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Next, we ran
MadOnion's 3DMark2001 SE (Build 330) at the benchmark's
default resolution of 1024x768x32. 3DMark2001 SE is a
DirectX8 benchmarking utility that uses the "MaxFX" engine,
from Remedy's very popular Max Payne, to simulate an actual
in-game environment.
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Gaming Benchmarks
and Comparisons |
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3DMark2001SE,
Comanche 4 and Quake 3 Performance |
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In 3DMark2001 SE, the Athlon XP
2600+ wasn't able to reach the same performance levels of
even a 2.4GHz Pentium 4, but the performance delta between
the slowest and fastest systems in this test was less than
10%.
We also ran a
batch of tests with Novalogic's Combat Helicopter simulator,
Comanche 4. Comanche 4 makes use of Pixel and Vertex
shaders, and is a useful too for testing performance under
DirectX 8. This benchmark generally scales up with
increased CPU speed. We set the resolution to
640x480x32 and disabled audio in an attempt to isolate CPU
performance
The Athlon XP 2600+ performed
very well in our Comanche 4 benchmark, but it wasn't able to
catch the 2.53GHz Pentium 4. Regardless, breaking the
50 FPS barrier in this benchmark is no small feat. The
Athlon XP 2600+ is definitely packing some serious muscle.
Next up, we have
some Quake 3 Arena v1.17 Time Demo scores taken at the
"Fastest" setting at a low resolution of 640X480, using
16-bit color and textures. Running Quake 3 with a high-end
graphics card, at these minimal settings, isolates processor
performance, without being hindered by the graphics
subsystem.
Quake 3 Arena has always favored
the Pentium 4, but the Athlon XP 2600+ put up one hell of a
fight. It took a 2.53GHz Pentium 4 equipped with
PC1066 RDRAM to overtake the 2600+. When we
substituted the PC1066 RDRAM for PC800, the Athlon took the
lead. This is another test where the Athlon XP 2600+
would have benefited from a higher FSB, which in turn would
result in increase available memory bandwidth.
Judging by the benchmark scores,
the price and the overclocked speeds we were able to hit, we
think the AMD Athlon XP 2600+ is a winner. Throughout
our battery of benchmarks, this processor exhibited
top-notch performance, surpassing Intel's current flagship
processor, the 2.53GHz Pentium 4, in multiple tests.
To get the kind of performance we did out of a 2.53GHz
Pentium 4 though, you'll have to spring for and i850E based
motherboard and PC1066 RDRAM, which is currently about twice
as expensive as PC3200 DDR RAM. If you were buying a
processor, motherboard and memory today, a 2.53GHz Pentium
4, 512MB of PC1066 RDRAM and the Iwill i850E based P4R533-N
we tested with would cost about $825 US (prices found on
Pricewatch.Com). Using AMD's pricing, which is usually
higher than the street price, an Athlon XP 2600+, 512MB of PC3200
RAM and an EPoX 8K3A+ however, would run you less than $540
US (Current pricing in lots of 1000: 2600+ $297 each, 2400+
$193 each). No matter which way you slice it, the system based
on the Athlon XP 2600+ is the better buy. There can be
no doubt AMD still offers unparalleled bang for your buck.
The future is looking good for
AMD as well. Its obvious that there is some headroom
left in this "new" Thoroughbred core, and with motherboards based on the
VIA KT400 and nForce2 about to ship, the AMD platform should
remain on the cutting edge for some time. The upcoming
"Barton" and "Hammer" processors should also help further
AMD's cause. As of today, with the Athlon XP 2600+,
AMD has one of the fastest desktop CPUs ever made, on their
hands. Now, we're going to sit back and see how the
competition responds...
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