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LOSTCIRCUITS
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| Intel's Core 2 Quad Extreme Edition QX6700 Codename "Kentsfield" | |
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(Review by MS, November 1, 2006) |
Final Thoughts
The release of a quad core CPU, even in a die-pairing design, increases Intel's performance lead in the desktop space beyond that of the Core2 Duo / Extreme family. Currently, the Quad version is only available as Extreme Edition, which is a bit pricey after all but there will be lower clock speed versions available at a reduced price point in the near future. The Core2 Duo or "Conroe" series will - at least in the foreseeable future - co-exist with the "Kentsfield" design, which is a good thing for those still shooting for an upgrade to the first - it will not be obsolete!
Overall, the Kentsfield processor has swept the entire benchmark suite except for gaming. If gaming is the primary concern, then there is no doubt that any Conroe or else, any AMD processors will probably deliver the same bang for a lot less buck, and this is just a practical and budgetary consideration.
Another issue is the question of CrossFire vs. SLI in this regard. We were running all benchmarks in SLI configuration, regardless of the platform (with the exception of the dual CPU Opteron platform with its single PCIe x16 slot) but the hacked drivers that enable SLI are not readily available (yet). This puts SLI fans into a certain bind, either go with the nForce 590 for Intel series or else take a gamble that a given application will be buggy on a non-supported platform - or else, change their mind and go with ATI until nVidia releases unlocked drivers. That's a tough one.
The 3D rendering community on the other hand, along with the media encoders have any reason to drool over the Quad core processor. Depending on the application, the Kentsfield is just wicked fast and those are the type of application where real time savings are achievable.
We would have liked to include applications like SolidWorks or ProEngineer into the benchmarks unfortunately, aside from the OpenGL suites made available by SPEC.org, there is nothing out there in terms of free downloads and those applications - as we showed not long ago are essentially single-threaded and, therefore not suitable for benchmarking a quad core CPU. Not to mention the abomination of running ViewPerf on a consumer or gaming graphics card.
One thing we were concerned about was the power consumption of the Kentsfield, however, our worries were essentially dissipated. In idle, Intel's power management puts the Kentsfield at about 20% over the equivalent Core2 Duo and that is in the noise when it comes to system power consumption. Arguably, we won't see the Extreme Edition in a cell phone or PDA (yet) but compared to the P4 monstrosities, the Kentsfield - just like Conroe - is environmentally correct and fits right into the current landscape of energy-aware computing. The same goes for heat dissipation in view of the greenhouse effect. Overall, there is no way of denying Intel one of our coveted Exceptional Hardware Awards!
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