QuickSync benchmarks
We mentioned before that would test the QuickSync feature, which is hardware-based H.264 encoder that Intel has integrated into its more recent processors. QuickSync can be used by a number of different video conversion programmes such as Cyberlink MediaShow Espresso or DVDfab. Because this is a hardware-based encoder, the result won't be 100 per cent identical to software compression. With the naked eye we were not able to notice any significant difference in quality. Especially for quickly converting video for use on a smartphone or a tablet is QuickSync very useful.
We converted 30 minutes of 1080p HD video to 720p H.264, which we used Cyberlink MediaShow Espresso for. We ran the tests with and without QuickSync enabled. The charts below show the results.
Converting the 30-minute video takes between 10 minutes (2500K) and 7.5 minutes (3770K) without QuickSync. The Core i5 2500K and 2600K (Sandy Bridge) perform the same task with QuickSync enabled in 2.5 minutes.
The Ivy Bridge processors Core i5 3570K and 3770K were able to do this in 113 seconds, so less than two minutes with QuickSync enabled.
