|
ntel's also been a little more playful lately, and have upgraded the on-board graphics capabilities of the DG45ID as well. Intel's updated GMA X4500HD graphics now supports high-definition video acceleration, as well as better 2D and 3D graphics support and an HDMI output capable of carrying video and audio.
75% Rating: 
|
|
|
|
Home >
Reviews >
Motherboards >
Intel DG45ID |
|
|
High Definition Video via G45 Express
To get all this video processing power on to
big screen TVs and high-resolution monitors, the GMA X4500HD now supports HDMI
with audio, a feature that has been integrated onto the Intel DG45ID motherboard.
Using the G45 Express chipset, the DG45ID can output high-definition content
over its HDMI port at 720p, 1080i or 1080p resolutions, with support for HDCP as
long as its plugged into an appropriate display.
Let's be clear, the Intel G45 Express is an integrated
video chipset made with High Definition content playback in mind, not 3D gaming.
It handles better than the previous IGP generation of course, but is still
woefully underpowered for the majority of modern games. This is the very reason
the Intel G45 Express offers users a 2nd generation PCI Express x16 connection
for discrete videocards. Here's an overview of how the G45 Express
chipset stacks up against Intel's IGP offerings from the previous two
generations:
The Intel G45 northbridge is built on a 65nm die, while
the previous generation G35 and G33 chipsets were built on more power-hungry
90nm processes. The P45 and G45 chipsets are also the first core logic to be
paired with the Intel ICH10R southbridge.
Intel's G45 Express officially supports socket 775
processors from a front side bus of 800MHz to 1600 MHz inclusive. Memory support
has also been expanded - certain motherboards, like the Intel DG45ID being
reviewed today, can accommodate up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM at 667/800/1066MHz speeds,
which provides the kind of flexibility needed for overclocking.
Next PCSTATS will test the HD playback capabilities of
the Intel DG45ID and the G45 Express chipset.
 High Definition Content Playback -
HD |
Source:
AMD.com |
|
Playing high definition content on current generation PCs
can bog down even the fastest processors because there is more data to handle.
To test the integrated graphics processor's capabilities at HD content
accelerating capabilities, we played the High Definition video clip, "The
Discoverers" at 720P and 1080i from the hard drive while monitoring the
percentage of CPU utilization through Task Manager. Lower results are better.
Intel's GMA X4500HD
stays very competitive when playing back High Definition content off of a
hard-drive, off loading almost all of the workload to the IGP. Intel's worked
hard to increase the compatibility and codec support for the GMA series in the
past few months, and it looks like things are really starting to pay off.
 Blu-Ray High Definition Content Playback
Test | |
|
Blu-Ray High Definition content demands a lot of
PC processing resources during playback, if CPU load becomes too high that
can lead to jittery video quality or other artifacts. Many integrated
graphics processors now feature Blu-Ray and High Definition H.264, VC1 and
M-PEG2 content acceleration decoders to offload this processing from the
CPU, freeing up system resources for other tasks.
The PCSTATS Blu-Ray HD content playback test
scenario monitors average CPU utilization. It's simple and to the point.
The motherboard's integrated graphics processor is taxed in the same way
it would be in your home theatre environment, and average percent CPU
utilization monitored with Windows task manager. Lower CPU utilization
values are best, provided video playback remains smooth and stutter
free.
How PCSTATS Tests:
Each integrated graphics motherboard is connected
to an ASUS MK241
wide screen 1920x1200 (1080P) resolution LCD display with an HDMI cable.
The Blu-Ray movie "10,000 BC" (VC1
encrypted) is then played back from Chapter 22 on an ASUS
BC-1205PT Blu-ray combo drive, using WinDVD
Platinum software and the average fluctuation of CPU load
recorded.
(The ASUS MK241 supports HDMI-audio, so sound
quality is monitored on the speakers, if motherboard is able to output
HDMI-audio.) |
|
| Motherboard |
Core Logic IGP |
Blu-Ray
Playback
CPU Utilization |
Video
Playback
Quality |
 Intel DG45ID
(Intel G45) |
Intel GMA
X4500HD |
32% -
38% |
No
issues |
| Asus P5Q-EM
(Intel G45) |
Intel GMA X4500HD |
38% |
No issues |
| Biostar Tpower
N750 (nVidia nForce 750a) |
Nforce 750a |
18% - 20% |
No issues |
| Foxconn A7DA-S
(AMD 790GX) |
AMD HD3300 |
14% - 24% |
No
issues | |
While numbers for the DG45ID are a little faster than
what we're seeing versus the equivalent solutions from NVIDIA and AMD, all of
the platforms have been able to play back Blu-ray content without problems.
Before we delve into the performance benchmarks of the Intel DG45ID motherboard,
let's give it a more detailed examination...
|
RSS Newsletter
