Power consumption, sound testing and temperate analysis are musts for this platform.
Also, this is supposed to excel at running GPU accelerated flash content and some content in the explorer 9 beta. HTML5 as well.
Harder to do, you could convince those bums at Intel to cough up one of their lousy i5 APU's so AMD can trounce them in the video benchmarks. i always enjoy that.
Definitely temperatures, power consumption and noise. And hell, throw a 6990 on there and see how it works... totally defeating the purpose of the system
I'd like to know how it works as a fashion accessory. If you could mount it on a chain and wear it around for a day, that'd be great. Make sure to post lots of pictures.
I hop my Qs aren't dumb, I'm sort of out of the loop tech wise but if I were considering a purchase:
Noise is important for a living room, is the fan loud?
How is the sound given that we can't install an add-on sound card?
Does it make for a viable linux htpc?
Does it play nice with Bluray sans x16 gpu?
How is the sound given that we can't install an add-on sound card?
Does it make for a viable linux htpc?
Does it play nice with Bluray sans x16 gpu?
I can answer these for you:
1) The onboard GPU supports DTS TrueHD and DTS Master Audio bitstreaming over HDMI, so it can't get any better than that if you're using it for an HTPC.
2) Certainly, but I'd actually recommend Windows + Boxee/Myth/XBMC for DXVA, as VDPAU is only supported by NVIDIA. You lose the GPU acceleration with Linux, basically.
3) Yes. The on-die GPU uses AMD's UVD 3 decoder, which uses the GPU to handle nearly 100% of the decode duty for: XViD, DiVX, H.264, MPEG2 and VC-1. You'd be hard-pressed to find a common codec that isn't accelerated by the AMD E-350's on-die GPU. It's no slouch for an HTPC.
Methinks you are mistaken about hardware acceleration and Linux Thrax. My HTPC is running a Radeon 5450 and my laptop is running a Radeon 5850 mobile. I just checked and the Hardware Acceleration option for Flash is available on both, just played a 1080p YouTube video and it played back at < 30% CPU usage.
Harder to do, you could convince those bums at Intel to cough up one of their lousy i5 APU's so AMD can trounce them in the video benchmarks. i always enjoy that.
If you're referring to a Sandy Bridge i5, I have an i5 2500K and an i7 2600K for testing.
Of course, Intel didn't send them...had to buy 'em myself (worth it though). I have some Sandy Bridge boards for review that needed CPUs. Just waiting on the B3 replacements to do benchmarking.
Definitely temperatures, power consumption and noise. And hell, throw a 6990 on there and see how it works... totally defeating the purpose of the system
While I don't have a 6990, I do have a first-run 6950 (read: 6970 in disguise). This is part of the plan. I fully expect to find the limits of the PCIe slot here: the slot is physically x16, but it's only wired for x4.
I'd like to know how it works as a fashion accessory. If you could mount it on a chain and wear it around for a day, that'd be great. Make sure to post lots of pictures.
While I don't have a 6990, I do have a first-run 6950 (read: 6970 in disguise). This is part of the plan. I fully expect to find the limits of the PCIe slot here: the slot is physically x16, but it's only wired for x4.
I don't think there is any value in this. This is not meant to be a high end gaming platform, and everyone knows it. It is for HTPC, and mobile computing applications. Yes we want to know when that integrated GPU hits the wall. I've seen it play source titles great, I have seen it play some DX10 content at playable frame-rates at 720P. Its remarkable really for how little power is being drawn. Adding a dedicated GPU defeats the whole purpose of the platform, which is to remove the bottleneck that the bus causes. If someone requires the most discrete GPU power for high end games, they would consider another platform altogether.
I don't think there is any value in this. This is not meant to be a high end gaming platform, and everyone knows it. It is for HTPC, and mobile computing applications. Yes we want to know when that integrated GPU hits the wall. I've seen it play source titles great, I have seen it play some DX10 content at playable frame-rates at 720P. Its remarkable really for how little power is being drawn. Adding a dedicated GPU defeats the whole purpose of the platform, which is to remove the bottleneck that the bus causes. If someone requires the most discrete GPU power for high end games, they would consider another platform altogether.
Yes, but you know someone is going to want to do it. I have the capability to test it, so why not? Remember, not everyone sees value the same way you do. That's why Intel is still around
Methinks you are mistaken about hardware acceleration and Linux Thrax. My HTPC is running a Radeon 5450 and my laptop is running a Radeon 5850 mobile. I just checked and the Hardware Acceleration option for Flash is available on both, just played a 1080p YouTube video and it played back at < 30% CPU usage.
Yes, but you know someone is going to want to do it. I have the capability to test it, so why not? Remember, not everyone sees value the same way you do. That's why Intel is still around
Would Car and Driver magazine test a Chevy Cobalt with a trubo charger?
If it's an option. I have a friend that put a turbo on his Tercel. Your point?
It ignores the entire purpose of the platform. Its just not built for that. Just because you can does not mean you should.
Slapping a high end graphics card on it, and saying, look how bottlenecked it is, well its just going to confuse some of your less educated readers as to what the value of the platform is. I'll know, you will know, most people here will but to a passerby the maybe is just learning hardware, your going to loose him in a benchmark that has no pertinent value to the platform. This platform was not developed to couple with high end discrete graphics cards, its just not intended to fill that market segment.
I'd rather you take that time and energy throwing everything you can at the APU, that is the real star of this package.
It ignores the entire purpose of the platform. Its just not built for that. Just because you can does not mean you should.
Slapping a high end graphics card on it, and saying, look how bottlenecked it is, well its just going to confuse some of your less educated readers as to what the value of the platform is. I'll know, you will know, most people here will but to a passerby the maybe is just learning hardware, your going to loose him in a benchmark that has no pertinent value to the platform. This platform was not developed to couple with high end discrete graphics cards, its just not intended to fill that market segment.
I'd rather you take that time and energy throwing everything you can at the APU, that is the real star of this package.
Don't put a slot on there if you don't intend for it to be filled.
It ignores the entire purpose of the platform. Its just not built for that. Just because you can does not mean you should.
Slapping a high end graphics card on it, and saying, look how bottlenecked it is, well its just going to confuse some of your less educated readers as to what the value of the platform is. I'll know, you will know, most people here will but to a passerby the maybe is just learning hardware, your going to loose him in a benchmark that has no pertinent value to the platform. This platform was not developed to couple with high end discrete graphics cards, its just not intended to fill that market segment.
I'd rather you take that time and energy throwing everything you can at the APU, that is the real star of this package.
I understand what you're getting at, but I disagree. It's something I've been asked by a community member to investigate. I'm curious as to what happens as well. It's getting done. Besides, it's not like I'm going to make it sound like this is some high-end replacement system. Anyone who pulls that recommendation out is putting words in my mouth...unless the results indicate its suitability as a high-end system. Then I'd say something.
There's other hardware acceleration options besides VDPAU. Since VDPAU is an Nvidia technology (like PhysX) of course Radeon wouldn't support it. It still does hardware acceleration though.
mertesn
I am Bobby MillerYukon, OK Icrontian
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Also, this is supposed to excel at running GPU accelerated flash content and some content in the explorer 9 beta. HTML5 as well.
Harder to do, you could convince those bums at Intel to cough up one of their lousy i5 APU's so AMD can trounce them in the video benchmarks. i always enjoy that.
Can you smoothly play a flash game like Bloons TD? It lags like crazy on an Atom/IGP netbook.
How well does it do on some of the experimental HTML5/CSS pages run on Chrome 11?
How does it handle 720p or 1080p DiVX/XViD or H.264?
Noise is important for a living room, is the fan loud?
How is the sound given that we can't install an add-on sound card?
Does it make for a viable linux htpc?
Does it play nice with Bluray sans x16 gpu?
I can answer these for you:
1) The onboard GPU supports DTS TrueHD and DTS Master Audio bitstreaming over HDMI, so it can't get any better than that if you're using it for an HTPC.
2) Certainly, but I'd actually recommend Windows + Boxee/Myth/XBMC for DXVA, as VDPAU is only supported by NVIDIA. You lose the GPU acceleration with Linux, basically.
3) Yes. The on-die GPU uses AMD's UVD 3 decoder, which uses the GPU to handle nearly 100% of the decode duty for: XViD, DiVX, H.264, MPEG2 and VC-1. You'd be hard-pressed to find a common codec that isn't accelerated by the AMD E-350's on-die GPU. It's no slouch for an HTPC.
Of course, Intel didn't send them...had to buy 'em myself (worth it though). I have some Sandy Bridge boards for review that needed CPUs. Just waiting on the B3 replacements to do benchmarking.
I don't think there is any value in this. This is not meant to be a high end gaming platform, and everyone knows it. It is for HTPC, and mobile computing applications. Yes we want to know when that integrated GPU hits the wall. I've seen it play source titles great, I have seen it play some DX10 content at playable frame-rates at 720P. Its remarkable really for how little power is being drawn. Adding a dedicated GPU defeats the whole purpose of the platform, which is to remove the bottleneck that the bus causes. If someone requires the most discrete GPU power for high end games, they would consider another platform altogether.
That is not VDPAU. I am not mistaken.
Would Car and Driver magazine test a Chevy Cobalt with a trubo charger?
It ignores the entire purpose of the platform. Its just not built for that. Just because you can does not mean you should.
Slapping a high end graphics card on it, and saying, look how bottlenecked it is, well its just going to confuse some of your less educated readers as to what the value of the platform is. I'll know, you will know, most people here will but to a passerby the maybe is just learning hardware, your going to loose him in a benchmark that has no pertinent value to the platform. This platform was not developed to couple with high end discrete graphics cards, its just not intended to fill that market segment.
I'd rather you take that time and energy throwing everything you can at the APU, that is the real star of this package.
Don't put a slot on there if you don't intend for it to be filled.
There's other hardware acceleration options besides VDPAU. Since VDPAU is an Nvidia technology (like PhysX) of course Radeon wouldn't support it. It still does hardware acceleration though.
ed: Will it run crysis?
I saw what you did here ^ & there V.