System Builder Marathon, June 2012: System Value Compared
Test Settings And Benchmarks
Test Hardware Configurations | |||
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Row 0 - Cell 0 | $500 Gaming PC | $1000 Enthusiast PC | $2000 Performance PC |
Processor (Overclock) | Intel Celeron G530: 2.4 GHz, Two Physical Cores, No O/C | Intel Core i5-2400: 3.1 GHz, Four Physical Cores, O/C to 3.8 GHz, +0.1 V | Intel Core i7-3770K: 3.50 GHz, Four Physical Cores, O/C to 4.60 GHz, 1.25 V |
Graphics (Overclock) | ECS NGT560TI-1GPI-F1: 823 MHz GPU, GDDR5-4008, O/C to 891 MHz GDDR5-4410 | Sapphire 11197-01-40G: 925 MHz GPU, GDDR5-5500, O/C to 1125 MHz GDDR5-6400 | Asus GTX680-DC2T-2GD5: 1201 MHz GPU, GDDR5-6008, O/C to 1262 MHz GDDR5-7204 |
Memory (Overclock) | 4 GB Pareema DDR3-1333 CAS 9-9-9-24, O/C at 1.60V to DDR3-1066 CL 6-6-6-14 | 4 GB Patriot DDR3-1600 CL 8-9-8-24, No O/C | 8 GB G.Skill DDR3-1600 CAS 8-8-8-24, O/C at 1.60 V to DDR3-2000 CL 8-10-9-16 |
Motherboard (Overclock) | Gigabyte GA-H61MA-D3V: LGA 1155, Intel H61 Express, Stock BCLK | Gigabyte P67X-UD3-B3: LGA 1155, Intel P67 Express, Stock BCLK | ASRock Z77 Extreme6: LGA 1155, Intel Z77 Express, Stock BCLK |
Optical | LG GH22NS90B 22x DVD±R | LG GH22NS90B 22x DVD±R | Lite-On iHAS124-04 24x DVD±R |
Case | Rosewill R101-P-BK | Logisys Optimus II | Antec Nine Hundred |
CPU Cooler | Intel Boxed Cooler | Intel Boxed Cooler | Zalman CNPS12X |
Hard Drive | Western Digital WD3200AAKX: 320 GB, 7200 RPM HDD | Seagate Barracuda ST3750525AS: 750 GB, 7200 RPM HDD | Mushkin Chronos Deluxe MX: 120 GB, SATA 6Gb/s SSD |
Power | Antec VP-450: 450 W, ATX V2.3 | Corsair CX600 V2: 600 W, ATX12V V2.3, 80 PLUS-Certified | SeaSonic SS-750KM: 750 W, ATX12V, 80 PLUS Gold |
Software | |||
OS | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 | ||
Graphics | Nvidia GeForce 296.10 | AMD Catalyst 12.4 | Nvidia GeForce 301.42 |
Chipset | Intel INF 9.2.3.1020 |
The inability to overclock his processor didn’t completely stop our $500 PC builder in his search for optimizing performance. He chose tighter memory timings and GPU overclocking to slightly boost his scores. Similarly, the $1000 machine builder, Don Woligroski, used his motherboard’s ability to increase his semi-locked CPU's Turbo Boost multipliers by 4x across the board, while also achieving a respectable graphics overclock.
The value competition will still be tough, however, as the 4.60 GHz CPU clock and incredible 1262 MHz GPU / GDDR5-7204 graphics clocks of the sub-$2000 machine is ready to take all comers on the performance side of the price-versus-performance equation.
Benchmark Configuration | |
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3D Games | |
Battlefield 3 | Campaign Mode, "Going Hunting" 90-Seconds Fraps Test Set 1: Medium Quality Defaults (No AA, 4x AF) Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Defaults (4x AA, 16x AF) |
DiRT 3 | V1.01, Run with -benchmark example_benchmark.xml Test Set 1: High Quality Preset, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 8x AA |
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Update 1.5.26, Celedon Aethirborn Level 6, 25 Seconds Fraps Test Set 1: DX11, High Details No AA, 8x AF, FXAA enabled Test Set 2: DX11, Ultra Details, 8x AA, 16x AF, FXAA enabled |
StarCraft II | Custom map "Tom's Hardware Guide V2", 60 seconds Fraps Test Set 1: High Details, High Quality Test Set 2: Ultra Details, Extreme Quality |
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 0.95: "Big Buck Bunny" (720x480, 23.972 FPS) 5 Minutes, Audio: Dolby Digital, 48 000 Hz, Six-Channel, English, to Video: AVC Audio: AC3 Audio2: 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 | |
Adobe Photoshop CS5 | Version 12.1 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 |
WinZip | Version 15.5 Pro: THG-Workload (650 MB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r" |
WinRAR | Version 4.1: THG-Workload (650 MB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3" |
7-Zip | Version 9.22: THG-Workload (650 MB) 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 |
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings | |
3DMark 11 | Version: 1.0.1.0, Benchmark Only |
PCMark 7 | Version: 1.0.4 x64, System, Productivity, Hard Disk Drive benchmarks |
SiSoftware Sandra 2011 | Version 2011.10.17.80, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMedia, Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark |
Current page: Test Settings And Benchmarks
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Crashman mayankleoboy1toms, y u no include Quicksync benchies?Because it would be mean to the lower-cost PC builders? The truth is that the two applications that use it didn't appear all that popular with our readers.Reply -
mayankleoboy1 the only reason i see to buy a IB over a SB is better quicksync. Rest, they are same.Reply -
blazorthon mayankleoboy1the only reason i see to buy a IB over a SB is better quicksync. Rest, they are same.Reply
Replace the paste under the IHS on Ivy Bridge and those 3570Ks and 3770Ks overclock better than their Sandy counterparts. The IGP is also good for more than Quick-Sync. -
Crashman blazorthonReplace the paste under the IHS on Ivy Bridge and those 3570Ks and 3770Ks overclock better than their Sandy counterparts. The IGP is also good for more than Quick-Sync.And even with the stock IHS implementation, the power savings of Ivy at 1.25V looks good compared to Sandy at 1.35V (assuming both voltage levels get you to 4.6 GHz, which is approximately true).Reply -
blazorthon CrashmanAnd even with the stock IHS implementation, the power savings of Ivy at 1.25V looks good compared to Sandy at 1.35V (assuming both voltage levels get you to 4.6 GHz, which is approximately true).Reply
Yes, thanks. I forgot to mention the improved power efficiency from the new process node. -
jestersage As I indicated in the Gaming PC comments, I'm good with Paul's $500 experiment. But an Enthusiast PC at $1100? I figure you'll want to alter all those parts that got Don those un-edifying comments, then yeah! Bring it on!Reply
Aside from the 2500k, stick a GTX 670 in that thing I'll bet we'll have a real winner (depends on Tom's rules, I guess, since that part wasn't available at the time the SBM purchases were originally made).
Or step down to a 7870 and stick an SSD in it - for all those clamoring that a $1000 PC should have an SSD. -
blazorthon jestersageAs I indicated in the Gaming PC comments, I'm good with Paul's $500 experiment. But an Enthusiast PC at $1100? I figure you'll want to alter all those parts that got Don those un-edifying comments, then yeah! Bring it on! Aside from the 2500k, stick a GTX 670 in that thing I'll bet we'll have a real winner (depends on Tom's rules, I guess, since that part wasn't available at the time the SBM purchases were originally made). Or step down to a 7870 and stick an SSD in it - for all those clamoring that a $1000 PC should have an SSD.Reply
670 or 7970... Not much of a difference there. The two are effectively on-par with each other, trading blows depending on the game, resolution, and settings. Why not step down to a 7950, get a cheap SandForce SSD, and then up the CPU to the 2500K, all without even sacrificing graphics performance when overclocked? 7950s and 7970s that share a PCB and cooler have pretty much identical overclocking performance with the 7970s having an in-perceptively small advantage at the same frequency and the 7950 able to hit slightly higher frequencies.