Computer Benchmark Tests with Photoshop

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  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2006
    DavidTO wrote:
    Oh, and---get a Mac! :D

    All this hawt Mac talk is getting me SO EXCITED! lol3.gif

    I might have to buy the 15" Macbook Pro now afterall.
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2006
    wxwax wrote:
    I didn't lay the bait, Gus did. :cool

    As for the rest... well, let's just say when I get a Mac, I'm also getting an innovation!


    fixed it for you, Sid.
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  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2006
    wxwax wrote:
    I didn't lay the bait, Gus did. :cool

    As for the rest... well, let's just say if I get a Mac, I'm also getting an innoculation!

    Sid, maybe you're backed up a bit:

    mac_toilet.jpeg
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2006
    Andy wrote:
    All this hawt Mac talk is getting me SO EXCITED! lol3.gif

    I might have to buy the 15" Macbook Pro now afterall.

    If I go Mac, I'm thinking a 17" Macbook Pro in about 12 months, after they're sorted out the issues and expanded the memory limit.

    If you buy now, you're buying a machine that's already obsolete.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2006
    Andy wrote:
    Machine Name: Power Mac G5 Quad
    Machine Model: PowerMac
    CPU Type: PowerPC G5 (1.1)
    Number Of CPUs: 4
    CPU Speed: 2.5 GHz
    L2 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB
    Memory: 4.5 GB
    Bus Speed: 1.25 GHz

    Fred Miranda Test: 11 seconds
    Retouch Pro Test: 23 seconds (8 bit file); 28 seconds (16 bit file)

    Machine Name: PowerBook G4 15"
    Machine Model: PowerBook
    CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.5)
    Number Of CPUs: 1
    CPU Speed: 1.67 GHz
    L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
    Memory: 2 GB
    Bus Speed: 167 MHz
    Boot ROM Version: 4.9.6f0


    Here are the same results on my Powerbook G4:


    Fred Miranda Test: 67 seconds
    Retouch Pro Test: 119 seconds (8 bit file)
  • kini62kini62 Registered Users Posts: 441 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2006
    Andy wrote:
    Curious, what does $3600 buy in Winders-land?
    Velocity Micro
    AMD Athlon X2 4800+ with liquid cooling
    550 Watt Antec® TRUE POWER 2.0 Quiet Power Supply with 120mm Smart Fan (SLI Certified by NVIDIA
    2GB DDR 400
    nVidia 7900GT 256mb dual dvi
    Creative Labs SoundBlaster® X-Fi™ XtremeMusic, Enhanced MP3 playback, realistic surround,
    Hard Drive 1 400GB Western Digital 4000YR 7200rpm SATA/150, 16MB Cache
    Hard Drive 2 750GB Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm SATA/150/300, 16MB Cache - with NCQ
    Optical Drive 1 16x Lite On® DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Dual Layer,
    Optical Drive 2 16x DVD/48x CD-RW Lite On® Combo Drive,
    Floppy Drive & Media Reader 1.44MB Floppy Drive,

    and of course some other stuff, 8 usb ports 2 FW (not 800 though) of course the 800 versions from apple are slow anywayrolleyes1.gif

    $3525

    From Apple
    Quad Core with 512mb (add 100-150 to up it to 2GB)
    2x 500GB drives- close as I could match
    256mb 7800GT- not 7900- there is a performance difference

    $4524 without the extra ram

    From apple dual 2.3 a MUCH slower system than the Athlon in EVERY conceivable way:):

    $3724 without the extra Ram
    2x500gb
    7800GT

    Yes Apple is more expensive

    Yes Apple uses last years PC parts, witness the outdated video card offering.

    OSX will soon be easily available for your ordinary windows box.

    Apple offers a piddly 90days of tech support.

    Proprietary parts mean if it breaks out of warranty you can junk it.

    The MB is like $800 or something ridiculous like that.

    So you can add the $300 or so for the Apple "protection" plan that they essentially extort out of you because of the expense to repair.

    It will soon all be moot once Apple switches the desktops over to Intel and the MBs will be the same, although Apple will still charge 4 times the price for one if it breaks out of warranty. Jeeze 4 times the price for a different CMOS chip.eek7.gif

    Gene
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2006
    Gene if the top rig is yours, show us the times on the two blur tests. I'm curious.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2006
    kini62 wrote:
    Yes Apple is more expensive

    Yes Apple uses last years PC parts, witness the outdated video card offering.

    OSX will soon be easily available for your ordinary windows box.

    Apple offers a piddly 90days of tech support.

    Proprietary parts mean if it breaks out of warranty you can junk it.

    The MB is like $800 or something ridiculous like that.

    So you can add the $300 or so for the Apple "protection" plan that they essentially extort out of you because of the expense to repair.

    It will soon all be moot once Apple switches the desktops over to Intel and the MBs will be the same, although Apple will still charge 4 times the price for one if it breaks out of warranty. Jeeze 4 times the price for a different CMOS chip.eek7.gif

    Gene

    You get a year warranty. Phone support is limited to 90 days. The G5 is long in the tooth, no doubt, and it's overdue for an update. No doubt that the parts they're using could be newer, the whole unit's waiting for the migration to Intel, a major undertaking for Apple. The hardware will lag a bit during the transition.

    You may be able to install OSX on a PC, but it won't be available, as far as I know. At that point you would be stealing.

    Aside from the CPU, I don't know of anything that's proprietary. I buy off-the shelf components all the time for Apple products.

    AppleCare is $250 for most products, and extends the 1 year warranty to a full 3 years. It's more than paid for itself with my recently sold PowerBook. Good service, the best in the biz.

    The MB is actually more ridiculous than you posted, at $1100.

    The thing about all of this price comparison, is that I don't believe you can just compare the hardware. Windows will win every time, since the software bundled on the Mac is so far ahead of Windows. Not to mention that Windows has all the cheap, crippled versions of XP that are installed to shave pennies off of the price...then you want the full version, all of a sudden you're paying more.

    The packaging and pricing is different, making the PC seem oh-so-much cheaper. It may be a bit, but feature for feature, the Mac is very competitive. I'm talking hardware, software, support, reliability, the whole package.
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  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2006
    DavidTO wrote:

    The MB is actually more ridiculous than you posted, at $1100.

    The thing about all of this price comparison, is that I don't believe you can just compare the hardware. Windows will win every time, since the software bundled on the Mac is so far ahead of Windows. Not to mention that Windows has all the cheap, crippled versions of XP that are installed to shave pennies off of the price...then you want the full version, all of a sudden you're paying more.

    The packaging and pricing is different, making the PC seem oh-so-much cheaper. It may be a bit, but feature for feature, the Mac is very competitive. I'm talking hardware, software, support, reliability, the whole package.

    Dunno about the XP thing, not what I got at the corner store, I had the full deal for my last $800 computer.

    I think you have a good case for support and reliability. Maybe software, if we're only talking about the OS. For other software, the variety for PCs is pretty overwhelming.

    Problem is, selling on support and reliability, even ease of use, is tough versus competitors selling on price. Especially when computers are mostly viewed as commodities. That must have something to do with Apple's market share and its recent marketing strategies (Minis, iMacs etc.)
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2006
    wxwax wrote:
    Dunno about the XP thing, not what I got at the corner store, I had the full deal for my last $800 computer.


    Every time I look in the paper (great research, I know!), the systems come with a dumbed down version of XP. Frankly, I don't get all the versions of an OS. What a pain, seems to me. OS X has one version (excluding the Server version, which is a different animal), and I like that, personally.

    As for your comments on software and commodities, I agree.
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  • kini62kini62 Registered Users Posts: 441 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2006
    wxwax wrote:
    Gene if the top rig is yours, show us the times on the two blur tests. I'm curious.
    I wish:D

    I have a Dell XPS Gen IV with a 3.6P4. Pretty fast for what I do, but not up to what the dual core (Mac or Win) will do.
  • kini62kini62 Registered Users Posts: 441 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2006
    DavidTO wrote:
    You get a year warranty. Phone support is limited to 90 days. The G5 is long in the tooth, no doubt, and it's overdue for an update. No doubt that the parts they're using could be newer, the whole unit's waiting for the migration to Intel, a major undertaking for Apple. The hardware will lag a bit during the transition.

    You may be able to install OSX on a PC, but it won't be available, as far as I know. At that point you would be stealing.

    Aside from the CPU, I don't know of anything that's proprietary. I buy off-the shelf components all the time for Apple products.

    AppleCare is $250 for most products, and extends the 1 year warranty to a full 3 years. It's more than paid for itself with my recently sold PowerBook. Good service, the best in the biz.

    The MB is actually more ridiculous than you posted, at $1100.

    The thing about all of this price comparison, is that I don't believe you can just compare the hardware. Windows will win every time, since the software bundled on the Mac is so far ahead of Windows. Not to mention that Windows has all the cheap, crippled versions of XP that are installed to shave pennies off of the price...then you want the full version, all of a sudden you're paying more.

    The packaging and pricing is different, making the PC seem oh-so-much cheaper. It may be a bit, but feature for feature, the Mac is very competitive. I'm talking hardware, software, support, reliability, the whole package.

    Currently it would sort of be like stealing to use the OS on a Windows box, since OSX IS based on "Free"BSD or something like that. There are hacked versions that run pretty well already.

    It's only a matter of time until Stevo lets out the "generic" version you know he has. What do you think Apple was testing the intel version on all this time. Just a plain old intel box.

    The "Apple" version differs only in some basic BIO,CMOS, ROM chips/software that allow it to only recognize a certain chipset.

    There also is the rumor of Stevo talking with Miko (Dell) about Dell selling OSX boxes.

    Stevo only has to look at Billy and M$ to see the real money is in the software and not PC hardware.

    Give it 18 months at the longest and we PC types will have OSX available, legally. clap.gif

    $1100!!!:jawdrop

    Wow!!!! Nuts.
  • kini62kini62 Registered Users Posts: 441 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2006
    P4 3.6HT Miranda radial blur

    40secs with PSE

    I think it would be a little faster in PSCS. I don't think PSE supports multi processors and the HT does make a difference in apps that do.

    Gene

    retouch 8bit I guess, 80secs
  • claudermilkclaudermilk Registered Users Posts: 2,756 Major grins
    edited May 31, 2006
    OK, just found this thread & have a brand new homebrew PC

    AMD X2 4200+, 2GB RAM, MSI K8N Neo4 Ulta mobo

    FM test: 29sec (old 1.7GHz/768MG RAM Dell was 7:30 or so) :D
    Retouch: 54sec (8-bit)
  • tivedtived Registered Users Posts: 10 Big grins
    edited June 5, 2006
    FM test
    image size 7.61mb (2000x1330pixels) (169.33x122.61)mm @300dpi

    average score 21.91 sec (out of seven runs - 21.5 to 22.2)

    Retouch
    image size 13.7mb (2400x2000 pixels) (203.2x169.33)mm @300dpi

    average score 23 sec out of 3 runs 22.9-23.1 (8bit)

    score for 16bit 28sec

    looking at peoples result this doesn't quite add up, just looked at Andys Quad Mac and I am getting similar times, but he should a lot faster!??? hmm go wonder!

    System
    Dual AMD Opteron 250 (single core)
    Tyan S2895 mainboard
    8x 1gb ECC ram ATP
    U320 SCSI 15k and 10k disks
    2x nVidia Quadro FX3400

    regards

    Henrik
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited June 5, 2006
    tived wrote:
    FM test
    image size 7.61mb (2000x1330pixels) (169.33x122.61)mm @300dpi

    average score 21.91 sec (out of seven runs - 21.5 to 22.2)

    Retouch
    image size 13.7mb (2400x2000 pixels) (203.2x169.33)mm @300dpi

    average score 23 sec out of 3 runs 22.9-23.1 (8bit)

    score for 16bit 28sec

    looking at peoples result this doesn't quite add up, just looked at Andys Quad Mac and I am getting similar times, but he should a lot faster!??? hmm go wonder!

    System
    Dual AMD Opteron 250 (single core)
    Tyan S2895 mainboard
    8x 1gb ECC ram ATP
    U320 SCSI 15k and 10k disks
    2x nVidia Quadro FX3400

    regards

    Henrik


    lol3.gif

    I'm sure 8 GB of memory has a lot to do with your times.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • luke_churchluke_church Registered Users Posts: 507 Major grins
    edited June 5, 2006
    DavidTO wrote:
    the systems come with a dumbed down version of XP.

    XP Home isn't really dumbed down, it just doesn't have features that the vast majority of home users don't use. Mainly:

    - Domain based network, which needs a domain controller to work anyhow, so unless you have another machine running Windows Server, this is kind of useless (I expect Linux can also do DC Emulation, but I don't know)

    - Remote Desktop call in access. Whereas it's a real pain that XP Home doesn't have this, based on many users strong desire to break their own computers, it may actually be a good thing, esp. for people who configure their hardware firewall to pass through everything from the internet and user 5 character passwords ;)

    - Kerberos protected authentication. Well it's of limited use without a domain controller anyway

    - IIS. Thank heavens MS have stopped supplying end home users with a copy of a professional grade webserver. The amount of pain this caused, through the various, utterly junk versions they used to supply (PWS anyone!), was unbelivable. Your average home user does not understand how to configure a webserver securely, nor do they need to.

    Then you get on to more complex things like MSMQ, that only companies with serious development departments use, again your home user should be nowhere near such things.

    So there is a fairly strong argument that could be made stating that the XP Home/Pro divide is actually the best thing in terms of security. It aligns well to the principle of only supplying software that is actually going to be used etc.

    I appreciate that this isn't the reason why it was done, it's an economics argument of price setting through banding. This also may explain why Apple don't do it, their market share is not significant enough to make it in their interests.

    The only people it really inconviences are people like me who buy second hand XP machines from Dell and run them in computation clusters as head-less boxes, and yes, have to buy an XP Pro upgrade for them, or run Linux.

    The whole Tablet PC editions are a pain as well. I look forward to Vista murdering this distinction. This was a technical issue, nothing significant or interesting here. I have never used a Media Centre PC and can't offer comments on it. It may well be annoying.

    Windows Media N is a joke caused by a dumb piece of legislation, and should be ignored. Just as the world is doing.

    The server versions are of course, and should stay, different. Certainly agree on that.

    So perhaps it's not so bad as some people make out....

    Luke
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited June 5, 2006
    29 seconds again

    Intel 2.8 duo core
    2 gig ram
    128 meg 6600 vid card
  • tivedtived Registered Users Posts: 10 Big grins
    edited June 6, 2006
    wxwax wrote:
    lol3.gif

    I'm sure 8 GB of memory has a lot to do with your times.

    thanks Sid,

    but when you look at his and mine, retouch is the same but the FM is very different, and they are very similar operations execpt that one is Zoom and one is Spin in the Radical Blur

    anyway, not much we can do about :D apart for getting a pair of Opteron 295's

    anyone here look at their RAW conversion times, how fast they convert in different programs (i know in the end of the day it comes down to workflow)

    thanks

    Henrik
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    kini62 wrote:
    $1100!!!:jawdrop

    Wow!!!! Nuts.


    So, Walt Mossberg doesn't think it's so nuts. I admit right upfront, I don't price computers. I buy Mac. But I am curious, is he totally offbase here?
    Mossberg wrote:
    Perhaps the most surprising thing about the MacBook is its price. Despite Apple's reputation for charging more, the MacBook is actually less expensive than its closest major Windows competitor. That would be the Sony Vaio VGN-SZ240, which also has a 13.3-inch screen with the same resolution, includes a built-in camera, and is available with the same processor and the same memory and hard-disk capacity as the MacBook.

    When configured to match the major specs of the base model of the MacBook, the Sony costs $1,629, over 60% more than the MacBook's $1,099 base price. But the MacBook is much heavier than the Sony. It weighs 5.2 pounds, 37% more than the Sony's 3.8 pounds.
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  • luke_churchluke_church Registered Users Posts: 507 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    [Editted... It was only going to irritate people, and the world here already knows my view on Apple's security...]

    As for the rest of it, blah, it may or may well not be true... My Toshiba has a similar scrolling feature, I don't really care about cameras in laptops, 37% heavier sounds annoying, it really should have better battery life if it's going to be that much heavier. I would try hard to avoid buying a laptop without a PCMCIA slot.

    But hey-ho, other that, it looks like it's a reasonably nice piece of kit, few advantages, few disvantages, reasonable price point. Nice.

    I think I'll be testing the waters with a Mini first though...

    Luke
  • colourboxcolourbox Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2006
    davidTO wrote:
    AppleCare is $250 for most products, and extends the 1 year warranty to a full 3 years. It's more than paid for itself with my recently sold PowerBook. Good service, the best in the biz.

    AppleCare list price ranges from $149 for a Mac mini to $349 for a MacBook Pro. Never pay full price for AppleCare. If you shop around, you will get it for less. SmallDog.com sells MacBook Pro AppleCare for $299 and they are an honest retailer. I heard that Apple might even match other prices.
    So far, AppleCare has paid for itself on the two PowerBooks I bought it for.
    I think I'll be testing the waters with a Mini first though...

    I assume you're just testing and not thinking of using a Mini for Photoshop. I've stayed far away from the mini. Small, slow hard drive, very low RAM ceiling, impossible to use dual monitors...
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited July 17, 2006
    Macbook Pro, 17" 2.16ghz processor, 2gb RAM. Photoshop CS2 under Rosetta:

    Fred Miranda Test: 34 seconds

    Retouch Pro Test: 73 seconds (8bit file)


    Macbook Pro, 17" 2.16ghz processor, 2gb RAM. Photoshop CS2 Windows under Parallels (1/2gb ram allotted)
    Fred Miranda Test: 55 seconds
    Retouch Pro Test: 2mins 22seconds

    UPDATED, ALLOCATED MORE RAM TO Windows on Parallels (1.5Gb)

    Macbook Pro, 17" 2.16ghz processor, 2gb RAM. Photoshop CS2 Windows under Parallels (1.5gb ram allotted)
    Fred Miranda Test: 52 seconds
    Retouch Pro Test: 2mins 05seconds

    Andy wrote:
    Machine Name: Power Mac G5 Quad
    Fred Miranda Test: 11 seconds
    Retouch Pro Test: 23 seconds (8 bit file); 28 seconds (16 bit file)

    Machine Name: PowerBook G4 15"
    Fred Miranda Test: 67 seconds
    Retouch Pro Test: 119 seconds (8 bit file)
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited July 17, 2006
    Andy wrote:
    Macbook Pro, 17" 2.16ghz processor, 2gb RAM.

    Fred Miranda Test: 34 seconds

    Retouch Pro Test: 73 seconds (8bit file)


    Sounds like folks shouldn't worry too much about the performance hit with Rosetta.
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  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited July 17, 2006
    DavidTO wrote:
    Sounds like folks shouldn't worry too much about the performance hit with Rosetta.
    I should think not...
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2006
    This is exactly what I've been waiting for before buying one of these. Exactly. I knew it was just a matter of patience. Hope my wife loves her new 17" powerbook.
    Andy wrote:
    Macbook Pro, 17" 2.16ghz processor, 2gb RAM.

    Fred Miranda Test: 34 seconds

    Retouch Pro Test: 73 seconds (8bit file)
    If not now, when?
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2006
    rutt wrote:
    This is exactly what I've been waiting for before buying one of these. Exactly. I knew it was just a matter of patience. Hope my wife loves her new 17" powerbook.
    Presumably those times will improve when (a) CS3 comes out and (b) an upgraded Macbook Pro comes out?
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited August 3, 2006
    wxwax wrote:
    Presumably those times will improve when (a) CS3 comes out and (b) an upgraded Macbook Pro comes out?

    Well, actually, I'm still on hold just now. Apple is taking shipment of Intel's Core 2 Duo, which benchmarks almost 40% faster than the chip they use now. It's also supposed to be quite a bit cooler which also implies better battery life. It's pin compatible, so I'm guessing Apple will announce and start shipping in September.

    I know I'm kind of a bore about this. But I do actually buy eventually. There really are sweet spots of timing in these things.
    If not now, when?
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited August 3, 2006
    wxwax wrote:
    Presumably those times will improve when (a) CS3 comes out and (b) an upgraded Macbook Pro comes out?
    No..better yet. Wait til CS4 is out & an upgrade on the upgraded Macbook Pro.
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited August 3, 2006
    gus wrote:
    No..better yet. Wait til CS4 is out & an upgrade on the upgraded Macbook Pro.
    FLIPA.gif

    My events have a visible horizon. Yours don't.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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