The Intel Broadwell Review Part 2: Overclocking, IPC and Generational Analysis
by Ian Cutress on August 3, 2015 8:00 AM ESTProfessional Performance: Windows
Agisoft Photoscan – 2D to 3D Image Manipulation: link
Agisoft Photoscan creates 3D models from 2D images, a process which is very computationally expensive. The algorithm is split into four distinct phases, and different phases of the model reconstruction require either fast memory, fast IPC, more cores, or even OpenCL compute devices to hand. Agisoft supplied us with a special version of the software to script the process, where we take 50 images of a stately home and convert it into a medium quality model. This benchmark typically takes around 15-20 minutes on a high end PC on the CPU alone, with GPUs reducing the time.
Cinebench R15
Cinebench is a benchmark based around Cinema 4D, and is fairly well known among enthusiasts for stressing the CPU for a provided workload. Results are given as a score, where higher is better.
HandBrake v0.9.9: link
For HandBrake, we take two videos (a 2h20 640x266 DVD rip and a 10min double UHD 3840x4320 animation short) and convert them to x264 format in an MP4 container. Results are given in terms of the frames per second processed, and HandBrake uses as many threads as possible.
Hybrid x265
Hybrid is a new benchmark, where we take a 4K 1500 frame video and convert it into an x265 format without audio. Results are given in frames per second.
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doggface - Tuesday, August 4, 2015 - link
Can intel please bring out a processor that destroys Sandy Bridge so that I don't have to hear all the smug comments every time they release a processor. I am so bored by them. Cant we talk about something interesting, like why is crystal well such a big focus for them when apparently all anyone wants in the enthusiast bracket is raw power?jrs77 - Tuesday, August 4, 2015 - link
And now look at all the PC-users who don't play games, but use their PCs for doing actual work.No tests of professional graphics software like Photoshop, Premiere, etc. No tests of professional audio-software like Reason, CuBase, etc. No tests of professional 3d-software that actually would benefit from the IrisPro and it's GPGPU-capabilities - and no, Cinebench is only for CPU-based rendering, so it doesn't count that much for stuff like flowsimulations done in Solidworks etc.
The i7-5775C is currently the best CPU outthere for small workstations, due to the very powerful IrisPro and the low TDP. You can build a very powerful rig in a box as small as the MacMini while still keeping the advantage of the 4C/8T CPU and an iGPU as powerful as a R7-250/GT740.
And this rig would only draw some 150W under full load, which is totally doable with a picoPSU.
I'm getting my i7-5775C finally delivered sometime next week, after waiting for 2 month, and I can finally build the rig I've allways wanted to combined with the following: Antec ISK110, picoPSU 160XT, Noctua NH-L9i, 2x SSD (256/512 GB) and 16GB DDR3.
Strapped to the back of my screen, allmost inaudible and very low power-draw.
This CPU is ment for SFF-workstations, but for this niche it's the best there is.
MrSpadge - Tuesday, August 4, 2015 - link
Thanks for the detailed review, Ian! As far as I know it's the most detailed out yet. And probably the last one, with Skylake hopefully just around the corner.Anyway, I would really like to see how low the power consumption of this chip can go. It's obviously optimized for mobile and low clocks, so pushing it to high clocks and high voltages (even the stock voltage is a lot for 14 nm!) is not showing it in its best light. When you tested the voltage scaling I would really like to see the minimum voltage needed to get to the lower speeds (you just left it at stock). How low can the power consumption of this chip become at ~1.0 V? Which clock speed hit does it take to get there? (btw: I run my 3770K at 4.0 GHz and a bit over 1.0 V, which is great for 24/7 load)
zlandar - Tuesday, August 4, 2015 - link
No reason to replace my 4 year-old i7-2600k for gaming. Kinda nutty since I just installed my 3rd video card on the same system.joanwa - Tuesday, August 4, 2015 - link
Concerning the Linux Performance, could one kindly ask for another software to be benchmarked? NAMD is nice, but the to my knowledge the bigger share of the scientific community in molecular dynamics uses Gromacs (www.gromacs.org), which is also much faster and better optimized for current Hardware (AVX2 support for instance, multiple GPU support) and has a bigger community around it.Morg72 - Tuesday, August 4, 2015 - link
I'm still rockin' an i7-950, ASUS P6X58D-E, 12gb DDR3 1600 and 2x 6870's in Crossfire. The only part showing me its age is the 6870's (probably going to upgrade next GPU gen). The rest runs everything I throw at it perfectly and that's at stock speed. I can always get a better CPU cooler and OC it for more longevity. Intel really needs to get things together. Hope Zen gives them a push.nagi603 - Wednesday, August 5, 2015 - link
4770k owner here... If this is how Intel upgrades, I won't be changing this baby out for a decade.Lazn_W - Wednesday, August 5, 2015 - link
My question is: Does the L4 cache help with multi threaded use? Say a home Hyper-V server lab environment? It might make the 5775C a better buy than one of the hex core 2111 socket CPUs..Jetpil0t - Thursday, August 6, 2015 - link
They should put out a multi-threaded K series 4 core with no IGP at a basement price for the more value minded people, gamers specifically, especially considering the main purpose of upgrading are the tertiary features on the motherboard. I doubt anyone with a Sandy is looking at this with any interest. Especially considering my Sandy board has PCIe3.0 and Sata 6Gbps and rocks 4-4.5 Ghz easily.SanX - Friday, August 7, 2015 - link
Big fart of Intel.Remember AMD Bulldozer?
Heads will be rolling.