System setup and notes
| System | Intel Core i5 661 LGA1156 | Intel Core i5 750 LGA1156 | Intel Core 2 LGA775 | AMD Phenom II X4 AM3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processors |
Intel
Core i5 661 (3.33GHz, 512KB L2, 4MB
L3, dual-core, £145 estimated
|
Intel
Core i5 750 (2.66GHz, 1MB L2, 8MB
L3, quad-core, £149
|
||
| Motherboard |
Intel
DH55TC (Intel H55 + ICH10R)
|
Intel
DH55TC (Intel H55 + ICH10R)
|
Intel
DG45ID (Intel G45 + ICH10R)
|
Gigabyte
MA785GPMT-UD2H (785G + SB710)
|
| BIOS revision |
0027
(19/11/09)
|
0027
(19/11/09)
|
0107
(24/06/09)
|
F4c
beta (12/11/09)
|
| Memory |
4GB
(2 x 2GB) Crucial DDR3-1333
|
4GB
(2 x 2GB) Crucial DDR3-1333
|
4GB
(2 x 2GB) Corsair DOMINATOR
CM2X2048-8500C5D
|
4GB
(2 x 2GB) Kingston HyperX KHX1600C8D3K2/4GX
|
| Memory timings and speed |
9-9-9-24-1T
@ DDR3-1,330MHz
|
9-9-9-24-1T
@ DDR3-1,330MHz
|
5-5-5-15-2T
@ DDR2-800MHz
|
9-9-9-24-2T
@ DDR3-1,607MHz
|
| Hard disk drive |
Seagate
1000GB SATAII (ST31000528AS)
|
|||
| Optical drive |
Samsung
SH-D163 SATA DVD-ROM
|
|||
| Motherboard software |
Intel
Inf 9.1.1.1020 + Matrix Storage Manager
9.5.0.1037
|
Intel
Inf 9.1.1.1020 + Matrix Storage Manager
9.5.0.1037
|
Intel
Inf 9.1.1.1020 + Matrix Storage Manager
9.5.0.1037
|
Standard
Vista SP1 drivers + AHCI 3.1.1540.127
|
| Graphics |
Intel
HD Graphics IGP
|
BFG
GeForce GT 220 512MB discrete
|
Intel
X4500 HD IGP
|
Radeon
HD 4200 IGP
|
| Graphics driver |
15.16.4.64.2008_PV
(8.15.10.2008)
|
ForceWare
195.62
|
15.16.2.64.1986_PV
(8.15.10.1986)
|
Catalyst
9.11
|
| Operating system |
Windows
7 RTM Ultimate, 64-bit
|
|||
| Power supply |
Corsair
CX400W
|
|||
| Monitor |
Dell
2405FPW/Dell 3007WFP-HC
|
|||
Software
| Benchmarks | ScienceMark 2.0 memory
latency SiSoft Sandra 2010 (16.11), float buffered HEXUS.PiFast calculation to 10m places StaxRip X.264 + AAC encoder - two-pass (both passes recorded) CINEBENCH R10 multi-CPU render 64-bit POV-Ray 3.7.0 beta 34 64-bit Company of Heroes: Opposing Forces v2.5 - DX9 and DX10 Call of Duty 4: MW v1.7.568 - DX9 Enemy Territory: Quake Wars v1.5 - OpenGL StaxRip X.264 + AAC encoder - two-pass and QuickTime 7.6.2 (multitasking) StaxRip X.264 + AAC encoder - two-pass and ET: QW, v1.5 (multitasking) Power-draw at idle and 2D load, as a platform |
|---|
Notes
What we're trying to do is to compare the Core i5 661 against a range of other processors in the same pricing bracket. The Core i5 750 (Lynnfield) is run on the same Intel DH55TC motherboard but requires a discrete graphics card as it doesn't support integrated graphics. We've chosen a GeForce GT 220 - a step up from modern IGPs - that costs from £45We've also chosen a couple of chips from Intel's Core 2 range, encompassing both dual-core and quad-core models. Again, pricing is similar to the '661, and both Core 2s are sat on top of an Intel G45 motherboard with previous-generation X4500 HD graphics. What the comparison will tell us is whether the Clarkdale CPU+GPU is a better bet than having a CPU-only chip and motherboard-mounted, integrated graphics.
AMD's chip pricing is such that we can justify including the top-of-the-range Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (125W), as well as a 65W 905e. Both are run on a Gigabyte 785G motherboard that has the latest Radeon HD 4200 IGP.
So it's Intel's newest dual-core against one other dual-core (E8500) and four quad-core CPUs. Then there's the comparison between Intel HD Graphics, X4500 HD, and Radeon HD 4200. Gaming tests are conducted at 1,024x768 low-quality settings.
Apart from the discrete card-toting Core i5 750, platform costs should be similar because the price of the CPUs is very similar, as is the cost of the underlying motherboards. The Intel Core 2 system is the only one to use cheaper DDR2, though.
We'll examine system-wide power-draw and overclocking, too.
