DivX 6.8 Encoding

Website: Divx.com

We tested video encoding performance using VirtualDub-MPEG version 1.6.15 and DivX 6.8 with multi-threading enabled and SSE2 or SSE4 enabled where appropriate. We did a two-pass encode of a 15-minute 276MB MPEG-2 digital TV recording with a target file size of 100MB.

While this benchmark does use SSE4, which is currently unique to Intel's 45nm processors, the latest DivX 6.8 has enhanced multi-threading support and also uses SSE2 enhancements, which applies to all of the processors tested.

Although Intel has admitted to bit-tech that it throws out some "best case scenario" numbers to the press, we took our usual MPEG-2 digital TV recording that we use for our XviD tests and DivXed it instead using the same VirtualDub we always do.



DivX performance is respectable on the Phenom X3 8750, but it’s definitely not going to win any performance crowns – it’s slower than all of the 45nm Core 2 Duo variants, and also the cheaper Core 2 Duo E6850 when it’s running at its standard clock speeds. The overclock to 3.0GHz does help, and at this speed it manages to match Intel’s cheapest quad-core, the Q6600, but it’s still slower than all of Intel’s SSE4-enabled CPUs.

AutoMKV x264 Encoding

Website: Doom9

We tested x264 compression using AutoMKV version 0.90 and x264 to compress a 1.1GB DVD VOB file into 350MB MP4 file using a two-pass encode and we used a 112kbps LAME encoder to compress the audio. The whole process is dependent on both single and multi-core performance and the entire encoding time was recorded.

There's quite a shift to using MKV or MP4 wrappers for x264 content now, especially for movie content and those in the large anime fansubbing community. x264 doesn't have the same SSE enhancements as DivX 6.8, but the benefits of extra cache and better memory performance should still show notable improvements.


Our x264 benchmark is even more core intensive than DivX, but the Phenom X3 8750 manages to hold its own against the faster and more expensive dual-core 45nm Core 2 Duo processors. Only the E8500 is faster in this particular test with the 8750 running at its stock frequency and when the chip is overclocked to 3.0GHz, its performance rivals the lower-clocked Phenom X4 processors like the 9550.