Digital Storm's Core i5 System Reviewed

3DMark 06, 3DMark Vantage

Futuremark 3DMark06
Synthetic DirectX Gaming


3DMark06

3DMark06 is an aging benchmark now, but it still serves as a useful benchmark of GPU capability, particularly when combined with its bigger brother, 3DMark Vantage. We ran the test at default settings and looped it three times to obtain a more reliable result. Texture and AA settings were left in the default position (optimal and off respectively).


Our first 3D benchmark, and the first concrete example of just how much an x8/x8 configuration boosts performance over an x16/x4. Configured as shipped, the i5-750 is 6 percent behind the Aurora ALX. Configured properly, it's three percent faster. That's a difference of 10.1 percent in all. Let's see how that shifts when we swap to 3DMark Vantage, which is significantly newer and includes an updated set of tests.


Futuremark 3DMark Vantage
Synthetic DirectX Gaming


3DMark Vantage

The latest version of Futuremark's synthetic 3D gaming benchmark, 3DMark Vantage, is specifically bound to Windows Vista-based systems because it uses some advanced visual technologies that are only available with DirectX 10, which isn't available on previous versions of Windows.  3DMark Vantage isn't simply a port of 3DMark06 to DirectX 10 though.  With this latest version of the benchmark, Futuremark has incorporated two new graphics tests, two new CPU tests, several new feature tests, in addition to support for the latest PC hardware.  We tested the graphics cards here with 3DMark Vantage's Performance preset option, which uses a resolution of 1280x1024. As always, tests were looped 3x.

In 3DMark's newer, more stressful benchmark, the difference is a tad bigger at 12.1 percent. In the old configuration, the DS 750 is neck-and-neck with the Aurora in this test; in the new configuration it's clearly faster. 

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