Integral Characteristics of the Dual-Core Processors
We would like to conclude our analysis of the new Intel processors performance and the comparison of their features with those of other currently available dual-core CPUs with a detailed discussion of those features and parameters that are indirectly connected with the performance rate, but still influence the attractiveness of the product for the end user.
First of all, we decided to put together an 揳verage?performance chart for our testing participants. We calculated this parameter as geometric mean of all normalized results obtained during this test session. Note that we have seen pretty much the same performance correlation between CPUs based on different architectures such as Intel Core, Intel NetBurst and AMD K8. Therefore, the integral value given on this chart describes very well the average performance of our testing participants in the majority of applications.
The chart once again indicates the superior performance of the new CPUs that are far ahead of their competitors. Athlon 64 Fx-62, for instance, can only compete with Core 2 Duo E6600, while Pentium Extreme Edition 965 cannot catch up even with Core 2 Duo E6400. From the performance prospective, Core 2 Extreme X6800, Core 2 Duo E6700 and Core 2 Duo E6600 on Intel Core microarchitecture win the first three prizes.
However, performance is not the only thing that makes this or that CPU an attractive purchase for the end-user. Another important consumer characteristic is the price. The official Core 2 Duo launch provoked serious changes in the market: the prices on CPUs with other microarchitectures collapsed enormously. Intel and AMD, both declared massive price reductions, so that the already existing products could still remain wanted against the background of remarkable Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme. The new prices that will be effective in the end of this month are given on the chart below:
As we can see from this chart, AMD shifted their Athlon 64 X2 into the mainstream segment, and Intel repositioned their Pentium D as a value dual-core solution.
