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Real World Gameplay CPU Scaling

Four processors; Intel Core i7 920, Intel Core 2 QX9650, AMD Phenom II X4 810, & AMD Phenom II X3 720 BE. Seven games. REAL WORLD GAMEPLAY at stock clocks and all overclocked to 3.6GHz, head to head, & apples to apples.

Conclusion

There are several topics and comparison to talk about here, so we are going to break it down and discuss each one.

Processor Comparisons

Core i7 920 vs. Core 2 QX9650

What you guys really want to know, "Is the Core i7 CPU really faster in games than the Core 2 Quad?" Based on this evaluation at both default and overclocked frequencies we can make that determination. The Core i7 is faster than Core 2 Quad in most real world gaming scenarios. Playing Crysis Warhead resulted in the 2.66GHz Core i7 920 providing the SAME level of performance as the faster clocked 3GHz QX9650. We know for a fact this game is CPU frequency intensive, yet the lower clocked Core i7 was pulling in the same performance as the higher clocked QX9650. When we overclocked both CPUs, yet again, the Core i7 was faster than the slightly higher clocked QX9650. In Fallout 3 the Core i7 was actually a lot faster than the QX9650 when both were overclocked. The average framerate was 76.1 FPS on the Core i7 920 at 3.6GHz, with a minimum of 54 FPS. The average framerate on the QX9650 at 3.66GHz was 68 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS. FarCry 2 was faster on the Core i7 920 when overclocked. GTA4 was faster on the Core i7 920. Left 4 Dead was faster on the i7 920. But here is a big sticking point that will be important to people playing games rather than those living and dying by the benchmark. Though the framerates were higher, we were not able to increase graphics or in-game settings, and the performance was smooth enough already on the QX9650 that the extra frames supplied by the Core i7 did not give us a better gaming experience. Technically the Core i7 920 is faster than Core 2 Quad in games, but the resulting performance wasn’t enough in these games to allow a better gameplay experience; mostly we were still GPU limited.

Phenom II X4 810 vs. Phenom II X3 720 BE

The Phenom II X3 720 BE CPU is a triple core CPU while the Phenom II X4 810 is a quad core CPU. What you guys really want to know, including us, was if a triple-core CPU would have any disadvantages in games or would the CPU frequency make up for the loss of one core. Well, our results are kind of a mixed bag. Overall, the Phenom II X3 720 BE did trail in every game, achieving the lowest framerates in games. But only in one game did we feel this was actually very noticeable due to the nature of its lesser triple-core.

GTA4 was uniquely different from every other game we tested here; both in terms of performance and the fact that it is a console port. Where CPU frequency really affected every other game’s performance, in this one, it didn’t quite turn out like we had thought. When we overclocked the Phenom II X4 810 to 3.6GHz it matched the gameplay experience of both Intel CPUs also overclocked. However, the Phenom II X3 720 BE lagged behind, far behind in performance. At default frequencies, even though the Phenom II X3 720 BE is clocked higher (2.8GHz) than the Phenom II X4 810 (2.6GHz) it was still far behind in performance. The Phenom II X4 810 was clearly a better CPU for GTA4 when overclocked to 3.6GHz. GTA4 is simply coded to better take advantage of multithreading, at least in a 4-core environment.

Besides GTA4 the Phenom II X3 720 BE does lag behind every CPU, and in some situations caused us to have to use some very low quality settings. We were able to get more performance out of it by overclocking though. Overall we felt that for the most part, its triple-core nature is not a hindrance compared to quad-core CPUs, except for the game GTA4. And as we have said repeatedly to our readers, the AMD Phenom II X3 is an overclockers CPU. Does GTA4 mark the future of PC gaming performance trends? We just think it is badly ported to PC. Still we do need to understand that PC gaming is moving more and more towards multithreaded solutions every day.

Intel vs. AMD

Our results are quite clear on how this compares, though we know this is a highly debated topic, all of our testing points to both Intel CPUs providing superior gameplay performance. In Crysis: Warhead, Flight Simulator X, and GTA4 both Intel CPUs consistently allowed us to play with higher in-game settings. In every other game framerates were higher on the Intel CPUs, even if the actual gameplay experience was the same. For gaming, Intel Core i7 and Intel Core 2 processors provide more performance allowing you to get the most value from your high-end graphics card investment.

Clock Speed or Multi-Core

Quite clearly, in our testing, the clock speed (frequency) mattered the most when gaming. The MHz battle is not over, as increasing your CPU clock speed WILL provide performance improvements. We found it quite important that clock frequency still plays a vital role in gameplay performance. Do not sell yourself short on the clock frequency. It can be the difference between running with No AA at 1920x1200 or 4X AA at 1920x1200 incredibly enough. Yes, CPU power can impact AA as we have shown here today in our Crysis gameplay.

If you are gaming anywhere under 3GHz, it is time to upgrade, especially if you are running a multi-GPU configuration. We find that 3.6GHz is a great place to be to achieve an enjoyable gameplay experience with fast video cards. All of today’s 3.6GHz overclocks were achieved with very little effort. All platforms were air cooled and it should be no stretch for an informed computer hardware enthusiast.

It is clear that multi-core CPUs aren’t of paramount importance to gaming just quite yet. Only in GTA4 are we possibly seeing a difference. It really is clock speed that matters the most. This isn’t to say that quad core CPUs aren’t useful for other things, but for gaming, clock speed is where it is at to achieve the best enjoyment from gaming, and to get the most out of your video card.

Value

Pricing is always an important part of any buying decision. The most expensive CPU evaluated here is the Core 2 QX9650. It can currently be had for $1,176.99 which is in no way cheap. The QX9650 is also a dinosaur by today’s standards and you can easily find Core 2 Quads from $165 to $325. The Intel Core i7 920 on the other hand can be found at a fairly reasonable $279.99 with Free Shipping. The AMD Phenom II X4 810 is at a MUCH lower $169.99 with Free Shipping. Finally, the Phenom II X3 720 BE is at an even more affordable $139 with Free Shipping.

As you can see, there is a great divide in pricing here. The AMD CPUs are still the least expensive of the bunch, with the Phenom II X3 720 BE providing a very affordable solution for gamers on a budget. Considering you can overclock the X3 720 Black Edition (BE means the multipliers are unlocked, so overclocking this processor is tremendously easy) to 3.6GHz, you really do get a great bang for your buck. That is the key though, you must overclock the X3 720, otherwise it is a miserable performer compared to the competition.

The AMD Phenom II X4 810 is equally as miserable at its default frequency, so the key with it is overclocking to at least 3.6GHz as well. It costs a bit more, and will net you some higher framerates over the X3 720 BE. If GTA4 is your game then you will certainly want the X4 810.

There is no reason on Earth to purchase the Core 2 QX9650, it is priced high because it is the "Extreme" Edition, but that doesn’t mean "Extreme" performance, but obviously there are newer Quad Core CPUs that have taken its place as referenced above. Many Core 2 Quad are on par with the AMD costs above, but generally the Intel Core 2 Quads that are going to take you to 3.6GHz levels are a just a bit more expensive. Plan to spend in the $220 range. The Intel Q6600 continues to be a solid performer as well as the Q9300.

The Core i7 920 gives all our processors a run for the money, producing higher performance across the board. The Core i7 920 provides the best performance in every game tested. You will have to pay for that performance though compared to the Phenom II CPUs though. When you take the Core i7 920 to 3.6GHz though, nothing can touch it. Outside of gaming, the Core i7 have proven to be the most capable desktop processor on the planet in terms of applications that can actually harness it HyperThreading and multi-threading abilities.

Which is Best for Me?

All that said about our processors, most of us are not running CrossFireX or SLI video card configurations. Outside of massively CPU-centric games such as FlightSimX, which are far and few between, the world of PC gaming is still very GPU-centric. Many of us are likely never going to be in a position to truly enjoy Core i7 gaming with "lesser" video cards. If a $130 processor can provide enough cycles to respectably push an $800 video card setup, you had best believe it will do wonders with less expensive GPUs. However if you do have a high end video card setup, you are likely wasting it without the proper CPU and proper GHz behind it.

If you are building a gaming rig and are looking to spend $150 to $200 on a graphics card, the AMD Phenom II X3 720 and AMD Phenom II X4 810 offer very good gaming values which will very likely last you through a couple of GPU upgrades. Likewise, mid-level Intel Core 2 Quad processors can offer you the same value at a slightly higher price point. In the middle of the pack, it is hard to go wrong as long as you are a up on which processors are overclocking nicely. But for a budget barn burner, you would be remiss to discount AMD’s Phenom II 720 BE without giving it serious consideration. Looking forward, it is hard for us to suggest a dual core build, because I think you will find limitations in gaming soon. Of course, if you can get your E8500 dual core up to 5GHz, that certainly might be the way to go! If you building a rig that will be gaming, heavily multitasking, and creating and encoding content, the Intel Core i7 is the way to go. The Intel Core i7 is going also allow you a more dynamic upgrade path as faster processors come to market. Also keep in mind if you wish to push your memory footprint out to the 12GB envelope you can do it easily on most Core i7 motherboards. 6GB should do you fine for now though. Those of you that need the memory already know it and don’t need us telling you about it.

The AMD Phenom II has found its just place in the CPU market, and that place is being a tremendous competitor in the middle of the market providing great value. The Intel Core i7 is simply the badass king of the hill that will smoke the tires all the way around the block, and blurs the lines even further between desktop and workstation.

The Bottom Line

We have found that CPU performance can impact your gameplay experience, even with the fastest graphics combination around. With a Radeon HD 4870 X2 CrossFireX configuration powering our games we found the Core i7 920 at 3.6GHz allowed us to get the most performance out of this graphics combo. The AMD Phenom II CPUs simply held this multi-GPU configuration back.

Clock speed is still very important to your gameplay experience. To achieve the highest possible enjoyment from your games you need the fastest CPU clock speed to get the most from your video card. Don’t be too concerned about the number of cores, for now, it is all about CPU frequency. But that will be changing soon.

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