Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 Performance Preview
LAME MT and Sony Vegas
In our custom LAME MT MP3 encoding test, we convert a large WAV file to the MP3 format, which is a popular scenario that many end users work with on a day-to-day basis to provide portability and storage of their digital audio content. LAME is an open-source mid to high bit-rate and VBR (variable bit rate) MP3 audio encoder that is used widely around the world in a multitude of third party applications.
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In this test, we created our own 223MB WAV file (a hallucinogenically-induced Grateful Dead jam) and converted it to the MP3 format using the multi-thread capable LAME MT application in single and multi-thread modes. Processing times are recorded below, listed in seconds. Once again, shorter times equate to better performance.
Lame MT is multi-threaded but only supports up to two threads and as a result, the scores are reflective of clockspeed and overall IPC throughput between the CPUs. However, on-chip cache also has a bearing on this test and as a result, the Yorkfield based QX9650 and QX9770, with 12MB of L2, show their muscle.
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Sony's Vegas DV editing software is heavily multi-threaded as it processes and mixes both audio and video streams. This is a new breed of digital video editing software that takes full advantage of current dual and multi-core processor architectures.
Finally we see AMD's Phenom gain some sort of competitive equalization against the other quad-core Intel CPUs we tested. However, the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 thrashes the Phenom 9700 with a 50% performance gain over the fastest Phenom AMD can muster currently.
