24. PCMark04 (Synthetic Benchmark For CPU And RAM)

PCMark04 is a synthetic benchmark that gives information on the processor performance and RAM bandwidth within a few minutes. It is a very popular benchmark that allows any user to check his system quickly and easily, and to compare it with others. The results are displayed as point counts.

The results of the CPU test by PC Mark depend first and foremost on the size of the L2 cache, and are only secondarily related to the core clock rate. Accordingly, the results are as follows: The two notebooks with a Pentium M 750 score higher than the two with a Pentium 740. The nx6125, limited by a Turion 64 ML-34 CPU with a L2 cache half the size of the others, brings up the rear.

The most important factor in a memory benchmark is the available RAM bandwidth. The size of the L2 cache is secondary in this case. The logical consequence is that the Compaq nx6125, which features the Turion 64, scores considerably lower than the other laptops with dedicated chips, due to the fact that it has to share bandwidth with the integrated graphics engine. The nx6125 would lose this race even with a dedicated graphics chip, as we saw in our Turion64 Inside Story. The gap would have been less dramatic, however.

WinRAR (File Compression)

Alexander Roshal's WinRAR is a popular program for compressing files for storage or for sending them electronically.

This is the area where the Turion 64 really shines. With its integrated memory controller helping to reduce access latency, the Turion masters these tasks in record time. In the Compaq nx6125, however, the entire memory bandwidth is not available to the CPU exclusively. The final consequence is that the system is beaten out by the other competitors.