AMD have announced a new version of embedded graphics chipsets, with more than triple the 3D performance of their earlier offerings. The ATI Radeon E4690 bundles a second-generation AMD Unified Video Decoder for hardware acceleration of HD video with 512MB of graphics memory and support for DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.0.
Hot on the heels of ASUS’ new Eee Box nettops comes rival MSI’s new Wind Box DE200. Sporting a new tapered design that reminds me of a Cylon’s helmet, the Wind Box DE200 pairs Intel’s Atom 230 1.6GHz processor with an ATI Radeon HD 4350 GPU and HDMI output.
Two new ASUS Eee Box nettops are in the works, according to listings on the Energy Star website. The ASUS Eee Box EB1002 and Eee Box EB1006 both use Intel’s Atom 1.66GHz processor, with the former having integrated graphics and the latter an unspecified discrete video card with 128MB of memory.
ASUS’ Eee PC 1000HV has been benchmarked, putting its discrete ATI Radeon HD 3450 graphics to the test. Based on the same Intel Atom N280 1.66GHz processor as the 1000HE, the 1000HV uses its graphical grunt well: it racks up a CrystalMark R3 score of 37,430 versus the 1000HE’s 28,923.
Benchmark breakdown after the cut
Apple are advertising for a low level iPhone programmer with aptitude in ARM processors and NEON vector units. The job listing suggests that the next-gen iPhone will use an ARMv7 Cortex processor rather than the ARMv6 processor as in the iPhone 3G and iPod touch, as NEON is the extended multimedia acceleration instruction set associated with the newer, faster CPU.
That would certainly fit with the most recent specification tips for the upcoming third-generation smartphone, which predict that the iPhone will have double the processing power of the current model, together with video recording and editing capabilities. NEON would certainly allow the new phone to take advantage of the ARMv7 Cortex’s increased multimedia prowess.
Intel’s next-gen Atom platform, Pine Trail, may have been reasonably well known before now, but the CPU manufacturer has just released [PDF link] the first official details about the new netbook and nettop chips. Expected to reach the market later this year, Pine Trail’s biggest change is in integrating the graphics core into the processor, slimming down both the overall size and the platform’s power requirements.
Leaks from manufacturers have revealed Intel’s notebook and netbook plans for the remainder of 2009, and there are a few surprises in store. Low interest in the Atom N280 CPU and GN40 graphics chipset has led them to consider retiring the combination, with the N270 and 945GSE pairing holding the netbook torch until September. Meanwhile the next-gen Capella notebook platform will arrive in Q3, targeted at the high-end $1,200+ market for 14- to 18.4-inch machines.
From the very start, ASUS’ Eee Box nettop caught the eye as a potential media PC, and the company themselves threw their hat into the ring with the launch of the Eee Box B206. Swapping the DVI output for an HDTV-friendly HDMI, and slotting an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 GPU with 256MB of its own DDR2 RAM in instead of the integrated graphics, the B206 promises high-definition playback above its humble Atom roots.
The Register have been taking a look at the nettop, and in some ways the B206 does deliver. Standard definition video runs with no problems, and DivX 720p files in Windows Media Player were also smooth; however, the B206 showed itself to be particularly picky about codecs.
The problem is that not all media player apps support DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA), the technology which lets the Radeon HD 3450 GPU get its teeth into the video. Without that, it’s up to the Atom N270 1.6GHz chip to keep things ticking over, and we already know that Intel’s CPU struggles with high-resolution media.
AMD announced today that their Windows 7 graphics driver has been certified by Microsoft on the very first day of the latter company’s program that tests compatibility with the new operating system. The certification was given for the Windows Hardware Quality Lab or WHQL and is meant to indicate a driver is compatible with both Windows Vista and Windows 7.
This is good timing, considering AMD will be releasing their ATI Catalyst 9.5 by the end of the month. So, people that use ATI Radeon HD 2000, 3000 and 4000 series graphics cards can rest assured the new software will make them work completely with Windows 7.
Apparently, this also allows ATI Stream technology. The WHQL certification comes on the very first day of Microsoft opening their certification program. Nice way to jump in there with your graphics driver first, AMD!
Acer’s AspireRevo nettop has been causing ripples since its existence first leaked, bundling a low-power Intel Atom processor with NVIDIA’s HD-capable Ion GPU and promising 1080p from something smaller than an external DVD drive. Engadget have had the diminutive desktop in for review, and describe it as “a tale of two chips”.
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