Test notes
The Core Duo's lack of support for 64-bit extensions created a dilemma for us when we set out to test it against the competition. We know that 64-bit support can sometimes lead to faster performance, and we've already found 64-bit versions of many of our test suite applications. We didn't want to deprive the 64-bit chips their chance to strut their stuff, and we had a big bunch of 64-bit test results already in the can for range of desktop processors. What to do?
We decided to test the Core Duo and the Pentium M the only way we could: with 32-bit apps in a 32-bit OS. We would then test the Turion 64 and the desktop chips with 64-bit code on a 64-bit OS where possible, but use the Turion 64 ML-44 as our "bridge" to the 32-bit world. We tested the ML-44 in both 32 and 64 bits, in order to demonstrate the differences between the two. Of course, many apps are still 32 bits only, and in the case of WorldBench, it will only run in 32-bit Windows, so we have quite a few scores in the review that use only 32-bit code on all processors, as well.
Notice that we've tested a couple of Turion 64 processors with similar nomenclature. The Turion 64 ML-40 runs at 2.2GHz and is rated at 35W TDP. The lower power Turion 64 MT-40 runs at this same clock speed, but it's rated at only 25W TDP. Performance between the two should be essentially identical, but power consumption should differ. We'll test to see how much difference there really is.
Finally, please note that the two Pentium D 900-series processors in our test are actually a Pentium Extreme Edition 955 chip that's been set to the appropriate core and bus speeds and had Hyper-Threading disabled in order to simulate the actual products. Performance should be identical to the real McCoys.
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:
| Processor | Pentium Extreme Edition 840 3.2GHz Pentium D 930 3.0GHz Pentium D 950 3.4GHz | Pentium 4 Extreme Edition 3.73GHz Pentium Extreme Edition 955 3.46GHz | Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0GHz Athlon 64 X2 4800+ 2.4GHz Athlon 64 FX-57 2.8GHz Athlon 64 FX-60 2.6GHz Opteron 165 1.8GHz Opteron 180 2.4GHz | Turion 64 ML-44 2.4GHz Turion 64 ML-40 2.2GHz Turion 64 MT-40 2.2GHz | Core Duo T2600 2.166GHz | Pentium M 760 2.0GHz |
| Pentium Extreme Edition 965 3.73GHz | Turion 64 MT-40 2.2GHz | |||||
| System bus | 800MHz (200MHz quad-pumped) | 1066MHz (266MHz quad-pumped) | 1GHz HyperTransport | 800MHz HyperTransport | 667MHz (166MHz quad-pumped) | 533MHz (133MHz quad-pumped) |
| Motherboard | Intel D975XBX | Intel D975XBX | Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe | MSI RS482M-IL | Asus N4L-VM DH | AOpen i915Ga-HFS |
| Board revision | BQBX4500151 | BQBX54500151 | 1.01 | 2.1 | 1.02G | 48.8EAI1.02A |
| BQBX55201124 | ||||||
| BIOS revision | BX97510J.86A.0354. 2005.1208.1112 | BX97510J.86A.0354. 2005.1208.1112 | 0806 | 080012 | 0303 | 10/18/2005 |
| BX97510J.86A.0669. 2006.0301.1046 | ||||||
| North bridge | 975X MCH | 975X MCH | nForce4 SLI X16 | RS482 | 945GM MCH | 915G MCH |
| South bridge | ICH7R | ICH7R | nForce4 SLI | SB400 | ICH7-M | ICH6 |
| Chipset drivers | INF Update 7.2.2.1006 Intel Matrix Storage Manager 5.5.0.1035 | INF Update 7.2.2.1006 Intel Matrix Storage Manager 5.5.0.1035 | SMBus driver 4.5 IDE/SATA driver 5.52 | SMBus driver 5.10.1000.5 | INF Update 7.2.2.1006 Intel Matrix Storage Manager 5.5.0.1035 | INF Update 7.2.2.1006 |
| Memory size | 2GB (2 DIMMs) | 2GB (2 DIMMs) | 2GB (2 DIMMs) | 2GB (2 DIMMs) | 2GB (2 DIMMs) | 2GB (2 DIMMs) |
| Memory type | Crucial Ballistix PC2-8000 DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz | Crucial Ballistix PC2-8000 DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz | Crucial PC3200 DDR SDRAM at 400MHz | Crucial PC3200 DDR SDRAM at 400MHz | Crucial Ballistix PC2-8000 DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz | Crucial Ballistix PC2-8000 DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz |
| CAS latency (CL) | 4 | 4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 3 |
| RAS to CAS delay (tRCD) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| RAS precharge (tRP) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Cycle time (tRAS) | 15 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
| Hard drive | Maxtor DiamondMax 10 250GB SATA 150 | |||||
| Audio | Integrated ICH7R/STAC9221D5 with SigmaTel 5.10.4825.0 drivers | Integrated ICH7R/STAC9221D5 with SigmaTel 5.10.4825.0 drivers | Integrated nForce4/ALC850 with Realtek 5.10.0.5970 drivers | Integrated SB400/ALC655 with Realtek 5.10.0.5970 drivers | Integrated ICH7-M/ALC882M with Realtek 5.10.00.5188 drivers | Integrated ICH6/ALC880 with Realtek 5.10.00.5188 drivers |
| Graphics | GeForce 7800 GTX 512 PCI-E with ForceWare 81.98 drivers | |||||
| OS | Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 (WorldBench only) | Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 (WorldBench only) | Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 | |||
| Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 | ||||||
Thanks to Crucial for providing us with memory for our testing. Their products and support are both far and away superior to generic, no-name memory.
Also, all of our test systems were powered by OCZ PowerStream 520W power supply units. The PowerStream was one of our Editor's Choice winners in our latest PSU round-up.
The test systems' Windows desktops were set at 1152x864 in 32-bit color at an 85Hz screen refresh rate. Vertical refresh sync (vsync) was disabled for all tests.
We used the following 32-bit test applications for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems:
- CPU-Z 1.31
- Compiled binary of C Linpack port from Ace's Hardware
- SMPOV 4.3
- 3ds max 7.0 with Service Pack 1
- Sphinx 3.3
- Battlefield 2 1.12
- FEAR 1.02 with trdemo1
- 3DMark05 v120
- WorldBench 5.0
For 64-bit systems, we used the following test app versions:
- SiSoft Sandra 2005 SR3 10.10.69 64-bit
- Cinebench 2003 64-bit Edition
- POV-Ray for Windows 3.6.1 64-bit
- LAME MT 3.97a 64-bit
- Windows Media Encoder 9 x64 Edition
- Unreal Tournament 2004 3369 and 3369 64-bit Edition
- SiSoft Sandra 2005 SR3 10.10.69
- Cinebench 2003
- POV-Ray for Windows 3.6
- LAME MT 3.97a
- Windows Media Encoder 9
- Unreal Tournament 2004 3369
