Intel Dual Core Performance Preview Part I: First Encounter
by Anand Lal Shimpi on April 4, 2005 2:44 PM EST- Posted in
- CPUs
The Real Test - AnandTech's Multitasking Scenarios
Shortly after receiving the dual core system from Intel, I posted a question in my blog asking AnandTech readers to respond with how they multitask. I kept the question pretty open-ended, just wanting to get a feel for all the different types of multitasking that this sample of AnandTech readers did on a daily basis. I then took the data and did my best to, in the limited time that I had, model some real world multitasking benchmarks based on the responses. The results are three real world, multitasking benchmarks with the promise of more to come.
The biggest commonality between responses was that AnandTech reader systems, much like my own, are loaded with applications running in the background. So, the first thing that I did to put together our multitasking testbed was to put a ton of applications on it, the type that we all use. I came up with the following list:
Daemon Tools
Norton AntiVirus 2004 (with latest updates)
Firefox 1.02
DVD Shrink 3.2
Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta 1.0
Newsleecher 2.0
Visual Studio .NET 2003
Macromedia Flash Player 7
Adobe Photoshop CS
Microsoft Office 2003
3ds max 7
iTunes 4.7.1
Trillian 3.1
DivX 5.2.1
AutoGK 1.60
Norton Ghost 2003
Adobe Reader 7
What's important about that list is that a handful of those programs were running in the background at all times, primarily Microsoft's AntiSpyware Beta and Norton AntiVirus 2004. Both the AntiSpyware Beta and NAV 2004 were running with their real time protection modes enabled, to make things even more real world.
With my system fully configured, I did what anyone else would do with a brand new system - I used it. I used it as an actual system doing real world everyday tasks and made notes of my impressions, then came the interesting part - I swapped out processors for a single core non-HT enabled Pentium 4 and started making notes of differences. Armed with the single core chip, I went to task on creating benchmarks based on some of the tasks that AnandTech readers did on a regular basis (not too surprising, I use my system in a very similar way to most AT readers). So let's get to the tests...
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michaelpatrick33 - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
AMD's dualcore will use less power and produce less heat apparently and last I checked an FX-51 (2200) out performs the Intel 3200 in a single core configuration so it will be interesting what a dualcore AMD at 2200 or 2400 will do compared to the Pentium 4 3200 dualcore. AMD is going after the busines market where the money and the desire for dual core will be greatest. Why isn't Intel going for that market? Interesting question.CrazyCurl - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
good review! cant wait to see more info. I am particularly interested in heat dissapation as well and would be nice to see the new unreal engine that supports multithreading benchmarks but that would be be a ways off id assume.Is the 955X gonna support pressler? is that why it has 1066 fsb and ddr-667?
dragonflycms - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
How about a web developer test I constantly run these programsDragonflycms 9.1.2
Apache 1.3.9
MySql 4.1
PHP 4.0
Photoshop 7.0
Flash MX 2004
Fireworks MX 2004
Dreamweaver MX 2004
Firefox
Hydra IRC
Messenger
Yahoo Messenger
The web server and mysql drastically effect the runing of the multimedia applications. This would be a great multitask test.
cHodAXUK - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
#34 You are absolutly right there Anand, to this day I have still not had a single CPU system as responsive as my old dual O/C Celeron 550 machine. I ran it along side a P3/800 for a long time and always much prefered the Celeron box for general day to day tasks, hell my AMD 3500 feels damn fast most of the time but when I try multitask a bit too much it just takes forever to even get menus to pop down. Dual core is definately the way to go for the future, when the apps/games start to catch up with the technology everyone will wonder how they ever did without a multi core/cpu system.stephenbrooks - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
If it's any help to y'all asking about thermals, [H]ard|OCP says:"Our Intel 840 will have an operating voltage between 1.2V and 1.4V and have a Thermal Power Design of 130W"
knitecrow - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
thanks Anand... it is the power consumption and power dissipation profiles that I really want to see.Anand Lal Shimpi - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
oh and power consumption is coming... :)Anand Lal Shimpi - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
Hans MaulwurfThese usage scenarios were described by AnandTech readers in my recent request for benchmarks, they weren't anything prescribed by any hardware manufacturers.
Ask anyone who has used a dual processor system, things are just smoother. The reason we've never recommended dual processors systems in the past is mostly because of price. In less than 3 months you should be able to, in theory, purchase a dual core processor for as little as $240. Not since the days of the dual Celeron 300A systems has dual processing been that affordable.
Take care,
Anand
Slaimus - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
The best thing about dual core is that you do not need HT aware OS's anymore. It sucks when you want to run Win2000 with HT and getting slower speeds.Shlong - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
Instead of trying to take screenshots, maybe you could've used one of those desktop video capture programs to try to get a better visual representation of what you were trying to explain.