Our testing methods
As ever, we did our best to deliver clean benchmark numbers. Tests were run at least three times, and the results were averaged.
Our test systems were configured like so:
| Processors | Dual Xeon E5450 3.0GHz | Dual Xeon X5492 3.4GHz | Dual Xeon L5430 2.66GHz | Dual
Opteron 2347 HE 1.9GHz Dual Opteron 2356 2.3GHz |
Dual Opteron 2384 2.7GHz |
| System bus | 1333MHz (333MHz quad-pumped) | 1600MHz (400MHz quad-pumped) | 1333MHz (333MHz quad-pumped) | 1GHz HyperTransport | 1GHz HyperTransport |
| Motherboard | SuperMicro X7DB8+ | SuperMicro X7DWA | Asus RS160-E5 | SuperMicro H8DMU+ | SuperMicro H8DMU+ |
| BIOS revision | 6/23/2008 | 8/04/2008 | 8/08/2008 | 3/25/08 | 10/15/08 |
| North bridge | Intel 5000P MCH | Intel 5400 MCH | Intel 5100 MCH | Nvidia nForce Pro 3600 | Nvidia nForce Pro 3600 |
| South bridge | Intel 6321 ESB ICH | Intel 6321 ESB ICH | Intel ICH9R | Nvidia nForce Pro 3600 | Nvidia nForce Pro 3600 |
| Chipset drivers | INF Update 9.0.0.1008 | INF Update 9.0.0.1008 | INF Update 9.0.0.1008 | - | - |
| Memory size | 16GB (8 DIMMs) | 16GB (8 DIMMs) | 6GB (6 DIMMs) | 16GB (8 DIMMs) | 16GB (8 DIMMs) |
| Memory type | 2048MB DDR2-800 FB-DIMMs | 2048MB DDR2-800 FB-DIMMs | 1024MB
registered ECC DDR2-667 DIMMs |
2048MB
registered ECC DDR2-800 DIMMs |
2048MB
registered ECC DDR2-800 DIMMs |
| Memory speed (Effective) | 667MHz | 800MHz | 667MHz | 667MHz | 800MHz |
| CAS latency (CL) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| RAS to CAS delay (tRCD) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| RAS precharge (tRP) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Storage controller |
Intel
6321 ESB ICH with Matrix Storage Manager 8.6 |
Intel
6321 ESB ICH with Matrix Storage Manager 8.6 |
Intel ICH9R with Matrix Storage Manager 8.6 |
Nvidia nForce Pro 3600 | LSI
Logic Embedded MegaRAID with 8.9.518.2007 drivers |
| Power supply | Ablecom PWS-702A-1R 700W | Ablecom PWS-702A-1R 700W | FSP Group FSP460-701UG 460W | Ablecom PWS-702A-1R 700W | Ablecom PWS-702A-1R 700W |
| Graphics | Integrated ATI ES1000 with 8.240.50.3000 drivers | Integrated ATI ES1000 with 8.240.50.3000 drivers | Integrated XGI Volari Z9s with 1.09.10_ASUS drivers | Integrated ATI ES1000 with 8.240.50.3000 drivers | Integrated ATI ES1000 with 8.240.50.3000 drivers |
| Hard drive | WD Caviar WD1600YD 160GB | ||||
| OS | Windows Server 2008 Enterprise x64 Edition with Service Pack 1 | ||||
We used the following versions of our test applications:
- SPECjbb 2005 1.07 with Oracle JRockIt JRE R27.6 Windows 64-bit
- SiSoft Sandra 2009.1.15.42
- CPU-Z 1.48
- Valve VRAD map build benchmark
- Cinebench R10 64-bit Edition
- POV-Ray for Windows 3.7 beta 29 64-bit
- CASE Lab Euler3d CFD benchmark multithreaded edition
- MyriMatch proteomics benchmark
- notfred's Folding benchmark CD 9/28/08 revision
- x264 HD benchmark 2.0 with x264 version 0.59.819
- TR XML benchmark
The tests and methods we employ are usually publicly available and reproducible. If you have questions about our methods, hit our forums to talk with us about them.
