The memory and cache tests determine how quickly data is transferred between the CPU and the memory subsystem. This does not indicate how a system will perform overall, but it's an important component of a balanced evaluation.
The results of the ScienceMark 2 test are interesting -- especially if you use software that's sensitive to long memory access times. Memory bandwidth is the first performance criterion -- the total output of a memory subsystem depends on the bandwidth and the latency. The latter is measured in bus cycles, with lower values better. With bandwidth, which is measured in megabytes per second (MB/s), a higher value is better.
Unfortunately, ScienceMark 2 can't measure bandwidth of the L1 and L2 cache for the Prescott Pentium 4. However, results for the Athlon 64 show that, thanks to the integration of the memory controller, cache performance increases with clock frequency. Both with latency and bandwidth, the Athlon 64 delivers better performance than the Pentium 4. To a large extent, this underpins the very good overall performance of the two AMD processors.
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AquaMark 3 |
Unreal Tournament 2003 3D Studio Max 6 Video Studio 8 |
1%
2%
