Tests

Testbed:

• Processors:
• AMD Athlon XP 2100+ (1733 MHz, 13x133 MHz), Socket 462(Socket A)
• AMD Athlon XP 2600+ (2133 MHz, 16x133 MHz), Socket 462(Socket A)
• Intel Pentium 4 2.53 GHz (19x133 MHz), Socket 478
• Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz (21x133 MHz), Socket 478
• Mainboards:
• ASUS A7V8X (BIOS 1004) on VIA KT400
• ASUS P4T533-C (BIOS 1007 beta 002) on i850E
• Memory:
• 2x256 MB PC3200(DDR400) DDR SDRAM DIMM Winbond, parameters by SPD
• 2x256 MB PC1066 RDRAM RIMM Kingston
• Video card: Palit Daytona GeForce4 Ti4600
• Hard drive: IBM IC35L040AVER07-0, 7200 rpm

Software:

• Windows XP Professional
• DirectX 8.1a
• VIA 4-in-1 4.42v(a)p2
• Intel Inf 4.00.1013
• Intel Application Accelerator 2.2.2
• NVIDIA Detonator XP 29.42 (VSync=Off)
• Cachemem 2.4MMX
• Wstream
• CPU RightMark 1.01
• Discreet 3ds max 4.26
• RazorLame 1.1.5.1342 + Lame codec 3.92
• VirtualDub 1.4.10 + DivX codec 5.02 Pro
• WinAce 2.2
• WinRAR 3.0
• BAPCo & MadOnion SYSmark 2002 Internet Content Creation
• BAPCo & MadOnion SYSmark 2002 Office Productivity
• SPECviewperf 7.0
• MadOnion 3DMark 2001 SE build 330
• Gray Matter Studios & Nerve Software Return To Castle Wolfenstein v1.1
• Croteam/GodGames Serious Sam: The Second Encounter v1.07

Cachemem and Wstream

We already mentioned that comparison of Pentium 4 and Athlon XP based systems with low-level tests of the memory bandwidth is a sadistic occupation for the fans of Pentium 4 and a masochistic one for the fans of the Athlon XP :). The fastest processor bus in the x86 architecture and the fastest memory accompany the Pentium 4, while the Athlon XP lacks for them. The test results directly depend on the specs of processors, chipsets and memory, and the diagrams can be drawn with a pencil. But it doesn't mean that the benefit of the Pentium 4 disappears. It is real, obvious and expected! The low-level memory tests prove that.

CPU RightMark 1.01

The classic FPU of the Athlon XP is noticeably more powerful than that of the Pentium 4, and the results given in the diagrams (MMX/FPU) prove that clearly. But with the SSE (SSE/FPU) the rendering brings new results: the Pentium 4 2.53 GHz goes on a par with the lower Athlon XP.

The SSE2 support makes the Pentium 4 jump forward. As we said a lot of times, the Pentium 4 provides a higher performance only in those programs which are able to derive benefit from the architecture of this processor, in particular, from its extended instructions. I must admit, the number of such programs is growing up.

3ds max 4.26 (Pentium 4 Optimized Version)

According to the diagram, the performance of the Athlon XP 2100+ is lower than that of the Pentium 4 2.53 GHz; besides, the Athlon XP 2600+ and Pentium 4 2.8 GHz are on the same level. Taking into account that the frequency gap between the 2100+ and P4 2.53 GHz is much greater than between 2600+ and P4 2.8 GHz, the Athlon XP shows better scores in the 3ds max, and in all other cases one must account for a core's speed of a certain model.

It turned out that 2800 MHz from Intel is approximately equal to 2133 MHz from AMD. It's known that the AMD's processors have often problems not with the "specific" performance but with the "absolute" one, exactly because the company is not able to handle the frequency race properly. But at present the parity is again achieved: the flagships of both companies score the same results.

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