Intel Core Duo (Yonah) Performance Preview - Part II
by Anand Lal Shimpi on December 19, 2005 12:55 PM EST- Posted in
- CPUs
The Test
| CPU: | AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (2.2GHz/512KBx2) AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (2.0GHz/512KBx2) AMD Athlon 64 X2 2.0GHz/1MBx2 Intel Pentium M 760 (2.0GHz/2MB) Intel Core Duo T2500 (2.0GHz/2MB) |
| Motherboard: | ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe AOpen i915Ga-HFS Unnamed 945G Yonah Motherboard |
| Motherboard BIOS: | ASUS: Version 1013 Dated 08/10/2005 AOpen: Version 1.11 Dated 11/15/2005 |
| Chipset: | NVIDIA nForce4 SLI Intel 915 Express Intel 945G |
| Chipset Drivers: | nForce4 6.66 Intel 7.0.0.25 |
| Memory: | OCZ PC3500 DDR 2-2-2-7 DDR2-533 4-4-4-12 |
| Video Card: | ATI Radeon X850 XT NVIDIA GeForce 7800GTX |
| Video Drivers: | ATI Catalyst 8.173.1.2 NVIDIA ForceWare 81.85 |
| Desktop Resolution: | 1280 x 1024 - 32-bit @ 60Hz |
| OS: | Windows XP Professional SP2 |
While we used an NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX for almost all of our tests, there was one exception, thanks to a NVIDIA driver bug. With dual core processors, NVIDIA's 81.95 drivers will cause the system to maintain 100% CPU utilization when running 3dsmax 7, even when the system is actually not doing anything at all. We didn't discover this bug until we had already run the majority of our tests using the 7800 GTX. So, for the 3dsmax 7 tests, we switched to an ATI Radeon X850 XT. The GPU doesn't impact CPU rendering performance at all, so it doesn't change the performance characteristics of the platform. We just wanted to point out the bug, in case any of you were wondering why your dual core platforms were behaving strangely in certain applications. NVIDIA is aware of the problem and is working on a publicly available fix.
For this comparison, we've kept the number of CPUs to a minimum, focusing on the Pentium M, Core Duo and Athlon 64 X2. The exclusion of the Pentium D was on purpose; we've already compared the Core Duo to the Pentium D in our last article and to put it bluntly, the Pentium D won't really be competition for any of Intel's new architectures. By this time next year, NetBurst will have already been forgotten and the real comparison that matters is how Core Duo stacks up to the Athlon 64 X2, whose architecture is not going the way of the dodo.
As we mentioned earlier in this article, in addition to the X2 3800+ and 4200+, we have included benchmarks of an Athlon 64 X2 running at 2.0GHz, but with a 1MB L2 cache per core (2MB total on die). The point of including this simulated "Athlon 64 X2 4000+" is to answer complaints that the Core Duo has a larger L2 cache than the X2 3800+ and thus isn't a true apples-to-apples comparison. So we've now leveled the playing field even more, and actually given AMD more of an advantage - the 2.0GHz/1MB L2 Athlon 64 X2 has a larger L1 cache (128KB per core vs. 64KB per core), and of course, the X2 still has its own on die memory controller.
With that said, let's see how things stack up now...
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fitten - Tuesday, December 20, 2005 - link
Which should make you think about the supposed "magic" of the on-die memory controller that everyone constantly raves about as being *the* reason why the Athlon64 is as good as it is (hint: there are other reasons, the IMC is just one piece of why).
Marmion - Monday, December 19, 2005 - link
I don't get it why everyone expects a mobile chip to out-perform a desktop chip.Yonah/Core Duo is specifically a low power optimised dual core processor for laptops. Its fine to use it as an indication of the future conroe/merom, but bear in mind that these will see faster clocks, further optimisations for their specific use (desktop/mobile respectively).
Next month, Intel will have no competition for dual core laptops untill the Turion X2 comes out. Will you think that the mobile version of a desktop processor will be able to perform the same? No, because of optimisations for the all-important mobility factor (battery-life and weight).
If you want an uber-powerful desktop replacement X2 processor-powered laptop, you can do that now. But expect no battery life and an aching back or a soar arm from carrying around a 4kg+ brick. So, Intel is now offering a laptop processor, capable of performing similarly to a desktop processor, but with low power consumption, long battery life and low weight.
What am I trying to say? A Turion X2 may be slower than current Athlon X2s and yes I know 65nm vs 90nm. It probably won't be faster anyway, so Intel have a fast, efficient and cheap processor - hey you expect Turion X2 to be as cheap as the single core version?
Apples to oranges? Get over it! The Core Duo uses DDR2, AMD X2 DDR. Intel FSB, AMD Mem controller. You will never get an apples to apples comparison - its business, competition, differentiated products, call it what you like, you buy AMD, you use different RAM, different Mobos, different drivers to Intel, end of story, so its a comparison of platforms, not CPU.
*end rant*
fitten - Tuesday, December 20, 2005 - link
They don't... and that's the point and why many are impressed with Yonah... that it *does* perform favorably to a desktop platform.
Leper Messiah - Monday, December 19, 2005 - link
how do you know its going to be cheap? As far as I have seen, there are no prices released for these processors yet. And do you wanna know why we're somewhat dissapointed? Intel (and its fanbois) have been talking about how this new arc. is supposed to be the next big thing. In its current form, its not really.stateofbeasley - Monday, December 19, 2005 - link
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26062">http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26062Price points are the same as the current platform.
Yonah is not NGMA. Yonah is a P6 family processor.
People must read the news before they post!!!!
coldpower27 - Monday, December 19, 2005 - link
This isn't really new architecture, the next big thing is supposed to be Intel's NGMA, where alot of changes are going to be made.KayKay - Monday, December 19, 2005 - link
I am an AMD fanboybut the results (power consumption esp.) are very impressive
guess intel wants to keep things competitive
hope amd ups the ante in response
eetnoyer - Monday, December 19, 2005 - link
With AMD announcing the use of SiGe in processors coming up very soon, it looks like they could still get a decent drop in power consumption at 90nm. I'd guess that's what they're waiting for to release the Turion x2. I doubt that it will be quite enough to match the power consumption of Yonah, but should mostly suffice until the 65nm shrink. It will also apparently serve to greatly reduce the area required for L2 cache by shrinking the cells. Once that happens I imagine that AMD will hold a small power/performance lead over Merom/Conroe/Woodcrest since adding 64 bit will tend to up their power consumption somewhat. At that point, AMD will be using SOI and SiGe, while Intel will only be using SiGe.As for continuing the ramp of frequencies, I don't think that it's going to play a hugely significant role going forward. That's why everyone is going multi-core these days. It looks like rough performance parity is here to stay between the two. What I think AMD is aiming at is a duopoly in the CPU market. That is the point of the lawsuit, and the greatly expanding capacity that AMD is targeting (Fab36, Chartered, Fab38, etc...). What Intel really needs to worry about is AMD's ability to increase their brand awareness and supply large vendors reliably. Once that happens, Intel will need to compete on price. While AMD is very comfortable living on $100 ASP, that would be catastrophic to Intel's bottom line. I think over the next few years (barring any catastrophic screw-ups by AMD) we are going to see alot of cost-cutting at Intel.
Sorry for the off-topic ramblings, but I tend to look at things from an investors' POV.
Leper Messiah - Monday, December 19, 2005 - link
So I guess the biggest question for these (at least to me, since I don't have a need for an uber-lappy) is price and a converter for a mobo, and I guess OC-abilty. If they can match clock speeds of the x2s (2.6GHz+) and come out to be cheaper, then I might consider buying one of these, but I don't see AMD's desktop market being threatened, considering Intel's last gasps with netburst (let it die already!).If AMD can milk another 400MHz or so out of its K8 arctechture in its current form, they'll stay competitive with mermom it seems to me. Yonah certainly isn't the AMD killer the intel fanboi's have been heralding it as though.
fitten - Tuesday, December 20, 2005 - link
I've seen a number of "reports" of these Yonahs (Core Duo) hitting 2.5GHz quite easily without even raising the voltage. It's "as if" it were designed to run in the 2.5-2.6GHz range but not released that way... yet.