Intel or Nvida? You decide. An upcoming Sony notebook will be one of the first to have the capability to switch between Intel Centrino 2 and Nvidia graphics.
Sony Z series
(Credit: Sony)Intel's new Centrino 2 technology features what the chipmaker calls "switchable graphics" to save power. When the laptop is plugged in, it uses the higher-performance--and more power-hungry--Nvidia or AMD-ATI graphics. On battery, the system runs on Intel's 4500 series integrated graphics, which uses less power.
Sony lists the graphics system as "Hybrid Graphics" with a "Dedicated Hybrid GPU Switch" based on the Nvidia 9300M GS graphics chip and Intel 4500MHD integrated graphics silicon. What makes this unique is that the switch can be done on the fly.
The 13-inch Sony Vaio Z570, due later this summer in retail, will use an Intel P9500 (2.53GHz) processor that has a power envelope of only 25 watts compared with the 35 watts for mainstream Intel mobile processors on the market today. Other P series low-power Centrino 2 processors include the P8400 and P8600. These will both be offered in Hewlett-Packard's EliteBook 6930p, for example.
The Z570 also comes with 3GB of DDR3 memory, a 13.1-inch (1366 x 768) screen, a 320GB hard disk drive, an optical drive, built-in mobile broadband high-speed EVDO WAN, and 802.11a/b/g/n wireless.
The Z570 weighs 3.3 pounds--putting it into ultra-light notebook territory--and is between 1.0 and 1.3 inches thick.
One reseller also lists a Vaio Z591 that has similar specifications but adds 4GB of memory and a "BluRay Combo DVD±RW Optical Drive."
Though pricing may ultimately change, a reseller lists the Z570 at $2,249 and the Z591 at $3,399.
Inexpensive circuit boards can work reliably with the fastest AMD quad-core Phenom processors when modifications are made, according to a report. This comes in the wake of mismatch issues between Phenom chips and select motherboards, as reported by Asia-based vendors.
Gigabyte AMD 780G-based motherboard
(Credit: Gigabyte)The mismatch between high-end Phenom processors and lower-end motherboards became an issue when some Asia-based manufacturers attempted to plug in 9750 and 9850 Phenom processors into boards based on AMD's 780G chipset. The chipset is attractive to board makers because of its relatively high-performance integrated graphics. (A motherboard is the main circuit board in a PC.)
On Monday, AMD spokesman Jake Whitman said this to CNET's nanotech: the circuit's blog: "What people have done, mistakenly, is paired a 780G (chipset-based) motherboard with the higher frequency Phenom--the 125-watt Phenom."
AMD recommends using a higher-end 790 chipset-based motherboard.
Because of the higher thermal envelope of 125-watt Phenom chips, heat can cause stability issues on less-expensive motherboards, according to a report at tech Web site AnandTech. One of the problems is that some of the less-expensive boards claim support for 125-watt chips.
Against this backdrop, AnandTech demonstrated that motherboards with the 780G chipset will work reliably--with some modifications.
Boards were tested from Gigabyte, Jetway (PDF), ASRock, and Biostar. The tested boards from all four companies support the 125W processors.
"Each and every manufacturer, along with AMD, agreed that cooling the MOSFETS properly was critical to the successful operation of the board at stock or overclocked speeds with the 9850BE--and to some degree, the 6400+ X2," AnandTech said.
(A MOSFET, or metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, handles voltage regulation on the motherboard.)
"This is based on the board manufacturer utilizing a properly developed power delivery system that is designed to handle the 125W TDP processors and in the future, the upcoming 140W TDP Phenoms."
AnandTech said it got around the problem by installing a second fan or a modified heatsink. "We installed a secondary 120mm fan that provided enough airflow over the board to ensure stable operation under our load scenarios."
It appears that Intel still has some work to do in getting its act together on PC graphics.
New drivers for the company's 965GM chipset, found in many notebooks and midrange desktops, still don't deliver the uniform performance increases promised earlier this year, according to testing by CNET Labs. My colleague Julie Rivera benchmarked three games on a PC with both the older drivers and the newer ones, and concluded that while some improvements could be detected, the new drivers don't do nearly enough to improve performance across multiple games.
This graphic may come in clearly, but Intel's 3D graphics performance isn't quite up to snuff.
(Credit: Intel)Integrated graphics are the budget-friendly way of getting 3D images displayed on your PC. They are built into the processor's chipset, which saves a ton of money for both the PC builder and the end customer compared with powerful but expensive discrete graphics cards from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices. Serious gamers tend to buy more powerful configurations, or build their own systems, but casual gamers intrigued by popular titles like Quake or F.E.A.R. might not realize they need the extra performance.
So last year, Intel decided it was going to make a leap in the 3D graphics performance to make popular games more enjoyable on low-cost hardware. The 965 started shipping last September, but for some reason it took Intel nearly a year to write the drivers needed to unlock that performance, finally releasing them in August.
According to the tests, it wasn't enough. F.E.A.R. did see a noticeable boost in performance with the new drivers, but Quake 4 performance was about the same compared with the older driver. And Company of Heroes was well below the expected performance of such a game, even when Rivera used the settings recommended by Intel.
Better graphics are definitely on Intel's radar these days, but it could be awhile before the greater emphasis turns into products. Many Intel-based PCs on sale right now use an updated chipset with better graphics performance, but if you want to play 3D games--even just now and then--it's probably best to suck it up and buy the more expensive configuration with a discrete graphics card. CNET Reviews can help you choose which one suits your needs.
Owners of PCs with Intel's 965 chipsets can finally download drivers that will immediately improve the performance of games running on those systems.
The 965 chipsets were supposed to be a dramatic step forward for integrated graphics performance. Most PCs come with graphics technology built right onto the chipset that connects the processor to memory and the rest of a PC. Serious gamers opt for discrete graphics made by Nvidia or AMD's ATI division, but most people save a little money and get the basic graphics.
Intel wanted to make an integrated graphics chipset with more powerful graphics performance that would allow basic PC users to play some of the latest and greatest 3D games when it shipped the 965. But it has been unable to write the drivers needed to enable that performance until now.
Windows XP drivers are available here, but if you're on a Vista PC with Intel's 965 chipset, you'll have to wait a little longer. Intel put together a video here that shows the improved performance of PCs with the new drivers.
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