) Soundcard (and driver version if you know it)? RME Babyface - latest drivers

Hard Disk Drive Speed (if you know)? Crucial M4 SSD
9) Number of playback tracks? 8
1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 13
2) Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model? Lenovo W520 laptop
3) Operating System? Windows 7 64 bit Pro
4) Ableton Live version? Live 9 Demo
5) CPU Make, Model, and Speed? Intel Core i7 - 2960XM - 2.7 Ghz
6) Amount of Ram? 32 Gbytes
7) Soundcard (and driver version if you know it)? built-in whatever

Hard Disk Drive Speed (if you know)? Crucial M4 SSD
9) Number of playback tracks? 8
1) Ableton Live CPU Meter % 11
2) Laptop/Desktop? Make/Model? Lenovo W520 laptop
3) Operating System? Windows 7 64 bit Professional
4) Ableton Live version? Live 9 Demo
5) CPU Make, Model, and Speed? Intel Core i7 - 2920XM - 2.5 Ghz
6) Amount of Ram? 16 G
7) Soundcard (and driver version if you know it)? RME HDSPe ExpressCard 34 with Multiface II breakout box

Hard Disk Drive Speed (if you know)? Crucial M4 SSD
9) Number of playback tracks? 8