Now that the Mac OS has entered the Lion era , its time to bring Macworld ’s overall system performance test rooms , Speedmark , up to appointment . With this up-to-the-minute version , Speedmark 7 , we ’ve updated all of the covering to their current versions , increase files size that some trial utilize , and alter our 3D game trial to a more recent title .
One affair that does n’t change is 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo Mac miniskirt from 2010 that serve as Speedmark ’s baseline system to which each Mac ’s carrying out is compare . By keep the same “ 100 ” system as the previous version of Speedmark , it should be easier to liken older systems tested with Speedmark 6.5 to the systems try with the new Speedmark 7 .
Speedmark 7 scores
Which system was the in force overall performer ? Look no further than our Speedmark 7 score , which combines the performance scores from all of the examination and seethe them down to one number .
Our service line system , which is return a account of 100 and is what we compare the individual test performance of each system to , is a 2010 Mac miniskirt with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo central processing unit , 2 GB of RAM , a 320 GB 5400 - revolutions per minute hard drive , and integrate Nvidia GeForce 320 M graphics . A second arrangement , a 2010 MacBook with very similar specifications , also earned a Speedmark 7 score of 100 .
The profligate organization overall of the current Mac lineup is a build - to - monastic order ( BTO ) 2011 21.5 - inch iMac with a space - core 2.8GHz Core i5 processor ; it has a Speedmark 7 musical score of 244 . The fastest received configuration Mac we ’ve test so far , realise a Speedmark 7 score of 241 , is a 2011 27 - in iMac with a quadruplet - core 3.1GHz Core i5 central processor . The fastest overall of all the scheme we ’ve test with Speedmark 7 is a BTO 2.93GHz Core i7 iMac from 2010 with an inner SSD ; this arrangement earned a Speedmark 7 score of 264 . The organisation with the slowest Speedmark 7 score of all the Macs we have tested is a 2008 MacBook Air with a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo processor .
Below is a chart of Speedmark 7 score of all the Macs in Apple ’s current lineup . you’re able to also see the Speedmark 7 scores of all the Macs we have tested , including model from 2010 , 2009 , and 2008 .
Speedmark 7: Current Mac lineup
termination are sexual conquest . Higher lots are firm . Best result inbold .
Individual application test results
Speedmark 7 is incorporate of 16 dissimilar applications programme - based tests that can guide on all shipping Macs . The tests are designed to measure the different subsystem : CPU , GPU , storage , and memory . Here ’s a crack-up of the item-by-item test that make up Speedmark 7 .
( The charts below let in all the Macs in Apple ’s current batting order . you could also see the Speedmark 7 grievance of all the Macs we have tested , including models from 2010 , 2009 , and 2008 . )
Mac OS ex Finder tests : Three tests : Duplicate 2 GB Folder , Compress 4 GB Folder , and Uncompress 4 GB File Archive
The twin and uncompress tasks demonstrate the speed of the system ’s interior computer memory . Flash drives do much well in this test . The flash storage in the 2011 MacBook Airs are the fastest that we ’ve tested so far , occupy between 22 and 25 second to double the 2 GB brochure and between 43 and 50 seconds to uncompress a 4 GB naught file cabinet . These scores are around three times quicker than wads of our service line Mac mini , which took 79 seconds to duplicate the folder and 165 second gear to uncompress the 4 GB zip file .
compact a 4 GB folder is more of a CPU test than a store trial , with the 2011 iMacs and their Sandy Bridge central processing unit posting the fast time with amphetamine between 190 and 200 sec . Mac Pros with their Xeon processors did n’t come as well . The 2010 8 - core 2.4GHz Mac Pro took 277 seconds to complete the project . Older MacBook Airs were the dim at this job , with the 2010 11 - in 1.4GHz Core 2 couple MacBook Air taking almost 10 minutes to compress the 4 GB folder .
Speedmark 7: Finder tests
termination are in arcsecond . Lower is better . serious result inbold .
Pages ‘ 09test : Convert and Open a 500 - page Microsoft Word written document
The Pages exam favors Core i5 and i7 processors , though faster internal drive help . iMacs lead the ring ; if you include older Macs , Core 2 Duo systems ( especially older MacBook Airs ) pull up the rear . The 2011 21.5 - inch 2.7GHz Core i5 quad - inwardness iMac finish in 71.4 seconds , while the 2010 11 - column inch 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Air took 196 second . A 2010 BTO 2.93GHz Core i7 iMac with a SSD finish up the test 16 percent faster than the same organization with a received hard drive establish .
Speedmark 7: Pages ’09 test
iMovie ‘ 11 mental testing : Import Two - Minute Clip from Camera Archive , and Share Movie to iTunes for Mobile Devices
The parcel to iTunes run is the first to show a welfare of more than four nitty-gritty . The 2.4GHz Xeon 8 - core Mac Pro terminate the test just one indorsement dense than the firm overall Mac , a 2010 BTO 2.93GHz i7 iMac with SSD effort . In the iMovie Share to iTunes Mobile test , the 2009 2.26GHz Xeon 8 - Congress of Racial Equality Mac Pro came in third position of all the Macs we test . As with Pages , the 2.93GHz iMac with the SSD was faster than the same organisation without it ; 19 percent faster in the import and 16 percent faster when portion out the data file to iTunes .
Speedmark 7: iMovie ’11 tests
iTunes 10 test : change 42 AAC Files to MP3
Another C.P.U. - intensive test where the Core i5 and i7 processors surmount the Core 2 Duos . Unlike some other tests , though , having an SSD does n’t benefit execution . Late example iMacs terminate first , honest-to-goodness MacBook Airs finish last , and Mac Pros land in the heart .
Speedmark 7: iTunes 10 test
HandBrake 0.9.5 64 - flake test : Encode Four Chapters from Ripped File on Hard Drive to H.264
HandBrake is one of the few applications that take full use of however many central processor cores are useable . Mac Pros with eight or more effect finis before quad - core iMacs . Older MacBook Airs , which have a tendency to slow down down to avoid overheat , can take nearly 15 minutes to complete the labor , while the eight - center Mac Pros both finished in less than a mo and a one-half .
Speedmark 7: HandBrake test
Cinebench R11.5 tests : OpenGL Test and CPU Test
Maxon ’s Cinebench ’s OpenGL test measures the performance of the nontextual matter wag in the system and gives a result in physique per second , so the higher the score , the better . The 2011 iMacs are libertine , with up to 47.7 frames per secondly in the tests . other MacBook Airs struggled to come on 5 frames per second .
Maxon ’s Cinebench CPU isolate the CPU . Like HandBrake and MathematicaMark , the Cinebench CPU trial run can take full advantage of up to 64 central processing unit threads . The Mac Pro with eight cores ( view as experience 16 practical cores by the covering thanks to Intel ’s Hyper Threading technology ) finished the test in less than a hour . A 2009 MacBook Air contain more than 10 minutes to complete .
Speedmark 7: Cinebench tests
OpenGL results are in frames per second ; high is better . CPU results are in second ; lower is better . Best result inbold .
Parallels 6 test : WorldBench 6 Multitasking Test on Windows 7
truehearted mainframe do well on this test , with the late iMacs performing the best . Mac Pros with faster processor clock speeds scored better than those with slow clock speeds but more processors .
Speedmark 7: Parallels 6 test
Adobe Photoshop CS5 test : Action Script
The Photoshop Action Script test uses a 100 MiB file , and regard run various filter and tasks , as well as import RAW files . Processors , RAM and drive focal ratio all come into gambling on this test . The 2010 eight - core Mac Pro posted the fast time , followed intimately by BTO iMacs equip with SSDs .
Speedmark 7: Photoshop CS5 test
Aperture 3 run : Import and Process 207 picture
This test hits both the hard drive and the central processing unit . iMacs with SSDs perform the best , a 2010 27 - inch 2.93GHz iMac with SSD fetch up the exam in 74 seconds , 15 per centum faster than the same system with a received grueling ride .
Speedmark 7: Aperture 3 test
iPhoto ‘ 11 test : Import 500 Photos
Another test that takes advantage of drive speed as well as C.P.U. speed . The latest MacBook Airs fared well in this trial , with three of the top ten trial time . They were beaten by BTO iMacs with SSDs and the 2010 8 - core Mac Pro .
Speedmark 7: iPhoto ’11 test
MathematicaMark 8 psychometric test : Evaluate Notebook trial
As with HandBrake and Cinebench ’s CPU Test , MathematicaMark take reward of all uncommitted central processing unit cores . The result is a score , with higher identification number being better . The eight - core Mac Pro ( with Hyper Threading introduce the practical app with 16 virtual processors ) is the winner in this test .
Speedmark 7: Mathematica 8 test
Results are a score . Higher is better . Best result inbold .
Portal 2 test : Timedemo ( 1280 - by-800 )
This test shows how well a graphics cards can palm modern 3D games . CPU can play a small role in performance , but our Portal 2 trial is really about GPU speed . In this examination , scores are framerates , and higher lots are salutary , . No system was better than our 2011 27 - inch 3.1GHz Core i5 quadrangle - core i5 iMac that displayed 231 frames per endorsement . The slowest Mac was a 2008 13 - inch 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook that was only able to display 26 chassis per secondly .
Speedmark 7: Portal 2 test
Results are frames per second . Higher is better . Best result inbold .
you may also see the Speedmark 7 scores of all the Macs we have test , include poser from 2010 , 2009 , and 2008 .
[ James Galbraith is Macworld ’s lab director . William Wang , Mauricio Grivalja , and Blair Hanley Frank contributed to the Speedmark 7 development and testing . ]
