Upgrading from an Intel Core i7-2600K: Testing Sandy Bridge in 2019
by Ian Cutress on May 10, 2019 10:30 AM EST- Posted in
- CPUs
- Intel
- Sandy Bridge
- Overclocking
- 7700K
- Coffee Lake
- i7-2600K
- 9700K
CPU Performance: Encoding Tests
With the rise of streaming, vlogs, and video content as a whole, encoding and transcoding tests are becoming ever more important. Not only are more home users and gamers needing to convert video files into something more manageable, for streaming or archival purposes, but the servers that manage the output also manage around data and log files with compression and decompression. Our encoding tasks are focused around these important scenarios, with input from the community for the best implementation of real-world testing.
All of our benchmark results can also be found in our benchmark engine, Bench.
Handbrake 1.1.0: Streaming and Archival Video Transcoding
A popular open source tool, Handbrake is the anything-to-anything video conversion software that a number of people use as a reference point. The danger is always on version numbers and optimization, for example the latest versions of the software can take advantage of AVX-512 and OpenCL to accelerate certain types of transcoding and algorithms. The version we use here is a pure CPU play, with common transcoding variations.
We have split Handbrake up into several tests, using a Logitech C920 1080p60 native webcam recording (essentially a streamer recording), and convert them into two types of streaming formats and one for archival. The output settings used are:
- 720p60 at 6000 kbps constant bit rate, fast setting, high profile
- 1080p60 at 3500 kbps constant bit rate, faster setting, main profile
- 1080p60 HEVC at 3500 kbps variable bit rate, fast setting, main profile
7-zip v1805: Popular Open-Source Encoding Engine
Out of our compression/decompression tool tests, 7-zip is the most requested and comes with a built-in benchmark. For our test suite, we’ve pulled the latest version of the software and we run the benchmark from the command line, reporting the compression, decompression, and a combined score.
It is noted in this benchmark that the latest multi-die processors have very bi-modal performance between compression and decompression, performing well in one and badly in the other. There are also discussions around how the Windows Scheduler is implementing every thread. As we get more results, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Please note, if you plan to share out the Compression graph, please include the Decompression one. Otherwise you’re only presenting half a picture.
WinRAR 5.60b3: Archiving Tool
My compression tool of choice is often WinRAR, having been one of the first tools a number of my generation used over two decades ago. The interface has not changed much, although the integration with Windows right click commands is always a plus. It has no in-built test, so we run a compression over a set directory containing over thirty 60-second video files and 2000 small web-based files at a normal compression rate.
WinRAR is variable threaded but also susceptible to caching, so in our test we run it 10 times and take the average of the last five, leaving the test purely for raw CPU compute performance.
One of our closes tests between an overclocked 2600K and the 7700K at stock is WinRAR. It's a variable threaded test, and doesn't seem to take advantage of any of the newer instructions offered by the 7700K. However, the more cores of the 9700K over having real threads shows a big bonus, as well as the upgraded DRAM.
AES Encryption: File Security
A number of platforms, particularly mobile devices, are now offering encryption by default with file systems in order to protect the contents. Windows based devices have these options as well, often applied by BitLocker or third-party software. In our AES encryption test, we used the discontinued TrueCrypt for its built-in benchmark, which tests several encryption algorithms directly in memory.
The data we take for this test is the combined AES encrypt/decrypt performance, measured in gigabytes per second. The software does use AES commands for processors that offer hardware selection, however not AVX-512.
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XXxPro_bowler420xXx - Saturday, May 11, 2019 - link
I am running a 3570 as my computer here at school. With a $50 1050Ti and 16gb of ram.godrilla - Friday, May 10, 2019 - link
I would love to see a 6 core i7 980xe overclocked to 4.3 ghz with 2 ghz 12 gig ram triple channel memory vs all these quad cores. < my rig. Playing all games at max settings for example shadow of Tomb Raider max settings at 3440x1440p getting 60fps gsync helps with frame variance smoothness. Metro Exodus extreme settings plus tesselation, physx and hairworks getting average 60fps same resolution with 1080ti ftw3.Ratman6161 - Friday, May 10, 2019 - link
"there is only one or two reasons to stick to that old system, even when overclocked. The obvious reason is cost"I have to disagree with that statement. My reason for my trusty 2600K still running is that its a wonderful "hand-me-down" system. I was running my 2600K as my primary system right up until I went Ryzen. At that point, my old system became my wife's new system. I toned down the overclock to 4.2 Ghz so I could slap a cheap but quiet cooler on it and for her uses (MS Office, email, web browsing, etc) it is a great system and plenty fast enough. My old Samsung 850 EVO SDD went along with it since in my newer system I've got a 960 EVO, but other than gaining that SSD along the way, its had no significant upgrades since 2011.
For someone who could easily get by on something like an i3-8100 or i5-7xxx, the 2600K hand-me-down is a great option.
WJMazepas - Friday, May 10, 2019 - link
My main PC still have a i5-760 so i believe its time to upgradexrror - Friday, May 10, 2019 - link
lol indeed!HStewart - Friday, May 10, 2019 - link
Personally I have not owned or cared for a desktop since my Dual Xeon 5150, it 12 years old and for a while until later i7's came out it was fastest machine in around. Back then I was into 3D rendering and even built a render farm - also serious into games with latest NVidia Graphics cards.But since then I went mobile and less graphics and try to less games but still like get out Command & Conquer and Company of Hero's - never much a first person shooter. So for me a higher end laptop would do me fine - for a longest time Lenovo Y50 was good - but Lenovo for me had build issues... but when the Dell XPS 13 2in1 came out it was great for some things portability was great and still use it because it nice to travel with documents and such. But I wanted a faster machine so when the Dell XPS 15 2in1 was announce, I jump onto bandwagon almost fully loaded 4k screen is probably a waste on it because I am getting older - graphics is slightly better than the 3 year old Y50, but CPU is extremely faster than the Lenovo. Some older games have trouble with GPU, and professional graphics like Vue 2016 have trouble with GPU.
But I will be 60 in couple of years and need to grow up from games.
I think my next computer is going to be something different, I want a portable always online - cellular device - I thought about a iPad with cellular but I think I am going wait for Lakefield device, small device with long battery life and connected. My experience with iOS and Android over time is always the same thing - great when first started out - but later there battery drop and performance drops with OS upgrades - when if you think about it no different than with Windows. Even though I am a technical person, never a Linux person - just does not fit with me even when I try it.
eva02langley - Friday, May 10, 2019 - link
GTA V is 5 years old... your game suites is horrible. At this point, I would just do a 3Dmark benchmark.Qasar - Saturday, May 11, 2019 - link
eva02... the games they test.. i dont even play them.....eastcoast_pete - Friday, May 10, 2019 - link
Thanks Ian! The most disappointing aspect of the newer Intel i7s vs. Sandy Bridge is the underwhelming progress on performance/Wh. How much more efficiency did the multiple changes in manufacturing and design really gain? Judging by the numbers, not that much. The amazing thing about Sandy Bridge was that it did boost performance, and did so at significantly improved perf/Wh. At this moment, we seem to be back to Athlon vs. P4 days: the progress is most noticeable with the chips that say "AMD" on them.Qwertilot - Friday, May 10, 2019 - link
In general, I think they did gain a lot of perf/Wh. Just not at the very top end. They've been pushing the clocks on the recent i7's incredibly hard.