Performance Center

Welcome to the Performance Center

Everyone wants their computer to be faster. There are so many myths regarding performance, we felt it was time to present the facts in a manner that can be easily understood by nearly everyone. The marketing departments of the large computer companies work their magic to have everyone believe that every computer they build is a wondrous new invention in power and simplicity. Here at our Performance Center we candidly examine the real world performance improvements of various changes and upgrades in technology. We present you with both short concise answers where possible, and heavily researched, in-depth, answers where necessary.

What you will find here:

• A candid no frills approach to factual performance information regarding components that make up a computer, work station or server. You’ll find some Tips, some Tricks and even a few Cool Tools to test your system.
• Reviews of performance data for motherboards, processors, memory, video cards, SCSI cards and hard drives in predetermined real-world configurations and environments, as these are the core components of all computers.
• Reviews of performance data for sound cards, CD-Rom drives, CD-R drives, CD-RW drives, but to a lesser degree than core components, as these components enhance usability rather than performance. If you have a “tin ear”, what does it matter that XYZ sound card makes your computer sound as though you are sitting in a concert hall.
• Clear and concise information regarding memory differences, memory diagnostics, processor differences, differences in motherboards, types of hard drives and video cards. You won’t find any hype, just what works and what doesn’t.
• Information prepared in a plain English manner that provides you with the “why” your computer operates in the way it does, or perhaps why it doesn’t operate the way it should.
• We provide definitive data on what comprises our calibrated benchmark systems, as well as provide you with a common sense explanation of the facts and fiction behind benchmark testing.
• A complete description of the testing software we use. We do not permit the use of any special files that would tend to skew our results. As an example, AMD has been known to make available a special DLL (Dynamic Link Library) file to enhance processor performance during certain benchmark tests. If this file is not commonly available to everyone, then we won’t permit its use. Likewise, Intel has been known to request that benchmark software be rewritten with code and included files beneficial to their processors. We do not permit this unless this coding, and any added files, are readily available to you and can be included in your operating system.

The performance data that we publish usually consists of three components, the evaluation and verification of test results completed by other testing facilities on similar equipment, validation tests we use in order to validate (or invalidate) representations made by others, including component manufacturers, and broad range testing conducted in our own labs on our own calibration platforms utilizing a variety of test platform software so as to emulate real-world user environments.

What you won’t find here:

Don’t look for technical reports on how to over-clock your processor (CPU) in order to try and make it operate faster than it was designed to operate, we do not publish them. This information is widely published throughout the Internet and need not be repeated here. Our audience consists of people who rely upon their computers, work stations and servers to handle day-to-day functions without needless interruption. There are no miraculous discoveries here on how to make your computer, work station or server do anything other than what it was designed to do. We only publish performance data that can be replicated time and again.

You will also not find us recommending one motherboard over another, or one video card over another as the result of some fabricated one-shot tests use Quake III or other such software. This is not real-world testing and the results are often of little relevance to how the average user uses a computer. Our recommendations are based entirely upon how you, the user, intends to use your computer.

If you would like to read more about the systems used for calibration and comparative testing, follow this link.

If you would like to read more about the benchmark and testing software we use, follow this link.

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