Encoding Performance

These new dual core CPUs are supposed to usher in a new era of media rich application usage models. They are supposed to enable us to do things that we were never able to do before.  Let's find out if that's true or not...

First, we start off with iTunes to test MP3 encoding performance.  We took a 12MB .wav file of our own creation and encoded it to a 192kbps MP3 file, measuring how long it took to encode the file. 

MP3 Encoding Performance


DivX Encoding Performance

Our DivX tests from previous CPU reviews have shown a pretty sizeable improvement due to Hyper Threading, so we expected a similarly impressive gain due to dual core:

DivX 5.2.1 Encoding Performance


XviD Encoding Performance

The Pentium D is the clear winner in all of the encoding tests; the presence of a second core only increases Intel's strengths in the area. 

XviD Encoding Performance


Windows Media Video 9 Encoding Performance

Windows Media Video 9 HD Encoding Performance

Multimedia Content Creation Performance 3D Rendering Performance
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  • JoKeRr - Wednesday, April 6, 2005 - link

    the power consumption is a series mofo here.

    hm, with a P4 EE or PDEE, with 2 6800Ultra or GT, you're definitely expecting an oven case.

    Wonder how those dualcores overclock-->that should help to make up the single thread performance. On the other hand, Clearly HyperThreading is GOOD, but AMD still says NO.
  • Jeff7181 - Wednesday, April 6, 2005 - link

    Great article. Well done guys.

    The only thing I have to question is how a dual core Athlon-64 at encoding. On the last page you say, "For encoding performance, you still can’t beat the Pentium D. Even a dual core Athlon 64 isn’t going to help enough in that area."

    What makes you think that when the 2.2 GHz Athlon-64 is RIGHT behind the 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 630?

    Everything I've read so far has told me that the Athlon-64 should scale better than the Pentium 4 as far as dual cores are concerned... so... what exactly are you basing your opinion that even a dual core Athlon-64 won't help in encoding???
  • Lonyo - Wednesday, April 6, 2005 - link

    Does http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?... page have an error?
    It lists the PD 3.2, P4 3.73 EE and the PD 3.2 EE, not the 3 CPU's montioned in the article. Wrong graph maybe.
  • Rys - Wednesday, April 6, 2005 - link

    H isn't even near P on the keyboard...
  • michaelpatrick33 - Wednesday, April 6, 2005 - link

    Holy crispy power and cook my eggs in true multitasking while I surf the net Batman
  • smn198 - Wednesday, April 6, 2005 - link

    I guess it makes sense that NCQ would help when multitasking. I assume that this would be the same on single cores as well? The new focus on responsiveness is a good move IMO. The time to switch between apps and redraw the screen and clicking on menus and buttons is what frustrates me when I am multitasking.

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