The SpeedZone: Is a 13% Performance Improvement Worth $400? ... 35 Performance Test Results For the G5/1.6 GHz & 1.8 GHz Towers

As you'll see in most of the test results below the 1.8 GHz G5 Tower bested the 1.6 GHz by about 13%. This mirrors the clock speed difference which is also just about 13%.

So from a performance standpoint does a 13% performance improvement merit a $400 price increase (20%)? Not in my book. But lets see what else you are getting if you opt for the 1.8 GHz:

80 more GB of Storage: Value $139
256 MB more RAM: Value $62
4 More RAM Slots: Value ... You Decide
Total: $201

Note: rob-ART of BareFeats also pointed out to us that the 1.8 has PCI-X slots running at up to 133MHz.
and the 1.6 has PCI slots running at 33MHz max

The 1.6 GHz model only come with 4 RAM slots while the 1.8 GHz machine has 8. The only reason I can see for Apple hobbling the 1.6 in this way is to make the 1.8 more appealing to those that might balk at the $400 price premium. I can't believe that it would cost much more to put 4 more RAM slots in the machine.

Difference and similarities of each machine

"Real World" Tests

In the single file test the the processor & caching capability of the machine is less of a factor.

Let 1K Windows Bloom is a simple carbon application that opens and closes 1,000 windows. This gauges how fast screen redraws are taking place. Again we see a 13% Performance improvement. You can download the small program to run on your machine, and compare your scores to the ones here.

We used a 21 MB files to open Photoshop 7 by dropping it on the Photoshop icon. A trial version of Photoshop 7 can be downloaded if you want to run your own test.

Mac OS X's new File Search function relies on both processor and drive performance. In this test we are searching the file names of thousands of items, contained in two folders. About 30% of the processing potential of each machine was utilized during the test.

Large Document & Database Type Tests

Microsoft Office X Word Macro

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	59.44	53.40

A Macro (series of complex actions) was run in Microsoft's Word processing program on a 1.6 MB document. Word is part of Office X

Microsoft Office X Excel Macro

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	50.41	44.13

A Macro (series of complex actions) was run in Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet program, on a 8 MB file. Excel is part of Office X

AppleWorks Search And Replace Test

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	39.19	37.28

This test takes place in a 3 MB AppleWorks document. Machines with larger chip caches usually do better in this test. We expected to see a slightly higher gap between the two machines

Graphics Test

CineBench 2003 4D Test

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores	198	226

This part of the CineBench program relies on the CPU for graphics rendering

CineBench 2003 Software GL Test

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores	468	473

This part of the CineBench program relies on the software for graphics rendering

CineBench 2003 Hardware GL Test

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores	838	854

This part of the CineBench program relies on the graphics card for graphics rendering. Both machines have the same graphics card

Number Crunching & Rendering Tests

Photoshop 7 - BareFeat's Test

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	36.81	32.28

BareFeats Photoshop Test Suite - mimics a production type workflow in Photoshop. If you would like to run this test on your machine, and you don't have a copy of Photoshop, download it from Adobe (only advisable if you have a high-speed connection). Then download the action file and drop it on the Photoshop icon

Photoshop 7 - AltiVec Tests

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	41.71	37.03

Certain of the functions of Photoshop can take special performance advantage of the G4/G5 processors. This suite of filters was run on a 21 MB file. We did not use the G5 plug-in Adobe has developed but BareFeats tested with and without it and found very little difference in performance

Photoshop 7 - Normal Tests

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	68.20	59.71

The test above consists of Photoshop filters and functions that do not take any particular advantage of the G4/G5. Again we used the 21 MB file.

iMovie - Effect Render

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	96.11	84.74

In this test, an Aged Effect is run on a 175 MB DV file using iMovie 3.03, with the Effect left at its default setting This is a processor intensive task and will take good advantage of dual processors, if they are present

Encoding/Decoding Tests

QuickTime 6.3 Encode

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	23.38	20.20

A 5MB movie is converted to a QuickTime movie using default setting

QuickTime 6.3 Convert To DV Stream

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	112.37	99.04

The 5 MB Movie is converted to a DV Stream ready for import into iMovie. Default setting was used

iTunes 4.0.1 - MP3 Encode From CD

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	93.16	92.92

Both machines read CDs at 32X. Four songs totaling 16.5 minutes in length were converted in this test.

iDVD Import

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	39.09	36.29

175 MB DV file is imported into iDVD ready for burning to a DVD disk

StuffIt Expand

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	46.56	40.66

This is straight processor intensive work and does not take any advantage of the G4 processor... faster clock speed means faster performance. This test was performed on a 23 MB StuffIt file that contained thousands of individual files

Multitasking

iTunes MP3 Encode + AppleWorks Search & Replace + Finder Copy (Multitasking)

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	41.93	41.12

MP3 Encode, AppleWorks search & replace and folder copy are all carried out at the same time

QuickTime Encode + Fractal (Multitasking)

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	67.50	61.07

QuickTime Encode and Fractal render are both carried out at the same time.

QuickTime DV + iMovie Effect Render (Multitasking)

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	209.64	184.80

QuickTime DV Encode and iMovie Effect are performed at the same time

MP3 Encode + Photoshop Normal + Word Macro (Multitasking)

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - seconds	184.72	163.95

The MP3 Encode, Photoshop Normal and Word Macro tests are all run at the same time

Gaming

Giants Highest Frame Rates

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - frames per second	88	106

Giants Average Frame Rates

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - frames per second	34	38

Giants Lowest Frame Rates

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - frames per second	21	21.5

Both machines have the same graphics card, so it is the processor speed which is making the difference here. Our testing with the Giants game has shown that it responds well to faster processors. To obtain frame rates we take the character out for a jog around a predetermined route and measure the frame rates at the same intervals, within the circuit.

4x4 EVO 2 Average Frame Rates- High Quality Setting

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - frames per second	28	29

4x4 EVO 2 Average Frame Rates- Medium Quality Setting

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - frames per second	57	58

4x4 EVO 2 Average Frame Rates- Low Quality Setting

Machine	Power Mac Single G5/1.6 GHz	Power Mac Single G5/1.8 GHz
Absolute Scores - frames per second	61	60

4x4 EVO 2 is a very demanding game. It would appear that the graphics card is doing most of the work here, and again the machines have the same graphics card

OK you have seen the results .... What machine would you buy?