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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Questar - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
Is Xvid a relevent test? It's not multithreadedboban10 - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
hi. thanks to responding.i have some sugestion for you work.
can you test this:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threa...
easy real media producer, you get it here:
http://redcheek.net/erm/ermp_full.zip
its free..
can you try to encoding some things, i wannt to see how much diference it it on one and two cpu, and would be nice if you can test with athlon xp too, because i wannt to see how much gain i get with dual-core cpu...
then some more programs that suport dual-cpu:
TMPGEnc , Photoshop. Premiere pro ...
thanks...
Anand Lal Shimpi - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
Thanks so much for the comments, keep em coming in. This is just the first part, there's more coming. I've got another NDA tomorrow morning but then after that it's more dual core. Let me know what you want to see, I've already got quite a bit planned :)And yes that die shot is correct, it is simply rotated 90 degrees clockwise to fit on the page better.
Take care,
Anand
erikvanvelzen - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
Are you 100% sure that die picture is right? Again a great review from Anandtech!DAPUNISHER - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
I must have missed it somehow; what storage setup did you use? Thanks and great article kid :-)boban10 - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
Anandtech, i wannt to thank you, because this is a great preview....ronaldo
Avalon - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
Impressive results. Sometimes I come across a scenario where I'm doing two things at once fighting for 100% CPU time on my A64 Sempron rig, so it would be quite nice to have a dual core chip to handle that for me. I personally can't wait to see a more full review, and hopefully one of AMD's dual core setup as well.karlreading - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
#11Very good points, but i think the thing to remeber about intel is this:
Yes, they are beating AMD to the desktop. And yes, that will be good beacuse it will encourage the user base to adopt dual core, and thus programers to multi thread more. Bineg a enthusiast site, obviously dektop dual is the scene we care about and sticks in our minds.
BUT:
AMD will beat out Intel to dual core in the enterprise segment. THE area where the real money is. THE area where dual core can stretch its multithreaded wings. THE area where it has a product thats already causing waves ( opteron may not have the penertration of xeon, but it's given AMD a seriouse status in the enterprise sector and it is a respected architecture ), and, THE area it can really try and hurt intel, and its partners. DELL wont have a dual core capable box yet, HP can have one very soon. More to the point, if ur a IT head and u spent on Opteron server, Youll be a very happy one. Beacuse that 8 Way opteron box you got can suddenly become a 16- way box.
Its strikes of AMD's stratagey with x86-64. No, it wasent as powerful as itanium, it wasent new, fresh, and funky. It certainly wasent the first 64 bit cpu for enterprise wither, not by a long shot. But by giving comapnys, and people what they want, a easy, painless upgrade path, it suceeded in destroying intels dream of killing of x86. Intel was still denying yamhill when it was already in there cpus, lying dormant for the day intel would swallow its pride and follow AMD down the x86-64 route.
Intel will beat AMD to dual core on the desktop, but they will make waves and in roads in the enterprise sector, and, let's face it, its just better that way.
Karlos
Googer - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
"I tried to take a screenshot of what was going on, but print screen wouldn't work. I could launch Paint, but I couldn't paste anything into it"If paint does not work you can always use wordpad and paste any images to it that are cahced to the clipboard.
karlreading - Monday, April 4, 2005 - link
Personally, im very excited about dual core. It appears to me that everyone seems to be forgeting the main thing.Its not necesseraly about doing one thing faster, its about doing MORE things faster.
the multi-tasking scenarios ANAND has given us is where the real excitment and benefit come in. Now, as a AMD FANboi, all i say is this: Bring on TOLEDO :)
Karlos