Java
This environment also has multicore support. Besides, it somewhat favors the AMD CPU architecture. As a result, AMD Phenom II X6 1090T did a good job.
Web browsing
This is a new group of tests called to measure the performance of Adobe Flash and JavaScript in the most popular browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Chrome. The results are averaged out.
The difference was too insignificant to care much, but still AMD Phenom II X6 1090T formally outperformed AMD Phenom II X4 965 and as formally lost to Intel Core i7-930. However, there are no reasons to question benchmark's adequacy. Most likely, it will be quite interesting in tests of mobile and inexpensive desktop CPUs.
A harmless JavaScript code created an epic picture. Its adequacy really needs to be examined before we can use this subtest in the new test method. Well, there may be at least three explanations. 1) Six cores is too many for browsers (for all of them in a similar way), and these applications will actually perform like that when running JavaScript code. 2) The script used in Sun Spider is to blame. 3) The benchmark's calculation method fails with hexacore CPUs. It is even stranger, considering that the same benchmark doesn't fail with Intel Core i7-930's virtual multithreading.
Audio encoding
Like bitmap processing, audio encoding is a group of tests convenient for Intel CPU architecture and as inconvenient for the AMD CPU architecture. But in this case, multithreading optimization worked well, so AMD Phenom II X6 1090T managed to improve the results of AMD CPUs with the help of additional cores.
Video encoding
In video encoding tasks, more demanding (and probably more important), AMD Phenom II X6 1090T did a good job, winning 5 tests out of 6 and almost achieving parity in XviD.
3D games
As we all know, modern games know how to use multicore processors. But this can be seen as the number of cores grows to four (though, only a minority of games currently support more than three cores). Formally, you can somewhat offload the four primary cores by moving threads related to graphics drivers to the two additional cores. But in real life, only one game-based benchmark knew what to do with six cores -- Fritz Chess, a new addition to our game list. In all other cases, AMD Phenom II X6 1090T performed on a par with or slightly lost to AMD Phenom II X4 965. Moreover, in some games the multicore nature was even a drawback (as well as Intel's virtual multithreading). For example, in Colin McRae: DiRT 2, AMD Phenom II X4 965 was the first, Athlon II X4 630 was the second, and the rest followed. But if Hyper-Threading can be disabled, the Turbo CORE of AMD Phenom II X6 has to operate at full capacity (both additional cores need to be put to sleep and active cores need to be overclocked). Anyway, performance in other games could be better as well. On the other hand, we didn't use Smart Profiles. Adjusting settings manually for each game could probably yield better results than a universal BIOS feature.
Conclusions
Without a doubt, AMD Phenom II X6 1090T performs adequately to its price and will be in demand. Positioning on a par with Intel Core i7-930 is completely justified. However, judging by specifications, we believe this CPU can demonstrate better results. A better Turbo CORE algorithm, activated not only when cores are completely passive, can yield better results in more applications. On the other hand, since this feature bases on the familiar dynamic multiplier selection, there is leeway for experimenting and manual optimizations. For example, overclocking should provide better results in games in a simple asymmetric mode (four cores overclocked, two disabled). Thus, the question of performance is still open.
PowerColor HD 5870 1GB GDDR5 graphics card has been provided by PowerColor.
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