The Intel Broadwell-E Review: Core i7-6950X, i7-6900K, i7-6850K and i7-6800K Tested
by Ian Cutress on May 31, 2016 2:01 AM EST- Posted in
- CPUs
- Intel
- Enterprise
- Prosumer
- X99
- 14nm
- Broadwell-E
- HEDT
GRID: Autosport
No graphics tests are complete without some input from Codemasters and the EGO engine, which means for this round of testing we point towards GRID: Autosport, the next iteration in the GRID and racing genre. As with our previous racing testing, each update to the engine aims to add in effects, reflections, detail and realism, with Codemasters making ‘authenticity’ a main focal point for this version.
GRID’s benchmark mode is very flexible, and as a result we created a test race using a shortened version of the Red Bull Ring with twelve cars doing two laps. The car is focus starts last and is quite fast, but usually finishes second or third. For low end graphics we test at 1080p medium settings, whereas mid and high end graphics get the full 1080p maximum. Both the average and minimum frame rates are recorded.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
The final title in our testing is another battle of system performance with the open world action-adventure title, Shadow of Mordor. Produced by Monolith using the LithTech Jupiter EX engine and numerous detail add-ons, SoM goes for detail and complexity to a large extent, despite having to be cut down from the original plans. The main story itself was written by the same writer as Red Dead Redemption, and it received Zero Punctuation’s Game of The Year in 2014.
For testing purposes, SoM gives a dynamic screen resolution setting, allowing us to render at high resolutions that are then scaled down to the monitor. As a result, we get several tests using the in-game benchmark. For low end graphics we examine at 720p with low settings, whereas mid and high end graphics get 1080p Ultra. The top graphics test is also redone at 3840x2160, also with Ultra settings, and we also test two cards at 4K where possible.
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chrisso - Friday, June 17, 2016 - link
The athlon xp chips and most of the pentium 3 equivalents beat the snot out of intel chips for quite a while actually. One of my mates was gobsmacked when I ran lost coast at 56 fps using a 3000+ I bought used from ebay for £28.A 3 gig pentium 4 could manage about 40.
lunchbox4k - Wednesday, June 1, 2016 - link
The Athlon 64 (K8) and part of the Athlon (K7) was designed by Jim Keller, guess who designed ZEN?solomonshv - Wednesday, June 1, 2016 - link
when AMD was better than intel, i stuck with intel because i was in high school and couldn't afford the an AMD processor. the cheapest San Diego class CPU was north of $300 and AMD was charging $1000 for the FX 57. i ended up getting a Pentium 4 630. overclocked it from 3GHz to 4.4GHz and was happy as can be.hoohoo - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
Wait and see still seems like the best approach given the price of these CPUs.lunchbox4k - Wednesday, June 1, 2016 - link
You can always do that, unless you always pay for the top chip, with technology wanting to double in performance every year for the same cost, some SOCs will be pennies in the near future.bronan - Tuesday, November 15, 2016 - link
I find that really the wrong approach, yes the piledriver suffered from the weird decision with the cache and that made it crinch instead of perform well. But they are still very well running cpu's which cost about a fraction of the insane high prices intel tends to give the endless just a bit high clockspeed and new socket models. All keep saying that they are such a big step forward while i see only a little step in reality and yes the insane slow build in gpu sucks so bad its not even worth using on anything. The big problem is that intel makes the non gpu version locked and lowers the clock on that too. While i am 1000% certain those would be the best and greatest overclockers.The silly gpu is forced on everybody, but i bet nobody ever use that crap.
JoeyJoJo123 - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
Just FYI, a Darwin award is awarded to those who accidentally, involuntarily, and often stupidly remove themselves from the gene pool, permanently. While this (often) involves a lack of forethought which leads to the person's own death, accidents resulting in the person becoming permanently infertile also count.Someone could voluntarily and knowingly remove themselves from the gene pool, but because there is forethought to this action, I've never heard of a Darwin award for this.
I don't believe buying an overpriced processor equates to removing oneself from the gene pool.
Azethoth - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
It is even worse. Being able to afford this because you have so much money the cost does not even register means you are actually up for whatever the inverse darwin is. Statistically the wealth makes you live longer and healthier. You are not working 24/7 and you can certainly eat better and working out with a hot personal trainer and having wonderful vacations wherever you feel like going on the planet.cswor - Wednesday, June 8, 2016 - link
Or mommy and daddy have money.ddferrari - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
Someone is trying way too hard to sound smart and condescending...