The Pentium 4-3.4E GHz is the latest Prescott core, and represents the top-end of the Intel mainstream processor line. The natural competition would be the Pentium 4-3.4C, 3.2E and 3.2C, along with the Athlon 64 3400+. The higher-end Pentium 4-3.4 and 3.2 GHz Extreme Edition models are also included for comparison benchmarks, as well as the Athlon 64 FX-53 and FX-51.
The Pentium 4-3.4E, Pentium 4-3.4C and Athlon 64 3400+ occupy the same market position, so the performance charts will be sorted appropriately, with these three CPUs on top. The majority of the commentary will also relate to these three $400-range processors, while including the other scores for reference comparison purposes.
The system platforms are right at the top-end of their respective lines, and since we want ensure full compatibility, the Pentium 4 processors have been tested with the Intel D875PBZ i875P motherboard. The Athlon 64 3400+ makes use of a powerful VIA K8T800 motherboard, while the Athlon 64 FX-51 gets the standard nForce3 Pro150 platform. This setup is optimal for benchmark testing, as it gives the CPUs the needed platform architecture to hit their potential, and ensures that none are lagging behind due to platform issues.
The system memory consists of dual 512-MB sticks of high-end OCZ PC4200 EL, which not only supplies a full 1-GB of system memory, but also allows the low memory timings we need for our benchmark testing. The default hard disk configuration is set for RAID 0 striping, using dual-Seagate SATA 7200 RPM drives for the Pentium 4 and Athlon 64 3400+ systems, and a similar WD setup carrying the load for the Athlon 64 FX-53 and FX-51. Our primary video is the fastest available, and the ATI Radeon 9800XT has the power to ensure that 3D video performance shouldn't be a limiting factor in testing. The operating system is Windows XP Pro SP1, along with DirectX 9.0b installed.
The benchmark list once again features a wide range of system, CPU, memory, and gaming tests. These include the new revisions of Business Winstone 2004, Content Creation Winstone 2004, PCMark 2004 and SiSoft SANDRA 2004, TMPGEnc Plus for MPEG-1 and -2 encoding, along with popular 3D game tests like AquaMark 3, Unreal Tournament 2003, 3DMark 2003, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. X2 Demo, Quake 3, and Comanche 4. Our default game benchmark setting is 1024x768x32, which is demanding enough for comparisons and more realistic as an actual gameplay resolution, but is still prime territory for CPU-related testing.
* Please note that unless otherwise stated, all performance graph results equate to the standard "higher is better" routine.
Pentium 4 Reference System:
Processors: Pentium 4-3.4E, 3.4C, 3.2E, 3.2C, 3.4 GHz EE, and 3.2 GHz EE GHz
Memory: 2 x 512-MB OCZ PC4200 DIMM
Motherboard: Intel D875PBZ
Motherboard chip set: Intel 875P
ATI reference drivers: Catalyst 4.3
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9800XT 256-MB
Hard-Drive: Dual Seagate ST3160023AS Hard Drives (8-MB) in RAID 0 Mode
IDE Interface: Serial ATA-150
CD/DVD: AOpen Combo Drive
Power Supply: Sparkle 400 Watt
DirectX 9.0b
Operating System: Windows XP Pro SP1
Athlon 64 3400+ Reference System:
Processor: Athlon 64 3400+
Memory: 2 x 512-MB OCZ PC4200 DIMM
Motherboard: MSI K8T Neo-FIS2R
Motherboard chip set: VIA K8T800
ATI reference drivers: Catalyst 4.3
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9800XT 256-MB
Hard-Drive: Dual Seagate ST3160023AS Hard Drives (8-MB) in RAID 0 Mode
IDE Interface: Serial ATA-150
CD/DVD: AOpen Combo Drive
Power Supply: Sparkle 400 Watt
DirectX 9.0b
Operating System: Windows XP Pro SP1
Athlon 64 FX-53/51 Reference System:
Processor: Athlon 64 FX-53 and FX-51
Memory: 2 x 512-MB Registered DDR400 DIMM
Motherboard: ASUS SK8N Deluxe
Motherboard chip set: nForce3 Pro150
ATI reference drivers: Catalyst 4.3
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9800XT 256-MB
Hard-Drive: Dual Western Digital Hard Drives (8-MB) in RAID 0 Mode
IDE Interface: Serial ATA-150
CD/DVD: Sony DVD-ROM
Power Supply: ANTEC 430 Watt
DirectX 9.0b
Operating System: Windows XP Pro SP1
General Settings:
Desktop Resolution: 1024x768
Color Depth: 32-bit
V-Sync: Disabled
Quake III Arena Test Specifics
Version: 1.30 (retail)
3DMark 2003 Specifics:
Version 1.0 Patched 340
GunMetal Benchmark Specifics:
Version 1.20S
SiSoft SANDRA 2004
Content Creation: Winstone 2004 Test Specifics:
Version: 1.0
Business Winstone 2004 Test Specifics:
Version 1.0
