Application: Sysmark 2004
Internet Content Creation
The results in the overall test show the Intel 560 still having a slight lead over the 3.46EE processor. The FX-55 is easily within striking distance of the Intel line at this point.
3D Creation: The user renders a 3D model to a bitmap using 3ds max 5.1, while preparing web pages in Dreamweaver MX. Then the user renders a 3D animation in a vector graphics format.
The Intel line has a strong showing here with the Intel 550 still beating out the FX-55 processor and the new Intel 3.46EE coming in second behind the 560.
2D Creation: The user uses Premiere 6.5 to create a movie from several raw input movie cuts and sound cuts and starts exporting it. While waiting on this operation, the user imports the rendered image into Photoshop 7.01, modifies it and saves the results. Once the movie is assembled, the user edits it and creates special effects using After Effects 5.5.
The 2D side of things shows the FX-55 on top of the new 3.46EE processor, the Intel 560 retains the lead, barely.
Web Publication: The user extracts content from an archive using WinZip 8.1. Meanwhile, he uses Flash MX to open the exported 3D vector graphics file. He modifies it by including other pictures and optimizes it for faster animation. The final movie with the special effects is then compressed using Windows Media Encoder 9 series in a format that can be broadcast over broadband Internet. The web site is given the final touches in Dreamweaver MX and the system is scanned by VirusScan 7.0.
Similar results here from the Intel 3.46EE processor — a good performance just not enough to beat the 560.
Office Productivity
The 3.46EE takes the overall lead on the office testing on the Sysmark 2004 suite. The AMD processors fall behind on this test with even the FX-55 getting beat or matched by the Intel 550 processor.
Communication: The user receives an email in Outlook 2002 that contains a collection of documents in a zip file. The user reviews his email and updates his calendar while VirusScan 7.0 scans the system. The corporate web site is viewed in Internet Explorer 6.0. Finally, Internet Explorer is used to look at samples of the web pages and documents created during the scenario.
The communication tests on the office productivity test show the AMD line up faring very well against the Intel 3.46EE and the rest of the Intel processors. In fact, all the processors are within a very small margin of each other.
Document Creation: The user edits the document using Word 2002. He transcribes an audio file into a document using Dragon NaturallySpeaking 6. Once the document has all necessary pieces in place, the user changes it into a portable format for easy and secure distribution using Acrobat 5.0.5. The user creates a marketing presentation in PowerPoint 2002 and adds elements to a slide show template.
In this dcoument creation test, that is heavily based on voice-recognition, the Intel 3.46EE processor does very well, coming in 10 points, about 5% faster than the FX-55 processor.
Data Analysis: The user opens a database using Access 2002 and runs some queries. A collection of documents are archived using WinZip 8.1. The queries’ results are imported into a spreadsheet using Excel 2002 and used to generate graphical charts.
The data analysis tests seem more geared towards the changes made in the Prescott core P4, as the 560 and 550 out perform both the EE processors here, as well as the entire slew of AMD processors.