Test Setup, Benchmarks, And Video Transcoding
| Test Hardware | |
|---|---|
| Processors | Intel Core i7-2600K (Sandy Bridge) 3.4 GHz at 3.4 GHz (34 * 100 MHz), LGA 1155, 8 MB Shared L3, Hyper-Threading enabled, Power-savings enabled |
| Motherboard | Unnamed Z68 Motherboard (LGA 1155) Intel Z68 Express |
| Memory | Kingston 8 GB (4 x 2 GB) DDR3-1333, KHX2000C8D3T1K3/6GX @ 8-8-8-24 and 1.65 V |
| Hard Drive | Intel SSDSA2M160G2GC 160 GB SATA 3Gb/s |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 580 1.5 GB |
| Row 5 - Cell 0 | AMD Radeon HD 6970 2 GB |
| Power Supply | Cooler Master UCP-1000 W |
| System Software And Drivers | |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit |
| DirectX | DirectX 11 |
| Graphics Driver | AMD Catalyst 11.2 |
| Row 11 - Cell 0 | Nvidia GeForce Release 266.58 |
| Games | |
|---|---|
| Lost Planet 2 | Highest Quality Settings, 4xAA / No AF, vsync off, 1920x1080, DirectX 11, Steam version |
| Just Cause 2 | Highest Quality Settings, 4x AA / 16x AF, vsync off, 1920x1080, Bokeh filter and GPU water enabled (for Nvidia cards), Concrete Jungle Benchmark |
| Metro 2033 | High Quality Settings, AAA / 4x AF, 1920x1080, Built-in Benchmark, Steam version |
| F1 2010 | Ultra High Settings, 4x AA / No AF, 1920x1080, Steam version, Custom benchmark script, DX11 Rendering |
| Aliens Vs. Predator Benchmark | Ultra Quality Settings, SSAO, 4x MSAA / No AF, vsync off, 1920x1080 |
| Battlefield: Bad Company 2 | Custom (Highest) Quality Settings, 4x MSAA / 16xAF, 1920x1080, opening cinematic, 145 second sequence, FRAPS |
| 3DMark11 | Performance Default |
| HAWX 2 | Highest Quality Settings, 4x AA, 1920x1200, Retail Version, Built-in Benchmark, Tessellation on |
| World of Warcraft: Cataclysm | Ultra Quality Settings, 4x AA / 16x AF, From Crushblow to The Krazzworks, 1920x1080, FRAPS, DirectX 9 Rendering |
Benchmark Results: Video Transcoding
The entire reason to lust after an app like Virtu is its ability to expose access to the best features from one graphics vendor without blocking access to the capabilities from another vendor. In this case, we’re talking about Intel’s Quick Sync technology and the DirectX 11-based performance of modern discrete cards.
Before we jump into the 3D tests, let’s first be sure we’re getting the full benefit of Quick Sync.
| Death Race Trailer, Virtu Enabled | Time (s) |
|---|---|
| Core i7-2600K w/ Quick Sync | :17 |
| Core i7-2600K w/o Quick Sync | 1:31 |
With our display attached to Intel’s HD Graphics engine, CyberLink’s MediaEspresso 6.5 recognizes its capabilities immediately. With Quick Sync enabled, we converted our 1080p trailer of Death Race to an iPad-compatible (1024x768) video in 17 seconds. With acceleration turned off, the process took 1:31 on Intel’s quad-core Core i7-2600K.
