WorldBench 6 Beta 2 FAQ, Version 1.1

Why a new WorldBench?

WorldBench 5 is still the leading application-based benchmark for PCs running the Windows XP operating system, but it does not run on Windows Vista. For this reason, the PC World Test Center has developed WorldBench 6, which runs on Windows Vista and contains newer versions of WorldBench applications.

Why is WorldBench 6 still a beta?

Many of the applications included in WorldBench still do not run properly on Windows Vista. Until they do, we cannot release a final version of WorldBench 6. In the meantime, we have made available a beta version that includes older, working versions of certain test applications and omits other nonworking test applications.

What do people use on Vista until a final version of WorldBench 6 arrives?

Until we release a final version of WorldBench 6, we have frozen the code at Beta 2 for PC World and for other test organizations. All WorldBench 6 Beta 2 results will be completely comparable. Of course, behind the scenes, we will still be actively developing and testing newer versions of WorldBench 6 until we release a final version.

How do I get WorldBench 6 Beta 2?

For a limited time, every purchase of WorldBench 5 qualifies the purchaser to receive one copy of WorldBench 6 Beta 2. Simply e-mail a request for WorldBench 6 Beta 2 with the electronic receipt for the qualifying WorldBench 5 purchase to worldbench@pcworld.com. You can purchase WorldBench 5 through our "How to Buy WorldBench" page.

What are the guidelines for publishing results?

Generally, the WorldBench 5 publishing guidelines apply. (See our Test Center page for the guidelines.) Results from WorldBench 6 Beta 2 must be clearly labeled as being from Beta 2. These results will not be comparable with results from the final release of WorldBench 6, and they are not comparable with results from WorldBench 5.

What are the differences between WorldBench 5 and WorldBench 6 Beta 2?

We have done a lot of behind-the-scenes work to get the main user interface and application bundles to install and function on all versions of Vista, both 32- and 64-bit. WorldBench 6 Beta 2 also runs on Windows XP, but we will not provide technical support for this version, which requires .Net 2.0 or higher to run. (Download the .Net Framework from Microsoft's site.)

We have updated WorldBench 6 applications to more current versions where possible, and we have also updated some workloads. As a result, WorldBench 6 will stress systems a little more than WorldBench 5 did, and it will take better advantage of multicore systems.

WorldBench 6 Beta 2 does not come with the system configuration utility that we included with WorldBench 5, so system settings must be changed manually. In order to compare WorldBench 6 Beta 2 results among systems, optimally the systems should be configured with the same settings. We recommend using similar settings to those suggested for WorldBench 5. We will provide a system configuration utility in a later beta release or in the final version of WorldBench 6.

Changes in WorldBench 6, listed by test (original WB5 workloads are described in the WB5 help file):

• The ACDSee test has been dropped.
• The Photoshop test has been updated to use Photoshop CS2. The image files used in the test have been updated to larger files that are more representative of current digital camera output. (We no longer use EPS files.)
• This beta has no Premiere test.
• The 3ds max (DirectX) test now uses 3ds max 8.0 SP-3.
• The 3ds max (OpenGL) test has been dropped and replaced with the 3ds max 8.0 SP-3 (Rendering) test. Instead of animating to the screen using the graphics accelerator, this test fully renders each frame separately using the CPU.
• The Mozilla test has been updated to use Firefox 2.0.
• The Office XP test has been updated to Office 2003 with SP-1. Outlook has been removed from the workload.
• Windows Media Encoder 9 is still the current version, so this test remains unchanged.
• The multitasking test uses the unchanged Windows Media Encoder test and the updated Firefox 2.0 test.
• We have removed the Musicmatch Jukebox test from this beta.
• The Nero test now uses Nero 7 Ultra Edition. The current beta uses three different disc-image files that range in size from a partially filled single-layer DVD to a Blu-ray Disc.
• The Roxio VideoWave test included in this beta is virtually unchanged.
• The WinZip test now uses version 10.0.

What is the baseline for this version?

WorldBench 6 Beta 2 scores are scaled so that our baseline system gets 100 points for the overall WorldBench score. The system configuration is as follows:

CPU: 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo E6600
RAM: 2048MB DDR2
Graphics: nVidia GeForce 7900GS
Hard disks: Two Western Digital Caviar WD3200KS drives in a striped RAID array
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)

What still needs to be done for the final release version?

• We still want to add the Premiere Elements test and another music jukebox test. We left them out of the beta because of time constraints.
• We want to update more applications to newer versions. We are still waiting for some Vista compatibility releases from some software vendors.
• We will be adjusting the lengths of tasks and the sizes of data files for run time and consistency of results.

What are some known issues with Beta 2?

• The installer still says WorldBench 5 in certain places.
• The VideoWave test can conflict with certain Webcam USB drivers, which prevent the test from completing. Disabling the Webcam USB driver will fix the problem.
• The Nero application test will occasionally produce an error, which results in a failed-test response. The test will automatically rerun and should eventually complete to produce a valid score.
• On password-enabled systems, WorldBench 6 Beta 2 will repeatedly ask for password entry. You must continue to enter the password, or disable the password and restart the test. This problem will be fixed in a later version.
• This version of 3ds max automatically disables Vista's Aero environment while the test is running. When the test is complete, Aero is reenabled.
• As mentioned above, this beta includes no system configuration utility. System settings must be changed manually.
• The help system has not been updated for WorldBench 6 or Vista. The WorldBench 5 help is still on the disc as a .doc file.
• Some systems may require the font size to be set at 96 dpi to prevent a failure of the VideoWave test.