Benchmark performance
The specifications of the test systems were as follows:
Hardware
| System | Intel Skulltrail pre-production | Intel Bonetrail pre-production |
|---|---|---|
| Processor(s) | 2 x Intel quad-core processors, 3.40GHz, 12MiB L2 cache, 1600MHz FSB, 45nm, LGA771 | 1 x Intel quad-core Yorkfield, 3.0GHz (QX9650), 12MiB L2 cache, 1333MHz FSB, 45nm, LGA775 |
| Motherboards | Skulltrail | Bonetrail |
| Chipsets | Intel Seaburg | Intel X38 |
| Memory | 2 x 2GiB Crucial FB-DIMMs @ 800MHz | 2 x 1GiB Corsair CM3X1024-1333C9DHX @ 1333MHz |
| Graphics card(s) | 2 x NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX in SLI | 1 x NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit | |
Intel had a Bonetrail system setup to provide comparison numbers and it comprised of an upcoming Penryn-based quad-core desktop processor (Yorkfield, QX9650) running at 3.0GHz with a 1333MHz FSB Bonetrail utilises the also upcoming X38 chipset and, as such, interfaces, preferably, with DDR3 memory.
Again, bear in mind that the following numbers were obtained during a wholly Intel-controlled environment.
Benchmarks
| System | Intel Skulltrail pre-production | Intel Bonetrail pre-production |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark06 v1.1 Pro overall score, marks, higher is better | 17006 | 11899 |
| 3DMark06 v1.1 Pro CPU score, marks, higher is better | 6359 | 4569 |
| CINEBENCH R10 32-bit, marks, higher is better | 21521 | 11810 |
| TMPGEnc 4.0 Express rev 4.3.3.9999 beta, time in seconds, lower is better | 52 | 72 |
Surprise, surprise, the Skulltrail system beats out the Bonetrail box. With precious little comparison data to go by, evaluating the Skulltrail's performance isn't straightforward. Can we have one for in-house testing, please?
We've little doubt that Skulltrail will excel in posting great benchmark scores and provide a smooth multitasking experience for the power user. However, thinking of extreme gaming, where this system is positioned towards, few games currently take full advantage of multithreading. That'll change in the future, slowly, but it's clear that the current stumbling block is graphics performance. Effective quad-SLI implementation would be nicer than eight cores, most gamers would say.
Skulltrail will be quick, but what happens when you let loose some serious cooling?