System setup and notes
| System | Intel LGA775 1333FSB system | AMD AM2 system |
|---|---|---|
| Processors | Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 (3GHz, 12MiB L2 cache, LGA775,
quad-core) |
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ (3.2GHz, 2MiB L2 cache, AM2,
dual-core) |
| Motherboard | ASUS P5E3 Deluxe WiFi-AP (Bearlake X38) | ASUS M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition (nForce 590 SLI) |
| Memory | 2GiB (2 x 1024) Corsair DDR3-1333 |
2GiB (2 x 1024) Patriot PC8000 XBLK |
| Memory timings and speed | 7-7-7-20 @ 1336MHz | 4-4-4-12 @ 800MHz |
| Graphics card(s) | NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX 768MiB | |
| Disk drive(s) | Seagate 160GB SATAII (ST3160812AS) | |
| Optical drive(s) | Sony DW-Q30A | |
| BIOS revision | 1.2B1 (05/22/2007) | 01/02/0 (0109) |
| Mainboard software | Intel Inf 8.4.0.1016 | NVIDIA nForce package 15.01 |
| Graphics driver | ForceWare 163.69 | |
| Operating system | Windows Vista Business 64-bit | |
| PSU | OCZ GameXStream 700W | |
| Monitor | Dell 2405FPW | |
Software
| Benchmarks | Sandra Lite 2k7 SP1 Build 2007.8.10.105 float buffered memory
bandwidth ScienceMark 2.0 32-bit Build 21MAR05 memory latency CPU-Z v1.41 HEXUS.PiFast LAME multi-threaded benchmark - 701.5MB file - encoded into 128kbps stereo. DivX 6.61 (existing DV avi source-file, home-theatre profile, 1700Kbps, insane-quality video, 40Kbps, Stereo, 16KHz Audio) CINEBENCH R10 POV-Ray 32-bit 3.7.0 BETA 21a - internal benchmark mode. Company of Heroes - 1024x768 Quake 4 1.30 SMP support enabled (low-end script - 1024x768 - demo001 recorded by HEXUS) Half-Life 2: Episode 2 - 1024x768 |
|---|
Notes
We've updated our benchmarking suite to the latest software builds at time of testing. Our operating system of choice is now Microsoft's Vista Business 64-bit. All benchmarks were run three times, the results averaged, and presented in the graphs on the following pages.
The comparison that's of particular interest is how the new Penryn-based QX9650 processor, operating at the same clock and FSB speed as the QX6850, compares to the fastest of the previous generation. Any performance increases will be directly attributable to enhancements present in the new core, obviously. We'll also be taking a look at power-consumption figures to see if the 45nm process of the QX9650 - also rated at a '6850-matching 130W - provides tangible benefits when running at full load.
AMD's desktop processor line-up is currently being revamped in the form of the Phenom - in dual-, tri-, and quad-core guises. Commenting on potential performance would be remiss until AMD samples HEXUS with final-silicon models.
Following on traditional set by previous Intel Extreme Edition processors, the QX9650 is likely to ship with a price-tag of around £600. We already know that it will usurp the QX6850 as the performance desktop processor of choice, but we've also added in numbers from an Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 - currently priced at around £115 - which dissects AMD's online pricing for the X2 6400+ Black Edition (£129) and X2 6000+ (£99), so please look out for those three numbers when comparing on a like-for-like financial basis.
We reckon that the Penryn-based processors of real interest will be lower-clocked models with reasonable prices, and we expect to see current 65nm processors simply and directly replaced by 45nm processors at each current price-point.
Enough prattling on, mate, let's get on to the benchmarks, Sandhu!
