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| AMD' 690G vs Intel's 965G Revolte of the Integrated Graphics | |
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(Joe Freund, September 4, 2007) |
DVD Performance
The 690G incorporates AMD’s AVIVO video processing, while the G965 features Intel’s Clear Video technology. Both should aid in the decoding, deinterlacing, and scaling of the 480i (NTSC) DVD video content to play on a monitor or HDTV. Poor video processing will result in image defects, while superior processing can challenge the viewer’s belief that the source is mere 480i.
The Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark (hqv.com) is a torture test for DVD playback with clips and test patterns designed to expose weaknesses in the chain of processing that takes video from disc to screen. Each test is assigned a number of points and the points are added for the total score. A perfect score is 130.
Both platforms were tested with Zoom Player 4.51 configured to use the PureVideo software DVD decoder, and with PowerDVD 7 with the image output to the SyncMaster 173T LCD monitor. The 690G-based M2A-VM HDMI was also tested over HDMI with the Hitachi 57F59A HDTV with the resolution set at 720P (1280x720). The M2A-VM HDMI did not work with an Onkyo TX-SR674 receiver. With the receiver connected between the M2A-VM HDMI and the HDTV, no video was displayed onscreen. Since the M2A-VM HDMI sent an HDMI signal correctly when connected directly to the TV, the motherboard itself seems not to be at fault. Blame consumer electronics manufactures for not ironing the bugs out of HDMI before releasing it on the pubic.
On the AMD 690G platform, the “Pulldown Detection” in the Catalyst Control Center was enabled. Zoomplayer was configured on both platforms to use PureVideo for video processing. The video configuration screen for PowerDVD on both platforms is shown below.
HQV Results
One word can sum up the shortcomings of both platforms: jaggies. Jaggies result from poor deinterlacing and processing and manifest most frequently on angled lines that show a stair-step pattern, similar to a low-res game with no antialiasing. None of the hardware/software combinations was able to eliminate jaggies from the test patterns or the waving flag. The strength of the 690G/PureVideo combination is that it was able to produce a smooth image in the cadence tests.
HQV scores: higher is better. As mentioned above, 130 is the top score. A score of 90 is not too bad and the AMD platform reaches this using ZoomPlayer. Shown results were all achieved using LCD display, with the CRT rear projection HDTV, the results were essentially the same.
The CRT rear projection HDTV produced similar results to the LCD monitor with the advantage of being slightly less noisy with PowerDVD. Bottom line: AMD has better hardware for DVD playback, but the software is just as important.
Intel’s DVD Playback Under Vista
After the article was posted, we got some feedback from Intel regarding the HQV benchmark scores. It seems that they have gotten substantially better results in HQV using Zoom Player under Vista than we achieved under Windows XP. Time for more testing.
We were unable to duplicate Intel’s results running HQV through Zoom Player under Vista. In fact, Zoom Player looked absolutely terrible. Reinstalling Zoom Player, reinstalling the nVidia PureVideo decoders, configuring Zoom Player to use Cyberlink video decoders, and switching DVD drives all did nothing to help the results.
On the other hand, once we established that Zoom Player was a bust in this case, we gave it a shot using PowerDVD 7.
Amazing.
PowerDVD 7 gave us an HQV score of 115 out of 130. The jaggies that had plagued the Intel G965 (and, to a lesser extent, the AMD690G) under Windows XP were gone. Not reduced, not lessened – totally eliminated. The only deductions were 5 points each on the noise reduction and motion adaptive noise reduction tests (quite likely the result of using an LCD monitor), and a further 5 points on the very last test where vertical text running over the image ran slightly jerky instead of perfectly smooth.
Apparently Intel is focusing their graphics driver development more toward Vista than XP. The poor results with Zoom Player and Vista are most likely due to some software configuration glitch. The results with PowerDVD (which on XP were less than impressive on both the Intel and AMD platforms) clearly show that the G965 integrated graphics can deliver stellar DVD playback. The remaining limitation is the lack of DVI or HDMI video output. Add a digital connection for the video signal, and the G965 would likely find its way into many an HTPC.
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