Test System Configuration And Benchmarks
| Current $500 PC System Test Configuration | ||
|---|---|---|
| Component | Base Settings | Overclock Setting |
| CPU | Intel Pentium G850 (Sandy Bridge), 2.9 GHz, LGA 1155, 3 MB Shared L3 Cache, Power-saving features enabled | Unchanged |
| CPU Cooler | Intel Boxed Heat Sink and Fan | Unchanged |
| Motherboard | ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP, Intel H77 Express, BIOS P1.40 (09-21-2012) | Unchanged |
| RAM | 8 GB G.Skill DDR-1333 Kit 2 x 4 GB, CL 9-9-9-24 1T at 1.585 V | DDR3-1333, CL 7-8-7-22 1T at 1.6 V |
| Graphics | PowerColor AX7850 1GBD5-DH Radeon HD 7850 860 MHz GPU, 1200 MHz (4800 MT/s) Memory | 1200 MHz GPU @ 1.205 V, 1310 MHz (5240 MT/s) GDDR5 Memory |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital WD3200AAKX 320 GB, 7200 RPM, 16 MB Cache | Unchanged |
| Sound | Integrated Eight-Channel HD Audio | Unchanged |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking | Unchanged |
| Power | Antec VP-450 450 W | Unchanged |
| Optical | LG 24x GH24NS90-OEM DVD Burner | Unchanged |
| Software and Drivers | ||
| Operating System | Windows 8 Professional x64 | Unchanged |
| Graphics Driver | AMD Catalyst 12.10 | Unchanged |
| Platform Driver | Intel 7-series Inf v. 9.3.1025 | Unchanged |
| August $500 Gaming PC System Test Configuration | ||
|---|---|---|
| Component | Base Settings | Overclock Setting |
| CPU | Intel Pentium G860 (Sandy Bridge), 3.0 GHz, LGA 1155, 3 MB Shared L3, Power-saving features enabled | Unchanged |
| CPU Cooler | Intel Boxed Heat Sink and Fan | Unchanged |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3V, Intel B75 Express, BIOS F5 (03-27-2012) | Unchanged |
| RAM | 4 GB G.Skill DDR3-1333 Kit 2 x 2 GB, CL 9-9-9-24 1T at 1.5 V | Unchanged |
| Graphics | MSI N560GTX-M2D1GD5 GeForce GTX 560 810 MHz GPU, 1002 MHz (4008 MT/s) Memory | 950 MHz GPU @ 1.050 V, 1102.5 MHz (4410 MT/s) GDDR5 Memory |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital WD5000AAKX 500 GB, 7200 RPM, 16 MB Cache | Unchanged |
| Sound | Integrated Eight-Channel HD Audio | Unchanged |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking | Unchanged |
| Power | Antec VP-450 450 W | Unchanged |
| Optical | Samsung 22x SH-222BB/BEBE-OEM DVD Burner | Unchanged |
| Software and Drivers | ||
| Operating System | Windows 7 Ultimate Edition x64 | Unchanged |
| Graphics Driver | GeForce R300 Driver v.300.42 | Unchanged |
| Platform Driver | Intel 7-series Inf v. 9.3.1019 | Unchanged |
| Benchmark Configuration | |
|---|---|
| 3D Games | |
| Battlefield 3 | Version 1.0.0.0, DirectX 11, 90-sec. FRAPS "Going Hunting" Test Set 1: Medium Quality Preset, No AA, 4X AF, SSAO Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 4X MSAA, 16X AF, HBAO |
| Elders Scroll V: Skyrim | Version 1.8.151.07, Version 1.6.89.06 (Aug.), 25-Sec. Fraps Test Set 1: High Preset, No AA, 8x AF, FXAA Enabled Test Set 2: Ultra Preset, 8x AA, 16x AF, FXAA Enabled |
| F1 2012 | Version 1.2, Direct X 11, Built-in Benchmark Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Quality, 8x MSAA |
| Audio/Video Encoding | |
| HandBrake CLI | Version: 0.98, 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) |
| 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) |
| TotalCode Studio 2.5 | Version: 2.5.0.10677, 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 | |
| ABBYY FineReader | Version 10.0.102.82: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages |
| Adobe Photoshop CS6 | Version 13 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates |
| Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 | Version 14.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080 |
| 7-Zip | Version 9.28, LZMA2, Syntax "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012 |
| WinRAR | Version 4.2, RAR, Syntax "winrar a -r -m3" Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012 |
| WinZip | Version 17.0 Pro, Best Method, ZIPX Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012 |
| Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings | |
| 3DMark 11 | Version: 1.0.1, Entry, Performance, Extreme Suite |
| PCMark 7 | Version: 1.0.4, System, Productivity, Hard Disk Drive benchmarks |
| SiSoftware Sandra 2012 | Version: 2012 SP5c-1872, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMedia, Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark |