System Builder Marathon, Q3 2013: $1300 Enthusiast PC

Results: Compression Tools

The chart below represents three separate benchmarks. WinZip EZ reflects the highest compression possible. That's a processor-bound test, and the demanding workloads translates to longer completion times. The OpenCL-accelerated version leverages graphics resources to help compress files larger than 8 MB. The outcomes in that benchmark are far more plausible, as the GeForce GTX 680 and 770 fall pretty close together.

Without GPU acceleration, WinRAR and 7-Zip show no significant difference between the two test platforms.

Contributor

Don Woligroski was a former senior hardware editor for Tom's Hardware. He has covered a wide range of PC hardware topics, including CPUs, GPUs, system building, and emerging technologies.