10. How (And What) We Tested

For each of the two AMD and Intel processors we chose, we ran each build through the same battery of benchmarks, as follows:

PCMark05 to get a sense of each build's computing power and capabilities 3DMark05 to get a sense of each build's graphics handling capabilities HQV (Hollywood Quality Video Processing for HD) Benchmark to test picture quality on our systems, especially for high-definition output.

We had also hoped to run Intel's Digital Home Capabilities Assessment Tool (DHCAT) against our builds, but we ran into technical issues with both 1.5 and 2.0 versions of that software. Alas, we simply didn't have time to address our difficulties so as to get things working, though the Intel staff was more than willing to help us solve our problems. (See the sidebar entitled "Our Troubles with DHCAT" for a more complete explanation of our woes, which we ultimately attributed in part to our decision to avoid applying all Windows XP post-SP2 security patches, fixes and updates to the version of Windows XP on the system we used for benchmarking).

Once the formal benchmarking was completed, we viewed chapters from several DVDs on each system, to observe picture quality, and audition sound quality. Titles included "Open Season" (Blu-ray), "XMen: The Last Stand" (Blu-ray), "Swordfish" (HD-DVD) and "The Bourne Supremacy" (HD-DVD). We also played back conventional DVD versions of all chapters viewed to establish a basis for comparison.

A/V Components
Receiver Sony STR-DA5200ES A/V Receiver (Retail: $1,100) HDMI input from PC, HDMI output to HDTV/Dell 2407
Loudspeakers 2x Phase Technology PC500s (Retail: $2,000) 1x Phase Technology PC1 Center (Retail: $700) 2x Phase Technology PC2 Rear (Retail: $350)