PCMark05 Pro Performance

PCMark05 Professional is the latest update to the popular PCMark system benchmarking series from FutureMark, and is revamped to highlight current hardware and features additional multithreaded and multi-tasking performance tests. There is the usual selection of individual System, CPU, Memory, Graphics, and Hard Drive benchmark suites, and these continue to bridge the gap between synthetic and application-based benchmarks. For our purposes, the System, CPU and Memory areas will be where we concentrate our benchmarking efforts.

The PCMark05 System benchmark suite includes a wide range of tests, from Windows XP hard drive startup to video and audio encoding, and features a selection of standard desktop routines like text edit, virus scanning, and image decompression. Three of the benchmark scenarios are multithreaded, with the first two including two simultaneous tests, and the final one utilizing four program tests running simultaneously. This helps make the PCMark05 System benchmark a great analysis tool for our dual and quad core processors. For this test, the latest 1.2 patch has been applied.

The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 gets off to a very good start, posting an exceptional score in the PCMark05 System benchmark, shattering previous records and being the first to surpass 9K in our testing. This performance increase represents not only the jump in core speed, but also the upgrade to the 1600 MHz bus.

The PCMark05 CPU test gives us another record, as the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 speeds by the 10K mark en route to another impressive victory. As this test deals with the processor alone, it shows another incremental jump from the 3.0 GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9650.

The PCMark05 Memory benchmarking shows another major benefit of the 1600 MHz FSB - higher memory bandwidth and performance. In this test, the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 shoots out ahead of the Core 2 Extreme QX9650, with its 1600 MHZ bus making much better use of the dual-channel DDR2-1066.