Preview: VIA VN1000 And Nano DC Platform: An IGP With Game?
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Page 1:A New Player In The Desktop Game?
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Page 2:VIA’s Preview Platform
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Page 3:Competing Platforms
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Page 4:Test Settings
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Page 5:Benchmark Results: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
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Page 6:Benchmark Results: Crysis
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Page 7:Benchmark Results: DiRT 2
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Page 8:Benchmark Results: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat
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Page 9:Benchmark Results: Audio And Video Encoding
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Page 10:Benchmark Results: Productivity
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Page 11:Benchmark Results: Synthetics
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Page 12:Media Playback And Performance Scaling
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Page 13:Energy And Efficiency
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Page 14:Conclusion
Benchmark Results: Crysis
We’re big fans of visual quality, so missing details in the image above were somewhat of a shock to us. Then again, Crysis only exists as a benchmark for most users, having been abandoned by many gamers in favor of more modern first-person shooters.
None of the integrated solutions are able to play Crysis, even at 800x600 (let alone the 1280x720 target we set for “casual” gaming on a home theater display). A lack of playability diminishes the ION 2’s win.
The ION 2 stays in the lead through our highest unplayable resolution.
Summary
- A New Player In The Desktop Game?
- VIA’s Preview Platform
- Competing Platforms
- Test Settings
- Benchmark Results: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Benchmark Results: Crysis
- Benchmark Results: DiRT 2
- Benchmark Results: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat
- Benchmark Results: Audio And Video Encoding
- Benchmark Results: Productivity
- Benchmark Results: Synthetics
- Media Playback And Performance Scaling
- Energy And Efficiency
- Conclusion
nVidia was late to market with GTX460, but given it's price point a lot of pressure was put on ATI.
Technology seems to be the one thing in which the underdog third-party can't seem to do better. =[
nVidia was late to market with GTX460, but given it's price point a lot of pressure was put on ATI.
However, when the new shrunken processor arrives, I think Tom's should also include netbook-like tests. These low-energy platforms aren't meant to encode videos or apply 100 photoshop filters to a terabyte tiff. The atom was specifically built to reduce cpu overhead (it doesn't even have out-of-order execution). Maybe toss in a ulv i3 if you can scrounge one up. So ya, I'll be waiting.
Pretty decent low end performance... if the drivers were up to the task. But they're not.
The shipping product needs to be rock solid if Via wants to overcome the suspicion.
5 bucks cheaper but doesn't work... is not the way.
Yet rather than brag about what could be a performance leader in the low-energy class, VIA calls this a "mainstream desktop" solution. I think they need to rethink the marketing on this.
The thing i would look for was movie playback and in that arena it's not exactly a show stopper. With that platform i'd be most concerned with if it can play full 1080p movies and flash particularly flash playback. then i'd look into power consumption etc.
Really these low power solutions are meant for cheap media playback or cheap workstation solution.