Performance Mandel | ZLib | VP8
Updated and added benchmarks: On this page a couple of updated and new benchmarks. Very few results here as we have to start over from scratch with these benchmarks as their update required an AVX compatibility fix.
FPU Mandel, and in the near future we'll include CPU Hash benchmarks as well, they now also utilize Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) of Intel Sandy Bridge processors. System Stability Test module has also been enhanced to put even more stress on the system using AVX optimizations. Note: To unlock the AVX capabilities of the new Intel processors, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is required.
Mandel FPU test
The Mandel FPU benchmark measures double precision (also known as 64-bit) floating-point performance through the computation of several frames of the popular "Mandelbrot" fractal. The code behind this benchmark method is written in Assembly, and it is extremely optimized for every popular AMD and Intel processor core variant by utilizing the appropriate x86 or SSE2 instruction set extension.
If you come from the Commodore 64 / Amiga era like me (Peek & Poke Commands FTW dude!), you can probably remember rendering Mandelbrot graphics, a mathematical formula that much like a paradox, never ends and thus is repetitive. Back in the 1990s it took me a full day to complete one Mandelbrot image. Amazing where we are right now as the same set of calculations can be done in a split second & even real-time.
The FPU Mandel test again is Hyper-Threaded, multi-processor (SMP) and multi-core aware. The Phenom II 970Be and X6 1100T are the fastest processors the competition has available, hence we included them. The updated Mandel test now embeds AVX support and that shows alright. Also, the test does not allow AVX to be disabled.
Again, over time these benchmark updates/new tests will get more and more comparative processors added.
ZLib Compression
This integer benchmark measures combined CPU and memory subsystem performance through the public ZLib compression library Version 1.2.2
The ZLIB compression test was recently overhauled as well, hence we had to start from scratch here again as well. This integer benchmark measures combined CPU and memory subsystem performance through the public ZLib compression library. CPU ZLib test uses basic x86 instructions thus no AVX, and it is Hyper-Threading, multi-processor (SMP) and multi-core (CMP) aware.
VP8 video compression
VP8 is an open video compression format released by Google, originally created by On2 Technologies.
This particular test is a 64-bit multi-threaded VP8 video encoding stress sequence, this is a brand new 64-bit multi-threaded HD video encoding benchmark, based on Googles VP8 (WebM) video codec. The VP8 test encodes 1280x720 pixel ("HD ready") resolution video frames in 1-pass mode at 8192 kbps bitrate with best quality settings and it is Hyper-Threading, multi-processor (SMP) and multi-core (CMP) aware.
If you look at the 1100T and the 2600K for a second, you'll spot nearly bang on similar performance, the difference is that the 2600 does the very same thing with only 4 CPU cores, while the Phenom II needs six of them.
