3DMark05 is the latest version in the popular 3DMark series of gaming benchmarks, and is the first to require full DirectX 9.0 compatibility. The 3DMark05 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. 3DMark05 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. This benchmark was performed at the standard 1024x768x32 resolution and color depth with no anti-aliasing or filtering.
The 3DMark05 CPU benchmark is another one that has shifted a bit with the addition of the eVGA GeForce 7800 GTX card, and we see the Intel dual core models moving a bit closer to their AMD rivals, and especially the Pentium EE 840. The new Pentium EE 955, on the other hand, posts an exceptional result, and manages to outperform the powerful Athlon 64 X2 4800+, and hits a new 3DMark 2005 Pro CPU record here at SE. The combination of a higher clock speed and an increased system bus have given the Pentium EE 955 a noted advantage here, and points to higher potential performance with higher-end DX9 games.
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.
AquaMark 3 presents another extremely close performance race, but this time, the Pentium EE 955 gets a second place ribbon, and finishes a hair behind the Athlon 64 X2 4800+. This still represents a big comeback for Intel in this particular test, as even the Athlon 64 X2 4200+ laid a beat down on the 3.2 GHz Pentium EE 840.
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.
Halo: Combat Evolved benchmarking brings us back to the standard performance trends, with the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 posting the highest Intel score, but simply not being able to keep pace with the dual core Athlon 64 X2 processors.
