Performance Metrics - I

The Intel NUC5i7RYH was evaluated using our standard test suite for low power desktops / industrial PCs. We revamped our benchmark suite early last year after the publication of the Intel D54250WYK NUC review. We reran some of the new benchmarks on the older PCs also, but some of them couldn't be run on loaner samples. Therefore, the list of PCs in each graph might not be the same.

Futuremark PCMark 8

PCMark 8 provides various usage scenarios (home, creative and work) and offers ways to benchmark both baseline (CPU-only) as well as OpenCL accelerated (CPU + GPU) performance. We benchmarked select PCs for the OpenCL accelerated performance in all three usage scenarios. These scores are heavily influenced by the CPU in the system as well as the RAM speed. Even though the Core i7-5557U in the NUC5i7RYH is not as powerful as the Core i7-4770R in the BRIX Pro, we find that the scores are neck and neck, with the former even edging out the more powerful variant (possibly due to differences in the OpenCL drivers that they were tested with).

Futuremark PCMark 8 - Home OpenCL

Futuremark PCMark 8 - Creative OpenCL

Futuremark PCMark 8 - Work OpenCL

Miscellaneous Futuremark Benchmarks

Futuremark PCMark 7 - PCMark Suite Score

Futuremark 3DMark 11 - Extreme Score

Futuremark 3DMark 11 - Entry Score

Futuremark 3DMark 2013 - Ice Storm Score

Futuremark 3DMark 2013 - Cloud Gate Score

In the other Futuremark benchmarks, the relative performance is as expected - the Core i7-4770R leads the pack, followed by the Core i7-5557U in the NUC5i7RYH. This trend is also present in the CINEBENCH results discussed below.

3D Rendering - CINEBENCH R15

We have moved on from R11.5 to R15 for 3D rendering evaluation. CINEBENCH R15 provides three benchmark modes - OpenGL, single threaded and multi-threaded. Evaluation of select PCs in all three modes provided us the following results.

3D Rendering - CINEBENCH R15 - Single Thread

3D Rendering - CINEBENCH R15 - Multiple Threads

3D Rendering - CINEBENCH R15 - OpenGL

Introduction and Setup Impressions Performance Metrics - II
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  • Pork@III - Monday, April 20, 2015 - link

    No reason for write for discrete desktop graphics in this article.
  • JarredWalton - Monday, April 20, 2015 - link

    So, gaming on the Iris Graphics 6100 -- what gives? 48 EUs at up to 1100MHz should smoke the pants off the HD Graphics 5500 (24 EUs at up to 1000MHz), especially considering the 28W TDP vs. 15W TDP. BioShock Infinite and DiRT Showdown show at least a moderate bump in performance, but unless the chips are fully memory bandwidth bottlenecked I was expecting the Iris 6100 to be about twice as fast as the HD 5500. Disappointing to say the least. What drivers are you running?
  • ganeshts - Monday, April 20, 2015 - link

    Intel actually wrote about this to me right after the Broadwell-U NUC review.. maybe I should have mentioned it in this review.


    The performance scores (especially 3DMark scores) on the Gigabyte BRIX systems included in the review were higher than we expected for those processors. We can confirm that the Gigabyte BRIX systems are configured to run at a TDP of 25W. By comparison the BDW-NUC systems we sent to you are configured to run at a TDP of 20W.

    I’m sure you’re aware that the higher TDP will allow the BRIX to get higher scores on some benchmarks due to the increased thermal headroom. The difference in TDP is likely responsible for some of the unexpected scores, (e.g. the i7-4500U outperforming a i5-5250U on 3dmark ice storm, we would ordinarily expect the i5-5250U to score better in a benchmark like Ice Storm).

    Just wanted to drop you a heads up so you’re aware of the different TDPs on these systems and their impact on the performance benchmarks


    Driver version used for the Iris NUC: 10.18.14.4156
  • OrphanageExplosion - Monday, April 20, 2015 - link

    HD 6100 perf is really poor on my 2015 rMBP 13 under Boot Camp too. Really disappointing.
  • JBVertexx - Monday, April 20, 2015 - link

    Why would you not include gaming performance comparisons vs. AMD Kaveri?
  • silverblue - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link

    I think you'd need to find Kaveri within the same (or similar) power space in the same form factor, first. I'd be intrigued, as well.
  • JBVertexx - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link

    Run it against an A8-7600 and A10-7800 in 45W mode. I am running an HTPC/Steam Box using an A10-7600 (45W mode) in a Streacom F1C Evo case (http://www.streacom.com/products/f1c-evo-chassis/)... That's close enough to the Nuc form factor, and at least it would see how well AMD graphics hold out against Broadwell Iris Pro.
  • JBVertexx - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link

    Correction - running an A8-7600.
  • Galatian - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link

    So is the NVMe Version of the SM951 purchasable now? Or is this just one you had laying around?
  • ganeshts - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link

    It is coming to the market very soon. Samsung has just now started sampling to the press.

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