PCMark 2002 Pro is an intriguing system benchmark, as it relates more to a more generic computer application usage pattern. Instead of relying on synthetic scores or actual business applications, it cuts a swath between the two methodologies. PCMark 2002 Pro performs CPU tasks such as image compression, text search and audio conversion, while combining this with a selection of similar benchmarks for memory, hard drive and video components. As we are dealing specifically with processors, the two portions we tested are the CPU and Memory benchmarks.
The PCMark Pro 2002 CPU test clearly shows the Pentium 4-3.06 GHz well in the lead, though most of this is due to the higher clock speed. In our comparison HT testing, the results were slightly higher with HT enabled, but not enough to suggest this benchmark actually makes use of multithreading to any degree. Even so, these are some very impressive scores, and well ahead of both the Intel and AMD competition.
The PCMark 2002 Memory test is basically the same story, as the Pentium 4-3.06 GHz provides a nice performance jump commensurate with the clock speed increase for 3 GHz. Once again, we confirmed that any multithreading support in PCMark 2002 is minimal at best, with only a slight performance increase with HT enabled.
SiSoft SANDRA 2002 does in fact support both Multi-Threading and Multi-Processor configurations, and in our tests, the Pentium 4-1.06 GHz was properly identified as SMT (symmetrical multi-threading) capable. Thus, the CPU tests do use multiple threads and should show us at least the theoretical power of the Intel HT Technology.
The SiSoft SANDRA 2002 SP1 CPU benchmarks are artificial tests that can give a different view of processor and subsystem performance, far away from application-based testing. The benchmarks that truly isolate processor performance are the CPU Arithmetic and Multi-Media tests. Please note that in all CPU testing, there was no change in the default activation of all MMX, SSE and SSE2 enhancements.
The Pentium 4-3.06 GHz performed extremely well in both SiSoft SANDRA ALU (integer) and FPU (floating-point) testing, and posted some very large differentials. This is especially true of the FPU results, as the Pentium 4-3.06 GHz nearly doubled the scores of slower Pentium 4 and Athlon XP processors. While not a true application or game benchmark, the SiSoft SANDRA CPU benchmarks do show at least the potential benefit of Hyper-Threading Technology.
The CPU Multi-Media benchmark portion is again a clean sweep for the Pentium 4-3.06 GHz processor, and the presence of multithreading support definitely shows in the results. Once again the FPU scores are the real deal, and result in a substantial lead for Intel's HT-enabled processor.
The SiSoft SANDRA memory bandwidth test is the most popular area of the benchmark suite, but exists a bit apart from Hyper-Threading Technology. Memory bandwidth can certainly be affected by multithreading, but not to the degree of a pure CPU benchmark. As such, the Pentium 4-3.06 GHz provides a nice jump over previous scores, but along the lines of what we could reasonably expect with a 3 GHz+ processor.
