3DMark 2005 is the latest version in the popular 3DMark series of gaming benchmarks, and is the first to actually require full DirectX 9.0 compatibility. The 3DMark '05 program also offers a high-end selection of both gaming and CPU tests, while upping the ante in terms of jaw-dropping graphics and 3D feature support. 3DMark '05 is not only a prime way of determining potential DirectX 9 game performance, but the individual CPU performance score also makes it a valuable tool in processor reviews and performance comparisons. As in all of our game tests, this benchmark was performed at the standard 1024x768x32 resolution and color depth.
The 3DMark 2005 CPU benchmark testing changes gears a bit, and gives us a more theoretical view of potential CPU gaming performance. This benchmark includes some multi-threaded testing in the CPU module, and both the Pentium D 820 and Pentium EE 840 show marked improvements. The Pentium 4 670 also posts a very nice score, but the Pentium 4-3.73 GHz puts a bit more daylight between it, and the new 3.8 GHz model. However, as few games include any multi-threaded code, these scores show more what the potential performance benefits of a dual core design could be on the gaming end.
AquaMark 3 is a relatively new DirectX 9 benchmark, and although it does not correspond to an actual game, it does use the same Krass engine as found in products such as Aquanox 2 and Spellforce. AquaMark 3 also supports new features such as Hyper-Threading, Pixel Shader and Vertex Shader 2.0, and uses a wide range of DirectX 9 effects and features. For this review, we've tested the basic performance benchmark in standard 1024x768 32-bit mode, and offer up the CPU scores.
The AquaMark 3 CPU benchmarking brings up back to reality quick, and we see the usual CPU core and bus speeds start yielding higher scores, rather than any multi-threading capabilities. The Pentium 4 670 takes its place just behind the Pentium 4-3.73 GHz, while the Pentium D 820 can't shake off the last place doldrums.
Halo: Combat Evolved is a hot, action adventure game that not only features luscious indoor and outdoor graphics and a killer story, but some very innovative gameplay as well. Our Halo test uses the default timedemo, while also enabling 2.0 shaders for all benchmark testing.
The Halo benchmark results don't change the status quo, and while the Pentium 4 670 proves once again to be virtually equivalent to the Pentium 4-3.73 GHz in overall gaming performance, the Pentium D 820 is backed into the corner and finishes last.
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