System Builder Marathon, Sept. 2011: System Value Compared
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Page 1:Who Built The Best PC This Quarter?
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Page 2:Test Setups And Benchmarks
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Page 3:Benchmark Results: 3DMark And PCMark
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Page 4:Benchmark Results: SiSoftware Sandra
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Page 5:Benchmark Results: Crysis
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Page 6:Benchmark Results: F1 2010
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Page 7:Benchmark Results: Just Cause 2
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Page 8:Benchmark Results: Metro 2033
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Page 9:Benchmark Results: Audio And Video Encoding
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Page 10:Benchmark Results: Productivity
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Page 11:Power And Heat
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Page 12:Average Performance And Efficiency
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Page 13:Crowning A Value PC Winner
Benchmark Results: Audio And Video Encoding
Recent changes to Z68 firmware appear to have given its motherboards a distinct advantage over their P67 predecessors, even in applications that can’t use Intel’s Quick Sync transcode acceleration. Such is the case in Apple iTunes and Lame MP3, both of which have never responded to the $2000 machine’s Hyper-Threading capability (Ed.: Because they're not threaded, of course), yet still show its overclocked Core i7 as having more performance than the $1000 machine’s higher-frequency Core i5. Could they be sensitive to L3 cache size?
HandBrake and MainConcept are threaded, perhaps explaining the $2000 machine’s performance lead. Value seekers, keep your eyes out, since the $500 machine has around half the performance at around one-quarter the price.
- Who Built The Best PC This Quarter?
- Test Setups And Benchmarks
- Benchmark Results: 3DMark And PCMark
- Benchmark Results: SiSoftware Sandra
- Benchmark Results: Crysis
- Benchmark Results: F1 2010
- Benchmark Results: Just Cause 2
- Benchmark Results: Metro 2033
- Benchmark Results: Audio And Video Encoding
- Benchmark Results: Productivity
- Power And Heat
- Average Performance And Efficiency
- Crowning A Value PC Winner
Yeah, good luck fitting an SSD into a $500 gaming build.
Oh: Wait …
Also, as a result, more emphasis should be placed on the storage sub system. I know these are gaming configurations, but I'd give up my GPU in a nanosecond if it meant I could keep my SSDs. Fortunately, I don't have to choose, but I would if I had too, and I'm not alone out there. Budget systems don't feel so budget-y with even a modest SSD.
Here:
http://i.imgur.com/g22Bq.jpg
Yeah, good luck fitting an SSD into a $500 gaming build.
there have been 64GB Vertex Crucial drives on sale for < 79$. Which isn't bad.
That's why I think the $500 system should be closer to $600, maybe like $550. 30GB Agility drives were going for $40 yesterday at the Egg, so its not like you have to spend $300 to get a tangible benefit. That one addition would have contributed a significant performance benefit and the budget category used to be $650 anyway.
maybe also include windows boot time.
can you explain more please?
Every single system builder article explicitly states that discounts, rebates and specials don't apply for the purpose of determining price.
A 34% increase in FPS is hard to ignore. Not to mention that if you use dual 6870's you open up the possibility of smooth eyefinity gaming @ 5760x2160 (I think it's pulling ~50 FPS in Farcry 2 with those cards @ high settings). And the 2 cards are only ~$20 more right now.
Yes, a single card option is great, but I'm not paying $700+ for a 6990.
You can also get a pair of 560's (minus the ti) for $310 after rebate. Seeing as Dual screen gaming is not supported by any Nvidia cards, I find that it's overkill.
I wonder what other combination could be made up for the Q4 $500 SBM. I'm thinking perhaps a Core i3 2100 with a GeForce GTX 560? The 560 would have to come a bit down in price for that to happen, though.
Based on this I say the $2000 is totally worth the price. I'd happily pay a one time premium to get a day (or 3 depending in your definition) of my life back each and every year. ...and that was just 2 seconds faster.. imagine if its 10.. or 20 seconds faster? How often do you get the chance to write a check for more free time?
You can always go walk around or do something else while the computer "works" on something you don't want to wait sitting, you know...
Anyway, kudos to the 1k build. But I liked the 500 better, cause you could add a few bucks and get similar/same perf to the 1k (and 2k) build in some areas.
Cheers!