AMD Spider Platform Benchmarks

In November of 2007 AMD invited me out to Lake Tahoe to spend some time with its Spider platform machine. Unfortunately I was already scheduled to cover the LA Auto Show the same week so I had to pass. The fine folks at AMD sent me a Spider platform machine a few weeks back to play with and benchmark. This is a different review from what we normally do at I4U since we aren’t testing a graphics card or a CPU specifically, but we are rather testing an entire platform. If you have been wondering what the AMD Spider platform with its Phenom quad core and ATI HD 3850 graphics is all about this is the review for you.

Gallery

5 images

Benchmarks

Features & Specifications
I want to start off by saying that unlike all of my other test machines and the other components I have benchmarked, the AMD spider machine we are looking at today wasn’t built by me. AMD put the entire machine together, and it’s a nice one. My Spider platform machine has the following specifications:

• CPU: Phenom 2.4GHz
• Graphics: single Revelation RV670 256mb
• Motherboard: Asus M3A32-MVP Deluxe (RD790)
• Floppy: Sony (black)
• DVD Rom: SATA Asus (black)
• DVD RW: SATA Sony (black)
• Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD SATA (150GB)
• Western Digital SE16 500GB SATA
• Power Supply: SEASONIC M12SS-700HM 700WATTS
• Chassis: Lian Li PC-7B Plus (Black)
• Heat Sink: AMD validated B3 model AJIGO MF091-096 CPU COOLER
• Memory: Corsair CM2X1024-8500C5D (2x1GB = 2GB total)
• Operating system: Vista Ultimate 32-bit

To get comparable numbers when I test CPUs and graphics cards I use the same machine so comparisons can be drawn. In this case I am unable to do that so making direct comparisons to Intel and NVIDIA parts will be difficult to do. I will throw in some numbers from other hardware tests I have done, but keep in mind the numbers were run on totally different systems.

Benchmarks & Testing
I decided to test the machine by running a few synthetic benchmarks and then did the bulk of the testing in a more real world setting simply playing games and using the machine in my daily work. The synthetic tests I used include 3DMark06 and Cinebench 10. I tested several games on the system as well including Quake Wars, Crysis, Stranglehold and Bioshock.

3DMark06
The first test up for the AMD Spider platform machine was with 3DMark06. I ran 3DMark06 at default settings in the application and in the graphics card control panel. The results of the 3DMark06 test are as follows:

• Total 3DMarks- 9664
• SM2.0- 3758
• HDR/SM3.0- 4171
• CPU- 3388
• Return to Proxycon- 29.643
• Firefly Forest- 32.998
• Canyon Flight- 37.992
• Deep Freeze- 45.420
• CPU1- 1.106
• CPU2- 1.660

Cinebench 10
The second and final synthetic test that I ran on the machine was Cinebench 10. This test renders and image on the screen and gives three different performance numbers. The Open GL standard test results were CB 3951, the single CPU render (using one core) of the image was CB 2177 and the multiple CPU render using all four cores was CB 7715. I realize it doesn’t compare directly, but my Intel QX6750 scored 5667 on the OpenGL standard test, 3064 on the single CPU render test, and 10639 on the multiple CPU render test using all four cores of the processor.

Quake Wars
The first gaming test for the Spider system was Quake Wars, which I ran at a screen resolution of 1920 x 1200, all settings on high and 8x AA with every option on. I used Fraps to record frame rate data on a single player map in the Africa campaign. Fraps recorded the following frame rate data:

• Min- 27
• Avg- 58.806
• Max- 62 fps

Crysis
The next gaming test was Crysis. I ran Crysis at 1920 x 1200 with 4x AA and all settings on medium for the first pass. I used Fraps to record frame rate data during a single player game starting from the insertion point on the beach until you fight the first three enemies. Anyone who has played Crysis knows that the game is very demanding on hardware. Fraps recorded the following frame rate information at these settings:

• Min- 0 fps
• Avg- 7.72 fps
• Max- 13 fps

I wasn’t surprised that the machine couldn’t run Crysis at these settings so I cranked things down to a screen resolution of 1280 x 1024 with no AA and all settings on medium. I used Fraps again o record frame rate data starting at the same point of the game. Fraps showed the following frame rate data:

• Min- 24 fps
• Avg- 44.526
• Max- 64 fps

Bioshock
The next game test up was Bioshock, which I ran at a screen resolution of 1920 x 1200 and all settings on high. I used Fraps to record frame rate data on a single player game right after you get the lightening plasmid after getting out of the bathysphere. Fraps recorded the following frame rate data:

• Min- 26 fps
• Avg- 39.074 fps
• Max- 55 fps

Stranglehold
The final game test up was Stranglehold, which I ran at 1920 x 1200 with dynamic shadows on and decals on. I used Fraps to record frame rate information on a single player level where you are fighting the bad guys in masks and have to protect the band while they play. Fraps recorded the following frame rate information:

• Min- 30 fps
• Avg- 47.869 fps
• Max- 62 fps

General Usage
I think for the most part when people buy or build a machine based on the Spider platform they will be using it for gaming and daily productivity. To test the performance of the Spider platform in daily usage scenarios I simply used the machine for several weeks. I used the computer in my daily activities on average ten hours a day for nearly a month. I found that in normal situations like editing large photos, surfing the web and rendering video the AMD spider platform is every bit as speedy as my Intel based test machine with much higher specifications.

One thing about the AMD machine that I can’t always say about the other computers I use is that the Spider machine was stabile. I have left the computer on now for over a month and it has had not one problem. No matter how many applications I open and run at one time there have been no lockups or crashes during my testing.

Verdict

Conclusion

Pros

• Decent performance
• Quiet operation
• Dead stabile

Cons

• Price for performance not as good as some Intel parts

Verdict
After spending lots of time with the AMD Spider platform I can away with generally good feelings about the system. It performed very well in gaming tests and worked flawlessly in long term daily usage. If you are looking at building up an AMD based mid-range gaming machine the AMD Spider platform is an option to consider.

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