Geekbench 2.1.9 for iPhone
I'm pleased to announce that Geekbench 2.1.9 for iPhone and iPod touch is now available on the iTunes App Store. While normally I don't get this excited about a minor update, this update adds support for devices running iPhone OS 3.1.3, meaning Geekbench now works on the original iPhone and iPod touch, as well as the iPad (albeit as an iPhone app). It's now possible to compare the performance of all iOS devices, not just ones running iOS 4, using Geekbench.
Geekbench 2.1.9 for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad is available today on the iTunes App Store (it's also on sale right now for $1.99).
Geekbench 2 for iPhone and iPod Touch
I'm excited to announce that Geekbench 2 for iPhone and iPod touch is now available on the iTunes App Store. Geekbench 2 for iPhone features a completely new interface that's designed for the iPhone and iPod touch:
What's great about Geekbench 2 for iPhone is that it runs the same benchmarks as Geekbench 2 for other platforms, which means it's possible to compare benchmark results not just between iPhones and iPods, but also between iPhones, iPods, Macs, and PCs!
Geekbench 2 for iPhone also integrates with the Geekbench Result Browser allowing you to upload and share your iPhone and iPod touch results with other Geekbench 2 users.
Geekbench 2 for iPhone and iPod touch is available today on the iTunes App Store for $4.99.
Geekbench 2.1.6
Geekbench 2.1.6 has been released. This release contains the following improvements and bug fixes:
- Added Linux distribution reporting.
- Added support for MacBook Pros (Early 2010).
- Updated support for iMac (27-inch Late 2009).
- Fixed a crash that occured on launch under Mac OS X 10.4.11.
- Fixed a crash that could occur when submitting results under Mac OS X.
- Fixed processor and core counts on Intel Core 2 Quad and Core i7 processors.
- Fixed Solaris processor detection.
Geekbench 2.1.6 is a free update for all registered Geekbench 2 users.
MacBook Pro Benchmarks (April 2010)
A couple of months ago an interesting result appeared in the Geekbench Result Browser that appeared to be from an unreleased MacBook Pro with a Core i7 processor. This result generated a lot of discussion and excitement (as most Mac rumors do); people wanted to know if this result was real or not.
It turns out the result was real! When Apple released the updated MacBook Pro lineup on Tuesday the lineup included a Core i7 MacBook Pro. Now people are asking how does this new lineup perform compared to the previous lineup? I've gathered some Geekbench results to find out!
Setup
Performance results were gathered from user submissions to the Geekbench Result Browser. Each MacBook Pro listed below was running Geekbench 2.1.5 on Mac OS X 10.6.3 and had at least 4GB of 1067 MHz DDR3 RAM installed.
Keep in mind Geekbench only measures processor and memory performance; systems with the same processor but different video cards will score the same in Geekbench! Also, with Geekbench, higher scores are better.
Interested in seeing how your current machine compares? Download Geekbench here and run it on your own system.
Results
Overall Performance
| MacBook Pro (17-inch 2010) Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz |
5423 | |
| MacBook Pro (17-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 540 @ 2.53GHz |
4974 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz |
5422 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 540 @ 2.53GHz |
4994 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 520 @ 2.40GHz |
4806 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2010) Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 @ 2.66GHz |
3739 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2010) Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz |
3390 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo T9900 @ 3.06GHz |
4214 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 @ 2.80GHz |
3904 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 @ 2.66GHz |
3719 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz |
3570 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz |
3561 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 @ 2.26GHz |
3137 |
Integer Performance
| MacBook Pro (17-inch 2010) Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz |
4185 | |
| MacBook Pro (17-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 540 @ 2.53GHz |
3787 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz |
4186 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 540 @ 2.53GHz |
3812 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 520 @ 2.40GHz |
3639 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2010) Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 @ 2.66GHz |
3033 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2010) Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz |
2701 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo T9900 @ 3.06GHz |
3540 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 @ 2.80GHz |
3250 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 @ 2.66GHz |
3017 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz |
2897 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz |
2904 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 @ 2.26GHz |
2518 |
Floating Point Performance
| MacBook Pro (17-inch 2010) Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz |
8574 | |
| MacBook Pro (17-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 540 @ 2.53GHz |
7817 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz |
8572 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 540 @ 2.53GHz |
7850 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 520 @ 2.40GHz |
7472 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2010) Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 @ 2.66GHz |
5530 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2010) Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz |
4890 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo T9900 @ 3.06GHz |
6389 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 @ 2.80GHz |
5831 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 @ 2.66GHz |
5537 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz |
5266 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz |
5264 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 @ 2.26GHz |
4493 |
Memory Performance
| MacBook Pro (17-inch 2010) Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz |
3284 | |
| MacBook Pro (17-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 540 @ 2.53GHz |
3131 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz |
3288 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 540 @ 2.53GHz |
3127 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 520 @ 2.40GHz |
3069 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2010) Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 @ 2.66GHz |
2745 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2010) Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz |
2695 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo T9900 @ 3.06GHz |
2815 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 @ 2.80GHz |
2741 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 @ 2.66GHz |
2693 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz |
2651 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz |
2629 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 @ 2.26GHz |
2534 |
Stream Performance
| MacBook Pro (17-inch 2010) Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz |
3012 | |
| MacBook Pro (17-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 540 @ 2.53GHz |
2873 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz |
2998 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 540 @ 2.53GHz |
2872 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2010) Intel Core i5 M 520 @ 2.40GHz |
2838 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2010) Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 @ 2.66GHz |
1932 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2010) Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz |
1949 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo T9900 @ 3.06GHz |
1762 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 @ 2.80GHz |
1781 | |
| MacBook Pro (15/17-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8800 @ 2.66GHz |
1871 | |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz |
1830 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz |
1774 | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 @ 2.26GHz |
1772 |
Conclusions
It's no surprise the new laptops are faster. It's interesting to note, though, that the slowest Core i5 is faster than the fastest Core 2 Duo processor despite running at a much lower frequency (2.40GHz vs 3.06GHz). This is a result of the architecture improvements in the i5 and the i7. For example, Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading provide a nice boost to processor scores; single-threaded workloads benefit from higher processor frequencies while multi-threaded workloads benefit from extra hardware threads. Memory scores (especially Stream scores which measure raw memory bandwidth) are higher due to the integrated memory controller#Technology) on the i5 and i7.
What people have been asking me, though, is whether they should get the i5 or the i7 MacBook Pro. Personally, I think the low-end i5 is more than sufficient for most tasks (it's about 15% slower but costs 25% less). Granted, it's got less drive space and less video card memory but it's still zippy. If, however, you want the fastest MacBook Pro available then go ahead and get an i7; you are paying a premium for the performance but at least it's not a steep premium!
Personally, if I were to buy a new MacBook Pro today, I'd get one with an i5 processor and spend the money I saved on upgrading the RAM to 8GB.
Geekbench 2.1.5
Geekbench 2.1.5 has been released, and features the following changes:
- added support for Windows Server 2008 R2
- added support for iMac (Late 2009)
- re-introduced support for Solaris 10
- added the command-line version of Geekbench to Geekbench for Windows
- corrected core and thread count for AMD processors
- fixed a crash under VMWare Fusion 3 with Windows 7 as the guest OS
- fixed an abnormal exit under Windows Server 2008 R2 running recent Intel processors
- fixed a case where early-model PowerPC Macs were marked as Hackintoshes
Geekbench 2.1.5 is a free update for all registered Geekbench 2 users and can be downloaded from the Geekbench website.
Mac Benchmark Update (March 2010)
After a lot of nudging (sorry it took so long!) I've updated Primate Labs' Mac Benchmark chart. The updated chart adds the following Macs:
- iMac (Late 2009)
- iMac (27-inch Late 2009)
- MacBook (Late 2009)
The Mac Benchmark chart is generated by gathering results from the Geekbench Result Browser and averaging scores for each Mac model and processor combination. However, not every combination is included; for a combination to be included it has to meet a number of criteria which includes the total number of results for that combination. If the number is below a certain threshold the combination isn't included.
Which leads me to something surprising; I was hoping to include Apple's latest Mac Pro update, the single-processor Mac Pro @ 3.33GHz, but there are only two results for it in the Geekbench Result Browser. I was expecting more results for this particular model.
There are, however, a large number of dual-processor Mac Pros @ 3.33GHz in the Geekbench REsult Browser even though Apple doesn't offer this configuration for sale. Apparently adding a second processor (or replacing both processors) in a Mac Pro is a popular upgrade. It's a powerful upgrade, too, as one of these upgraded Mac Pros currently has the sixth highest score in the Geekbench Result Browser.
MacBookPro6,1
Late last week Geekbench results from what appeared to be a yet-unreleased MacBook Pro appeared on the Geekbench Result Browser. These results generated a lot of excitement, along with a lot of speculation; people wanted to know if these results were legitimate.
I spoke with Wired's Brian Chen earlier today and shared my thoughts regarding the legitimacy of these results:
Geekbench creator John Poole told Wired.com that Geekbench results can be faked, but he believes the Core i7 MacBook Pro benchmark is real.
"If the system information for this system has been faked, it's a convincing fake; there aren't any inconsistencies in the system information, the Mac OS X build number matches Apple's numbering scheme for new hardware builds, and the processor matches people's expectations for what will appear in the refreshed MacBook Pro," Poole said. "In other words, I believe this result is authentic."
I have a feeling we'll find out sooner rather than later whether this result is real or not!
Browser Redesign
The redesigned Geekbench Result Browser is online:
While it's not a major departure from the old design, the new design is much cleaner and fits in with the other Primate Labs websites. Also, the new design lays some important groundwork for some new features and functionality I'm hoping to release later this year.
Mac Benchmarks (Late 2009)
Earlier this month Apple announced a lot of new hardware. While not all of it is available yet (in particular the Core i5 and Core i7 iMacs) most of it is and folks have been asking about how the new hardware performs compared to the old hardware. So, I've gathered Geekbench results for the new Mac models and compared them with results for the older Mac models (all results were gathered from the Geekbench Result Browser).
Geekbench is Primate Labs' processor and memory benchmark where a score of 1000 means a system has the same performance as a PowerMac G5 @ 1.6GHz. Higher scores are better.
iMac Benchmarks
| iMac (Late 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo E7600 3.06 GHz (2 cores) |
4297 | |
| iMac (Early 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo E8435 3.06 GHz (2 cores) |
4131 | |
| iMac (Early 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo E8335 2.93 GHz (2 cores) |
3947 | |
| iMac (Early 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo E8135 2.66 GHz (2 cores) |
3628 |
MacBook Benchmarks
| MacBook (Late 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P7550 @ 2.26 GHz (2 cores) |
3245 | |
| MacBook (Late 2008) Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40 GHz (2 cores) |
3184 | |
| MacBook (Early 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 @ 2.13 GHz (2 cores) |
2926 | |
| MacBook (Late 2008) Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 @ 2.0 GHz (2 cores) |
2738 | |
| MacBook (Early 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 @ 2.0 GHz (2 cores) |
2664 |
Mac mini Benchmarks
| Mac mini (Late 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 2.53 GHz (2 cores) |
3563 | |
| Mac mini (Early/Late 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 2.26 GHz (2 cores) |
3056 | |
| Mac mini (Early 2009) Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 2.0 GHz (2 cores) |
2783 | |
| Mac mini (Mid 2007) Intel Core 2 T7200 2.0 GHz (2 cores) |
2617 | |
| Mac mini (Mid 2007) Intel Core 2 T5600 1.83 GHz (2 cores) |
2400 |
Conclusions
The results are as expected; faster processors (of the same architecture) mean higher Geekbench scores. This shouldn't be surprising since Geekbench is predominantly a CPU benchmark. What I'm interested in seeing, though, is how the Core i5 and Core i7 iMacs stack up; not only do they have a new processor architecture they also have double the number of cores. I wonder if the high-end iMac i7 will (finally!) be comparable to a low-end Mac Pro?
Switched to Disqus
I've switched the comment system on the Primate Labs Blog from WordPress' built-in comments to Disqus. Disqus is a hosted comment and discussion service that offers a lot of nice features; you can "log in" and leave comments with your Twitter, Facebook, or OpenID account (you can also sign up for a Disqus account).
Disqus also enables threaded discussions instead of a flat list of comments, making it easier to reply to one person instead of an entire comment thread. Disqus also (optionally) notifies you when someone responds to your comments, making it easier to follow discussions.
I really hope Disqus makes it easier to have meaningful discussions on the Primate Labs Blog. If you've got any questions or comments, you can let me know by posting a comment!
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