Q9300 Stock Clock, Low Math Integer Score (460.0)

[Azare]

CPU Mark
This Computer 3029.3
CPU - Integer Math
This Computer 460.0
CPU - Floating Point Math
This Computer 1771.0
CPU - Find Prime Numbers
This Computer 980.1
CPU - Multimedia Instructions
This Computer 8.1
CPU - Compression
This Computer 5401.8
CPU - Encryption
This Computer 15.2
CPU - Physics
This Computer 206.3
CPU - String Sorting
This Computer 2794.2

Everything else seems fine. Does anyone know any reason why integer math score can be so low? I've repeated this benchmark multiple times with similar results.

[David (PassMark)]

What version of PerformanceTest are you using?
What O/S?
32bit or 64bit?
Have you checked the temperature of the CPU? What is it while the tests are running?

[Azare]

Thanks for the reply.

Im using PerformanceTest 7.0. Window XP 32 bit.

The temperature of my 4 cores ranged from 51-59 degrees while running the test at 100% load. Idle it runs at 47-51 degrees.

Any ideas?

[David (PassMark)]

Don't really know what the cause it. The Integer maths test result should be higher for this CPU.

In the edit preferences window can you check the number of processes.
Can you also try switching from a short test to a long test in the preferences window.

Then run the CPU test a few times and post the result for the CPU - Integer Maths test.

[Azare]

# of processors is at the default of 4.

I've set to very long and run the integer math test four more times but the results are similar each time. Around 480ish.

I've just installed the latest motherboard drivers as well but it made no difference.

[David (PassMark)]

I had a look in our database of results. And you aren't the only one with results like this. So I don't think it is a hardware fault.

Seems to be there is a large difference between the 32bit and 64bit operating system results on some Intel CPUs for this test. The 64bit results are much higher than 32bit. Where as I would have expected 64bit to be only slightly higher.

We'll look into it a bit more deeply and see if there is a better explaination.

[David (PassMark)]

OK, so there is what we think is the explanation.
The integer maths test does a combination of 32bit and 64bit arithmetic.

A 64bit CPU on a 64bit O/S running native 64bit code doing 64bit maths is a lot faster than a 32bit configuration doing 64bit maths. This was shown 4 years ago in a comparison we did between 32bit and 64bit performance.

But what seems to have changed is that recent Intel CPUs have improved 64bit performance more than 32bit performance, compared to older CPUs.

So as an example, in the years between the Pentium 4 and Core i7 chips, 32bit maths improved 7 fold in speed, while 64bit maths improved 12 fold.

So now the difference between 32bit and 64bit is very pronounced on the Integer maths test on newer Intel CPUs. The difference also exists for AMD chips, but it is not as stark.

Upgrading to 64bit should give you much better results.

Update: There is a graph showing the 32bit / 64bit differences here,
http://www.passmark.com/forum/showth...1395#post11395

[Azare]

Okay thanks, this is a relief to know. I thought I had defective hardware and was going to need to buy a new processor. I'll try to upgrade to 64 bit system as soon as I am able and see how it is.