The AMD Ryzen 5 1600X vs Core i5 Review: Twelve Threads vs Four at $250
by Ian Cutress on April 11, 2017 9:00 AM ESTBenchmarking Performance: CPU Encoding Tests
One of the interesting elements on modern processors is encoding performance. This includes encryption/decryption, as well as video transcoding from one video format to another. In the encrypt/decrypt scenario, this remains pertinent to on-the-fly encryption of sensitive data - a process by which more modern devices are leaning to for software security. Video transcoding as a tool to adjust the quality, file size and resolution of a video file has boomed in recent years, such as providing the optimum video for devices before consumption, or for game streamers who are wanting to upload the output from their video camera in real-time. As we move into live 3D video, this task will only get more strenuous, and it turns out that the performance of certain algorithms is a function of the input/output of the content.
7-Zip
One of the freeware compression tools that offers good scaling performance between processors is 7-Zip. It runs under an open-source licence, is fast, and easy to use tool for power users. We run the benchmark mode via the command line for four loops and take the output score.
WinRAR 5.40
For the 2017 test suite, we move to the latest version of WinRAR in our compression test. WinRAR in some quarters is more user friendly that 7-Zip, hence its inclusion. Rather than use a benchmark mode as we did with 7-Zip, here we take a set of files representative of a generic stack (33 video files in 1.37 GB, 2834 smaller website files in 370 folders in 150 MB) of compressible and incompressible formats. The results shown are the time taken to encode the file. Due to DRAM caching, we run the test 10 times and take the average of the last five runs when the benchmark is in a steady state.
AES Encoding
Algorithms using AES coding have spread far and wide as a ubiquitous tool for encryption. Again, this is another CPU limited test, and modern CPUs have special AES pathways to accelerate their performance. We often see scaling in both frequency and cores with this benchmark. We use the latest version of TrueCrypt and run its benchmark mode over 1GB of in-DRAM data. Results shown are the GB/s average of encryption and decryption.
HandBrake H264 and HEVC
As mentioned above, video transcoding (both encode and decode) is a hot topic in performance metrics as more and more content is being created. First consideration is the standard in which the video is encoded, which can be lossless or lossy, trade performance for file-size, trade quality for file-size, or all of the above can increase encoding rates to help accelerate decoding rates. Alongside Google's favorite codec, VP9, there are two others that are taking hold: H264, the older codec, is practically everywhere and is designed to be optimized for 1080p video, and HEVC (or H265) that is aimed to provide the same quality as H264 but at a lower file-size (or better quality for the same size). HEVC is important as 4K is streamed over the air, meaning less bits need to be transferred for the same quality content.
Handbrake is a favored tool for transcoding, and so our test regime takes care of three areas.
Low Quality/Resolution H264: He we transcode a 640x266 H264 rip of a 2 hour film, and change the encoding from Main profile to High profile, using the very-fast preset.
High Quality/Resolution H264: A similar test, but this time we take a ten-minute double 4K (3840x4320) file running at 60 Hz and transcode from Main to High, using the very-fast preset.
HEVC Test: Using the same video in HQ, we change the resolution and codec of the original video from 4K60 in H264 into 4Kp30 HEVC. This causes a dramatic reduction in filesize (this is a different test to the Ryzen 7 review).
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vladx - Thursday, April 13, 2017 - link
Yes as someone with both a 7700k system and a 1700X system I can safely call myself unbiased as I hold no special loyalty towards any brand.Cooe - Monday, March 1, 2021 - link
Liar liar, pants on fire lol.cryosx - Thursday, April 13, 2017 - link
they were testing against the direct competition (i5s) and the rest of the ryzen family. Makes sense, though I guess having the i7s in would be a nice touch.Nightsd01 - Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - link
"[Ryzen] has 50% more cores and 200% more threads"Wouldn't it be 300% more threads? 12 threads is 3x more than 4
Outlander_04 - Thursday, April 13, 2017 - link
200% MOREcvearl - Thursday, April 13, 2017 - link
Curious what method on GTAV was used. I get in the 70's at those settings on my RX480 all VH settings on an i7 2600k.ianmills - Thursday, April 13, 2017 - link
Dolphin benchmarks still missing!Notmyusualid - Tuesday, April 18, 2017 - link
@ianmillsI was looking for them too.
msroadkill612 - Thursday, April 13, 2017 - link
Ryzens tough for cheapskates. its a nice cheap 4 core, but gee, for so little more u get a 6 core 1600.msroadkill612 - Thursday, April 13, 2017 - link
zen is just amds first act.The second is naples - gluing multiple ryzens together using their excellent new plumbing.
The third is vega (gpu has long been amdS focus - in a10apuS e.g.).
The last and seismic act, is a ccx with a single zen core block of four cores & same 4mb l3 cache, and a vega gpu, possibly with hbm2 vram.
Its not very new ground for them. its very similar to the architecture solutions needed for the a10.
Incidentally, i heard a great debate about "dark coding?".
coders love using the gpu for compute when they can, cos it shifts heat away from stressed processors. cooler processors can then run faster. IE, they try and shift the load around the circuitry to avoid generating hot spots.
The conclusion omitted to say "if u consider pc software static.... Then buy intel"
new generation and paradigm, or the last tart up of the old generation. Your choice.
There are of course wins and losses by both, but we know that we are measuring the best of the old, with the lowest point of the rapidly improving new. (see ashes of singularitytweak)
& as above, its just act 1 now.
The authors haughty dismissal of amdS top am4 chipset features is outrageously deceptive (as said in posts here).