Test System And Benchmarks
We have two very similar systems here, and the new one has to make due with 4 GB less RAM, no SSD, and no aftermarket CPU cooler.
On the other hand, its dual-channel memory controller works as it's supposed to. Frankly, we don’t expect any of the aforementioned variables to make a large impact, aside from the SSD, which almost certainly impacts the system's responsiveness significantly (even if you don't see that reflected in the benchmarks).
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| Current $1000 Enthusiast PC Test Settings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Default Configuration | Overclocked |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-P67X-UD3-B3, LGA 1155, Intel P67 Express chipset | Unchanged |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-2400 (Sandy Bridge), 3.1 GHz (3.4 GHz Turbo Boost), Quad-Core, 6 MB L3 Cache | 3.6 to 3.8 GHz @ +0.1 V |
| Memory | AMD Performance Edition 4 GB (2 x 2 GB) 240-Pin DDR3-1600 Kit Dual-Channel Desktop Memory Kit, CAS 8-9-8-24-1T | Unchanged |
| Graphics | Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 OC 3 GB GDDR5 @ 5500 MT/s, GPU @ 925 MHz | GDDR5 @ 6400 MT/s, GPU @ 1125 MHzPower @ +20% |
| Hard Drive | Seagate Barracuda 750 GB 750 GB, 7200 RPM, 32 MB Cache SATA 3Gb/s | Unchanged |
| Optical | LG GH22NS90B OEM DVD Burner | Unchanged |
| Case | Logisys Optimus II | Unchanged |
| Power | Corsair CX600 V2 600 W ATX12V, EPS12V, 80 PLUS-Certified | Unchanged |
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| December $1250 Enthusiast PC Test Settings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Standard Speed | Overclocked |
| Motherboard | ASRock P67 Pro3 SE, LGA 1155, Intel P67 Express chipset | Unchanged |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-2400 (Sandy Bridge), 3.1 GHz (3.4 GHz Turbo Boost), Quad-Core, 6 MB L3 Cache | 3.6 to 3.7 GHz @ +0.1 V |
| Memory | Mushkin Enhanced Redline 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) 240-Pin DDR3-1600 Kit Dual-Channel Desktop Memory Kit, CAS 7-9-8-24-2T(run in single channel mode due to motherboard issue) | Unchanged |
| Graphics | PowerColor Radeon HD 7970 3 GB 3 GB GDDR5 @ 5500 MT/s, GPU @ 925 MHz | GDDR5 @ 6300 MT/s, GPU @ 1125 MHzPower @ +20% |
| Hard Drive | Crucial m4 64 GB SATA III SSD 64 GB, SATA 6 Gb/s | Unchanged |
| Hard Drive | Hitachi Deskstar 750 GB 750 GB, 7200 RPM, 32 MB Cache SATA 3Gb/s | Unchanged |
| Optical | Samsung TS-H353C OEM DVD-ROM | Unchanged |
| Case | Apevia X-Trooper Junior | Unchanged |
| Power | Corsair TX650 V2 650 W ATX12V, EPS12V, 80 PLUS-Certified | Unchanged |
And here's the list of benchmarks:
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| Benchmark Configuration | |
|---|---|
| 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 1.4.27, 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, 2 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 15.7MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates |
| Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 | Version 12.0 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 |
