Netbookist: Netbook Games, Tweaks, Challenges » processors

Netbook processor performance, an overview

Corporal — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:52:01 +0000

Fusion: the anathema of an Atom

In the realm of netbook processors, the more GHz does not imply more power. Just think of it this way: a dual-core AMD E-350 running at 1.6GHz can beat the top-of-the-line (as of now) Intel Atom N570, which is also dual-core, and on the surface, faster than the E-350 because of an extra 0.06GHz. Not at all – in fact, the performance of the E-350 outstrips the N570 by a long shot.

Below will list various processors and their processing power. The following list ranks from the most powerful to the weakest,

AMD E-series processors (dual-core)
AMD C-series processors (dual-core)
Intel Dxx processors (dual-core)
Intel N5xx processors (dual-core)
Intel N4xx processors (except N-435)
Intel N2xx processors
Intel N435 processor

However, the major difference between the Atoms and the AMD processors is that the latter has discrete graphics by default. All AMD processors come with a HD-capable Radeon graphics processor, which guarantees you smoothness when playing HD-videos on a 1920×1080 external monitor.

On the other hand, Intel N-series processors, for now, are still plagued with the extremely weak Intel GMA integrated graphics which is pretty decent for sub-HD videos, but once you try 720p and above, it is tested to its limit. While the N570 can render 720p quite well, the single-core N4xx or N2xx struggle to play HD movies well.

If you want powerful graphics while on a N-series processor, you’ll need to get a netbook with Nvidia ION on it. Nvidia ION is a discrete graphics processor supplanted on the integrated Intel GMA which will allow you to switch between power-saving internal graphics and the 1080p-capable Nvidia ION. Do note that Nvidia ION 2 has an eight-core version that comes in netbooks while 16-core versions are only available on nettops or other, larger (generally =>11.6″) netbooks.

The best processors are generally the E-series netbook, which generally are borderline notebooks. In fact, in North America, certain manufacturers make full-size notebooks with these processors which you can get for around $350. The latest AMD E-450 promises to be better and still be energy efficient while being capable of playing hardcore games such as Battlefield Bad Company 2 on low settings.

Battery life is generally best on the Atom.

E-450, Atom N2800, N570 benchmarked.

Corporal — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:20:57 +0000

The latest benchmark shows what’s to come in the future. Both the Atom and Fusion line are being upgraded and just like all upgrades, both will feature improvements in processing power

AMD’s next-gen Fusion line will feature the C-60, E-300 and E-450 processors while the next line of Atoms will be codenamed Cedar Trail, with the fastest of them being the N2800, clocking in speeds of 1.86GHz, dual-core, 1MB cache, hyperthreading and with a better graphics chip that is now DirectX 10.1 compatible and HD-output ready – a critical difference if you compared today’s Pine Trail Atoms to the upcoming Cedar Trail Atoms.

According to Blogeee.com, they made three benchmarks as follows,

Test results

For a person seeking performance, the answer is clear. AMD still triumphs as the king of the netbook processors, although its most likely that the E-450 chip will end up in larger netbooks (11″ and above), as per historical trends. It is unfortunate that the C-60 chip was not benchmarked, as this chip will likely be the one which ends up in smaller netbooks.

One critical flaw with the Atoms is that they cannot match up with AMD’s chips in terms of performance. While the N2800 might put up a good fight with the C-50/C-60, it still lacks the graphics processing power that all AMD chips have, and the only way to beef up the graphics processing power of an Intel chip is to buy one with ION in it. That said, ION 3 is in the works and might prove to be something even more powerful.

The key attraction to having an Atom processor has to lie in the fact that you can get extremely long battery life. With a TDP of 6.5W, it promises to be one of the most energy efficient processors out there, as compared to the 9.0W C-50/C-60s or the 18W E-350/E-450.

AMD Zacate E-450, the successor to the current E-350

Corporal — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:23:30 +0000

Fusion: the anathema of an Atom

According to NetbookSpain, the new AMD E-450, which will be the successor of the current E-350, will be beefed up to make it faster and more powerful in handling process and graphics-heavy programs. They confirm that it will come with a AMD Radeon HD 6320M graphics chip, and a bit faster speed-wise, matching up with an Atom N570 at 1.66Ghz and being dual core. The chipset will support faster memory too.

The Radeon 6320M that comes with it has 80 pipelines, like the current 6310M, but it also has Turbo Core, which can overclock the core’s frequency from 500mhz to 600mhz on demand. Regarding the CPU, there will be a small increase in speed, 1MB cache and a TDP of 18W. You can run DDR3 1333mhz RAM on it.

From what it seems, the E-450 is not really a big change, but it does update the E-series to a point where it can do a little bit more, and handle graphics a little better. But with a TDP of 18W, it does seem that you’ll need a larger battery and if you don’t have a proportionally larger battery, you’re netbook isn’t going to win any battery life awards. No matter, because it will probably be offered on 11.6″ netbooks, which generally have more similarities to notebooks than netbooks.

With the Radeon HD chip, you can be ensured of the ability to playback intensive HD movies and play more games, though the bottleneck would then lie in the processor, and then the RAM capacity. Probably the most important thing here is that you might inch that much closer to being able to play GTAIV and Half-Life II – basically, games classified with the poorest compatibility in Good Games.

Source: NetbookSpain.com