CPU Reviews & Articles

PCMark Vantage Performance

PCMark Vantage differs greatly from previous PCMark suites in that it does not isolate system components in the same way, and while supplying a PCMark System ranking, it will not specifically identify CPU performance. PCMark Vantage is still an important test, and using the Whitepaper as a guide, we have chosen the PCMark, Memories, Gaming, and Productivity suites. For all tests, we have used PCMark Vantage 1.0 with the hotfix applied.

The first test is the overall PCMark score, which combines several tests from the other suites, and incorporates these into a system-level performance ranking. The Phenom II X3 720 and X4 810 fall back of the higher-speed Phenom and Phenom II models, and both processors sit just back of the 2.4 GHz Core 2 Quad Q6600. It is clear that clock speed hampers overall PCMark Vantage scores, as the 3.0 GHz Phenom II X4 940 takes a good run at the Core i7-920.

The Memories, or digital imaging, section of PCMark Vantage has the greatest impact on the memory-platform subsystem, and this time we see the quad core Phenom II X4 810 moving ahead of both the Phenom II X3 720 and Phenom X4 9950.

The results in the Vantage Gaming suite are a bit better, and now the latest Phenom II models are well ahead of the Core 2 Quad Q6600 and pushing even the Core 2 Quad Q9400.

The Productivity suite shows the Phenom II X3 and X4 processors outperforming the Intel competition, and this benchmark seems to appreciate the full 2.0 GHz HT speeds, as the two new models perform a bit higher than a same-speed AM2+ Phenom II.