3D Scaling

When it comes to top range CPUs, one often wonders what advantages can make with a particularly performer graphics subsystem. On this page we will see, using two current top range graphics cards, what happens varying the operating frequency of the CPU starting from the default up to well 5 GHz. The system has two Nvidia GeForce GTX 580 in SLI mode. The reference CPUs, in addition to the AMD FX-8150, are always a Core i7-2600K and the current top-end Intel Core i7-3960X. The tests were performed first setting the frequency for each of them by default with turbo on, then we set a frequency of 4 GHz and finally a frequency of 5 GHz. In the last two cases the turbo for obvious reasons has been disabled for all CPUs.

Since most of the games currently on the market are unlikely to be limited by the CPU of this caliber, we decided to use some graphics benchmarks that use the CPU more intensively, heralding what could be the load application of future games. These tests will also be particularly interesting for all fans of overclocking, to see which platform is best suited to get the best scores. The software that we used are the well known 3D Mark in both Vantage and 2011 version. We tested the systems with the benchmark Unigine Heaven 2.5 setting Full-HD resolution and setting the tessellation on Extreme. We see below the various graphs generated.

Looking at the 3D Mark Vantage we can see how the scaling of Intel is less marked than the AMD, especially when switching from 4 GHz to 5 GHz, in this regard we can be seen the slope of the segment generated by the graph.

Turning to the 3D Mark 2011 instead we see an extraordinary inclination of the segment generated by AMD, where the frequency of 5 GHz is also going over the Intel i7-2600K. Considering the excellent overclocking margins of the FX-8150, in this test the Bulldozer platform could track particularly interesting records with respect to Intel platforms.

Noting however the fps generated by Unigine, which reflects a more real gaming, let's see how you have a good increase from AMD CPU in going from the default frequency to 5 GHz  On the other hand it must be noted that the fps generated are lower than the other CPUs in question, although as you go up the frequency, the differences between the various CPUs decrease. In particular, if we refer to the Intel i7-2600K we start from a difference of about 22 fps at default, while at the frequency of 5 GHz the difference is reduced to about 14 fps. This result means that the scaling of the FX-8150 is very good, but in any case the fps generated are a bit distant from the other CPUs. Again the AMD proposal could become particularly interesting at frequencies above 7 GHz, that can not be reached by Sandy Bridge and Sandy Bridge-E systems.