Hard Core Dual Core: Dell Precision 380 Workstation

Product Review: Page (2) of 2 - 05/31/05

Hard Core Dual Core: Dell Precision 380 Workstation New dual-core Intel 3.2GHz Extreme Edition processor impressive in first outing

In the benchmark table below, notice the Dell Precision 380?s scores are quoted in two numbers each, where the first number is the score on Windows XP Professional 32-bit, and the second (and usually faster) score on Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.

Results in minutes: seconds
Boldface indicates winner Apple Mac G5, Dual 2.5GHz, 4GB DDR 400 SD RAM ($4398) Dell Precision Workstation 470 Dual Intel Xeon 3.6, 2GB DDR2 RAM ($4639) Apple Mac G5, Dual 2.7GHz, 4GB DDR 400 SD RAM ($4598)
Dell Precision Workstation 380, single Intel Dual Core Pentium EE 3.2GHz processor, 2GB DDR2 RAM ($3496)
Scores denote
WinXP/WinXPx64

1. After Effects : Simple Animation :06 :03 :05 WinXP/WinXPx64
:03/:03

2. After Effects : Video Composite :42 :37 :40 :40/:38

3. After Effects : Data Project 1:21 1:16 1:15 1:22/1:12

4. After Effects : Gambler :23 :19 :17 :21/:19

5. After Effects : Source Shapes 2:26 2:46 2:15 2:53/2:29

6. After Effects : Virtual Set 2:49 1:58 2:36 2:00/1:53

Maxon CineBench 2003 Rendering Time (lower is better) 45.3 sec. 39.2 sec. 40.0 sec. 43.1/36.8 sec.

Maxon CineBench 2003 Rendering (CB-CPU score -- higher is better) 581 672 658
611/715 (2.17x/2.06 multiprocessor speedup)

TotalBenchmark comp 1 83 sec. 83 sec. 78 sec. 92/87 sec.

TotalBenchmark comp 2 1277 sec. 960 sec. 1202 sec. 1057/992 sec.

Hard Disk Speed Not tested Read: 130MB/sec.
Write: 133MB/sec. Read: 52MB/sec.
Write: 66MB/sec. Read: 121MB/119MB-sec.
Write: 97MB/98MB-sec.

Most impressive was this new Dell Precision 380?s performance on the new 64-bit edition of the Maxon CineBench 2003 benchmark. As it began crunching through the piles of numbers in this challenging ordeal, the Precision Workstation?s fans cranked up a bit, keeping the chip cool through the grueling test. After it was all done, the new dual-core processor turned in the best time ever to grace our Midwest Test Facility, a 715 CB/CPU score and a 36.8 rendering time, both all-time highs. Was that faster speed due to specially optimized 64-bit code within this 64-bit edition of Cinebench? Surprisingly, we saw a significant speedup also in the 32-bit application Adobe After Effects running on XP x64. So, even though After Effects is not an all-64-bit application, there must be some 64-bit code inside when running on Windows XP x64 Edition.

Here it is, the highest CineBench 2003 score we've seen yet, including a remarkable 715 CB-CPU score.

Here's CineBench rendering four threads, with all four creeping down the screen at the same time.

After all that impressive testing, an important factor remains as an enticing backdrop, and that is the relatively low cost of this workstation. At $3496, it?s more than $1000 cheaper than the dual Xeon 3.6 Dell Precision workstation 470 we tested earlier, and it?s also more than $1000 cheaper than the Mac dual G5 2.7GHz machine. It?s remarkable to test a new product with faster performance at a price that?s about 25% cheaper. Compared to the dual Xeon machine, the performance was roughly the same on many benchmarks, but significantly better on others. And compared to the Mac, particularly in the CineBench benchmarks and the TotalBenchmark Comp 2 scores, the Mac fell way behind while still costing over $1000 more.

Also impressive is the new Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. Its bare metal install went smoothly, with only a small hitch in finding the 64-bit drivers for the Precision 380?s SATA RAID controller, and another awkward situation where there were no drivers present for its Ethernet controller. But we were able to quickly find 64-bit editions of those drivers on the Web, burn them to CD, and then load them on board the workstation. Since Windows XP Professional x64 is now only available preloaded on workstations, this is not going to be an issue with anyone buying it yet. Was it different from the 32-bit version of Windows XP? If we didn?t already know we were running a 64-bit version of Windows XP, it would?ve been difficult to tell. Its user interface is identical to that of its 32-bit brother. We did notice after extensive tinkering that all applications we tried ran quite well on XP x64, and most ran faster than they did on the 32-bit version. On top of that advantage are features that you can only find on Windows XP, such as its butt-saving System Restore facility. Soon, all operating systems will be made this way.

(Click graphic for enlargement) The inside of the Dell Precision 380 is uncluttered and businesslike, if a bit messy.

This was one of the most fascinating tests we?ve done here. The newfound speed of these dual core processors bodes well for the future. And this is just the beginning, with Intel planning to introduce this dual core technology into its Xeon line of processors beginning in the first quarter of 2006. That?s where the fun will really start. Imagine that, opening the Windows XP Task Manager performance tab and seeing the graphs of eight processors scrolling by. And then, with clock speed increasing, the benchmark scores of performance of those workstations will be dramatically faster than this one we tested here. At the same time, there has been lots of multithreaded code written in the past decade, and it will work in concert with these new dual core and hyperthreaded technologies to speed things up even more. Best of all, this kind of horsepower arrives just in time for digital video editing with high definition TV. Moving around big files and rendering highly compressed video is a chore that?s tailor-made for this kind of technology. Or imagine someone recording an HDTV program, while at the same time editing a home video while rendering a 3D animation. Multitasking will be another forte of this new technology.

Dell has scored another home run with this first-rate Precision Workstation 380. Its improved case design, high quality components and speedy SATA RAID disk array will prove to be a plus for anyone looking to move around and manipulate large amounts of data. Its sprightly performance on our After Effects benchmarks, as well its chart topping run-through of the new 64-bit edition of CineBench, makes this the fastest computer we?ve ever tested. But keep in mind, at this writing we?ve yet to test the new dual-core AMD Opteron chips which are due here in the next few days. Even so, that upcoming product might have a hard time matching the value of this workstation. Its $3496 price brings all this brand new technology down to earth, representing an outstanding value. Highly recommended. 9.6 stars out of 10.

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