Well even if you don't use templates, the system still pulls out these templates.
PHP Code:
// templates to be included in every single page...
$globaltemplates = array_merge($globaltemplates, array(
// the really important ones
'header',
'footer',
'headinclude',
// ad location templates
'ad_header_logo',
'ad_header_end',
'ad_navbar_below',
'ad_footer_start',
'ad_footer_end',
// new private message script
'pm_popup_script',
// navbar construction
'navbar',
'navbar_link',
'navbar_noticebit',
'navbar_notifications_menubit',
// forumjump and go button
'forumjump',
'gobutton',
'option',
// multi-page navigation
'pagenav',
'pagenav_curpage',
'pagenav_pagelink',
'pagenav_pagelinkrel',
'threadbit_pagelink',
// misc useful
'spacer_open',
'spacer_close',
'STANDARD_ERROR',
'STANDARD_REDIRECT'
//'board_inactive_warning'
));
So even if you do or don't define $globaltemplates, you are still pulling out these templates still calling the query to get them.