It only makes it superior in a cost sense. I know cost is a huge factor, but from a purely technical stand point, it kind of like comparing the color of the block.
Funny, I saw that same article today. It also has an aftermarket TB, Fast management and no accessories. Not really a very good example.
I did find a guy that was complaining that his 5.3 only made 230-240 rwhp on a dyno, though. That seems more like a real world example. And the example I was thinking of was a factory rating which meant no headers.
And I think your 500 hp rating is a little low for the factory hemi shortblock.