Passmark PerformanceTest

PassMark PerformanceTest is a PC hardware benchmark utility that allows a user to quickly assess the performance of their computer and compare it to a number of standard 'baseline' computer systems. The Passmark PerformanceTest CPU tests all benchmark the mathematical operations, compression, encryption, SSE, and 3DNow! instructions of modern processors. In our tests there were several area's of concentration for each benchmark, which are combined into one compound score. This score is referred to as the CPU Mark, and is a composite of the following tests:

• Integer Math
• Floating Point Math
• Find Prime Numbers
• SSE/3DNow!
• Compression
• Encryption
• Image Rotation
• String Sorting

The AE2220's Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 CPU is extremely powerful, and the eight separate CPU benchmark tests in PassMark PerformanceTest offer a realistic cross-section of what taxes the processor for most users. These tests may be grossly exaggerated synthetic benchmarks of a real-world task, but they help illustrate and amplify the differences between computer systems.

Collectively speaking, Passmark PerformanceTest has simply reinforced the scores we previously explained in the Lavalys EVEREST section: the Wind-Top AE2220's 2.2GHz T6600 is way ahead of everything else offered to the mobile market and nearly doubles the performance of the next best competitor (1.73GHz Intel Core Duo T2250). A single-core Atom N280 does half as well as the newer dual-core Atom 330, and the AMD Athlon X2 3250e and Intel Core Duo 2300 shows their desktop heritage by outperforming the Atom processors. In terms of CPU performance, the 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo 2300 dual core CPU inside the Dell Inspiron 6400 earned 835 CPU Marks. The MSI AE2010 Wind Tops 1.5GHz AMD Athlon X2 3250e processor trailed behind with 801 CPU Marks, while the NVIDIA ION's 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N330 dual-core processor scored only 638. The single-core ASUS Eee PC Atom N230 gathered only 323 CPU Marks.

The surprising element here is the 2D and 3D graphics tests, which have a heavy dependence on CPU processing power and system memory. This gives the GMA-950 inside the Toshiba and Dell notebooks (both with Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors) a distinct advantage over the older MSI AE2010's Radeon HD 3200 (with 1.5GHz AMD Athlon 3350e) and also NVIDIA's ION GeForce 9400m GPU when paired to the Intel Atom N330. When given enough processing power, the less-powerful GeForce 9300m in the new AE2220 can perform to the same levels as the GMA-950. 3D Marks performance tests score a differently, however.

Since the Intel i945/GMA950 platform used in the Dell Inspiron 6400, Toshiba Satellite P105, and ASUS Eee PC 100HE are not DirectX 10 compatible, Passmark PerformanceTest did not complete the final (DX10) test and offered a short-score. Oddly enough, the Dell Inspiron's score of 105 3D Marks is still in the same realm as the MSI AE2010 (108) and NVIDIA ION330 (111) scores, but the GeForce 9300M received an extra push from the Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 processor to achieve 128 points for the lead.

PassMark PerformanceTest Summary:

Once again, the Intel T6600 mobile processor delivers the compute performance necessary to propel the MSI AE2220 beyond the competition. Even with a less impressive GPU, the CPU picks up the difference and edges out stronger mobile graphics solutions. While most desktop systems will utilize CPU-rendered 2D and 3D graphics, games will depend primarily on the GPU. PassMark's PerformanceTest benchmark suite has proven what most of us already know: an Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 Dual-Core operating at 2.2GHz on an 800MHz bus will easily outperform 1.73GHz on a 533MHz bus (T2250) or 1.66GHz on a 667MHz bus (T2300).

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