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| AMD' 690G vs Intel's 965G Revolte of the Integrated Graphics | |
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(Joe Freund, September 4, 2007) |
Final Words
Current pricing from a major internet vendor places the M2A-VM HDMI + X2 5600+ combo at $225, while the P5B-VM + E6420 pairing weighs in at $296. With the stock coolers on both processors, noise was negligible and CPU temps were never a concern. What did get hot were the chipset heatsinks on both motherboards. The stock chipset heatsinks on both boards do not conform to the standards seen on most full-sized motherboards, so replacement cooling is not easy to accomplish. Neither system exhibited stability problems (even during overnight loops of 3DMark), but adequate case ventilation is definitely recommended.
Each chipset shows the lineage of its integrated graphics. AMD’s solution is clearly a scaled-down version of their dedicated graphics chips, while Intel’s offering starts from a point of minimum functionality and adds features from there. Both are completely sufficient for a standard office PC or for Grandma’s email system, even if Windows Vista is involved. When more demanding tasks are attempted, however, AMD’s 690G more than edges out the Intel G965. Neither comes close to what a discrete video card could achieve, but a casual gamer on a tight budget or an HTPC user could get by with the 690G at least until the funds for a better card are available. The 3D and video acceleration features of the Intel G965 feel more like a marketing afterthought.
Ed. Note
Survival does not always depend on who wins the most benchmarks in the high end sector, where Intel is the undisputed leader at this point. The bread and butter systems that are making the largest volume in the desktop sector are the fiduciary high-lights, they are the ones that are paying the bills and that are keeping the lights on. Arguably, AMD is currently in rather troubled waters but things can change in a heartbeat regardless of how much value is assigned to the resignation of Dave Orton and Rick Hegberg. At least in the budget sector, AMD systems have a lot to offer and that can be used to buy time until the next performance surprise is ready to be released. How much time? Nothing lasts forever, the pressure is on and the next few months will be a turning point, one way or the other.
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