Does removing your A/C really do that much?

This is for all you guys that have taken out your A/C. Has it actually given you a performance gain? And if it has, do you think its because of the weight drop or because there is one less thing for your engine to turn. I kinda dont want to lose my A/C so I was thinking that I could run a shorter belt and route it around the compressor (obviously in the months that i dont use it) if its not the weight that makes the differnce. Well anyone, please just let me know if you think the amount of power you have gained from removing it is actually worth losing the luxury of air conditioning. thanx a lot