Test Setup
Our test setup consisted of two HP entry-level systems, both offering comparable hardware configurations and price ranges. The AMD platform consists of an Athlon 64 X2 4600+ processor, 2x1GB of DDR2-533, a GeForce 6150 LE motherboard, and a Samsung 250GB hard drive. The Intel configuration is very similar, with a Core 2 Duo 6300 running on an Intel G965 Express motherboard, with 2x1GB of DDR2-533 and a 250GB Samsung hard drive. There were no surprises with either computer, and each represented a good baseline comparison for what kind of hardware entry-level buyers might be faced with.
The benchmark list includes a wide range of system, CPU, memory, and gaming tests. These include PCMark05, SiSoft SANDRA XI, Everest Ultimate Edition, HQV, and CINEBENCH 9.5, We also utilized both old and new game tests, such as Quake 3, Unreal Tournament 2004, FarCry, F.E.A.R., Company of Heroes, and Prey, along with a detailed examination using 3DMark06, Our default game benchmark settings are 1024x768 and 1280x1024, or the most common entry-level LCD resolutions.
Test Systems:
AMD Reference System:
Processor: Athlon 64 X2 4600+ (2.4 GHz)
Memory: 2 x 1GB DDR2-533
Motherboard: ASUS A8M2N-LA
Motherboard chip set: GeForce 6150 LE
Graphics Drivers: 93.71
Hard-Drive: Samsung SP2504C 250GB
IDE Interface: Serial ATA-150
CD/DVD: Samsung TS-H652L DVD-R/RW Drive
Monitors: Dell E228WFP (22") and UltraSharp 2407FPW (24") LCD
DirectX 9.0c
Operating System: Windows XP Media Center Edition SP2
Intel Reference System:
Processors: Core 2 Duo 6300 (1.86 GHz)
Memory: 2 x 1GB DDR2-533
Motherboard: ASUS P5BW-LA
Motherboard chip set: Intel G965 Express
Graphic Drivers: Intel 14.25
Hard-Drive: Samsung SP2504C 250GB
IDE Interface: Serial ATA-150
CD/DVD: LG GSA-H30L DVD-R/RW Drive
Monitors: Dell E228WFP (22") and UltraSharp 2407FPW (24") LCD
DirectX 9.0c
Operating System: Windows XP Media Center Edition SP2
General Settings:
Desktop Resolution: 1680x1050
Color Depth: 32-bit
V-Sync: Disabled
3DMark06 Specifics:
Version 1.10
PCMark05 Pro Specifics:
Version 120
SiSoft SANDRA XI Specifics:
SP1a
Everest Ultimate Edition Specifics:
4.00
