Once in while the main PC I use need to be upgraded or fixed.
Normally I'm going on eBay looking for old server to rebuild the main PC, this time I decided to try to buy a new computer, where "new" means recently built.
Browsing around I found this little guy and somehow I was intrigued.
I was looking for system based on a multicore Intel, capable to run Linux natively, with at least 16 Gbyte Ram, 1 Tbyte SSD, decent graphic (but not game level, I'm not a gamer), multiple monitor support (2, better if 3) for a decent price.
The main usage for the PC is light development (Android/backend/embedded), need lot of memory and disk to store libraries, documentation, IDEs, etc.
Plus of course ripping, video editing, 3D printer related (slicers/CAD/etc.) - especially the last area maybe would require something much more powerful, we'll see.
Well, anyway, for about 300$ I found the DreamQuest N150 and, as I stated before, I decided to buy it and try it.
These are some considerations/notes/tests.
Disclaimer
These are my opinions, nobody did pay me to say anything, it is NOT an advertising.
First impression
I did buy the PC via Amazon since it seems is the main channel used by DreamQuest (I think is a Chinese company but they have stock around the USA).
So no problem to order one and arrived in few days.
The package was really neat and clean, I mean everything was screaming "quality" !
In few minutes the beast was ready to go.
Little initial disappointments
I had two small disappointments :
- the SSD
- the OS
So I did order another 2 TB SSD and added to the machine, so now I have 3 TB available.
Then I noticed that arrived with Windows 11 preinstalled. AAAARGHHHHHH !!!!
Vade retro ! ☺
I did prepare a flash pen with Ubuntu (24.04 LTS) and obliterated immediately the Redmont abomination.
The new system was up !
First tests
So I noticed a nice speed if compared with my old system, that's good.
However I also noticed some random delay on some applications.
True, I discovered that Ubuntu 24.04 apparently has some problems, missing drivers, missing updates, etc., so it is still hard to say if is Ubuntu or the machine.
I'll see in the future I guess.
Then I decide to try to run some standard tests in order at least to have some "numbers" to compare.
I decided to try the Phoronix Test Suite.
The Phoronix Test Suite
I wrote an article about it, so please take a look at it for details.
The basic idea was to install this test suite in different systems, run the same tests and then compare the results.
I decided to install on 2 systems :
- the DreamQuest machine (of course)
- my previous main machine, a Dell Precision T3600
The systems
Let start to take a look to some machines info (info obtained from the Phoronix Test Suite)
DreamQuest N150
PROCESSOR: Intel N150 @ 3.60GHz
Core Count: 4
Extensions: SSE 4.2 + AVX2 + AVX + RDRAND + FSGSBASE
Cache Size: 6 MB
Microcode: 0x1d
Core Family: Alder Lake
Scaling Driver: intel_pstate powersave (EPP: balance_performance)
GRAPHICS: llvmpipe
OpenGL: 4.5 Mesa 24.2.8-1ubuntu1~24.04.1 (LLVM 19.1.1 256 bits)
Screen: 1920x1080
MOTHERBOARD: SZ ReachingTech Limited DreamQuest Pro Plus
BIOS Version: 5.27
Chipset: Intel Alder Lake-N PCH
Audio: Intel Alder Lake-N PCH HD Audio
Network: 2 x Realtek RTL8111/8168/8211/8411
+ Realtek RTL8822CE 802.11ac PCIe
MEMORY: 1 x 32GB DDR4-3200MT/s
DISK: 2000GB CT2000P310SSD8 + 1024GB KingFast
File-System: ext4
Mount Options: errors=remount-ro relatime rw
Disk Scheduler: MQ-DEADLINE
Disk Details: Block Size: 4096
OPERATING SYSTEM: Ubuntu 24.04
Kernel: 6.8.0-71-generic (x86_64)
Desktop: GNOME Shell 46.0
Display Server: X Server 1.21.1.11 + Wayland
Compiler: GCC 13.3.0
Dell Precision
I did rebuild the old machine as well, replacing basically the old broken SSD with a new 2 TB SSD and this time installing Linux Mint instead the Ubuntu.
I like both actually, but one day I'll choose one to be used everywhere, I like to have similar systems, it reduce the time to move around and simplify to have common work area.
For now this machine is running Linux Mint (the kernel is the same used on the DreamQuest Ubuntu though)
System Information
PROCESSOR: Intel Xeon E5-2670 0 @ 3.30GHz
Core Count: 8
Thread Count: 16
Extensions: SSE 4.2 + AVX
Cache Size: 20 MB
Microcode: 0x621
Core Family: Sandy Bridge
Scaling Driver: intel_cpufreq schedutil
GRAPHICS: ASUS NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 2GB
Frequency: 954/2505MHz
BAR1 / Visible vRAM: N/A
OpenGL: 4.6.0
OpenCL: OpenCL 3.0 CUDA 11.4.557
Display Driver: NVIDIA 470.256.02
Monitor: HP 22xi
Screen: 5760x1186
MOTHERBOARD: Dell Precision T3600 08HPGT
BIOS Version: A14
Chipset: Intel Xeon E5/Core
Audio: Realtek ALC269VB
Network: Intel 82579LM + D-Link RTL8139
MEMORY: 4 x 4GB DDR3-1333MT/s M393B5170EH1-CH9
DISK: 2000GB CT2000BX500SSD1
+ 2000GB Western Digital WD20EZAZ-00L
+ 3001GB My Book 1230
File-System: ext4
Mount Options: errors=remount-ro relatime rw
Disk Scheduler: MQ-DEADLINE
Disk Details: Block Size: 4096
OPERATING SYSTEM: Linuxmint 22.1
Kernel: 6.8.0-64-generic (x86_64)
Desktop: Cinnamon 6.4.8
Display Server: X Server 1.21.1.11
Compiler: GCC 13.3.0
The tests
In order to compare the systems, it is necessary to run the same tests on all the machines.
The test suite has REALLY a lot of tests, some can take hours and hours to be executed.
I really wanted something basic, so I did pick up few tests.
I did pick up a test for the Processor, a test for the Memory and a test for Graphics.
- Test : 7-Zip Compression --> Processor
- Test : t-test1 --> Memory
- Test : yquake2 --> Graphics
____________ DreamQuest N150 ___________________________
Processor
7-Zip Compression 25.00:
pts/compress-7zip-1.12.0
Test 1 of 1
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Time To Completion: 2 Minutes [00:57 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 00:55:36
Started Run 2 @ 00:56:39
Started Run 3 @ 00:57:29
Started Run 4 @ 00:58:13 *
Started Run 5 @ 00:58:56 *
Started Run 6 @ 00:59:40 *
Started Run 7 @ 01:00:24 *
Started Run 8 @ 01:01:08 *
Started Run 9 @ 01:01:52 *
Started Run 10 @ 01:02:36 *
Started Run 11 @ 01:03:20 *
Started Run 12 @ 01:04:04 *
Started Run 13 @ 01:04:48 *
Started Run 14 @ 01:05:32 *
Started Run 15 @ 01:06:16 *
Test: Compression Rating:
10331
12025
13133
13164
13092
13159
13051
13189
12909
13043
12868
13036
13028
12987
13248
Average: 12818 MIPS
Deviation: 5.82%
Samples: 15
Test: Decompression Rating:
6652
8741
10657
10548
10603
10385
10435
10499
10430
10467
10479
10425
10496
10440
10458
Average: 10114 MIPS
Deviation: 10.48%
Samples: 15
Memory
t-test1 2017-01-13:
pts/t-test1-1.0.1 [Threads: 1]
Test 1 of 2
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Test Run-Time: 7 Minutes
Estimated Time To Completion: 13 Minutes [01:43 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 01:30:58
Started Run 2 @ 01:31:33
Started Run 3 @ 01:32:08
Threads: 1:
31.115
30.917
32.191
Average: 31.408 Seconds
Deviation: 2.18%
t-test1 2017-01-13:
pts/t-test1-1.0.1 [Threads: 2]
Test 2 of 2
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Time To Completion: 2 Minutes [01:34 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 01:32:51
Started Run 2 @ 01:33:05
Started Run 3 @ 01:33:20
Threads: 2:
10.612
10.588
10.689
Average: 10.630 Seconds
Deviation: 0.50%
Graphics
yquake2 8.10:
pts/yquake2-1.3.0 [Renderer: Software CPU - AF: On - MSAA: On - Resolution: 1920 x 1080]
Test 1 of 4
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Test Run-Time: 2 Minutes
Estimated Time To Completion: 6 Minutes [22:04 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 21:59:36
Started Run 2 @ 22:00:04
Started Run 3 @ 22:00:33
Renderer: Software CPU - AF: On - MSAA: On - Resolution: 1920 x 1080:
28.5
28.3
28.2
Average: 28.3 Frames Per Second
Deviation: 0.54%
yquake2 8.10:
pts/yquake2-1.3.0 [Renderer: Software CPU - AF: Off - MSAA: On - Resolution: 1920 x 1080]
Test 2 of 4
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Test Run-Time: 2 Minutes
Estimated Time To Completion: 4 Minutes [22:04 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 22:01:08
Started Run 2 @ 22:01:36
Started Run 3 @ 22:02:04
Renderer: Software CPU - AF: Off - MSAA: On - Resolution: 1920 x 1080:
28.7
27.9
28.3
Average: 28.3 Frames Per Second
Deviation: 1.41%
yquake2 8.10:
pts/yquake2-1.3.0 [Renderer: Software CPU - AF: On - MSAA: Off - Resolution: 1920 x 1080]
Test 3 of 4
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Test Run-Time: 2 Minutes
Estimated Time To Completion: 3 Minutes [22:05 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 22:02:39
Started Run 2 @ 22:03:08
Started Run 3 @ 22:03:37
Renderer: Software CPU - AF: On - MSAA: Off - Resolution: 1920 x 1080:
28.1
27.4
27.9
Average: 27.8 Frames Per Second
Deviation: 1.30%
yquake2 8.10:
pts/yquake2-1.3.0 [Renderer: Software CPU - AF: Off - MSAA: Off - Resolution: 1920 x 1080]
Test 4 of 4
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Time To Completion: 2 Minutes [22:05 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 22:04:12
Started Run 2 @ 22:04:40
Started Run 3 @ 22:05:09
Renderer: Software CPU - AF: Off - MSAA: Off - Resolution: 1920 x 1080:
28.2
28.2
28.3
Average: 28.2 Frames Per Second
Deviation: 0.20%
____________ Dell Precision
Processor
7-Zip Compression 25.00:
pts/compress-7zip-1.12.0
Test 1 of 1
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Time To Completion: 3 Minutes [00:56 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 00:54:15
Started Run 2 @ 00:55:14
Started Run 3 @ 00:56:11
Started Run 4 @ 00:57:06 *
Started Run 5 @ 00:58:01 *
Started Run 6 @ 00:58:56 *
Started Run 7 @ 00:59:51 *
Started Run 8 @ 01:00:46 *
Started Run 9 @ 01:01:41 *
Started Run 10 @ 01:02:36 *
Started Run 11 @ 01:03:31 *
Test: Compression Rating:
38201
39370
41349
41087
41134
41235
41426
41042
41219
41064
41051
Average: 40743 MIPS
Deviation: 2.48%
Samples: 11
Test: Decompression Rating:
30284
31180
32168
31859
32312
32059
32053
31746
32167
32448
31985
Average: 31842 MIPS
Deviation: 1.93%
Samples: 11
Memory
t-test1 2017-01-13:
pts/t-test1-1.0.1 [Threads: 1]
Test 1 of 2
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Test Run-Time: 3 Minutes
Estimated Time To Completion: 4 Minutes [01:33 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 01:30:30
Started Run 2 @ 01:31:19
Started Run 3 @ 01:32:08
Threads: 1:
45.247
44.861
44.941
Average: 45.016 Seconds
Deviation: 0.45%
t-test1 2017-01-13:
pts/t-test1-1.0.1 [Threads: 2]
Test 2 of 2
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Time To Completion: 1 Minute [01:33 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 01:33:03
Started Run 2 @ 01:33:21
Started Run 3 @ 01:33:38
Threads: 2:
13.276
13.293
13.298
Average: 13.289 Seconds
Deviation: 0.09%
Graphics
yquake2 8.10:
pts/yquake2-1.3.0 [Renderer: Software CPU - AF: On - MSAA: On - Resolution: 1920 x 1080]
Test 1 of 4
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Test Run-Time: 2 Minutes
Estimated Time To Completion: 6 Minutes [22:05 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 22:00:30
Started Run 2 @ 22:00:54
Started Run 3 @ 22:01:19
Renderer: Software CPU - AF: On - MSAA: On - Resolution: 1920 x 1080:
35.9
35.9
36
Average: 35.9 Frames Per Second
Deviation: 0.16%
yquake2 8.10:
pts/yquake2-1.3.0 [Renderer: Software CPU - AF: Off - MSAA: On - Resolution: 1920 x 1080]
Test 2 of 4
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Test Run-Time: 2 Minutes
Estimated Time To Completion: 4 Minutes [22:04 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 22:01:49
Started Run 2 @ 22:02:13
Started Run 3 @ 22:02:37
Renderer: Software CPU - AF: Off - MSAA: On - Resolution: 1920 x 1080:
35.6
36.2
35.9
Average: 35.9 Frames Per Second
Deviation: 0.84%
yquake2 8.10:
pts/yquake2-1.3.0 [Renderer: Software CPU - AF: On - MSAA: Off - Resolution: 1920 x 1080]
Test 3 of 4
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Test Run-Time: 2 Minutes
Estimated Time To Completion: 3 Minutes [22:05 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 22:03:08
Started Run 2 @ 22:03:36
Started Run 3 @ 22:04:02
Started Run 4 @ 22:04:27 *
Started Run 5 @ 22:04:51 *
Started Run 6 @ 22:05:15 *
Started Run 7 @ 22:05:39 *
Started Run 8 @ 22:06:03 *
Started Run 9 @ 22:06:27 *
Started Run 10 @ 22:06:52 *
Started Run 11 @ 22:07:16 *
Started Run 12 @ 22:07:40 *
Renderer: Software CPU - AF: On - MSAA: Off - Resolution: 1920 x 1080:
45.8
32.9
35.4
35.9
35.9
36.1
35.9
36
36
36
35
34.6
Average: 36.3 Frames Per Second
Deviation: 8.63%
Samples: 12
yquake2 8.10:
pts/yquake2-1.3.0 [Renderer: Software CPU - AF: Off - MSAA: Off - Resolution: 1920 x 1080]
Test 4 of 4
Estimated Trial Run Count: 3
Estimated Time To Completion: 2 Minutes [22:09 UTC]
Started Run 1 @ 22:08:12
Started Run 2 @ 22:08:36
Started Run 3 @ 22:09:00
Renderer: Software CPU - AF: Off - MSAA: Off - Resolution: 1920 x 1080:
36
35.6
36.2
Average: 35.9 Frames Per Second
Deviation: 0.85%
Sum up tests
Taking the last test results :
Dell DreamQuest Units
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Processor : 31842 10114 MIPS
Memory : 13289 10630 Seconds
Graphics : 35.9 28.2 Frames per second
Clearly the processor used in the DreamQuest has lower performances than the old Dell one, but the memory is clearly better in the DreamQuest, both for quantity and speed.
Also the graphic card in the Dell is more faster and in a way is expected, the DreamQuest has an embedded one, but anyway I'm not a gamer.
So ... hard to define how the system goes.
Only test wise the processor power is clearly better on the Dell, but running things on the two system shows different results, both for the more memory available and the memory speed.
So really it depends about the task used to determine the system performance.
Also the graphic card in the Dell is more faster and in a way is expected, the DreamQuest has an embedded one, but anyway I'm not a gamer.
So ... hard to define how the system goes.
Only test wise the processor power is clearly better on the Dell, but running things on the two system shows different results, both for the more memory available and the memory speed.
So really it depends about the task used to determine the system performance.
Conclusion
This little guy very probably will become my secondary machine, it is very nice, often fast enough, however sometime I experience some frozen time, not yet identified the cause.
It could be very easily Ubuntu, so one of these days I'll probably install on it Linux Mint to re-test the system in this way.
It could be very easily Ubuntu, so one of these days I'll probably install on it Linux Mint to re-test the system in this way.
So I'll wait a little bit more before to put the Dell in retirement, will look for other machines.
The little guy will be absolutely useful, also to start to put down (with this article) some kind of test/compare policy.
The little guy will be absolutely useful, also to start to put down (with this article) some kind of test/compare policy.
The system is clearly not better than my old Dell but I can't say the system is bad, not at all.
Is not a higher level system, it is not incredibly perfomant but enough for my every day use.
Also I will test it for specific tasks, like handling graphics for my 3D printer, so stay tuned, I'll update this article with more data in future.
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