Processors Toolkit

Dual core shoot-out: Intel versus AMD

Kai Schmerer ZDNet Germany

Published: 03 Nov 2005

Video and audio performance

With the exception of Nero Recode, the AMD processors come out top in all of the video tests. In fact, the entry-level Athlon 64 X2 3800+ beats the substantially more expensive Pentium EE 840 in the majority of these tests.

Video performance (smaller is better)

CPU	Athlon 64 X2	Athlon 64 X2	Pentium D	Pentium EE

Model number	3800+	4800+	820	840
Mainconcept H264 (MPEG data)	13m 16s	11m 28s	17m 15s	15m 31s
Nero Recode (DVD)	6m 14s	5m 41s	6m 34s	5m 35s
MS Media Encoder 9	3m 19s	2m 40s	3m 48s	3m 33s
Real Producer	14m 4s	11m 56s	15m 28s	14m 40s
TMPGEnc 3.0	5m 55s	5m 6s	7m 6s	6m 41s

The picture is similar when we look at the table of audio results. Only in the FLAC decompression test are the Intel chips ahead of their AMD competitors. In all the other tests, AMD again emerges victorious.

Audio performance (smaller is better)

CPU	Athlon 64 X2	Athlon 64 X2	Pentium D	Pentium EE

Model number	3800+	4800+	820	840
FLAC (compress)	123s	97s	153s	133s
FLAC (decompress)	32s	27s	29s	25s
Monkey Audio (APE) compress	51s	44s	61s	54s
Monkey Audio (APE) decompress	63s	54s	74s	65s
iTunes (AAC, 192Kbps)	2m 53s	2m 23s	3m 28s	3m 03s
iTunes (MP3, 192Kbps)	2m 7s	1m 44s	2m 21s	2m 4s

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I hate all the adds on this site. and I have big f... Donny
Firefox: adblock.mozdev.org Help for Danny
Any current browser. I use IE and get no pop-ups.... Anonymous
One point that almost all AMD vs Intel reviews are... Anonymous
Help! Aren't we also comparing AMD 64 bit (Vi... Anonymous
Opterons on Sun are very storng. john macentire
Why do these reviews never provide numbers for the... Anonymous
I likes the speed test thingy! Also i lkes my... Anonymous
Regarding the multimedia related tests in general... Panagiotis Issaris
Thank you for this article. I am in the process of... cyber
I have the top of the line amd and intel in front... Greg Meinholz
I have started a poll on "Has Intel's New Chip Arc... Anonymous
Luke, I am your father.. Jack Daniels
by seing all the test above amd versus intel... belang_belonteng

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