The Business Winstone 2004 suite from ZD Labs is an update to the application-based PC benchmark line we've been using for years. It still makes use of real-world application tests like word processing, spreadsheets, web browsing and formatting, as well as file compression, anti-virus scanning and email. A multi-tasking component has also been added, and the base requirements have been upgraded quite significantly. As usual, this suite of programs is run from a batch script that attempts to accurately emulate a business system load, and then supplies us with a final performance rating.
The first Business Winstone contest shows the Sempron 2800+ with a noticeable performance lead over the Celeron 335, both with integrated and dedicated video. The lead doesn't really change that much between the two graphics environments and AMD definitely has the entry-level advantage over Intel. The Sempron 3100+ is more of a surprise, and posts the highest overall score, outpacing the Athlon XP 2800+ and Pentium 4-2.8E GHz.
Content Creation Winstone 2004 is another new update to the Winstone line, and also updates the base requirements and applications. We're still looking at an application-based test suite, which includes hot programs like Photoshop, Macromedia Director, LightWave, Wavelab, and many others. This new version also includes Windows Media Encoder 9, which means the AMD and Intel processor features are fully recognized and supported. This is a very demanding system benchmark, and makes a great comparison tool for our high-end testing and when comparing component performance levels using the latest multimedia software.
Also note is that the latest 1.0.1 update patch has enabled multi-processor and Hyper-Threading support in the LightWave section of the test.
Content Creation Winstone benchmarking is almost a direct copy of the Business Winstone testing, except that the gap has shrunk in some areas. The Sempron 2800+ still posts higher scores than the Celeron 335, but just not at the same performance advantage. The Sempron 3100+ again produces the highest score, but it's the same tight race as in our last benchmark test.
