I know what I'm buying..

[ssvp]

From Tom's Hardware


Compared with the already not-too-shabby Intel Core 2 Duo/Extreme, the Core 2 Quadro can give performance a mighty tweak - but only for specific applications. In the best-case scenario, performance can even be doubled. However, this depends on the particular program. Software makers have yet to initiate the needed optimizations for multiple physical CPU units. The table below lists a hodgepodge of applications that benefit from four cores right away.

The future belongs to HD content. If we take our benchmarks into consideration you can no longer get by without a quad-core processor. Test results with the software packages Main Concept with H.264 encoding and the WMV-HD conversion make this very clear. We noticed performance jumps of up to 80% when compared to the Core 2 Duo at the same clock speed (2.66 GHz). A Core 2 Quadro at 2.66 GHz and higher is the answer for HD video (editing and rendering) at full HD resolution (1920x1080).

Ambitious video geeks will want to have four cores or even more. But that's still a way off, even as the developers of both AMD and Intel are working (http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/09/10/four_cores_on_the_rampage/page14.html#) on it.

Gaming fans, however, can confidently stick with the Core 2 Duo/Extreme or the legendary Pentium D 805. That's due to a lack of adaptations for four CPUs - in practice, only a maximum of two processors are used in games.

Overclocking fetishists can rest assured. Our test samples ran reliably at 3.33 GHz with no voltage increase - including a sound boost in performance.

With a maximum system power draw of 260 W, the power consumption (http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/09/10/four_cores_on_the_rampage/page14.html#) of the Core 2 Quadro system levels out in the same league as a Pentium EE 965. In idle mode, the system required 167 W - this is the same amount of power that a Core 2 Extreme demands at full load. The reason for this likely lies with incomplete implementation of Intel's SpeedStep technology at this stage. In terms of computing performance, the Core 2 Quadro is worlds apart compared to the classic Pentium 4/D processors: It performs more than twice as fast than the Pentium EE 965, but requires less power input. A Core 2 Quadro does get hotter than a Core 2 Duo/Extreme, though.

Intel intends to offer the top-of-the-line version of the Core 2 Quadro for about $1,000. The customer will bring home a quad-core 2.66 GHz processor with 8 MB of L2 cache.

[RatVega]

Yeah, I'm a Mac guy, but...

The comments they make about the usability of four cores are pretty much the same issues that have clouded the perceptions about the dualie Macs of the last few years. This isn't a snide remark, but a caution; there will be a lot of poor or incorrect utilization of the big systems and urban myths of how some older/cheaper processor is better. We saw it as benchmarks for things like scroll speed where clock rates were important, but excluded (as "not applicable") were the "heavy lifting" tasks where the G5's killer floating point was often 3-4 times faster.

Serious research before your next upgrade is a really good idea; I can't think of a time in the last 20 years when the prospective gains from a good choice would have been as great as they are right now.

[ssvp]

Yeah, I'm a Mac guy, but...

The comments they make about the usability of four cores are pretty much the same issues that have clouded the perceptions about the dualie Macs of the last few years. This isn't a snide remark, but a caution; there will be a lot of poor or incorrect utilization of the big systems and urban myths of how some older/cheaper processor is better. We saw it as benchmarks for things like scroll speed where clock rates were important, but excluded (as "not applicable") were the "heavy lifting" tasks where the G5's killer floating point was often 3-4 times faster.

Serious research before your next upgrade is a really good idea; I can't think of a time in the last 20 years when the prospective gains from a good choice would have been as great as they are right now.


Research... bah.. I upgrade every 2-3 months.. I just sold my Dual Xeon Dual Core.. It was a beast.. But old technology.. So it had to go..

I game therefor I must have the fastest..:)

[DGates]

I just bought an HP Core 2 Duo at Best Buy and it definitely lives up to the hype.

[ssvp]

Yeah.. I'm about to sell my Core 2 Duo in favor of the Kentsfield.. 1,333mhz FSB, PCI-E 2.0 and DDR3.. Well the DDR3 is only rumored on the Kentsfield, but probably won't be till next year..

[RatVega]

Now you're talking!

If the Kentsfield is delivered as it is promised, this will be the geek equivelant of 500 horsepower crate motor for hotrodders... I like that analogy because both would have some "overall system considerations" but would allow for massive, reliable power increases.

I'm hoping to see dual Kentsfield quad-cores in a machine in the spring. This would be a real neck-snapper... :smile:

[ssvp]

Kentsfield will be delivered.. That won't be an issue.. Dual Kentsfield would be nice.. Most likely DDR3 will be with Dual Kent's field since the bus will be sucked up with already 4 cores.. So 1,333mhz will be pushed with DDR2 infact intel claims 1,666mhz is also very feasible.. It will be interesting about DDR3 and how that is finally standardized..

AMD should be release their new Dual cores with PLL, that's sorta cool..

[gl]

Now it will be interesting to see the software developers scramble to update and take advantage of the new 500hp monsters ;)

-gl

[ssvp]

Well any multithreaded application would benefit from quad..

[gl]

Well any multithreaded application would benefit from quad..

Yes and no. Not all threaded apps are created equal. It just depends on how
the threading is implemented. I have seen some apps that only had minimal threaded components and therefore didn't see a large overall increase in productivity.

Also, some are designed to only take advantage of a certain number of cpus/cores.

-gl

[ssvp]

Yeah, I'm a Mac guy, but...

The comments they make about the usability of four cores are pretty much the same issues that have clouded the perceptions about the dualie Macs of the last few years. This isn't a snide remark, but a caution; there will be a lot of poor or incorrect utilization of the big systems and urban myths of how some older/cheaper processor is better. We saw it as benchmarks for things like scroll speed where clock rates were important, but excluded (as "not applicable") were the "heavy lifting" tasks where the G5's killer floating point was often 3-4 times faster.

Serious research before your next upgrade is a really good idea; I can't think of a time in the last 20 years when the prospective gains from a good choice would have been as great as they are right now.

The way prices are now for CPU's, it's easier to buy & try and if you don't like it Ebay it..:) That's my motto..

I'm happy with my Core 2 Duo.. The EE edition is just awesome and with the 7950 vid card I'm running Battlefield 2142 @ 1600x1200 with 4xAA..

[ssvp]

Yes and no. Not all threaded apps are created equal. It just depends on how
the threading is implemented. I have seen some apps that only had minimal threaded components and therefore didn't see a large overall increase in productivity.

Also, some are designed to only take advantage of a certain number of cpus/cores.

-gl

Basically since the kentsfield is sorta like a old dual core and that the two core 2 duo CPU cores are tied to 1 die.

A multithreaded app designed for 2 threads won't hinder on a quad, and on the point I think you are making they won't be any faster with 4 cores.. right?

[gl]

Basically since the kentsfield is sorta like a old dual core and that the two core 2 duo CPU cores are tied to 1 die.

A multithreaded app designed for 2 threads won't hinder on a quad, and on the point I think you are making they won't be any faster with 4 cores.. right?

Exactly. The tests with the Kentsfield CPU have shown this. There are some apps that are simply maxed out in potential with 2 core and some absolutely fly with all cores on full.

It's funny that Rat would mention the whole engine thing. My first car was a chevy 4x4 truck with the small-block 350. The best part of that motor was the carb - Holly quadrajet. I totally thought about that when we stated getting into the quad-core zone last year. I guess all good things come in 4s :)

-gl

[RatVega]

The way prices are now for CPU's, it's easier to buy & try and if you don't like it Ebay it..:) That's my motto..

I'm happy with my Core 2 Duo.. The EE edition is just awesome and with the 7950 vid card I'm running Battlefield 2142 @ 1600x1200 with 4xAA..

The recommendation for thorough research was for "less practiced" players, Patrick... Telling you to do your research is like telling a hitman to make sure he has a gun... :icon_cool:

[ssvp]

The recommendation for thorough research was for "less practiced" players, Patrick... Telling you to do your research is like telling a hitman to make sure he has a gun... :icon_cool:


Hitman.. Gun.. BAAAAAAAAWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.. That's funny...:)

It's sorta nice living next door to Intel R&D they host major Lan Parties so you get to see all sorts of goodies, especially those fools running say Battlefield 2 @ 1920x1200 with 6AA and 120fps..

[Vin]

Intel, in it's rush to beat AMD to 4 cores, did the same thing with the Core2Quad that it did with the P4Duals--basically just popped a couple of Core2's onto a module without designing the whole chip from the ground up with monolithic architecture. Don't get me wrong, the Core2 is the currently the best cpu out there, but to see true quad core performance, not only will we have to wait for multithreaded software to catch up, but also for AMD to release their true quadcore in 6 months or so...and so the battle continues, which is great for those of us who can't afford to stay on the bleeding edge, as all the other fine cpu's out there will be less expensive now.

[ssvp]

Actually I just demo'd a Core 2 Quadro and Premiere Pro smokes on it compared to my Core 2 Duo .. Buying one next week, since that's my main use for it..

[Vin]

Pat- Not saying putting 2 Core2duos on a module isn't faster than 1, just noting that Intel is choosing to sell a handicapped version of what it could be, just to get it to market first. I'm sure it's a smokin' fast beast! (But when all 4 chips are interconnected directly, instead of via the FSB, it will blow this first version away)
If I had the money, I'd be jumping on the qx6800 too, as I just read benchmarks showing it's over 50% faster with rendering in Vegas 7...

[ssvp]

Yeah.. I actually really don't have to pay for them.. Well I do after I finish my trials with them and return the demos.. In any case, if you have the cash skip the duo and go to the quadro.. Tom's got a good review on the Quadro as well..

Core 2 Quadro is hella faster than my Core 2 Duo 6600. This is my editing machine with the RT.X100 card and nvidia 7250 series.. Of course I'll have to upgrade to the new nvidia stuff now..:)

[AndrewMSV]

Pat- Not saying putting 2 Core2duos on a module isn't faster than 1, just noting that Intel is choosing to sell a handicapped version of what it could be, just to get it to market first..
I have a cousin that works at Intel (doesn't everybody?) and it's common knowledge that they already have working processors that are twice as fast as what's on the market right now. They just release them when the competition gets close or when the market slows down.

Think: DeBeers of computer processors.

[RatVega]

I have a cousin that works at Intel (doesn't everybody?) and it's common knowledge that they already have working processors that are twice as fast as what's on the market right now. They just release them when the competition gets close or when the market slows down.

Think: DeBeers of computer processors.

As an ex-Intel guy (isn't everyone?) I can tell you that they always have something faster/better in the pipe - these are the people who invented the "technology treadmill." But it's not so much a matter of releasing products at the right time as pre-releasing products to spoil competative developments while they finish the engineering... An Intel "roadmap" has a way of making other offerings prematurely obsolete.

While Apple may have stylized trendy code names, Intel has perfected the art with their coded roadmap implementation, and Microsoft has textured it into a true "pig-in-a-poke" feel... The proof, of course, is in what hits the desktop and Intel marketing has an enviable record of representing the final products in a good light.

Isn't DeBeers the guys who run sweatshop mines and blatently manipulate the market? :icon_mrgreen:

But it's all good; the technological pace is quickening and we're all getting what we need almost as fast as we can afford it.

[ssvp]

That's so true..I remember playing Counter-Strike Source on a Intel Pentium 4 5Ghz.. It was in the one of the labs..

The coolest thing is Nvidia, ATI and all the other killer cool stuff gets to Intel long before retail and production.. So you get to see all the cool stuff..

[ssvp]

I'm surprised all these years they targeted microsoft as the monopoly, when Intel has done much more..

Hell I remember when Intel said, no you can't see our latest designs for the processor and while we're at it here's our new motherboard.

Then the chipset makers were like give us it now, we need to development..Intel said, sorry we lost your message, but the good news is here's our new chipset now..

They put alot of people out of business..

[ssvp]

Well I am waiting now.. Of course this played a role..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115011

[RatVega]

I'm surprised all these years they targeted microsoft as the monopoly, when Intel has done much more..

They put alot of people out of business..

I was recruited into Intel from Univac, so I had a reasonable understanding of anti-trust laws. After a while I asked my boss about a few things I'd seen that were at least questionable. I mean, these guys thought the Robertson-Patman Act was a couple of engineers from the EPROM Division that did stand-up comedy... and that Sherman Anti-Trust was a bank somewhere.

His response was that the advice he'd gotten from Legal was: "Keep pushing until you hear from the Feds..."

IMHO, they were the model for many of Microsoft's practices.

[ssvp]

Hrm..then again it may be worth it..