System Builder Marathon, March 2010: System Value Compared
Test Settings
March 2010 SBM Test Configuration | |||
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Row 0 - Cell 0 | $750 PC | $1,500 PC | $3,000 PC |
Motherboard (Overclock) | Gigabyte MA790GPT-UD3H Socket AM3, 790GX Overclocked to 257 MHz HyperTransport Clock | ASRock X58 Extreme LGA-1366, X58 ExpressOverclocked to 195 MHz BCLK | Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 LGA-1366, X58 Express Overclocked to 205 MHz BCLK |
Processor (Overclock) | AMD Athlon II X3 435 2.90 GHz at 3.60 GHz Fourth Core Unlocked, 1.49V | Intel Core i7-920 2.66 GHz at 3.90 GHzOverclocked 20x 195 MHz, +0.0V | Intel Core i7-920 2.66 GHz at 4.30 GHz Overclocked 21x 205 MHz, 1.36V |
Memory (Overclock) | G.Skill DDR3-1600 CAS 9 CAS 9-9-9-24 at 1.60V Overclocked to 1,369 MHz, 7-8-7-15, 1.65V | Crucial DDR3-1333 CAS 9 CAS 9-9-9-24, 1.50VOverclocked to 1,540 MHz, 8-8-8-18, 1.60V | 3 x Crucial DDR3-1333 2GB CAS 9-9-9-24, 1.50V Overclocked to 1,640 MHz, 8-8-8-18, 1.65V |
Graphics (Overclock) | 2 x Sapphire HD 4850 625 MHz, GDDR3-1986 Overclocked to 700/2,360 MHz | 2 x Visiontek HD 5850 725 MHz, GDDR5-4000Overclocked to 775/4,500 MHz | PowerColor HD 5970 750 MHz, GDDR5-4200 Overclocked to 980/4,880 MHz |
System Hard Drives | WD WD6401AALS 640GB, 7,200 RPM, 32MB | WD WD7501AALS 750GB, 7,200 RPM, 32MB | 2 x Crucial CT64M225 SSD 64GB x2 (RAID 0) |
Case | Antec Three Hundred | Cooler Master CM 690 | Cooler Master Cosmos-S |
Power | Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W | Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750W | SilverStone ST1000-P 1,000W Modular |
CPU Cooler | Xigmatek HDT-SD964 92mm Tower | Rosewill FORT120 120mm Tower | Swiftech H20-220 Ultima XT Liquid Kit |
Software | |||
O/S | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 | ||
Graphics | AMD Catalyst 10.2 | ||
Chipset | AMD Catalyst 10.2 | Intel INF 9.1.1.1020 |
All three systems achieved at least somewhat-admirable clock speeds and the $1,500 build amazingly reached 3.90 GHz at stock voltage after it was determined that increased voltage wasn’t helping. Gone is the problematic Core i7-860 of last-month’s high-cost build, while the new system’s liquid-cooled i7-920 reached 4.30 GHz with ease. The $750 system builder was even able to unlock his processor’s fourth core without suffering a major loss in stability, although his memory couldn’t match the CAS 6 capability of equally-priced award-winning modules from our previous shootout.
Benchmark Configuration | |
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3D Games | |
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | Campaign, Act III, Second Sun (45 sec. FRAPS) Test Set 1: Highest Settings, No AA Test Set 2: Highest Settings, 4x AA |
Crysis | Patch 1.2.1, DirectX 10, 64-bit executable, benchmark tool Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Very High Quality, 8x AA |
Dirt 2 Demo | In-game benchmark Test Set 1: High Quality Preset, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 8x AA |
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat | S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call Of Pripyat Benchmark version Test Set 1: High Preset, DX11 EFDL, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Preset, DX11 EFDL, 4x MSAA |
Audio/Video Encoding | |
iTunes | Version:9.0.2.25 x64 Audio CD ("Terminator II" SE), 53 min. Default format AAC |
Handbrake 0.9.4 | Version 0.9.4, convert first .vob file from "The Last Samurai" (1GB) to .mp4, High Profile |
MainConcept Reference 1.6.1 | MPEG2 to MPEG2 (H.264), MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG2), Audio: MPEG2 (44.1 KHz, 2 Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s), Mode: PAL (25 FPS) |
Productivity | |
Adobe Photoshop CS4 | Version: 11.0 x64, Filter 15.7MB TIF Image Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates |
Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 | Version: 11.0 x64, Rendering Dragon Image at 1920x1080 (HDTV) |
Grisoft AVG Anti-Virus 9.0 | Version: 9.0.663, Virus base: 270.14.1/2407, Benchmark: Scan 334MB Folder of ZIP/RAR compressed files |
WinRAR 3.90 | Version x64 3.90, Dictionary = 4,096KB, Benchmark: THG-Workload (334MB) |
7-Zip | Version 4.65: Format=Zip, Compression=Ultra, Method=Deflate, Dictionary Size=32KB, Word Size=128, Threads=8 Benchmark: THG-Workload (334MB) |
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings | |
3DMark Vantage | Version: 1.0.1, GPU and CPU scores |
PCMark Vantage | Version: 1.0.1.0 x64, System, Productivity, Hard Disk Drive benchmarks |
SiSoftware Sandra 2010 | Version 2010.1.16.11, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMedia, Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark |
Our new benchmark suite is working fairly well, although we’re still seeing somewhat temperamental results in AVG. We’re currently working on a new antivirus application.
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dirtmountain The performance of the $750 system is great for the price and i certainly agree with your statement "Yet the real winner is not the machine but its builder, as Paul Henningsen achieved a best value coup with AMD’s low-cost, overclockable, and unlockable Athlon II X3 435 processor."Reply
A big +1 to Mr. Henningsen and the other builders. -
shubham1401 Wow!!Reply
Now I'm even more impressed with the Athlon II X3 435.
The 750$ Rig was the most impressive for me. -
skora Its nice to know "Go BIG or Go Home" can GO AWAY!!!Reply
Drop to a 500gb HDD and step up for the 1gb 4850s, and you have a very well balanced high power system with budget parts. Bravo Paul. Good showing Don and Tom. -
gkay09 I too agree that the credit should go to the builder - Mr. HenningsenReply
But I would say that it should also go to AMD for giving such a CPU...
Low-Mid segment, AMD still rules in terms of value and performance... -
Onus Outstanding results. I hope this helps kids who are building with Daddy's money understand that they don't need to waste it on a big edong. Furthermore, for all practical intents and purposes, FPS may be capped at 120Hz for 3D displays and 60Hz for the other 99.9+% of us, and higher framerates ignored in the value comparisons as not being a visible improvement. Unlocking being partly a matter of luck though, it does still support the value of a quad-core processor, even in a budget build.Reply
On the subject of AVG, I'd leave it in the benchmarks as a valid example of a program a lot of people use, making its results relevant even if they look a little odd.
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axekick I built my first build last October using a very similar setup.Reply
Antec 300 Illusion (same case)
Gygabyte GA-MA790GPT-UD3H (same motherboard)
Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS
G.Skill (2x2GB) DDR3 1333
AMD Phenom II X3 720
Sapphire Vapor-X Radeon HD 5750 (recently added)
Corsair 450VX
Samsung SH-S223B DVD Burner
At the time it cost slightly less, without OS and including the recently added Radeon HD 5750 totals $737.55
I have very similar benchmarks, slightly better actually and am very satisfied with the system. I have successfully unlocked the fourth core of the BE 720 and ran benchmarks after overclocking the processor and video card. It's an outstanding system for the price, more than I need. Actually I have locked back down the fourth core and do not keep it over-clocked as I don't do a lot of gaming. -
gilbertfh IMO both the $750 and $1500 systems perform extremely well for the cost. From the looks of it the $3000 pc would be more of a status symbol.Reply -
bustapr I hope u guys start selling PCs on Newegg. "THG SMB Gaming PCs", I would like to buy that $750 PC, already built at that price or similar. It would save me alot of trouble building and ordering parts and it will become an instant best seller. You guys can destroy cyberpower and alienware and others. Paul Henningson, you can get rich fast.Reply -
jeverson I'm just a little curious though about the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. results. It says that the benchmark is using DX11. The $750 system is being evaluated there but is using HD4xxx video cards. How are you getting results for DX11 for that build? Anyway, great job as always guys! Although, I would have to say that to me the winning PC would be the $1500 OC as it was capable of staring down the $3k box and not flinch. Of course, I also say it because I have a 24" monitor and the $750 rig just doesn't cut it there unfortunately. Lastly, in one of the articles you guys asked if you should go back to the old $500/$1k/$2k builds. I think you guys are now in the new "sweet spots" for PC now. $750-$800/$1200-$1500/$2500-Obscene are good ranges these days. Hmm... maybe the "Obscene" should be a forth "bonus" build ;)Reply