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Review: Intel Core i7 - everything that Core 2 should have been - performance numbers

by Tarinder Sandhu on 3 November 2008, 09:31 4.0

Tags: Core i7, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), PC

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qapz5

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Gaming

CPU test - CoH: OF DX10 - 1,024x768
Intel Core i7 965 EEIntel Core i7 920AMD Phenom X4 9950 BEIntel C2E QX6800Intel C2E QX9770Intel C2Q Q9450Intel Core i7 940
220.2208.5155.4190.45215.5200.76214.1


CPU test - Quake 4 netdemo - 1,024x768
Intel Core i7 965 EEIntel Core i7 920AMD Phenom X4 9950 BEIntel C2E QX6800Intel C2E QX9770Intel C2Q Q9450Intel Core i7 940
361.34308.01197.41238.37317.45271.2329.04


CPU test - Enemy Territory: Quake Wars - 1,024x768
Intel Core i7 965 EEIntel Core i7 920AMD Phenom X4 9950 BEIntel C2E QX6800Intel C2E QX9770Intel C2Q Q9450Intel Core i7 940
136.4125.2105.37127.771138.1128


Please ignore the lack of QX9770 results here; our test system simply refused to run the processor and produce results.

There isn't much to choose between the Intel processors when looking at gaming at 1,024x768 - more of a subsystem test. The reason for this lies with how most games are threaded, or not as the case may be, and the more-powerful Core i7 CPUs are left twiddling their silicon thumbs with nothing to do.

The situation will change of course as more games take advantage of the concurrent threading on offer. Far Cry 2 being an example. However, for the most part, we'd recommend gamers on a budget stick with a Core 2 (dual-core) processor and put the extra money towards a better graphics card.

CPU test - Enemy Territory: Quake Wars - 1,680x1,050
Intel Core i7 965 EEIntel Core i7 920AMD Phenom X4 9950 BEIntel C2E QX6800Intel C2E QX9770Intel C2Q Q9450Intel Core i7 940
83.280.376.6381.27183.783.3


That advice is exemplified by looking at the results of Quake Wars: Enemy Territory, run at 1,680x1,050 with 4x AA and 16xAF.