Test Setup : Wolfdale Shrinks Transistors, Grows Core 2

Tom's Hardware > Articles & reviews > Wolfdale Shrinks Transistors, Grows Core 2

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Test Setup

11:50 - Thursday 14 February 2008 by Patrick Schmid
Source: THG – Keywords: wolfdale, shrinks, transistors
Categories: Hardware

Table of content:

Test Setup

System Hardware
AMD Platform AM2	Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe, Rev.1.03G
Nvidia Nforce 5	NVIDIA nForce5, BIOS: 1001 (03/13/2007)
Intel Platform S775	Gigabyte X38-DQ6, Rev. 1.0
Intel X38	Intel X38, BIOS: F7 (01/02/2007)
Intel Platform S775	Gigabyte P35C-DS3R, Rev. 1.0
Intel P35	Intel P35, BIOS: F2o (05/11/2007)
Intel Platform S775	Asus P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP, Rev. 1.03
Intel P965	Intel 965P, BIOS: 1101 (04/04/2007)
Memory	2x 1GB A-Data DDR2-1066+ Vitesta Extreme Edition
DVD-ROM	Samsung SH-D163A , SATA150
Graphics Card	Foxconn Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX GPU: 575 MHz Shader Clock: 1350 MHz Memory: 786 MB DDR4 (900 MHz, 384 Bit)
Sound Card	Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
Power Supply	Zalman, ATX 2.01, 510 Watt
System Software & Drivers
Operating System	Windows Vista Enterprise Version 6.0 (Build 6000)
DirectX 10	DirectX 10 (Vista default)
DirectX 9	Version: April 2007
Sound Driver	Vista Driver 2.13.0012 (15.03.2007)
Graphics Driver	Nvidia ForceWare Version 158.18 (32 Bit) WHQL
Chipset Driver	Version 8.1.1.1010 (21/11/2006) Intel 631xESB/6321ESB/3100 Version: 8.3.0.1011 Intel 5400 Version: 8.5.0.1007 Intel 631xESB/6321ESB/3100 - SATA Version: 8.2.0.1011 Intel 631xESB/6321ESB/3100 - USB Version: 7.4.0.1005
Storage Driver	Matrix-Storage Manager 7.0.0.1020
Nvidia Chipset	nForce-Treiber: 15.00 (02.02.2007) WHQL
Java	Java Runtime Environment 6.0 Update 1

While our test system was based on DDR2-800 memory in an effort to fit our results in our Processor Charts, using DDR3-1333 memory would provide a small advantage. If you read our last DDR3 memory articles on DDR3-1333 and high-speed DDR3-1600/1800 RAM, you’ll remember that the benefit is indeed very small considering the premium prices that the modules command.

Benchmarks And Settings

Benchmarks and Settings
3D-Games
Warhammer Mark of Chaos	Version: 1.006.000 Video Mode: 1280x1024 Video Quality: game default Multiple CPU/Core Demo: THG Timedemo (1 minute)
Quake 4	Version: 1.3 Final Video Mode: 1280x1024 Video Quality: game default Benchmark I: THG Timedemo Benchmark II: playnettimedemo id_demo001 (official ID-Soft NetTimeDemo)
Unreal Tournament 2004	Version: 3369 UMark: 2.0.0 Video Mode: 1280x1024 High Image Quality Bots: 16 Benchmark: AS-Junkyard
Serious Sam 2	Version: 2.070 Video Mode: 1024x768 HDR Rendering: off Renderer: Direct3D Filtering mode: none Antialiasing mode: none Benchmark: Greendale
Supreme Commander	Version: 3.220 Video Mode: 1024x768 Video Quality: game default Vsync = off Benchmark: real 60 second game with real three computer physics
Prey	Version: 1.3 Video Mode: 1280x1024 Video Quality: game default Vsync = off Benchmark: THG-Demo
Audio
iTunes 7.2	Version: 7.1.1.5 Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min High Quality (160 kbps)
Lame MP3	Version 3.98 Beta 3 (05-22-2007) Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min wave to mp3 160 kbps
Video
Pinnacle Studio 11 Plus	Version: 11.0.0.5082 Encoding and Transition Rendering Private MPEG2-Cam-Movie Video: 720 x 480 Pixel, NTSC, 6000 kb/sec Audio: MPEG Layer 2, 224 kb/sec 16 Bit, Stereo 48 kHz File Type: MPEG-2 (DVD Compatible)
TMPEG 4.2	Version: 4.2.10.211 import file: Terminator 2 SE DVD (720x576, 16:9) 2 Minutes Dolby Digital, 48000 Hz, 6-Kanal, English Advanced Acoustic Engine MP3 Encoder (160 kbps)
DivX 6.6.1	Version: 6.6.1 - Main Menu - Profile: Home Theater Profile (720 x 576) 1-pass, 780 kb/s - Codec Menu - Encoding mode: Insane Quality Enhanced multithreading
XviD 1.1.2	Version: 1.1.2 (01/11/2006) Target quantizer: 1.00 (maximum quality)
Clone DVD 2	Version: 2.908 DVD "Terminator II SE" (English version) Transcoding from DVD-9 to DVD-4.7 Audio: English Dolby AC-3/6 (surround) - DTS Subtitle: no
Mainconcept H.264 Encoder	Version: 2.0 MPEG2 to MPEG2 (H.264) MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec 24 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG2) Audio: MPEG Layer 2 (48 kHz, 2 Channel, 16 Bit) Stream: Transport Codec: H.264 Mode: NTSC (29.97 FPS) Profile: High
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 HDTV	Version: 2.0
Windows Media Encoder 9.1 AP HDTV	NTSC MPEG2-HDTV 1920x1080 (24 sec)
Windows Audio Encoder 10 Pro	Import: Mainconcept NTSC HDTV 1080i Export: Adobe Media Encoder - Video - Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile Encoding Passes: one Bitrate Mode: Constant Frame: 1920x1080 Frame Rate: 29.97 Maximum Bitrate [kbps]: 2000 Image Quality: 50.00 - Audio - Windows Media Audio 10 Professional Encoding Passes: one Bitrate Mode: Constant Audio Format: 160 kbps, 44.1 kHz, 2 channel 16 bit (A/V) CBR
HD Playback (Blue Ray)	PowerDVD HD 7.3 Blue Ray Disc (James Bond - Casino Royale) Video Mode: 1920x1080p (full screen) Codec: H.264
Applications
Grisoft AVG Anti-Virus	Version: 7.5.467 Virus base: 269.6.1./776 Benchmark Scan: Vista Enterprise (Windows folder) 8 GB
WinRAR	Version 3.70 BETA 8 Compression = Best Dictionary = 4096 kB Benchmark: THG-Workload
Auodesk 3D Studio Max 9	Version: 9.0 Rendering Dragon picture rendering HTDV 1920x1080
Maxon Cinema 4D Release 10	Version: 10.008 Rendering from a scene "Water drop at a Rose" Resolution: 1280 x 1024 - 8Bit (50 frames)
Adobe Photoshop CS 3	Version: 10.0x20070321 Filtering a 69 MB TIF-Photo Benchmark: Tom’s Hardware-Benchmark V1.0.0.4 Programmed by Tom’s Hardware using Delphi 2006 Filers: Crosshatch Glass Sumi-e Accented Edges Angled Strokes Sprayed Strokes
Adobe Acrobat 7 Professional	Version: 7.0.9 Settings: High Quality Print Compatibility: Acrobat 8 (PDF 1.7) Security: High (128-bit RC4)
Microsoft Powerpoint 2007	Version: 2007 PPT to PDF Powerpoint Document (115 Pages) Adobe PDF-Printer
Deep Fritz 10	Version: Nov 16 2006
Synthetic
3DMark06	Version: 1.10 1280x1024 - 32 bit Graphics and CPU Default Benchmark
PCMark05 Pro	Version: 1.2.0 CPU and Memory Tests Windows Media Player 10.00.00.3646 Windows Media Encoder 9.00.00.2980
SiSoftware Sandra XI SP1c	Version 2007.5.11.40 CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMedia Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark

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human_error 14/02/2008 01:57

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"While the top model, the Core 2 Extreme QX9650, which is based on four processing cores, was already launched in late 2006" isn't that meant to be 2007?

Wild9 14/02/2008 08:36

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Quote :While the die size decreased, transistor size increased by 40% from 291 million to 410 million.

I'd say transistor count rather than size

Wild9 16/02/2008 01:17

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I still maintain that AMD is not so bad - in this article you are effectively comparing a Ferrari and a Porsche; both are fast products.

Does it matter whether you drive a Ferrari to go to the corner store? Most people would say no, because all that most people want to do is get from A-to-B as cheaply as possible. And that is where AMD fits in.

People are too quick to slate AMD..without the A64 there would be no C2D/C2Q. And still, the A64 which is a generation behind C2D, can still compete. The 6000+ puts in a stirling effort.

These 45nm parts are good devices, but they lack a dedicated bus interconnect and of course, they lack a memory controller. Even with these things I would not buy Intel because historically they have always lagged behind in terms of innovation (and some would say, fair play). Phenom does need work, and hopefully AMD can address this, but I think the only reason you're suddenly seeing half-decent products from Intel is because it has had to. Right up until recently AMD has been a fierce competitor. In certain, bandwidth-intensive applications AMD still has the lead.

MrRimmer 18/02/2008 01:23

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Deep Power Down might not always make sense in a desktop environment, where more applications and services are active than on the desktop.

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