Benchmarks: Encoding and System
For this benchmark, we're specifically testing the performance of Intel's Quick Sync technology by using CyberLink's MediaEspresso to convert an hour-long 720p movie clip to a 480x360 .mp4 file that's friendly with our BlackBerry Bold smartphones.
Quick Sync performance is fundamentally better on Ivy Bridge chips than on Sandy Bridge; the 3570K chip's processing speed is 32 per cent faster than the 2500K's.
Here's an interesting graph. The latest version of PCMark is designed to measure every aspect of PC performance save for gaming. The benchmark runs a myriad of tests that include tasks such as loading applications, viewing and editing photos, loading web pages, using home office applications, and entertainment tasks such as recording, viewing and transcoding video.
Going by the score posted by the Core i5-3570K chip running the video through its IGP, the HD 4000 Graphics make a solid case if the bulk of your multimedia activity is limited to general system tasks such as playing videos or transcoding file formats.
