PC WorldBench 98 FAQ

Q: What is PC WorldBench 98?

A: PC WorldBench 98 is a computer test system that supports PC World editors in their evaluation of new hardware. Six popular applications are used to test the speed of the entire system, from the hard drive to the graphics adapter.

Q: Why do you call PC WorldBench 98 a "test system"?

A: Several elements combine to make PC WorldBench 98 work. They are the application being tested, the "test-driver" that runs the application as if a user were sitting at the machine, and a user interface that allows us to schedule tests and review results. All these elements make up the test system.

Q: What is the difference between PC WorldBench 98 and PC WorldBench 1.0?

A: PC WorldBench 98 is a "point" upgrade of PC WorldBench 1.0. Our goals were modest: Upgrade the applications to their most current versions, and make sure the test worked on Windows NT Workstation, Windows 95, and Windows 98, when available. All the test actions are the same. The only major change was a shift from Corel WordPerfect to Lotus WordPro as the second word processor.

Q: Can I compare PC WorldBench 98 and PC WorldBench 1.0 scores?

A: No. PC WorldBench 98 is a completely different test with a new normalization scheme and a different reference computer. Results of the two benchmarks cannot be compared.

Q: How does PC WorldBench 98 measure performance?

A: PC WorldBench 98 runs six popular applications in four categories. They are:

• Two word processing applications: Microsoft Word and Lotus Word Pro.
  
  
• Two spreadsheet applications: Microsoft Excel and Lotus 1-2-3.
  
  
• One database application: Corel Paradox.
  
  
• One image-editing application: Micrografx Picture Publisher.
  
  

Each of these applications is run via a test script. The time it takes to run the script is measured, and the results normalized to our reference platform. These normalized results are then weighted to provide the overall PC WorldBench score. In order to increase the reliability of the test, PC WorldBench 98 restarts the computer before it runs each application script. It performs three runs so that those results may be averaged.

Q: Most of my work is word processing. Can I get scores for individual applications?

A: Yes and no. In our published performance table, we provide a bar chart that shows the relative times for each application as measured by the benchmark. We also provide the overall score. If you are interested in overall performance, you can see that result. If you are interested in a specific application's performance, you can visually determine how the PC you are interested in stacks up against the others in the review.

Q: What kinds of functions are measured within the applications?

A: The word processing test measures typing, font formatting, scrolling, spelling check, mail merge, and print preview. The spreadsheet test measures calculation, charting, sorting, screen formatting, and print preview. The database test measures data entry, querying, and reporting. The image editing test measures effects, zooming, panning, cutting and pasting, and palette editing.

Q: Can I get a video score or disk score with PC WorldBench 98?

A: No, PC WorldBench 98 does not give component-level scores. It's a system-level test only. PC World's testing philosophy recognizes that the only way you can take advantage of a fast hard drive or graphics adapter is with an application that takes advantage of it. With our system-level tests, you won't get inflated scores that fail to reflect themselves in your everyday work.

Q: Does PC WorldBench 98 measure MMX performance?

A: PC WorldBench 98 does not measure MMX performance separately (see above) but the Picture Publisher portion of the test can use MMX extensions.

Q: Is there anything else PC WorldBench 98 should not be used for?

A: PC WorldBench 98 is a system test. It should not be used to draw comparisons between the applications used within the test. For example, you shouldn't compare Microsoft Word to Lotus WordPro using PC WorldBench 98.

When using PC WorldBench 98 you must also be very careful to consider the components within a computer. For example, our Top 100 often includes many similar computers with different CPUs installed. But the CPUs aren't the only difference between the computers. Therefore, you should not attempt to draw a conclusion about the relative merits of Intel and Cyrix CPUs based on our Top 100 charts. When such comparisons are necessary, the PC World Test Center will perform testing in a way that is valid for the comparison being made.

Q: Why do systems running Windows NT Workstation score so much better than those running Windows 95?

A: Our analysis of the benchmark and our discussions with Microsoft and with major computer vendors reveal that when 32MB or more of RAM is included in the system, Windows NT Workstation with Service Pack 3 is generally faster than Windows 95. This is largely due to improvements in the video subsystem in Windows NT Workstation with Service Pack 3. Bit-map caching and font caching are employed in Windows NT Workstation, which vastly speeds up such actions as text scrolling and repeated redrawing of dialog boxes. Windows NT Workstation also has better memory management for applications that perform some tasks in the background. However, for disk- and calculation-intensive tasks, there is no significant performance difference between Windows NT Workstation and Windows 95.

Q: Can I get a copy of PC WorldBench 98 to run on my computer?

A: No. PC WorldBench is not available for public distribution.

Q: If I can't get my own copy, how can I compare computers that aren't published in your Top 100 charts?

A: The PC World Online site contains reviews of the hundreds of computers we've evaluated in the past. You can find the one that most closely matches the configuration of the PC you are interested in and evaluate your computer based on that match. You can also ask for a new sorting of computers based on your weighting of the factors that PC Worlduses for its rankings.

Q: When will the next version of PC WorldBench be available?

A: Planning for the next version of PC WorldBench is in progress now; the schedule is not final. While PC WorldBench 98 was a "point" release, the next version will be a new test.