Windows XP 64-Bit Preview:  Performance Test Configuration

Athlon64 FX51 Performance Test Configuration

Processor(s):

AMD Athlon64 FX51

Operating Systems:

Windows XP 64-Bit Preview Edition

Windows XP Professional, SP1

RAM:

2 x 512MB Mushkin ECC Registered

High Performance 2:3:2 #991125

Hard Drive(s):

Seagate 120GB 7200 RPM (8MB Buffer)

Video AGP & IDE Bus Master Drivers:

VIA Hyperion BETA for XP64 (2/04/04)

VIA Hyperion 4.51 (12/02/03)

Video Card(s):

Albatron FX5950 Ultra 256MB

Video Drivers:

nVidia WHQL 52.14 for Win XP64

nVidia WHQL 52.16 for XP

Motherboards:

 Asus SK8V (VIA K8T800)

Since we awarded Editor's Choice to the Asus SK8V for top Socket 940 board, we decided to run all benchmarks with the SK8V with Dual-Channel Registered Memory and the top-line Athlon 64 FX51.  The 3400+ runs at the same real speed as the FX51, but uses Single-Channel unbuffered memory.  We plan to take a closer look comparing the performance of the 3400+ and FX51 on XP64 in a future article.  Please forgive us for not including it here - but we wanted to get some benchmarks to you as soon as possible.  Consider this a preview - with more to come.

Index System and Memory Benchmarks
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  • Staples - Saturday, February 7, 2004 - link

    I really hope those game scores are due to premature video drivers. As you see, Halo did almost as well as the 32bit platform and as you should know, DX9 games are almost solely based on the GPU. So if Halo did almost as well on both platforms, it says that the video drivers can't be that premature, either that or explanation 2 is that we can expect a huge increase in DX9 games.
  • Corsairpro - Saturday, February 7, 2004 - link

    Too bad there weren't any decent video drivers. Every one who just glances at the numbers is going to claim "The message is clear x86-64 has failed" when it comes to games. Oh well, more supply for me to buy!
  • buleyb - Saturday, February 7, 2004 - link

    Not that I'm not excited, but you should point out Wes that this isn't just a 64bit OS, but an AMD 64bit OS, meaning that the performance improvement has a lot to do with the new general purpose registers and such. I don't want people thinking that 64bit is a pure performance improvement, because it really isn't by itself.

    But still, nice work :)
  • KristopherKubicki - Saturday, February 7, 2004 - link

    Skol. Well done Wes.
  • saechaka - Saturday, February 7, 2004 - link

    boy am i glad i just bought this athlon 64 notebook. huurraaayy for me
  • Wesley Fink - Saturday, February 7, 2004 - link

    There are times editing would be useful in this comments section. XP, and not Halo, had about the same performance.
  • Wesley Fink - Saturday, February 7, 2004 - link

    Halo was the game that was close to the same performance in XP and XP64, and not Halo as #4 pointed out. Since X2 is DirectX 8.1 with heavy use of transform and lighting effects, it has little relevance to the Halo performance. Corrected in the article.
  • Emma - Saturday, February 7, 2004 - link

    "It is very interesting that the DirectX 9 game Halo is already very close to 32-bit performance at only 4% slower than 32-bit performance. This means the newest 32-bit games, or at least the newest games from Microsoft, may be as fast on 64-bit as 32-bit at the launch of XP64, or possibly even faster."

    Can you clarify this please. The table shows there being a -19.1% change...
  • Boonesmi - Saturday, February 7, 2004 - link

    by the way ive read in several threads of guys using pcmark 2004 and getting incredible fps in divx encoding
  • Ecmaster76 - Saturday, February 7, 2004 - link

    Very interesting. That 15% increase in media encoding should have the AMD execs laughing maniacally. That might end up getting them a 15% increase in market share.

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