System Builder Marathon, June 2010: $1,000 Enthusiast PC

Benchmark Results: Media Encoding

While the Core i7-920 shows a definite superiority in these audio-encoding applications, it surprises us how well the overclocked/core-unlocked Phenom II X3 720 compares to the stock Core i7-920, essentially tying iTunes performance and coming relatively close in HandBrake. However, the stock numbers for the Phenom II X3 720 are somewhat disappointing.

The video encoding applications also show the overclocked/core-unlocked Phenom II system comparing well against the stock Core i7-920 system. Once again, the stock Phenom II X3 720 isn't doing well here, but it's up against a processor that costs three times as much.