Test Setup And Benchmark Configuration
| Test System Configuration | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | VIA Nano U1700 1.0 GHz 1MB L2 Cache 200 MHz QDR FSB (FSB-800) | Intel Atom 330 1.60 GHz 1MB L2 Cache 133 MHz QDR FSB (FSB-533) | Intel Celeron 430 1.80 GHz 512KB L2 Cache 200 MHz QDR FSB (FSB-800) |
| CPU Cooler | Shuttle CPU/Chipset Passive Sink | Shuttle Proprietary Coolers | Intel Retail Boxed Cooler |
| Motherboard | Shuttle FM23, BIOS (05/25/2009) VIA VX800 Chipset | Shuttle SFM27, BIOS 11/04/2008 Intel 945GC/ICH7 Chipset | ECS G45T-M2, BIOS 08/29/2008 Intel G45/ICH10R Chipset |
| Graphics | Via Chrome9 HC3 IGP 166 MHz, 256MB Shared Memory | Intel GMA 950 IGP 400 MHz, 224MB Shared Memory | Intel GMA X4500HD IGP 800 MHz, 256MB Shared Memory |
| RAM | PNY 2GB DDR2-667 at DDR2-667 CAS 5-5-5-15 | PNY 2GB DDR2-667 at DDR2-533 CAS 4-4-4-12 | PNY 2GB DDR2-667 at DDR2-667 CAS 5-5-5-15 |
| Hard Drive | Seagate Momentus 7200.2 160GB: 7200 RPM, 8.0 MB Cache | ||
| Sound | Integrated HD Audio | ||
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking | ||
| Power | Shuttle internal 12V to ATX, Seasonic external 100-240V to 12V/5A | Corsair CMPSU-850HX EPS12V, 80-Plus Gold | |
| Optical | Opticarc BD ROM BC-5500S | ||
| Software | |||
| OS | Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit SP1 | ||
| Graphics | VIA 21.09.01L | Intel GMA 15.8.3.1504 | Intel GMA 15.9.9.1527 |
| Chipset | VIA HyperionPro 5.24A | Intel INF 9.0.0.1008 | Intel INF 9.0.0.1009 |
VIA’s Nano processor might be 64-bit capable, but Windows Vista x64 requires a hotfix to operate with it. Since that hotfix has not been rolled into a service pack and integrated into a DVD, users would be forced to slipstream it to their installation DVD prior to installation. This might not be a problem for Windows 7 users, but our benchmarks have not been updated to run under this yet-to-be-released OS. Thus, all systems were tested using Vista x86 and a few of our benchmarks were rolled back to the 32-bit version.
We tried to keep the performance-per-watt comparison as fair as possible by carrying over most parts, though the power supply used by the Nano and Atom didn’t have an ATX12V output required for the microATX platform. A further search of our labs revealed no high-efficiency low-power units.
Normally this would be a problem, since power supply efficiency often drops significantly at anything below 20% of its rated capacity. The 80 PLUS Gold rating of Corsair’s CMPSU-850HX, along with its highly-favorable certification charts, gave us hope, and further testing proved this enormous unit capable of delivering superior efficiency compared to any of our previous-generation, lower-capacity units.
| Benchmark Configuration | |
|---|---|
| Adobe Photoshop CS3 | Version: 10.0x20070321 Filtering 69MB TIF Photo Benchmark: Tom's Guide-Benchmark V1.0.0.4 |
| AVG Antivirus | Version 8.5 build 287, Virus Database 2094 Scanning 334MB folder of compressed files |
| TMPGEnc 4.0 Express | Version 4.6.3.268 5 Minutes Terminator II SE DVD to MPG4 |
| DivX 7 | Codec Version: 6.8.5: Insane Quality, Enhanced Multi-Threading, SSE4, Quarter Pixel Search |
| Xvid 1.2.1 | Version 1.2.1-04122008 Display encoding status = off |
| WinRAR | Release version 3.80 Recompressing 334MB folder of compressed files |
| WinZip 12 | Version 12.0 Pro (8252), best compression 334MB folder of compressed files WinZip Command Line version 3.0 |
| Synthetics | |
| PCMark Vantage | Version 1.0.0.0 (32-bit) |
| Sandra 2009 | Version 2009.4.15.92 |
Our hopes for a test of true office applications were dashed when we found the VIA Nano platform unable to complete any version of SYSMark. Its graphics driver was most troublesome, appearing incompatible with one of SYSMark 2007 Preview’s video encoding tests, while SYSMark 2004 SE threw fits under Windows Vista x86.