Media Encoding Performance with iTunes and Quicktime

The encoding tests here are identical to the ones we run in our CPU tests, except obviously run under Mac OS X 10.4.7 instead of Windows XP.  It's important to note that iTunes, Quicktime as well as the iLife and iWork suites are all Universal applications, meaning that they run natively on both PowerPC and x86 architectures.  The performance comparisons on these next few pages is done without any binary translation.

MP3 Encoding Performance

Although iTunes' MP3 encoder does get a performance boost going from single to dual core, we couldn't measure any performance increase when going from dual to quad core.  Clock for clock, the Mac Pro does better than the PowerMac G5 with a performance advantage of around 11%. 

H.264 Encoding Performance

Video encoding is a strong point for the Core 2 architecture used in the Mac Pro's new Xeons and thus we expect the best from it in these tests.  Unfortunately, the Mac Pro is somewhat limited by poor memory performance but it's still able to come out ahead of the PowerMac G5 clock-for-clock. 

Dual vs. Quad Channel iLife '06 Performance with iPhoto, iMovie HD and iDVD
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  • plinden - Saturday, August 19, 2006 - link

    No point in arguing with this guy - he's shown just how much he knows about the subject. How could someone regularly read AnandTech and not know about EFI? And then profess to have confused it with some obscure mobo manufacturer?

    Oddly enough, I can't find any motherboards for sale manufactured by a company called EFI - either it's very obscure or he's making it up. I wonder which one it is?
  • michael2k - Friday, August 18, 2006 - link

    EFI isn't a manufacturer, it stands for "Extensible Firmware Interface", see the link in the other post.
    Lian Li had an aluminum case first, but Apple's design was COPIED by Lian Li. Read the Anandtech article in which half the comments for the case review claim "G5 ripoff".
  • plinden - Friday, August 18, 2006 - link

    quote:

    EFI is an average/cheap mobo maker at best (not to say unreliable, just average in function, and performance). They are no DFI, or ASUS, not even close.


    I laughed out loud at this. You're absolutely right, EFI is no DFI or ASUS, not even close.

    You've just proved you know fuck all about this. I suggest you read up on EFI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Firmware_I...">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Firmware_I... before posting about this in the future.

    I'm not going to tell you makes the Mac motherboards. I'll leave that up to you to research.
  • Petoschka - Wednesday, April 1, 2020 - link

    Well, my Junk Pro from early 2008 is still running.
  • pervisanathema - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link

    I want one. :o
  • takeshi7 - Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - link

    Just a small correction on page 2: The Power Mac G5 PCI-E also has 3 USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel.

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