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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mapesdhs - Thursday, June 9, 2016 - link
By definition, professionals wouldn't use this kind of tech at all. Pro users don't oc. Pro users have a budget to afford XEON.The prosumer market though, solo professionals, those on a budget, these are the people for whom previous generations of SB-E/IB-E made some sense, but not anymore.
sleekblackroadster - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
This is the opposite of generating enthusiasm, Intel.jjj - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
This is what Intel means by more focus on certain segments and it will only get worse as the PC market fades away.damianrobertjones - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
No 6700k in the tests? :(damianrobertjones - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
Clicks the next page... DAMMIT!PJ_ - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
It was in the GTA V benchmarks for examplePJ_ - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
And many moremedi03 - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
AMD's CPUs aren't that bad for gaming (mostly because of multi-threading becoming a treand in games, thanks to consoles) as many people think:http://wccftech.com/fx-8370-i5-6400-gaming-compari...
josetesan - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
It will be great if , for next multi-threaded tests, Linux Kernel compilation times were added, as thay make great use of it, via the -J <threads> parameter.Some people use their computers to compile,and we benefit for multicores a lot. ( java, C, whatever ).
I can see the 6-core for $434 it a nice price, given Haswell i7-4770 has 4 cores and is similar priced.
Great review, indeed.
Tom Womack - Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - link
It's not clear that the 6-core Broadwell is very much better than the 6-core Haswell, and it's likely that its existence makes the 6-core Haswell cheaper; so pick up a 5820K in the near term.