Gaming performance
Up next are some gaming tests. Notice that we've included above each result a little graph generated by the Windows Task Manager as the benchmark ran on our dual Opteron 275 system (with four total CPU cores.) This should give you some indication of the amount of threading in the application. In some cases with single-threaded apps like the games below, the task will oscillate back and forth between one CPU and the next, but total utilization generally won't go above 50% for a dual-core or 25% for a quad-core (or quad-front-end, in the case of the XE 840 with Hyper-Threading) system.

Doom 3
We tested performance by playing back a custom-recorded demo that should be fairly representative of most of the single-player gameplay in Doom 3.

Far Cry
Our Far Cry demo takes place on the Pier level, in one of those massive, open outdoor areas so common in this game. Vegetation is dense, and view distances can be very long.

Unreal Tournament 2004
Our UT2004 demo shows yours truly putting the smack down on some bots in an Onslaught game.

These gaming test results are about what one would expect, and exactly why AMD claims the FX-57 is the world's best processor for 3D gaming. The Athlon 64 scales well to 2.8GHz. Also, just so you know, the graphs are sorted by performance, not by CPU manufacturer—'tis hard to tell the difference, I know. The FX-57's ostensible rival from Intel, the P4 Extreme Edition 3.73GHz, contends for the gaming crown about like my KC Royals contend for their division title. To be fair to the Royals, though, they have a small-market payroll.