Posted:2006-11-02 By cpu review Number of View:97645
KENTSFIELD CORE 2 EXTREME QX6700
AND CORE 2 QUAD Q6600 REVIEW
BENCHMARK AND OVERCLOCK
By :cpu review
Posted:2006-11-02
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On month ago on IDF we already obtained the first practical experience
of contact with the new four core processor intel, known
under the code name kentsfield. However, such experience can
be hardly considered as valuable. It passed according to the intel company representatives , who strongly limited us in the experiments.
Fortunately, now processors kentsfield reached finally our
laboratory and this time we already can share with you with present
comprehensive testing. Naturally, this review has appeared because that the four processors
from intel has reached the official announcement stage . Accordingly, soon, you
will be able to get Kentsfield for your system and in
those proposed by partners Of
intel. Thus,
it is possible to speak, that today we become the new expansion of processors, which have more than
two computational core, for the market of desktop systems. In this
case in order to complete such step from dual core to the
four core processor ,Intel programist required only
one-and-a-half . However, we note that
the increase in the number of processor core in new CPU do not mean increase in performance because this will require a contemporary programs. Although the portion of software, capable
to work with four cpu simultaneously is completely limited, these
applications are from the same type and practically they are all intended
either for multimedia or for 3d rendering. Therefore the basic initiators of the increase in the
number of core inside the processors were encountered with the impossibility of further increase in
the clock speed or the growth of clock
frequency, for example because of the high energy consumption
which are due to the highly clocked cpu. In other words,
releaseing processors with four core, again becomes in the
advance of progress and only time will show how software developers will benifit from new algorithms and giving them
parallelism Thus
far kentsfield processors are positioned by Intel as the
solutions for the high end price segment. At the same time at the given moment
to us it is known that not 3d games is capable to operate with
all four processor core. Fortunately, this situation will have to
change in the following year, when leave at least five games with the
valuable support Of kentsfield: THQ supreme commander, Remedy
alan Of wake, Valve half-Life 2: Episode 2, Epic unreal engine
3 and ubisoft splinter cell: Double agent. Thus, it is
possible to speak, that even developers of traditional single
applications begin to think about the adaptation of their programs . It
is necessary to say that with the announcement of the
four core processors intel possible to
substantially outdistance AMD, which plans to release analogous CPU structure in the middle of following year. AMD assembled the so-called platform 4x4, which makes possible to
combine in one system two dual core processors.
The
first dual core processors with the micro-architecture Of core were
represented by Intel in the middle of summer.
But Intel is already ready to the following step - to the release of
processors with the four core processor design, based on the same
micro-architecture core! To
attain a rapid introduction Of cpu with the
four core intel succeeded by a completely simple method, which
was being exploited in the times of processors presler.
The fact is that Kentsfield is actually the association of two crystals
conroe (Core 2 Duo), made in the united processor packing
(accurately also as Presler it was done of two crystals cedar
mill). In other words, the new four core processor intel
can be described as system of two dual core processors with the
micro-architecture core.
It
is necessary to note that this approach from intel has a mass of it is plus. For example, it makes possible to
reach essential savings on the work of engineers and technologists,
which took the shape in the final analysis and the early
appearance of four core processor architecture on the market.
Furthermore, Intel solved the possible production
problems, which accompany the beginning of release of new semiconductor
core. It is obvious that with the production of two semiconductor
crystals conroe the release of suitable products will be in any
case higher than if Intel began to release crystals with the approximately
doubly larger area and transistors number.
First, the
use of two core instead of one makes possible to obtain
approximately 12- percent gain in the summary area of core.But, in
the second place, Intel obtained enormous space for the selection of
the most suitable crystals for their application in the basis of
four core processors. So, in the composition Of kentsfield,
as it is expected, will be used crystals with the lower heat
emission, which will make possible to enter the thermal and
electrical characteristics of this new cpu in sufficiently attractive
range. Thus, Kentsfield can be considered as sequential processor with the micro-architecture core,
already well known to us on processors core 2 Duo. It has all
the same advantages as processors with the code name conroe, perhaps
only with only exception. The cache in the second level
for four core processor, two
physical semiconductor crystals, consists in two 4-megabyte
parts, which is divided between cpu (because of intel technology advanced smart cache) .
First, before the end of the year,
Intel will supply only modification Of kentsfield, which bears the
name Of core 2 Extreme QX6700. The cost of this processor will be
$999, i.e., it will be the four core competitor of the
dual core processor core 2 Extreme x6800.
As a whole, specification of this new cpu is the following:
Intel core 2 Extreme QX6700
Cpu Frequency
2666 mhz
Number of core
4
Cpu Socket
LGA 775
Cpu Default vcore
1.35V
Cpu system bus
1066 MHZ
Cpu power requirement
130 watt
L2 Cache
2x4 MB
Technical process
65Nm
Support Hyper threading
No support
Intel virtualization Technology
Support
Em64T(Enhanced Memory 64 Technology)
Support
EIST(Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology)
Support
In
comparison with the elder processor dual core processors
with the micro-architecture core, Quad Core 2
Extreme QX6700 has 266 MHz lower frequency and to 75% higher
heat emission. In this case both processors are completely equal,
giving end users the difficult selection between two completely
different proposals. Diagnostic utility CPU- Z of show about Core 2 Extreme QX6700 the following information.
As
u see, in the composition of intel cpu with four core processors was released new revision of core B3: the
last revision Of core 2 Duo at the given moment is
b2. Together
with the four core processor core 2 Extreme QX6700 in
our laboratory arrived and less high-speed cpu,
model kentsfield, Core 2 Quad q6600. This processor
is not announced, its release is expected at the beginning of next
year.
Differences
In core 2 Quad q6600 from Core 2 Extreme QX6700 consist in the
lower clock frequency and the smaller cost, which, according to the
preliminary data, will be in the order of $850. The general characteristics Of core 2 Quad q6600 are presented in the fellowing table:
Intel core 2 Extreme QX6700
Cpu Frequency
2400 mhz
Number of core
4
Cpu Socket
LGA 775
Cpu Default vcore
1.35V
Cpu system bus
1066 MHZ
Cpu power requirement
105 watt
L2 Cache
2x4 MB
Technical process
65Nm
Support Hyper threading
No support
Intel virtualization Technology
Support
Em64T(Enhanced Memory 64 Technology)
Support
EIST(Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology)
Support
Here is the report of utility CPU- Z:
For those which preffer cheaper cpu in addition on lower heat and power requirement the Core 2 Quad q6600 can
be more attractive model.
how we tested
To
continue story about the properties of new processors from the
theoretical positions there is no much sense. The properties of
micro-architecture core were repeatedly examined earlier by us. With
the tests of four core processors core 2 Extreme
QX6700 and Core 2 Quad q6600 we decided not only to investigate
the speed of these CPU in applications, which support
multicore. Since the dual core processors make possible to
effectively do several applications
simultaneously, we decided to give tests
precisely in this situation. But about everything in the order. For the
beginning, let us introduce the equipment which was used
in our test systems:
Graphic card: PowerColor x1900 XTX 512MB; Hard sidk drive: Western
igital WD1500AHFD. Operating system: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 from DirectX 9.0c.
Performance
SYSMark 2004 SE: the general quad core performance
However,from
first test, we got the possibility to make
the completely single-valued conclusion about
four core processors. The application OF CPU with this quantity of
core actually makes possible to obtain gain in the performance in
comparison with the speed of contemporary dual core processors.
Moreover, this gain finds manifestation in the tasks of
working and creating digital contenant. This is not surprising. The
majority of applications from this type is optimized for multi cpu, that give into 8- percent
superiority Of core 2 Extreme QX6700 over Core 2 Extreme x6800
even with clock frequency of dual core CPU higher 10%
. However,
as far as the performance in the typical office applications is concerned,
here for Kentsfield there is nothings good as in the previous test. Type
of load with the office work rarely require multicore nature,
correspondingly an increase in the number of core cannot be considered in this case as the good
method to growth in application speed. In this case it is desirable
to recall that the office performance in SYSMark 2004 SE
is not increased with the transfer from the dual core processors to
the quad one.
Quad core Synthetic tests: PCMark05, 3Dmark06
Support
to the popular benchmark PCMark05 for multicore consists not only in the the two computational processes runing
simultaneously. In this benchmark there is a test with four processes created simultaneously. Therefore
the performance of Kentsfield in this benchmark are higher than the
results of all dual core CPU.
The
gain of the four core procesor in 3DMark06 is explained by
the results of the processor test, which has an effect on the summary
result. However, processor benchmark results are given on the
second graph, uses multi core architecture to calculate physics
and AI for large number of objects, which interact between
them and with each other simultaneously. It is clear that
a task from this type can be wonderfully executed in parallel and this was expressed by the result obtained in the test.
Quad core 3d games
Relatively
old games, such as Far cry and half life 2, do not have support
to quad or even dual core cpu ,So naturally with the presence of four core
processor there is no improvment . Quake4, as is known,supports
dual core processors ; however, its performance in the systems
using Kentsfield does not impress. It is obvious that the widely
proclaimed support to muticore into Quake4 is oriented
exclusively to the dual core processors, this game operates only with
two cpu int two thread. Then in F.E.A.R., where the support to
multicore is also realized, Core 2 Extreme QX6700
slightly win over the Core 2 Extreme x6800.
However, the results obtained in F.E.A.R. can
be hardly named as sucess. As it is expected, the valuable use of
four core processors possibilities in games to calculate physics and artificial intellect will be realized only in the next generation engine , the first games on base of which will begin
to appear at the market during the following year.
Four coreCoding audio and video
Support
to multicore in audio and video codecs has been appeared already long time ago
. However, as is evident according to the results below not all codecs are capable to use four processor core. Many of them create only two
thread and the advantage kentsfield over the dual core is then null.
there is some examples.
Some
codecs will wonderfully recognize the presence in system of four
processor core and will demonstrate excellent performance in the
platforms, equipped Kentsfield. The value of relative superiority Of
core 2 Extreme QX6700 over Core 2 Extreme x6800 composes into
Xvid and TMPCEnc 20-35%. But,
as it occurs, not all codecs are capable to effectively
operate with four processor core simultaneously. Many of them are
capable to obtain increase in the performance exclusively upon
transfer to the dual core processors;
In
other words even those applications, which we have used for the
demonstration of the dual core architectures advantage , can not always be used for the same purposes with four core processors.
Intel Quad core Editing images and video
As
it was already said above the basic tasks which win from the
installation of processors similar to Kentsfield appear
tasks for creation and editing of digital data.
For
example, in Adobe photoshop CS2 core 2 Extreme QX6700 is faster than the dual core 2 Extreme x6800 which have higher
frequency by 266 MHz of approximately 18%.
Applications
for nonlinear video editing demonstrate a huge of gain
for four core processors. Its value (in
comparison with Conroe) reaches more than 60%.
Intel kentsfield 3d rendering and professional OpenGL
To test the performance in professional applications we used the newest version 3ds max 9.
Performance
with final rendering is scaled depending on the number of processor
core . Systems on the base Of kentsfield can become
outstanding selection for 3d designers. The speed of rendering
after transfer from Core 2 Extreme x6800 to Core 2 Extreme QX6700
grows by more than 30%. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same words
about the performance with projection,
where the quantity of processor core do not influence the speed of
rendering, but by the basic factor, which influences the performance as the clock
frequency remain.
Larger effectiveness Of kentsfield can be observed into
Cinebench. Here superiority in the speed Of core 2
Extreme QX6700 over Core 2 Extreme x6800 is more than 50%.
Other applications
The
last versions of popular archiver winRAR support
multicore. Kentsfield in this case get the performance boost, the
use of its four core makes possible to obtain
very good gain in the performance.
Mathematical
MATLAB from the presence of four processor
core does not show any improvment, here the best results show processors with core conroe. Here is a tasks which not use
a parallel data processing, the kentsfield processors
lag behind Conroe x6800. This can be explained by the difference in frequencies between dual and
four core CPU from Intel:
The E6700 Kentsfield is inferior in frequency to the sinior conroe x6800 by 266 MHz.
Also,
we decided to include in the number of tests the chess benchmark. The analysis of
chess position proved to be wonderfully executable-in-parallel
process, capable to demonstrate advantages of
four core processors in the best way. Actually, with the
identical clock frequency superiority Of kentsfield over Conroe
composes 94%, which is close to the theoretical maximum.
Four core cpu Multitask tests
For
this division we used several tests, directed to the measurement performance for systems in those situations, when several applications
are executed simultaneously. we simultaneously started several
tasks in different applications and was measured the time
necessary for systems to complete the entire work.
In
this test in parallel was excuted the image processing in Adobe
photoshop simultaneously with winRAR . Four core processors
manage the multitask load without any problems, Beeing faster than the
dual core conroe by more than 30%.
Here
simultaneously was excuted work with video in Adobe premiere pro simultaneously was encoded mp3 file using Apple iTunes. load on the four core system in this
case was somewhat stronger than in the previous test. At least, the
advantage Of kentsfield over Conroe (with the identical clock
frequency) in this case reaches an impressing 93%.
In
the third, hardest test we loaded platforms with
simultaneous application : by image
processing in Adobe photoshop, final rendering in 3ds
max and by coding video in MPEG4 format. And in this test
processors with four core again showed the
advantageous side, beeing considerably outdistanced the old dual core conroe. Thus, it is possible to speak, that
multi processors give the possibility to
considerably increase the performrnce of systems which excute several tasks simultaneously. To
test the speed of platforms with dual and
quad core processors, which excute several parallel
tasks, we would explain the nfluence
rate of the application ressource, which works �in the
foreground�, background processes. For this we measured the number of
fps in the popular game quake 4, starting in the background several
copies of winRAR.
The first part of results is discouraging. Actually, it seem that
processor with the large number of core must ensure higher
perofmrnace independently from the number of applications, which work in
the background regime. But in practice this do not completely occurs.
If with the small number of background processes system with Kentsfield
shows higher results, then an increase in their number this tendency
does not develop. With six or higher number of applications, which work
in the background, the speed of game, excuted on �the
foreground� of operating system falls more rapidly precisely in the
system with four core processor. In
order to studie the reasons for this strange effect first of
all necessary to understand that reduction in the game speed is due to the
working in background process proceeds first . The
manager of Windows operating system tasks distributes very well
processes, and all background thread leave for the core free from the
basic work. However, the resources OF background
tasks require access also to other subsystems of platform, for example
to the system bus and memory. Specifically, this
ruins the speed Of kentsfield. Since this processor
consists of two different semiconductor crystals, the sending of
data between them is done through the frontal system bus and memory system . But WinRAR - is exactly the mulitask application,
which will begin to operate several core simultaneously. As a result,
the start of this utility in the background leads to the fact that
some part of the memory and system bus start the
realization of data exchange between the threads of one program copy
. Therefore, the performance of Kentsfield using several
copies of this program start to overload the bus capacity and it became full tir earlier than with Conroe
Quad core Testing the energy consumption
The
micro-architecture core already had time to demonstrate
their efficiency from the relationship
performance per watt. processors conroe, which was tested
earlier by us proved to be not only the most rapid CPU for today
desktop computers but also showed record with low energy consumption.
For example, the typical heat emission of the
dual core 2 Extreme x6800 is 75 W, and heat
emission of core 2 Duo e6700 - is only 65 W. In the new
four core processors are used two core conroe,
respectively their typical heat emission grew two. Thus,
quad Core 2 Extreme QX6700, which frequency is
equivalent to the clock frequency Of core 2 Duo e6700, has
teh power requirement of 130 W. The power of this processor
(from the theoretical positions) reached the power requirement of elder
processors pentium D, based on core presler. This is -
sufficiently alarming symptom for our readers, who with the
horror recalls about the cooling systems necessary to raise for
the heat removal from processors with the micro-architecture
netBurst. However, give let us look in practice . As
always in our tests, we load the processors with the
maximum level to test the energy consumption .in this case we use the specialized
utility S&M.
First
of all we measured the energy consumption of processors in the state
rest. The technologies of energy-economy cool'n'Quiet, Intel
enhanced speedStep and Enhanced halt state in this test were
enabled.
In
the state rest (idle) . Core 2 Quad
x6600 consumes practically as much as dual Core 2
Extreme x6800, based on the conroe core. However, the energy
consumption of the four core 2 Extreme QX6700
is on 8 W higher, in any case this last is inferior to the energy
consumption of the dual core processor athlon 64 FX-62, measured
under analogous conditions.
Here is now results that are observed with the 100-percent load of processor .
As
u can see, in practice the energy consumption Of kentsfield exceeds the
energy Of conroe, that works at the same clock frequency,
on 75% that is not far from the theoretical values. However, in spite of
this, the new four core processors from intel prove to be more
economical than dual core Athlon 64 FX-62 and than elder
dual core processors of family presler in the last revisions. In
other words, fear from the high heat emission of processors
kentsfield should not be. the heat emission Of core 2
Extreme QX6700 can be compared with the heat emission Of athlon 64 X2
5000+, but the heat emission Of core 2 Quad q6600 with the heat
emission athlon 64 X2 4200+ ( not -Energy Efficient of version).
Quad core Overclocking
In conclusion let us look to the frequency potential Of kentsfield processors . The
overclocking of these processors is done without any special
features. All is absolutely analogous with conroe overclocking.
Core 2 Extreme QX6700 as the processor, oriented to the user-
enthusiasts, has the free coefficient. . Accordingly, to overclock this four core product u will have get a motherboard capable to preserve stability with a notable increase in the
frequency FSB .(remenber that the default multiplier for Q6600 is only 9x) During
the overclocking test we did not use
any special cooling methods . All experiments were done with
the popular air cooling cooler from zalman CNPS9500 LED. As the
platform for overlocking was used the well recommended
motherboard ASUS P5B deluxe, based on intel p965 . The voltage of processors with
overclocking was set to 1.5 v for both processors. Let us recall
that the default vcore of our copy core 2 Extreme QX6700 was
equal to 1.3 v and for Core 2 Quad q6600 - 1.2 v. The
result obtained proved that The maximum
frequency, with which preserved the capability for stable
functioning for core 2 Extreme QX6700, was 3.5 GHz.
Thus,
elder Kentsfield demonstrated a completely
impressive frequency potential, which exceeds 30% the regular
frequency. As
far as second CPU test Core 2 Quad q6600 is concerned, this
processor was overclocked to only 3.42 GHz.
The values in this overclcoking looks also well, since clock
frequency of CPU grew by 43% . the kentsfield processors can become completely attractive for
overclocker. Certainly, CPU of family conroe can be
overclocked slighly higher .
Conclusions
Here we come to the conclusion from our today review
we will describe the obtained
results briefly . the
kentsfield processors is somewhat outdistanced by applications, capable to effectively operate their
possibilities to 100%, using all core, and as u know at the given moment there is not many. Actually, these are only program for 3d
rendering, workings of video and some codecs. Specifically, in these
applications the multicore architecture of new CPU can give
effect, adequate to its theoretical potential. Absence at the given
moment of a large quantity of optimized programs leads to the fact that
the processors kentsfield thus far cannot pretend to the role of
leaders from the side of performance per watt . From this dual core CPU from family conroe
continue to remain leaders.
Furthermore,
competent price policy makes Core 2 Extreme QX6700 attractive
proposal already today. Its clock frequency is 10% only inferior to
the frequency of the elder dual core processor conroe, Core 2
Extreme x6800. I.e., in those applications, which do not have a
optimization under muticore, Core 2 Extreme QX6700 will
lose over Core 2 Extreme x6800 but by a little. In this case their
cost is equivalent, which allows users, who select CPU from the
position of the relationship speed / price, to consider
Kentsfield as completely acceptable version. Especially as even with
the condition of application with the unoptimized programs, it can
give influential gain with the work with several tasks simultaneously.
In the optimized applications core 2 Extreme QX6700 demonstrates
unattainable speed.
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