They ran server tests on the desktop distro? They're using ATI? They installed the 32bit edition on a C2D? Given the date of the article ... they benchmarked against beta code at best. While some of the benchmarks are interesting and probably valid, these guys clearly do not know Linux very well.
I should have added ibtheacbitches to the post. Anyway, its a freakin RC, meaning all known bugs are gone. And it followed an obvious downward trend from the previous versions. Your last sentence is just silly fanboi conjecture.