Conclusion - Very Fast On-board Graphics With HD Video Support
AMD's 780G is an improvement in every way over its predecessor, the 690G, offering better graphics performance, lower power consumption and greater functionality.
The 780G chipset will also facilitate smaller HTPC and multimedia systems. Since it obviates the need for a separate graphics card for HD playback, power consumption is reduced immensely, and cost can be kept low. Thanks to the integrated hardware acceleration for video, much less CPU power is required to play back HD-DVDs and Blu-ray discs. This, in turn, means less heat dissipation on the part of the CPU, enabling silent systems. The 780G chipset holds the new record for the lowest power consumption.
The integrated graphics solution, which is also the first dual-display capable representative of its kind, offers very good performance, and the new Hybrid CrossFire feature adds a noticeable performance boost.
Another look at the Gigabyte test sample
The GPU is surprisingly overclockable with all of the settings comfortably available in the BIOS, and performance improves tangibly when the integrated graphics core is overclocked. AMD has succeeded in improving every feature of the chipset, integrating new functionality and simultaneously lowering power consumption. We wish every company were capable of such feats.
Rival Intel is put to shame by AMD's chipset in every single one of these categories. And although Nvidia recently released a similar product with the GeForce 8200 mGPU, we have yet to receive a review sample.
