Alienware M17x R4 (2012), Ivy Bridge and Kepler Refresh
PCMark 7 and PCMark Vantage
Futuremark's PCMark 7 is the latest version of the PCMark suite. It has updated application performance measurements targeted for a Windows 7 environment. Here's what Futuremark says is incorporated in the base PCMark suite and the Entertainment suite, the two modules we have benchmark scores for you here.
The M17x delivered a solid score in PCMark 7. Did it blow us away? No, but the score reflects an overall solid system. The powerful CPU and GPU pull the load, and the memory and hard drive/SSD cache drive don't appear to weigh the system down too much.
Next up, we ran our test systems through Futuremark’s previous generation total-system performance evaluation tool, PCMark Vantage. PCMark Vantage runs through a host of different usage scenarios to simulate different types of workloads including High Definition TV and movie playback and manipulation, gaming, image editing and manipulation, music compression, communications, and productivity.
The performance gains afforded by the Ivy Bridge processor, SSD cache and GeForce GTX 680M GPU are striking in this test, putting the M17x well out in front of the field. Note that our system, with a lone 680M GPU, blasted past the M18x systems with SLI and CrossFireX setups.
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The PCMark test is a collection of workloads that measure system performance during typical desktop usage. This is the most important test since it returns the official PCMark score for the system
Storage
-Windows Defender
-Importing pictures
-Gaming
Video Playback and transcoding
Graphics
-DirectX 9
Image manipulation
Web browsing and decrypting
The Entertainment test is a collection of workloads that measure system performance in entertainment scenarios using mostly application workloads. Individual tests include recording, viewing, streaming and transcoding TV shows and movies, importing, organizing and browsing new music and several gaming related workloads. If the target system is not capable of running DirectX 10 workloads then those tests are skipped. At the end of the benchmark run the system is given an Entertainment test score.
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The M17x delivered a solid score in PCMark 7. Did it blow us away? No, but the score reflects an overall solid system. The powerful CPU and GPU pull the load, and the memory and hard drive/SSD cache drive don't appear to weigh the system down too much.
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Next up, we ran our test systems through Futuremark’s previous generation total-system performance evaluation tool, PCMark Vantage. PCMark Vantage runs through a host of different usage scenarios to simulate different types of workloads including High Definition TV and movie playback and manipulation, gaming, image editing and manipulation, music compression, communications, and productivity.
The performance gains afforded by the Ivy Bridge processor, SSD cache and GeForce GTX 680M GPU are striking in this test, putting the M17x well out in front of the field. Note that our system, with a lone 680M GPU, blasted past the M18x systems with SLI and CrossFireX setups.
