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Speedmark 6: Macworld Lab's new benchmark suite
Speedmark is Macworld Lab’s standard test tool for benchmarking new and upgraded systems running Mac OS X. It uses real-world applications and everyday tasks. It is a general-purpose suite that includes tasks everyone from a high-end user to a new user performs every day.
Macworld Lab follows a detailed script to perform the 17 tasks. Each task is performed three times. We compare the results to a 2.13GHz MacBook with 2GB RAM (Mid 2009), which is assigned a score of 100. We then take the geometric mean of the normalized scores.
Apple’s latest Mac OS X operating system, 10.6, focuses more on refinements rather than features. But the new OS does boast some new technologies meant to help your Intel Mac take better advantage of its central and graphics processing units. Unfortunately, in order to make these refinements and improvements, Apple made the decision to pull the plug on Power-PC equipped Macs, offering no support for any pre-Intel hardware.
iMac (Late 2009) benchmarks
Apple recently updated its popular iMac line of desktop computers to include larger screens, more standard memory and bigger hard drives. Three of the four new configurations—two 21.5-inch models and one 27-inch model—feature 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo processors and are available now. Macworld Lab has the 3.06GHz trio and we’ve put them to the test. (A fourth standard configuration, a 2.66GHz Intel Core i5-based 27-inch model, will be the first iMac to sport a quad-core processor. It should be available later this month.)
The new entry-level iMac has a 21.5-inch LED-backlit screen, a 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 duo processor, 4GB of 1066 DDR3 SDRAM, a 500GB hard drive, and Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics that shares up 256MB of main memory. This $1199 system replaces an early 2009 model with a 20-inch display, 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo processor, and 2GB of memory. That older model featured the same Nvidia graphics as well as the same price.
The next step up in the new product line is a $1499 model with the same 21.5-inch screen size, memory specifications and processor speeds as the new $1199 iMac, but includes a 1TB hard drive and ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics with 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory. The $1499 model from earlier this year also shipped with 4GB of RAM, but had a larger 24-inch display, a smaller capacity 640GB hard drive, and used the same integrated Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics as the lower-end model. The third new iMac has the same memory, graphics and storage specs as the new $1499 model, but ships with an expansive 27-inch display and costs $1699. Many of this new 27-inch iMac’s specifications match the high-end iMac released early this year. That $2199 system had a smaller 24-inch display, but came with the same 4GB of RAM and 1TB hard drive as the newer model. The “Early 2009” model also featured discreet graphics, but shipped with NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 graphics with 512MB of dedicated GDDR3 memory.
What do these changes mean in terms of performance? While we can’t yet quote a Speedmark 6 score for these new systems, we did run a lengthy list of tasks on these new iMacs, as well as those they replace in the product line, and found little performance difference between the three new iMacs, with the exception of 3D game performance.
Mac mini (Late 2009) benchmarks
Here’s a quick rundown of the changes to the new lineup. There are now two Core 2 Duo processor speeds to choose from, 2.53GHz or 2.26GHz, up from the 2GHz processors previously offered. The new Mac mini models now offer twice the RAM, 2GB in the 2.26GHz $599 model and 4GB in the 2.53GHz $799 model, up from 1GB in the previous $599 model and 2GB in the previous $799 model. The hard drive capacities haven’t changed, with a 160GB hard drive in the $599 model and a 320GB hard drives in the $799 model. And of course, you still need to provide your own keyboard, mouse and display.
We are still ironing out the details of Speedmark 6, our overall performance benchmark, but we ran a series of 19 different tests on the new Mac minis as well as the systems they replace to let you know how the new and improved specifications affect performance.
With its considerably faster 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 4GB of RAM, it’s no surprise that the new $799 Mac mini was noticeably faster in our tests. When looking at the time it took to run through all 17 of our timed tests, the new $799 model was 10 percent faster than the $599 2.26GHz Mac mini. Once we configured the 2.26GHz Mac mini with 4GB of RAM instead of the stock 2GB, we saw that performance benefit of the 2.56GHz Mac mini shrink to about 7.4 percent. The 2.53GHz Mac mini was about 9 percent faster in our Photoshop CS4 tests suite than the standard configuration 2.26GHz Mac mini, though adding that additional 2GB of RAM to the $599 model closed the performance gap to around 6 percent. The $799 model was 11 percent faster in our Cinebench test and 28 percent faster in our iPhoto import test, though, again, a significant part of that performance difference was eliminated when we added the memory to the $599 system.
MacBook (Late 2009) benchmarks
To refresh your memory, the new MacBook has the same $999 price tag as the MacBook it replaces, but the new MacBook features a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM and a 250GB SATA hard drive—up from a 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM and a 160GB SATA hard drive. Like its predecessor, the new 13.3-inch MacBook screen has a 1280 by 800 native resolution, but the new MacBook uses LED backlighting instead of CCFL backlighting used in previous MacBooks.
The new MacBook is still housed in a white polycarbonate shell, but now features the same unibody design as the rest of Apple’s portables, as well as a large-capacity, captive battery. Connection options have also changed, with the latest model sporting the newer Mini DisplayPort instead of Mini DVI found on the older MacBook. FireWire 400 has been removed from the new MacBook, but the number of USB 2.0 ports remains at two.
Benchmarks
To see how the under-the-hood changes to the MacBook would affect performance, we ran the system through a series of 19 different tests involving the Finder and 12 third-party applications. We then compared the results to a number of reference systems.
Review: Canon Vixia HF S10 HD camcorder
Canon’s Vixia HF S10 generates some of the best high-definition video and still images we’ve seen from a HD camcorder. Add the impressively deep and professional manual controls, and you have an excellent camcorder for advanced videographers that will also appeal to many casual users.
The camera’s 1/2.6-inch CMOS imaging chip records 1080 horizontal lines of video; it records 1080i at 60 frames per second, 1080p at 30 frames per second, and 1080p at 24 frames per second. The camera includes 32GB of built-in flash memory and supports SDHC cards, and it encodes the video as AVCHD files with data rates up to 24 mbps, the format’s maximum capability. The HF S10 connects to your Mac via USB, and video can be imported into iMovie ‘09 and Final Cut Express easily.
In our lab’s subjective evaluations, viewers judged the HF S10’s HD video and 8.6-megapixel still images to be slightly better than other HD camcorders we’ve recently reviewed, earning an overall video-quality score of Good. Under both well-lit and dimly-lit conditions, the Vixia HF S10’s video exhibited crisp color rendering and sharpness; under low light, they showed just a touch of noise.
Vixia HF S10
Review: Sanyo Xacti VPC-FH1 HD camcorder
Sanyo’s Xacti VPC-FH1 is a high-definition (HD) camcorder that delivers good-looking video and stills. However, the tradeoff comes in its lack of bells and whistles. The VPC-FH1 omits several features that make those more-expensive cameras easier to use under many conditions, and pricier models also provide more image control.
The Xacti VPC-FH1 camcorder uses a single 1/2.5-inch CMOS sensor to capture 1920-by-1080 video at 60 progressive frames per second (60p), 60 interlaced frames per second (60i), or 30 progressive frames per second (30p). The camera can also record 720/30p video and 8-megapixel stills.
The Xacti VPC-FH1 also includes a slow-motion option that supports recording at up to 600 fps (though at increasingly reduced resolution), employs face recognition to improve focus and exposure, has a 10X optical zoom lens, and records to SDHC cards.
Sanyo Xacti VPC-FH1
Review: MCE 8X Blu-ray Disc External Recordable Drive
The MCE 8X Blu-ray Disc External Recordable Drive is a desktop optical drive that connects to your Mac via USB 2.0 or eSATA. It can burn Blu-ray discs as well as dual-layer DVDs and CD-Rs. When attached via USB, the MCE proved to be a fast and reliable burner, but it had some problems when using the eSATA connection.
The case is bulky and not very attractive, with a rough metallic body and gray-tinted plastic on the front and back. The case has a small fan which is pretty noisy, even when the drive is not operating.
The drive can burn 25GB Blu-ray (BD-R) discs and 50GB BD-R DL discs at speeds of up to 8X. Burning data BD-R/RW is supported by OS X’s Finder or through a third-party application like Roxio Toast. You can burn high definition Blu-ray discs to watch on your home theatre or component Blu-ray players using the latest version of Apple’s Compressor (
; part of the Final Cut Studio), or with Roxio’s High-Def/Blu-ray Disc plug-in for Toast Titanium. And though some Windows software allows you to watch Blu-ray movies on your PC, these high definition discs are not viewable on your Mac. Aside from Blu-ray media, the drive can burn all flavors of DVD, +/-, RW, DL, as well as CDs and CD-R discs.
MCE 8X Blu-ray Disc External Recordable Drive
The drive was one of the fastest Blu-ray burners we’ve tested, though the speeds were similar whether I used USB 2.0 or eSATA. In fact, when copying data from DVD-R disc to the desktop, the drive took longer when connected via eSATA than when connected via USB 2.0. The drive wouldn’t work at all with Roxio’s Toast when connected via eSATA. I wish the drive didn’t include an eSATA port–it’s no faster than USB when burning optical discs and relatively few people have eSATA cards installed in their Mac. But the eSATA port is included, and because it was flaky, I have to ding it.
Macworld’s buying advice
The MCE 8x Blu-ray Disc External Recordable Drive is a relatively speedy optical drive. Its USB 2.0 connection worked flawlessly, creating no expensive coasters during our testing. Its eSATA performance was no faster than USB and the drive couldn’t burn discs with Toast when connected in that way. If you intend to use the drive with USB, it’s worth a look.
Timed Trials
| Interface | Burn and Verify DVD-R at Max Speed in Finder |
Copy Data from DVD-R to Desktop |
Burn DVD+R DL at Max Speed Toast |
Burn BD-R at Max Speed Compressor |
Copy 8GB from BD-R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB 2.0 | 10:58 | 4:48 | 27:05 | 13.5 | 8:05 |
| eSATA | 10:58 | 4:57 | N/A | 13.53 | 7:57 |
Scale = minutes:seconds
Specifications
| Mechanism | Matshita BD-MLT SW 5584 |
|---|---|
| Connections | USB 2.0, eSATA |
| Write Speeds | BD-R: 8X max; BD-R (DL): 8X max; BD-RE: 2X; BD-RE (DL): 2X; DVD-R: 16X max; DVD-R (DL): 8X max; DVD-RW: 6X max, DVD+R: 16X max; DVD+R (DL): 8X max, DVD+RW: 8X max; CD-R: 32X max; CD-RW: 32X max |
| Included Software | None. Toast Titanium 10 is a $100 option. |
[James Galbraith is Macworld’s lab director.]
Review: Casio Exilim EX-FH20 digital camera
With its 20x zoom and high-speed capture mode, Casio’s Exilim EX-FH20 is built to handle action shots, especially when you can’t physically get up close to your subjects.
The Exilim EX-FH20 looks and feels like a small entry-level SLR, with its oversized lens and pop-up fill flash, and its big, beefy right-handed grip. But the camera works like a point-and-shoot. The mode dial has only five settings: Flash CS (consecutive shots with flash), High-speed CS (according to Casio, this mode will continue to shoot as long as the shutter button is pressed), Single shot, HS for high-speed movies, and HD/STD for normal-speed movies at 1280-by-720 or 640-by-480 pixel resolution, both at 30 frames per second.
Casio Exilim EX-FH20
When the camera is in any of the still photo modes, you can press the BS button on the back of the camera and select from one of 18 presets, which include standards such as Portrait, Sports, and High Speed Night Scene. A few of the preset modes let you have a little fun, such as Multi-motion Image, which lets you shoot multiple images of a scene and then the camera combines the pics into a single image, or Digital Panning, which combines multiple images into one picture where the subject is in focus and the background is motion-blurred.
Review: Buffalo MiniStation Metro portable hard drive
Buffalo gave its MiniStation line of portable hard drives a makeover. Now sleek, sturdier than before and available in multiple colors, the MiniStation Metro seems to be built for the rough and tumble lifestyle that demands both style and strength. Unfortunately, the USB-only MiniStation Metro pays a price for its rugged protective qualities and new facelift—the 250GB drive we tested posted timed trials that did not impress.
The curved corners and shiny red exterior of our test unit (the MiniStation Metro is also available black or white) allows the MiniStation Metro to cut a more fetching figure than the black brick shape of previous MiniStation drives. The red exterior and more unconventional design are new to the Buffalo line of products, as the company has built a reputation on strong performance coming from simple style designs. The drive is a bit bulky, so it can fit into your pants pocket or backpack but your shirt would be in tatters if you tried to fit it into your breast pocket.
Buffalo MiniStation Metro
While the MiniStation Metro resembles Iomega’s eGo (), Buffalo’s commitment to providing quality shock protection ensures that the drive is tough and portable. Buffalo highlights the MiniStation Metro’s new BumperBody shock protection abilities, even going so far as to depict an artistic rendering of the technology on the side of the box. For our wear and tear tests, I tossed the hard drive around my cubicle, dropped it from heights of over six feet, and eventually threw it against a wall. The unit showed no signs of abuse aside from the occasional scratch.
Preparing for Speedmark 6
Speedmark is a set of tasks we run on a wide variety of systems, so the tests need to be able to work on a MacBook Air as well as a Mac Pro. We pick one Mac as our baseline, which is given a score of 100, and then compare the results of other Macs to it, a 1.5GHz Core Solo Mac Mini serves as our baseline system today. The current version of our benchmark, Speedmark 5, includes 17 real world tasks run in the finder and 12 other applications. We try and keep the same tests and applications until the next major OS release - Speedmark 5 was developed after the release of Leopard and Speedmark 6 should last until whatever animal Apple adopts for use in OS X 10.7.
Here’s a list of current tasks, all run three times with a minimum of 2GB of RAM.
Mac OS X Finder
- Startup
- Duplicate 1GB file
- Compress 2GB folder
- Uncompress 2GB file archive
Microsoft Office 2004
- Word Scroll*
- Entourage - Download E-mail*
* These two tasks require Rosetta to run on Intel-based Macs.
Pages ’08
- Search/Replace
iTunes
- Convert AAC files to MP3 from Hard Drive
iMovie HD
- Export to QuickTime for Email
- Apply Aged video effect
iPhoto
- Import 100 photos from hard driver
Camino
- Multiple Page Loading Test
Unreal Tournament 2004
- Antalus Botmatch at 1024x768 Max Settings with sound and graphics enabled—Average Frames Per Second
Cinema 4DXL 10.5
- Render
Compressor 3
- Convert DV file to MPEG2 for DVD
Adobe Photoshop CS3
- 14 Actions
Handbrake 0.9.1
- Encode one chapter from DVD to H.264.
We’ll definitely be updating all applications to their latest version, and we have a number of new tests in mind, but we’d like to hear from you. Here’s your chance to help shape the results that Macworld Labs will be reporting for the next year or so.
We’re looking for time-able, repeatable tests that can be used across a wide range of systems. So take a few moments to think about the tasks you do often that you’d like to see included in Speedmark. Please post your suggestions in the comments.
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