Benchmarks: Intel's first 45nm Penryn chip
Published: 11 Nov 2007
VMware 6.0: virtualisation performance
Virtual machines are becoming ever more common in enterprises. Our tests with VMware Workstation 6 and the Winstone suite of application benchmarks examine a processor's efficiency in virtualised IT environments.
The fact that Winstone is a somewhat elderly test suite is not a problem in this case: we're not testing application performance, but the efficiency of the processors in handling the VMware virtualisation.
Compared to the older single-core Pentium 4 processor, the quad-core chips show clear advantages when running virtual machines (VMs). In the first test, two Windows XP-based VMs are started and the Content Creation Winstone (CCWS) benchmark suite run on each one. In each case, two CPU cores are available to the virtual machines. The quad-core chips are optimally employed, and therefore have clear advantages over single-core chips. The fastest quad-core system, with the QX9650 clocked at 3.33GHz, is about five times faster than the single-core 3GHz Pentium 4 system in this test. In the second test, which uses the CPU-intensive image-processing software Paint Net, the overclocked quad-core system is seven times faster than the single-core system.
PreviousRelated articles
Inside Intel's Penryn
Tech Guide Intel's new Penryn family of processors introduces a new 45nm fabrication process, along with a few architectural improvements. [12 Nov 2007]
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650
Review The CPU market is due for a lot of upheaval over the next 12 months, so you might be wise to wait for a clearer picture before plunking down $1000 or so on Intel's new Core 2 Extreme QX9650 quad-core desktop processor. But if you want to claim ownership of the fastest multi-core CPU available today, look no further. [29 Oct 2007]
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