Gaming Benchmarks (Cont.)

Let's continue with the next games we have selected, being Quake 4 and Prey. Both games which are very popular amongst gamers and that will give a good idea on the performance delivered by the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 quad core processor. In contrast with the previous games which did use the DirectX technology, these selected games are programmed around the OpenGL technology. This has some impact on the performance and gaming experience with these games. The goal of each technology is to provide stunning gaming experience with awesome looking visual graphics and physics. So, load em up, and start your 3D engines...

Quake 4

As we want to have a good mix of games, we just had to give Quake 4 a spot in the gaming analysis. Quake 4 is based upon id Software's revolutionary Doom 3 technology. Furthermore, Quake 4 wasn't actually developed by id Software itself but instead it outsourced the game development to the capable minds at Raven Software, who have turned in a fantastic looking game with a great single-player campaign. The multiplayer, however, is underwhelming. Quake was among the first PC shooters to let you take your multiplayer matches onto the Internet, and over the years, the series has become synonymous with great technology and exciting multiplayer.

Quake 4 Results - Intel - 2GB RAM - Multi Core (1600x1200)
	Core 2 Duo E6300	Game Score
4x AA/0x AF	2.66GHz (380x7)	110.7
8x AA/0x AF	2.66GHz (380x7)	64.8
	Core 2 Extreme QX6700	Game Score
4x AA/0x AF	2.66GHz (266x10)	111.9
8x AA/0x AF	2.66GHz (266x10)	69.1
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Quake 4 Results - Intel - 2GB RAM - Multi Core (2560x1600)
	Core 2 Duo E6300	Game Score
4x AA/0x AF	2.66GHz (380x7)	50.9
8x AA/x AF	2.66GHz (380x7)	24.7
	Core 2 Extreme QX6700	Game Score
4x AA/0x AF	2.66GHz (266x10)	51.3
8x AA/0x AF	2.66GHz (266x10)	24.8
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

When looking at the Quake 4 gaming results we can see that these follow the same logic as the previous game titles. Although Quake 4 has some optimizations for multi-core, these are rather limited and mainly show a difference when going from a single to dual core processor. The increase of cores, like with the Core 2 Extreme QX6700 doesn't give much added value when you already own a dual core system. Also when using the HD gaming resolution set to the current maximum it does show only minor increase which isn't really noticeable. And when looking at the task manager while running Quake 4 we can clearly see that at least two cores aren't used at all. A pity... Although that means there is quite some potential left which can be used for other things.

Prey

And last but not the least, Prey tells the story of Tommy, a Cherokee garage mechanic stuck on a reservation going nowhere. Abducted along with his people to a menacing mothership orbiting Earth, he sets out to save himself and his girlfriend and eventually his planet. In Prey, players enter a living spaceship which enslaves alien races and devours humans for lunch. A unique twist on the first person shooter genre, Prey features such innovations as the ability to walk on walls, manipulate gravity and perform a spirit walk by leaving your physical body behind. Designed by Human Head (under direction of 3D Realms), the game Prey features full online support for up to eight players, and utilizing the game's play innovations for unique multiplayer experiences.

Prey Results - Intel - 2GB RAM - Multi Core (1600x1200)
	Core 2 Duo E6300	Game Score
2x AA/4x AF	2.66GHz (380x7)	74.8
4x AA/8x AF	2.66GHz (380x7)	73.7
	Core 2 Extreme QX6700	Game Score
2x AA/4x AF	2.66GHz (266x10)	75.4
4x AA/8x AF	2.66GHz (266x10)	74.3
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Prey Results - Intel - 2GB RAM - Multi Core (2560x1600)
	Core 2 Duo E6300	Game Score
2x AA/4x AF	2.66GHz (380x7)	38.5
4x AA/8 AF	2.66GHz (380x7)	33.6
	Core 2 Extreme QX6700	Game Score
2x AA/4x AF	2.66GHz (266x10)	38.9
4x AA/8x AF	2.66GHz (266x10)	33.7
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

With Prey falling within the same range of Quake 4, due to being build upon the same 3D engine it doesn't really show anything new. Although this game is rather new, the 3D engine has already been used in quite some games and doesn't feature the optimal multi-core utilization. But, we want to make one thing clear, when it comes to games these always run a bit behind the actual technology available. Which isn't a surprise neither as a game isn't developed or designed in a short period, but a quite longer time frame where different new products get released that will be better and faster. That's it; we all have to wait for the first game that will really use the full potential of the Core 2 Extreme QX6700 quad core processor and technology.