Nvidia GeForce 9400 / 9300 IGP Chipset Reviewed

Nvidia GeForce 9400/9300 MGPU (code named the MCP7A) is an IGP chipset solution for the Intel platform, which directly competes with the chipsets from Intel. The chipset features are as follows:

• Intel Core 2 Family, Pentium D, Pentium 4, Celeron D, Celeron
• 1333 Mhz FSB
• Dual-channel DDR2-800 / DDR3-1333 Memory Interface
• DirectX 10 Support
• 16 Graphics Cores
• 580/1400 MHz (9400) or 450/1200 MHz (9300) Core/Shader Clocks
• 3.6 Billion/second Texture Fill Rate
• 128-bit Max. HDR Precision
• 2048 × 1536 Max. Analog Resolution
• 2560 × 1600 Max Digital Resolution
• GeForce Boost Technology
• HybridPower Technology
• NVIDIA PureVideo HD With full HD decode (1080i/p)
• PCI-Express 2.0 support
• 10/100/1000 Networking
• HDA (Azalia) audio
• 7.1 LPCM HD Audio Support

Guru3D tested the ECS GF9300T-A-V1.0 motherboard:

"... the GF9300 based mainboards will be a flexible solution, and not just for the budget minded. It performs as fast as any modern mainboard, you can make it a gaming rig, you can use it excellently for HTPC and if it floats your boat, it's a nice NET PC as well. I also think it's lovely we can use the integrated GPU, if not utilized for graphics, for CUDA, transcoding, PhysX and whatever new applications we'll see in the future... if you're looking for a competitive IGP solution, and a versatile and flexible mainboard that's not too expensive... this should be ranking at the top of your list. Definitely recommended." [Guru3D.com| NVIDIA GF9300 (ECS GF9300TA) mainboard review]

AnandTech had comparisons IGP boards - Nvidia 9400 / 9300 / 8300 / 8200, AMD 790GX / 780G, Intel G45 / G35:

"Everyone likes a clean victory; while NVIDIA has the opportunity to obtain just that with the GeForce 9300, there are a handful of lingering issues that cause them to hit just wide of the bullseye... if these problems are quickly addressed, the GeForce 9300 is as close to perfect as you're going to get for now... The GeForce 9300 is leaps and bounds ahead of Intel's G45, but that's not really a tremendous accomplishment. What NVIDIA has done however is effectively bring 780G-class performance to the Intel platform, which is better than nothing." [AnandTech | The IGP Chronicles Part 3: NVIDIA's GeForce 9300]

HotHardware.com tested two 9300 motherboards - Zotac GeForce 9300 and Asus P5N7A-VM - and compared it with mainboards with the Intel G45:

"In comparison to Intel's G45 chipset, the GeForce 9300 generally performs on roughly the same level in productivity applications, with a slight edge going to the G45 where its increased memory bandwidth comes into play. In any GPU intensive situation, however, the GeForce 9300 is simply on a different level than the G45. In the game tests, for example, the GeForce 9300 was up to 4.4X faster than the G45. ... If you're thinking about building a low-cost, low-power Intel-based rig or an HTPC anytime in the near future, do yourself a favor and check out the GeForce 9300 or GeForce 9400." [HotHardware.com | NVIDIA GeForce 9300 and 9400 Motherboard GPUs]

PC Perspective took a look at three motherboards - the MSI P7NGM-Digital (9300), Zotac GF9300-A-E, and ASUS P5N7A-VM (9300) - and compared it to an Intel DG45ID (G45 chipset):

"NVIDIA's new GeForce 9400 and 9300 chipsets are a breath of fresh air in a world of integrated Intel platforms that have underperformed. With the exceptions of synthetic memory performance and some nagging issues with the tested motherboards BIOS, the GF9300 chipset was a success from every angle. The graphics performance is without a doubt a level of magnitude improvement over the G45 chipset and added benefits like CUDA, Hybrid SLI and the coming onslaught of multimedia applications accelerated by GPUs make motherboards based on the NVIDIA GeForce 9400/9300 chipsets an easy choice." [pcper.com | NVIDIA GeForce 9400/9300 Chipset Review: IGP for Intel ]

As soon as the Nvidia 9300 and 9400 motherboards are available in the retail market, builders will have a choice of IGP motherboards when building a rig based on the Intel processor. Judging from the above reviews, the Nvidia 9400/9300 MGPU is the better way to go.

IceRocket : 9300, 9400, g45, geforce, igp, intel, mgpu, nvidia

AMD 790GX Integrated Graphics Chipset Reviewed

The AMD 790GX is an integrated graphics chipset that has the following features:

• HT 3.0/5,200 MT/s Processor Interface
• PCI Express 2.0/26 lanes/2x8 Graphics support
• RV610 integrated core (same with AMD 780G)
• DirectX 10.1 / OpenGL 2.1
• 700 MHz Graphics Clock
• DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI, VGA Display Outputs
• Hybrid CrossFireX, CrossFireX Multi-GPU support
• SB750 Southbridge (AMD 780G uses SB700)
• A-Link Xpress (4 x PCIe 1.1) Interconnect
• RAID 0, 1, 10, 5 support (AMD 780G lacked RAID 5)

Tom's Hardware compared the Gigabyte MA790GP-DS4H (790GX) with the Gigabyte MA78GPM-D2SH (780G) and ASUS M3N78 PRO (GeForce 8300) motherboards:

"... The SB750 is AMD's real strength here. Otherwise, we'd probably go for the inexpensive 780G with a Radeon HD 3870 or 4850. But with ACC and RAID 5 support wrapped up into AMD's new southbridge, the company finally has a platform to tie the assets it acquired from ATI into its own processor lineup. Naturally, it helps that the onboard RV610 core is now running at 700 MHz and aided by side-port memory. The main story here is ACC and what AMD is doing to make its processors more attractive in the face of a formidable opponent." [Tom's Hardware | AMD 790GX: RV610 For Enthusiasts?]

AnandTech previewed the 790GX:

"The 790GX Northbridge is actually a 780G that has its stock core clock speed increased from 500MHz to 700MHz along with a graphics core name change from Radeon HD 3200 to HD 3300. Sideport Memory, now called Performance Cache, is a "requested" feature on the boards that improves IG performance about 5% on average, sometimes less, sometimes more. The SB750 Southbridge is basically a SB700 with RAID 5 operation and the new ACC interface. Mix the two parts, stir, and you have the highest performing integrated graphics solution on the market today." [AnandTech | AMD 790GX - The Introduction]

The bottom line is that if you are decided with going with the AMD chipset route for your system build, the 790GX is the right choice if you need RAID 5, and are interested in some overclocking (thanks to the Advanced Clock Calibration).

Technorati : 780g, 790gx, 8300, amd, chipset, graphics, igp, integrated, nvidia, overclock, review, test

Integrated Chipsets: AMD 780G vs. Nvidia GeForce 8200

When planning an AMD rig build using integrated chipsets, the usual question is which chipset to use: AMD 780G or Nvidia GeForce 8200?

Features common to both chipsets:

• 940 pins AM2+ processor socket
• HT 3.0 (1.8 GHz) CPU interface
• DDR2-667/800/1066 Dual Channel DDR2 memory support (up to 8GB)
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 12x USB 2.0
• 5x 32 Bit PCI 2.3 support
• 6x SATA/300 w/ NCQ
• Blu-ray, Betamax/HD-DVD HD video
• Direct X 10.0, Shader Model 4.0
• D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI w/ HDCP
• HDMI 1.3

AMD 780G Features:

• dual chipset design
• AMD Sb700 Southbridge
• PCIe x4 (2GB/s) chipset interlink
• 26 PCIe 2.0 Lanes PCIe support
• 0, 1,10, JBOD RAID modes
• Radeon HD2400 (RV610)-based graphics core
• 40 Graphics stream processors
• Crossfire X possible (Option: Radeon HD 2400/3450)
• ATI Avivo HD video decoding

Nvidia GeForce 8200 Features:

• Single chipset design
• 19 PCIe 2.0 Lanes PCIe support
• 0, 1,10, 5, JBOD RAID modes
• GeForce 8400 GS (G86)-based graphics core
• 16 Graphics stream processors
• Hybrid Graphics-only (Option: GeForce 8400 GS/8500 GT)
• Power Saving: HybridPower switches off discrete graphics in 2D
• Nvidia PureVideo HD

"Both chipsets have reached a level of integration, performance and efficiency that is far above what most of us associate with the term "integrated chipset". The AMD 780G and Nvidia's GeForce 8200/8300 include all features and interfaces for a modern desktop solution, multimedia system or HTPC. ... They don't deliver less performance than high-end chipsets, and they even come with decent graphics engines, which are excellent for office and multimedia, and for playing HD video from Blu-ray in FullHD resolution. ... If you don't specifically want to run dual, three-way or quad graphics, or need more sophisticated platform features such as hardcore overclocking options, these motherboards do in fact suffice - and they still provide a nice upgrade path for graphics. Nvidia was more consistent in executing its platform strategy with Hybrid Power, while AMD offers better video features (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, Display Port) and FullHD video decoding efficiency." [Tom's Hardware | AMD and Nvidia Platforms Do Battle : Hybrid Graphics Platforms to Fire Up Multi-GPU Rendering?]

So, it boils down to what to choose. As the above article states, the 780G won in video (FullHD video decoding), while the 8200 won in graphics (Hybrid Power implementation).

Fudzilla.com tested four 780G and one 8200 motherboards:

"While AMD might not be the gaming platform of choice, it is a good choice for HTPC. Geforce 8200 consumes less power compared to 780G, but AMD still has the superior graphics-power and the better multimedia support. Using a 45W TDP CPU such as the AMD Athlon X2 4850e, this configuration is the best possibility to go for." [Fudzilla | Four 780G and one GeForce 8200 tested]

If you are more inclined to choose the chipset with the lower power consumption, the 8200 should be your best bet (Further reading: IGP Chipset Power Consumption Compared). Also, it's also helpful to note that some Linux users tend to experience less video driver compatibility problems with Nvidia graphics than ATI ones, in case you are looking to use a Linux distro as your operating system.

AnandTech tested six (6) motherboards with integrated graphics. The chipsets were: GF8300, GF8200, AMD 790GX, AMD 780G, Intel G35, and Intel G45:

"... it is difficult to declare a true winner at this time, especially given the fact that the new NVIDIA chipsets are launching shortly. However, if we had to choose one chipset for primary HTPC usage, it would be the NVIDIA GeForce 8200. The GF8200 offers 8-channel LPCM output, no hassle 1080P/24 fps playback capabilities, modest pricing, and a relatively low power envelope when paired with an appropriate processor such as the Phenom X3 8750 or Phenom X4 9350e." [AnandTech | AMD 780G vs. Intel G45 vs. NVIDIA GeForce 8200]

As of now, it seems the GF 8200 and AMD 780G chipsets are the ideal choices, with the GF 8200 more favorable for HTPC usage.

Technorati : 780g, 790gx, 8200, 8300, amd, chipset, g35, g45, geforce, graphics, igp, integrated, nvidia

IGP Chipset Power Consumption Compared

AnandTech takes a quick look at the power consumption of three chipsets that feature an Integrated Graphics Processor (IGP). The mainboards tested were the Gigabyte MA78GM-S2H (AMD 780G), ASUS P5E-VM HDMI (Intel G35), and Biostar TF8200 A2+ (Nvidia GF8200).

Processors used for the tests were the following:

• AMD Athlon LE1600 and Intel Core 2 Duo E2200 (minimum spec processors)
• AMD 4850e X2 and Intel E7200 (middle ground performance)
• AMD Phenom 9550 and Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 (entry-level quad-core processors)

"... the results today should provide a better indication to each platform's power requirements with a variety of CPUs likely to end up in these boards and applications that tend to stress those same processors. Unless the next NVIDIA driver set increases power consumption, then we have a surprise winner between the latest IGP chipsets from the big three. The next question we will answer is performance per watt and those results are likely to lead us down another path." [AnandTech | IGP Power Consumption - 780G, GF8200, and G35]

The motherboard that had the lowest power consumption was the Biostar that featured the Nvidia GF8200 chipset. This was true, regardless of what processor it had on.

As AnandTech puts it, Power Consumption is something to consider, when looking to build a quiet PC rig with integrated graphics on the motherboard.

Technorati : consumption, igp, integrated graphics, mainboard, motherboard, power