A couple of weeks ago, I built a new PC for gaming. I opted for an Intel Core i7 3770K for my CPU, hoping for awesome performance. It seems to run pretty well, but a few benchmark tests seem to indicate that it should be performing better.
I started with the benchmark test that comes with Windows 7, the Windows Experience Index. I know that it's not the best test available, but it should still give an indication of performance. Acording to my research, most 3770K CPUs tend to get a 7.7 without OC. Mine gets a 7.2.
Next, I downloaded the evaluation version of PassMark's PerformanceTest 8 software. My CPU scored 4594. Apparently, the average score for this processor is 10385. That average is 126% higher than my own, so that seems to indicate that my processor is underperforming pretty heavily...
I'm really hoping to avoid an RMA because, aside from horribly failing benchmarks and making me think I'm not getting the performance I paid for, everything else seems to be stable and the games I've been running (Civ V, SimCity, Evochron Mercenary, plus others) seem to be running well at max settings with only momentary dips in FPS if I move the camera too fast.
As far as I know, all my drivers and BIOS are up to date. I'm running Avast, Origin, and Steam, but they shouldn't be affecting my CPU that badly. Does anyone have any suggestions for me to try? In case it helps, here is my build:
Antec 900 (case)
Asus Sabertooth Z77 (motherboard)
Intel Core i7 3770K (CPU, 3.5-3.6 GHz)
EVGA NVidia GTX 670 (GPU, 2048 GDDR5)
4x4GB (16GB) DDR3 1833 G Skill Sniper Series RAM
Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD
Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM HDD
Noctua NH-D14 (heat sink)
Asus PCE-N15 Wireless Card
Asus 12X BD-ROM drive
120mm fan (x4)
140mm fan (x1)
200mm fan (x1)
Corsair HX750 750w PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is my first DIY gaming build, so there's always the possibility that I've overlooked something trivial.
I started with the benchmark test that comes with Windows 7, the Windows Experience Index. I know that it's not the best test available, but it should still give an indication of performance. Acording to my research, most 3770K CPUs tend to get a 7.7 without OC. Mine gets a 7.2.
Next, I downloaded the evaluation version of PassMark's PerformanceTest 8 software. My CPU scored 4594. Apparently, the average score for this processor is 10385. That average is 126% higher than my own, so that seems to indicate that my processor is underperforming pretty heavily...
I'm really hoping to avoid an RMA because, aside from horribly failing benchmarks and making me think I'm not getting the performance I paid for, everything else seems to be stable and the games I've been running (Civ V, SimCity, Evochron Mercenary, plus others) seem to be running well at max settings with only momentary dips in FPS if I move the camera too fast.
As far as I know, all my drivers and BIOS are up to date. I'm running Avast, Origin, and Steam, but they shouldn't be affecting my CPU that badly. Does anyone have any suggestions for me to try? In case it helps, here is my build:
Antec 900 (case)
Asus Sabertooth Z77 (motherboard)
Intel Core i7 3770K (CPU, 3.5-3.6 GHz)
EVGA NVidia GTX 670 (GPU, 2048 GDDR5)
4x4GB (16GB) DDR3 1833 G Skill Sniper Series RAM
Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD
Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM HDD
Noctua NH-D14 (heat sink)
Asus PCE-N15 Wireless Card
Asus 12X BD-ROM drive
120mm fan (x4)
140mm fan (x1)
200mm fan (x1)
Corsair HX750 750w PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is my first DIY gaming build, so there's always the possibility that I've overlooked something trivial.