| Test System Configuration | |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD FX-8150 (Bulldozer): 3.60 GHz, 2 MB L2 Cache Per Module, 8 MB Shared L3 Cache, Socket AM3+ |
| CPU Cooler | Sunbeamtech Core-Contact Freezer w/Zalman ZM-STG1 Paste |
| Motherboard | Asus Sabertooth 990FX, BIOS 1304 (07/20/2012) |
| RAM | Kingston KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX: 8 GB DDR3-1600 CAS 9-9-9-27 |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon HD 6950 2 GB: 800 MHz GPU, GDDR5-5000 |
| Hard Drive | Samsung 470 Series MZ5PA256HMDR, 256 GB SSD |
| Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Power | Seasonic X760 SS-760KM: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold |
| Software | |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1, Windows 8 RTM |
| Graphics | AMD Catalyst 12.8 |
| Chipset | AMD Platform Driver 3.0.825.0 |
We tested Windows 7 in two ways: first with Windows Update patches applied through August 2012, and then after adding Microsoft's hotfixes released shortly after Bulldozer's introduction. Those patches have to be installed manually, so our combination of configurations should demonstrate whether any automatic updates affect performance.
Carried over from our previous exploration of post-patch performance, Asus’ award-winning Sabertooth 990FX gets yet another firmware upgrade before participating in today’s tests.
We're throwing our full content creation and productivity benchmark suites, plus a few games, into testing the FX-8150. Heavily-threaded applications should demonstrate fairly similar performance between all three Windows configurations, since full utilization doesn't leave much room to improve scheduling. Programs that use fewer than eight threads are expected to enjoy the biggest boost from Microsoft's optimizations.
| Benchmark Configuration | |
|---|---|
| 3D Games | |
| Battlefield 3 | Campaign Mode, "Going Hunting" 90-second Fraps Test Set 1: Medium Quality Defaults (No AA, 4x AF) Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Defaults (4x AA, 16x AF) |
| DiRT Showdown | V1.0.0.0, In-Game Benchmark Test Set 1: Medium Quality Preset, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 8x AA |
| Skyrim | Update 1.5.26, Celedon Aethirborn Level 6, 25-seconds Fraps Test Set 1: DX11, Medium Details Defaults Test Set 2: DX11, Ultra-High Details Defaults |
| Adoby Creative Suite | |
| Adobe Photoshop CS6 (64-bit) | Version 13 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates |
| Adobe After Effects CS 6 | Version: CS5.5: Tom's Hardware Workload, SD project with three picture-in-picture streams, source video at 720p, Render Multiple Frames Simultaneously |
| Adobe Premiere Pro CS 5.5 | Video length 2 m 21s, Export to H.264 Blu-ray Source 960x720, Output 1280x720 |
| Adobe Acrobat X Professional | V10.0.0, PDF Creation from PowerPoint 2010 Presentation (3.6 MB) |
| Audio/Video Encoding | |
| iTunes | Version 10.4.1.10 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format |
| Lame MP3 | Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s) |
| HandBrake CLI | Version: 0.9.8, Video: Video from Canon EOS 7D (1920x1080, 25 frames) 1 Minutes 22 Seconds, Audio: PCM-S16, 48 000 Hz, Two-Channel, to Video: AVC1 Audio: AAC (High Profile) |
| MainConcept Reference | Version: 2.2.0.5440: MPEG-2 to H.264, MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG-2), Audio: MPEG-2 (44.1 kHz, Two-Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s), Codec: H.264 Pro, Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS), Profile: H.264 BD HDMV |
| Productivity | |
| Blender | Version: 2.62: Syntax blender -b thg.blend -f 1, Resolution: 1920x1080, Anti-Aliasing: 8x, Render: THG.blend frame 1, Cycles renderer and internal tile renderer (9x9) |
| Visual Studio 2010 | Compile Chrome project (1/31/2012) with devenv.com /build Release |
| Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 | V14.1.0.328 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, Frame 248, 1440x1080 |
| WinZip | Version 16.5 Pro: THG-Workload (1.30 GB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r" |
| WinRAR | Version 4.20.0.0: THG-Workload (1.30 GB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3" |
| 7-Zip | Version 9.28: THG-Workload (1.30 GB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" |
| ABBYY FineReader | Version 10.0.102.82: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages |

/s
Good article.
I paid $190 for my i5-3570K CPU, $90 for my Z77 gigabyte motherboard which out-does AMD 900 Series boards. Z77 have native USB 3.0, SATA 3.0, PCIe 3.0... AMD doesn't have PCIe 3.0 until 2014. And unless you get an A-Series CPU, you don't have native USB 3.0 either.
This, an AMD boards are a bit more costly and more complicated.
The OTHER AMD problem is that they are packaging clean CPU coolers with their CPUs... they are loud!! So add $25 for a good replacement. The extra costs for electricity doesn't help.
The Emperor's New Clothes
USB 3.0 might make a choice difference but for now PCIe 3.0 makes no difference.
Is anyone going to tell AMD they need to start over?
Any patching or hot fixes is the same as giving someone who is crippled a pair of crutches. And as the article pointed out; it is asinine to expect software to fix a hardware problem. If you think it should or can, then you are not qualified to give an opinion.
Just calling it the way I see it.
Then how do you explain the remarkable performance increase with OpenCL compression? Sometimes the software has to meet the hardware halfway.
I'm really uncomfortably with that.
why did you even upgrade from windows 98 ? windows XP didn`t had any real advantage over it at start ? or from XP to 7 ? And this topic is about something else , is not call "the reasons why StellCity1981 doesn`t want to upgrade to windows 8, we really don`t care.
Obv you cared enough to respond. lol
Um lets see for starters nothing supports windows 98 anymore and the fact that windows 98 can't use anything beyond 512mb let alone take advantage of multiple cores, USB 3.0 DirectX 11 and pci-e. I mean that should have been a no brainer question.
Windows XP can't take advantage of directX 11 and its 64bit support is weak at best not to mention Windows XP can't take full advantage of multiple cores and XP's support is being phased out etc..
Does that answer all your ignorant questions?
Yeah, if you already have the board and memory, its mostly logical. But for someone going for a rebuild... it is not, especially if you live near a Microcenter.
I paid $190 for my i5-3570K CPU, $90 for my Z77 gigabyte motherboard which out-does AMD 900 Series boards. Z77 have native USB 3.0, SATA 3.0, PCIe 3.0... AMD doesn't have PCIe 3.0 until 2014. And unless you get an A-Series CPU, you don't have native USB 3.0 either.
This, an AMD boards are a bit more costly and more complicated.
The OTHER AMD problem is that they are packaging clean CPU coolers with their CPUs... they are loud!! So add $25 for a good replacement. The extra costs for electricity doesn't help.
I disagree. Generally, yes, an i5-3570k platform is better to make a new build, Especially for a gamer who paid expensively for their electricity. But not if you want to build a workstation, has exclusively ~$200 for a CPU which can render fast and you don't really care about power and noise. I could recommend easily the PD for that user.
Perhaps a 3570k is $190 and Z77 is $90 in microcenter. But who knows that a 8350 can be lower than that or a 970 chipset can be lower. Native USB 3.0 and SATA 3.0 is not important, a ~$100 M5A97 R2 has that with an aftermarket controller. PCI-E 3.0 isn't either, because no 3.0 card will be bottlenecked by a 2.0 slot. AMD board are not more complicated and costly, this has been proved by the M5A97 R2. Yes, they have loud coolers, they are not suitable for overclocks but intel stock are not suitable too. It doesn't matter if you don't care of noise.
Maybe the software met the software?
OpenCL compression might just work better in W8, using whatever cpu, intel or AMD. Can confirm only after see intel cpus comparative, W7 vs W8. If intel cpus are the same using both OS, so point to AMD. If not... well, you know...