Introduction

In our latest article on Shuttle XPC ST61G4, we devote the attention equal to two different things. In addition to the Barebone from Shuttle is 9100 IGP, with us to the test for the first time a chipset by ATi for the Pentium 4, the ATi Radeon and must show whether he is a sensible alternative to the others on the market available products.

His biggest advantage will be the integrated graphics, which technically should make its competitors significantly in the shade and roughly corresponds to the specifications of a Radeon 9200. Whether RS300 Northbridge and IXP150 Southbridge from ATi to convince know and whether this chipset in addition to the use in the Office or in the living room PC for absolute high-performance systems is appropriate, our article should clarify as well as the question whether shuttle again has a well-designed, chic, but also stable and fast Barebone on the market and how one could implement the properties of the ATi chip set.

Scope of delivery

The ST61G4 is packed against shocks and damage safely in a large cardboard box, so that the silver finish and the aluminum case should take no damage. But the package not only the heart – the XPC in itself – is included in, but quite a few components that should make an immediate start-up and installation as easy as possible. This starts with the documentation and ends at cables and a duster with which you can keep the XPC always nice clean.

• ST61G4
  • Housing
  • Motherboard FT61
  • 250W-Netzteil
  • I.c.e. cooling system
  • Card reader
• Cold device connection
• 2 x ATA, 1 x SATA, 1 x floppy cable
• TV adapter (S-video to composite)
• Installation instructions for the Barebone
• Manual for the motherboard
• Manual for serial ATA RAID
• Driver/Tools CD
• Screw
• Cable ties
• Feet
• Cleaning cloth

Accessories such as a Wi-Fi module and a remote control offers shuttle in addition to the optional acquisition.

The housing

The housing of ST61G4 is completely made of aluminium, only the front is unfortunately plastic and leaves room for improvement. The colouring is indeed chic and promptly elected with silver, combined with a built-in 5.25 “drive but unfortunately not for optical delights. Here it is necessary either for the 5.25 “drive purchase a suitable aluminium front and grow, or live with the 90s. The mirrored front panel of ST61G4, which again found in the SN85G4, the Athlon 64 Barebone from Shuttle, is chic.

Also as the slots for the card reader find themselves in it. On the one hand, an easily accessible and practical position, on the other hand, prevents just this arrangement but also the installation of a floppy drive, reducing the number of 3.5 “bays on a single free inside of XPCs.” The compact design of the XPC by shuttle allows but hardly an other placement for the card reader, which would have been even more easily accessible. At the bottom are two USB2. 0- and a FireWire port and mic-in, line-out and line-in. In addition a reader at this point can be not installed, because it would collide due to its depth with the directly behind electricity and RAM slots. The position is therefore the only reasonable solution while not optimal, but probably.

The case cover is bolted to the back of XPCs with three Thumbscrews and can be solved so quickly. The quite sensible changes found inside of SN85G4, were not reflected but unfortunately still in the ST61G4. Here, the old well-known inner noted us from previous models of shuttle awaits us. Also the cables for the IDE devices were not forced at our model and must be maneuvered so by the customer through the narrow streets of ST61G4. All other cables, such as for the card reader, USB and FireWire ports on the front, the power supply or the fans, are already connected, eliminating a long fiddling with the manual and look for the connections.

A hard disk in the 3.5 “incorporate shaft, however, you must remove the entire frame for drives from the ST61G4. It is therefore not the version which is used in the SN85G4 of the 3.5 “Schacht for the hard disk on the side can see individually. The part of the drive can be but as usual with two screws quickly from the XPC solved.

Also the power supply shuttle with the ST61G4 is other ways than in the SN85G4, in which a 240 watt power supply is being used with a 60 mm fan. The silent X heavily dimensioned with 250 Watts, baptized PSU in the ST61G4 is cooled by two small 40 mm fan, which suck the hot air out of the housing and transport through the power supply to the outside.

Shuttle with the ST61G4 would like to meet two requirements: on the one hand the ST61G4 should represent a powerful system with a strong power supply, but it also quietly and remain particularly cool. Therefore, reached the silent-X power supply only 32 dB according to own even under full load and is cooled very well even under hardest conditions. Shuttle wants to satisfy the requirements of the latest processors and graphics cards.

Also on the Northbridge an active fan provides sufficient cooling, so that the system has at least four fans, that does not prevent a certain basic level even if one can quite tame the system thanks to many options in the BIOS in the fan speeds. Less the operating noise of the fan as the high frequency noise in our hard disk were negative on us. However, four fans is always a risk that can be quite to disturbing noise sources as soon as they show first signs of fatigue.

Thanks to integrated graphics in the Radeon, the ST61G4 at the back has a TV-out as well as a VGA output 9100 IGP. Thus, it is possible to operate the ST61G4 XPC in the living room next to the TV and use, even if this is to be not his primary area of application according to own shuttle as a living room PC without additional graphics card.

Also the i.c.e. Heatpipe can simply be solved by means of four Thumbscrews and represents the best solution, on the one hand warm air out of the case to transport and to cool the CPU at the same time. Neither to the processing of the heat nor the remaining housing there is something. Should be avoided however those scratches in the aluminium surface of XPCs or on the reflective front end, to be not on remembering forever on this slip up.

The mainboard

Inside of Shuttle XPC ST61G4, there is the FT61 motherboard from Shuttle, that corresponds to the MicroATX Formfactor with 25.4 x 18.5. It is equipped IGP chipset with ATi Radeon 9100, which consists of RS300 Northbridge and IXP150 southbridge. On these components we will enter into but more detail in a separate section, as we have them for the first time in the test with Shuttle XPC ST61G4. The FT61 supports all current Pentium 4 processors with 400, 533 and 800 MHz frontside bus. Even from a contribution of Prescott is discussed in the manual. The old Willamette core is no longer supported on the FT61.

In the smallest space that seats FT61 for a variety of onboard components that will need to replace some missing features of the IXP150 southbridge, but more on that later. The connectivity by far exceed the capacity of ST61G4. So, the motherboard has two IDE ports and thus offers the opportunity to connect four IDE devices. The housing accommodates most noted only a 5.25 “and a 3.5″ drive. In addition a floppy port on the Board found, although there is no way to stow a floppy drive in the XPC. The floppy port makes sense so only about installed Windows and the installation mandatory on a driver disk for serial-ATA is dependent driver. Then the XPC must operate openly during the installation and the floppy drive must take for that period in addition to the ST61G4 space. To the wide range of drives that can be connected to Shuttle XPC to drive, on the top of the FT61 RAID controller, which can hold two SATA drives also has a Silicon Image Sil3512 SATA. The power supply has only a serial ATA power connector, so that the RAID function in view of the lack of a second 3.5 “shaft in the ST61G4 probably only in exceptional cases should be used.

In addition to a AGP8x, which allows also to use a graphics card in the XPC, next to the integrated picture slots waiting a PCI slot and two DDR-SDRAM few other onboard components to be used by the user. So shuttle on the FT61 used a controller, the transfer rates of 400, 200 and 100 Mbit/s supported VIA VT6307 FireWire. Also found the way to the Board a Broadcom BCM4401 LAN chip and offers a connection with 10 or 100 Mbit / s.

Ensures appropriate onboard sound Realteks ALC650 audio codec, which supports surround sound 5.1 and the AC’97 2.2 specifications supported.

The I/O controller comes from ITE and sits right next to the Award BIOS. The ST61G4 has three Fan connectors, two of which with the southbridge fan and the 80x80cm fan of the I.C.E heat pipe are already occupied. An internal parallel port connector allows, once one has acquired a suitable cable, to connect to older devices. An ATX and -pole 12V power supply lack the FT61 of course also not to ensure safe operation in all circumstances.

We come now to the external interfaces of the FT61, which has already led the shuttle to the outside. As usual in a XPC are some commonly used ports on the front of the case. In the case of ST61G4 it involves two USB2. 0-, a FireWire port, as well as a line-in, Micro-In, and line-out, the shuttle is classified as a headphone jack.

A RJ45 LAN port is located on the back of ST61G4 two USB2.0,. 0 ports, a FireWire port, Optical SPDIF input and output, a rear, front and Center/bass output, a TV output, a serial COM port, one VGA output and two PS / 2 ports for keyboard and mouse.

Installation

The installation of ST61G4 provided us how eh and per not before major problems, even if you had to make the installation of the IDE cable itself. Compounds in risky places the CD-ROM protect cables from damage and also on the basis of the illustrated installation guide is published by the XPC quickly across. It is even easier with the IDE HDD cable simply the drive frame dragging by a specially designated flap plastic at the bottom. So, on the one hand, it has a strong position in the XPC and obstructed the airflow around the North and southbridge on the other hand.

Also the part of the drive is, as mentioned earlier, quickly taken after loosening two screws and can be easily with a hard drive and a 5.25 “drive be equipped. We separated the connection of the card reader on the reader itself, by the way, not in the manual this actually proposed on the body, because this position because of the power cord is much harder to achieve.

The already preassembled ICE-heatpipe must be solved by solving the four Thumbscrews at the back of ST61G4 and removed from the XPC socket with Rentention module comes to light, and even the processor can be used in the system. Easily, even this hurdle can be overcome by having less customers. Just as quickly, as one has solved it, the ICE-heatpipe is again mounted, and you can turn to the memory slots, which are arranged in the forward section, just behind the mirrored front panel. For all those who create and even hand on the local PC, it is also not necessarily required before actually to solve part of the drive. With some sensitivity, the RAM modules without much effort can be pushed and used under this round. An advantage that happy voted us in our memory compatibility test, because we had to solve the frame for drives from the ST61G4 so not every time, when we exchanged the modules.

Once the power cables are connected and one has closed the XPC again, you go already, the commissioning of ST61G4 is complete. Clean, fast and straight forward – so we have introduced us to this!

Optionally, you can add you a AGP8x slots but also a graphics card in the XPC. Shuttle is well aware that it can come to mechanical compatibility problems with certain graphics cards, would like to increase therefore understandably but not the dimensions of the XPC, to exclude them. Because new incompatibilities may occur with the next generation of graphics cards. We could however not put us off and tried yet a GeForce FX 5900 ultra use the ST61G4. As we saw, even with success.

The ASUS V9950 ultra left relatively easily in the ST61G4 working, even if it is already pretty closely drew in some places. Serious problems did however only in when we wanted to create the required power supply. Although it was still granted with the power cord, that is really intended drive for the CD-ROM, to achieve the power connector, however, it was impossible to provide even the CD-ROM drive with electricity. For this we had to resort to an extension cord. A total of ST61G4 provides three IDE power connectors. Actually sufficiently, a graphics card, a hard drive and a CD-ROM or combo drive to provide. Only the cable length makes this a stroke by the Bill.

Once this hurdle was overcome however, we were trying to again set up now the housing cover. This is problematic for the graphics cards from NVIDIA, where the power connector is set up angle to the Board not backwards, but in the 90 °. Once the power cable to connect to them, they range beyond a small piece of the actual margin of ST61G4 unfortunately. Can be one of this fact but not swayed and tried to close the lid, so this project can be with light pressure even realize. The end of the video card was slightly bent in the XPC, so that we could close the lid. Whether you but would like to suspend the video card such tensions in the long run…

In addition to the ASUS V9950 ultra had to then also a significantly small ATi Radeon show 9700, whether it is suitable for ST61G4. Result: Gar no problem! Led differently as for the graphics cards from NVIDIA the power connectors for the graphics cards with ATI chip be away backwards by the Board, so that they are not to the outside. For this reason the above mentioned problems with an ATi Radeon not provided a 9700.

A MSI FX5900 SP VTD256 could be used successfully by us in the ST61G4, even if this similar problems evident such as the ASUS V9950.

A GeForce FX, occupied two slots, but can be found in no way in the XPC place. For this, any prerequisites are missing. Ultra or about ABIT Siluro FX 5900 therefore never become their way in the ST61G4 can find an Inno3D FX5900. At this point, would we make shuttle but no accusation, even if we must certify the ST61G4 major compatibility problems in combination with NVIDIA graphics cards, but rather call on the graphics cards manufacturer, which should further advance the miniaturisation also for their graphics cards.

The ATi Radeon 9100 IGP chipset

Before we continue with the further tests but we want to first the technical features of ATi Radeon 9100 IGP of chipset read lead us and consider compared to some chipsets made by Intel, that the greatest adversaries represent the sector on the Pentium 4.

< div >

The information from ATi are unfortunately very superficially and you will find not even detailed information on the maximum number of PCI slots, the Radeon 9100 IGP chipset supports. However, be clear also on the basis of other information first differences to Intel’s chipsets.

Unlike Intel with the ICH5R waives ATi complete serial-ATA support and leaves this additional onboard components. Also in the USB2. 0 you must join themselves with up to six ports behind Intel support.

Details of the southbridge are somewhat opaque. The IXP150 built-up on the FT61 of shuttle did not have an integrated LAN controller, this seems to be reserved for the IXP200 and IXP250. These include a 3Com Ethernet controller.

On a “communication streaming architecture” as we know from Intel, foregone ATi here however, what actually not very tragic, because the integrated 3Com Ethernet controller supports only data rates of 10/100MBit. However, ATi binds to the southbridge of the A link only with 266MB / s on the Northbridge. This corresponds to the power of the hub while interfaces of Intel, for this but Intel has outsourced network traffic using CSA.

See let the Northbridge of the Radeon can 9100 IGP, the RS300 however. It supports not only the dual channel operation, but also any official clock rate of DDR memory, and any previously used frontside bus of the Pentium 4. With up to 4 GB unbuffered DDR SDRAM the four memory slots can be fitted.

In addition he has next to an integrated picture that we want to deal with separately, also AGP 8 x support, and support for Intel’s Hyper-Threading so that external graphics cards can be used, technology.

As well as Intel’s Canterwood and Springdale chipset features ATi Radeon 9100 IGP on an in-order queue with a depth of 12 and a dynamic bus inversion (DBI), which smoothes the chip set signals and interference preventing.

Especially the data of RS300 can thus convince even if the IXP150 offers something less than the most other Southbridges. But not all technical data are, they must also be implemented and can fully develop their theoretical performance. If this is the case, we clarify after looking at the integrated graphics in the ATi Radeon 9100 IGP.

Integrated graphics

The integrated graphics of Radeon 9100 IGP is approximately with a Radeon 9200 to compare, offers little stripped down features, as the name already suggests. The RS300 is manufactured in the 0, 15µm technology and clocked to 300 MHz. This speaks not just for a very low heat generation, which should also confirm our tests later. 85 to 90 ° C easily reached the RS300 for enabled integrated graphics.

But first the technical features at a glance:

3D graphics properties:

• Pixel shader 1.4 support
• Hyper Z II memory optimization
• DirectX 8.1
• Supports up to 2048 x 1536 32 bit
• Anisotropic texture filtering (AF) and full screen anti-aliasing (FSAA)

2D graphics properties:

• Highly optimized 128-bit 2D engine
• Hardware cursor up to 64x64x32bit
• Support for Microsoft Windows XP alpha cursor

Video properties:

• Video scaling and filtering with advanced 4-tap horizontal and vertical filters
• Enhances MPEG-2 hardware decoding
• Integrated hardware motion compensation and iDCT
• Hardware DVD sub picture decoding

Display controller:

• 400 MHz dual RAMDAC
• Display supports rotation
• Hot plug support

TV-out support:

• Integrated TV Encoder
• Support for PAL and NTSC format
• Up to 1024x768x32bit

Thanks to DirectX 8.1 and pixel shader 1.4 support it should therefore really easy for the Radeon 9100 IGP be Wednesday at Intel’s old extreme graphics 2. The Radeon uses 9100 IGP two pixel pipelines, which makes it clear also a difference to the Radeon 9200 has the four pixel pipelines. Also the Radeon 9100 IGP not have an own vertex shader unit. Such calculations must therefore be taken over by the CPU. Also the Radeon 9100 IGP uses the system memory as Intel extreme graphics 2 – keyword “Shared Memory Architecture”.

We must grant but unfortunately but in connection with the integrated graphic a scolding ATi. Unfortunately ATi combines the chipset drivers with the catalyst drivers for the graphics core. This has meant that you can not install the chipset driver, if one builds an external graphics card into the system, which does not come from ATi. We shall enter a graphics card made by NVIDIA in the system, you receive the error message, that no suitable hardware was found 9100 IGP when you install of the chipset driver for the Radeon. Also we had to expand to the external graphics card first again, then install the chipset driver, to once again use the NVIDIA graphics card, then only install the detonator drivers. Awkward, annoying, unnecessary! Here, ATi must act, and also individually offer the chipset driver.

Especially thanks to the integrated TV and DVI output is the ATi Radeon 9100 IGP perfect for a Barebone, as it represents the XPC ST61G4 from Shuttle. Nothing in the way is the living room PC so actually, if the performance is true. Exactly this question we approach further and grow down deeper into the technology of ST61G4.

BIOS

In the test, we put on a performance BIOS FT61ST01 by ATi and chose not the series, because the performance had no instabilities of ATi BIOS, but a little faster than the series is BIOS BIOS from Shuttle.

The BIOS had unfortunately any CMOS clear with fastest timings and dual channel DDR400 operation to boot the unpleasant habit, so that it initially also not managed to put the settings on DDR266, since it always froze before we could save the settings in the BIOS. Some CMOS clears later succeeded us but finally yet and we could play then finally a new BIOS with reduced performance.

Below, we want to give an overview of a selection of the options in the BIOS. To enable this at least a small comparison, we also acquired the tables from our Canterwood Roundup:

< div >

Shuttle offers a variety of options with the timings, even though these partially drift in utopian dimensions can currently be fulfilled by any memory. Some tuning options are not offered version still in the current BIOS, but we should give some time ATi, still to improve in this areas.

< div >

The shuttle ST61G4 can quite compete in these options. Only the CPU voltage turns out quite low with maximum 1,5875 Volt. In addition, you can bus in addition to the four fixed points at 100/133/166 and 200 MHz each in 1 MHz steps to up to 15 MHz overclock the frontside. However steps relate the 1 MHz to a FSB of 133 MHz, so that about + 10 MHz at a FSB 200 already 214 MHz and not 210MHz result, whereas logically 143 MHz provide + 10 MHz with a FSB of 133 MHz. However, this is explained in the BIOS itself.

In addition to these options we want to mention but some specialties, especially in terms of integrated graphics. The AGP aperture size to 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1GByte or even 2GByte. You may also set the onboard graphics memory on 8, 16, 32, 64 or 128 MByte. Because we tested with 1024 MB memory, we have the on-board frame buffer to 128 MByte. Of course, also the TV standard in the BIOS can be set. NTSC, PAL, JAP NTCS and PAL-N are here available.

The ST61G4 meet also its even stated goal of a quiet XPCs, the BIOS in the PC health status has some options to regulate the fan. In the there hidden fan control five menu items can be selected: Smart fan, ultra low, low, mid, full. To choose one of the settings ultra low, low or mid, rotate the fan 1 and 2 with the given speed of the respective level. From a temperature of 80 ° C, the fan at full speed jump. This corresponds to the full mode, which operates the fans consistently with full speed.

You select Smart fan, is now the temperature which is brought in a higher level, to set itself. This follows a simple scheme. You select, for example, 60 ° C, so the fans always in the ultra operate low mode when the temperature is less than 60 ° C, over 60 ° C toggles the BIOS to low, then at about 65° on mid umzuspringen. At temperatures above 70 ° C, all fans are automatically operated in full mode if you stopped 60 ° C as the limit. The limits vary each case according to the value set and are always + 5 or + 10 ° C above the set limit. For a limit of 70 ° C, the fan would so only at a temperature of over 80 ° C (70 ° C + 10 ° C) switch to full mode.

Fan3, the fan on the Northbridge, is constant with about 4500 and 4700 rpm, as the RS300 reached a fairly high temperature with values between 75 and 85 ° C. Face of these values, which are justified by the integrated graphics added with 300 MHz, the active fan is entirely justified. The 80 mm fan heatpipe turns mode in the ultra low around 1800 revolutions per minute. The system is pleasantly quiet in the ultra low mode although it is not even an absolute “silent system”.

Memory compatibility

As we initially had considerable problems with a stable operation with the first BIOS which there was us, and the Board often even not even found its way into the BIOS to change the settings, the theme of memory compatibility not be missing in this article.

Shuttle has powered the FT61 only two RAM slots, for it may occur but operation not to problems in the Assembly process in dual channel. We chose two same modules – so a couple – for our compatibility test and run this which the SPD with the timings, or in our particular case, the FT61 claims. Whether the timing from the have been correctly applied SPD, as mentioned earlier, we could not test, as the chipset has been detected by any appropriate tool. Once again, we continued on the CPUMark of 3DMark03, which in the past was a reliable indicator of a stable storage configuration.

< div >

After the BIOS we update fortunately no problems with the modules available to us to achieve stable operation. Here it should be noted however that we can give no information about the actual timings, with which the modules were operated and also it was us not at all modules possible also only slightly to change the timings.

Especially when the Corsair CMX512 – 3200LL, which we use for our other tests, it was not granted to change the timings of 2-3-4-8, apparently set in the BIOS. Already at 2-3-4-7, the system was no longer ready to boot without error and froze after a few seconds.

Test system

• Processor
  • Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz (FSB800) – HyperThreading active
• Motherboard (timings via SPD)
  • Intel 865GBF (BIOS P11)
  • Shuttle ST61G4 (performance BIOS FT61ST01)
• Memory
  • 2x512MB DDR400 Corsair CMX512 – 3200LL
• Graphics card
  • ASUS V9950 (GeForce FX 5900 ultra)
• Peripherals
  • Philips PCCD048
  • IBM IC35LC040
• Driver versions
  • Intel extreme graphics 2 6.13.01.3485
  • ATi catalyst 3.9
  • nVidia detonator 45.23
  • Intel inf driver 5.02.1003
• Software
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9
  • Microsoft Windows Movie Maker 2.0
  • Microsoft DirectX 9 .0b

Benchmarks

We have used the launch of Athlon 64 / 64 FX, and our benchmark course overhaul. Here, we have placed value on applications that readers on request in the Forum have given us, in particular. In addition to a number of current games, the focus is now on audio and video encoding. But we have to keep also CAD/render applications due to consistently positive response in the range. How and what we exactly gebencht, is available in the respective info box on the results.

• Synthetic benchmarks
  • SiSoft Sandra 2003 Max!
  • Cachemem
  • Science mark
• Audio encoding
  • Lame 3.93.1
  • Ogg Vorbis
  • Windows Media Encoder 9
• Video encoding
  • XMPEG 5.0 DivX 5.1
  • TMPEGEnc
  • Windows Media Encoder 9
• CAD & 3D rendering
  • Spec Viewperf 7.1
  • Cinema 4 d 8.1
  • Lightwave 7.5c
• Data compression
  • WinRAR3. 20
  • 7-Zip
• Other
  • SETI@home version
• Games
  • 3DMark2001SE
  • 3DMark03
  • Comanche 4
  • Gunmetal
  • Quake 3 arena
  • Serious Sam – the second encounter
  • Splinter Cell
  • Unreal Tournament 2003
  • X 2 the threat

Storage benchmarks

SiSoft Sandra 2003 Max

• Official website: www.sisoftware.co.uk

• Download: ComputerBase.de
  • At a cost: free version

• What benchen we?
  • Memory transfer rates

  • Special settings: – No.

Test the memory transfer rates under SiSoft Sandra a first weakness of ATi Radeon shows 9100 IGP and Northbridge RS300. The memory bandwidth can compete even with disabled graphics with Intel’s i865G or even i875P and must be beaten to a few hundred megabytes. Also with enabled integrated graphics, it ends up behind the i865G with enabled integrated graphics, but you must say, that ATis chipset loses much less transfer rate as the i865G, as soon as the integrated graphics will be activated.

Without performance BIOS with shuttle series BIOS fall the values about 200 MByte worse off.

Cachemem

• Official website: Benchmarkhq.ru

• Download: Benchmarkhq.ru
  • Cost: Freeware

• What benchen we?
  • Default-benchmark

  • Special settings: – No.

Also the latency values must be the ST61G4 beaten the i865G mainboard from Intel and can connect to the services of the Springdale Board neither external nor internal graphics.

The results in read and write to confirm the values from SiSoft Sandra and show once again that ATi has catching up to do above all with the memory controller chip set and still reach not an Intel MCH services, at least with the RS300.

Science mark

• Official website: Sciencemark.org

• Download: Sciencemark.org
  • Cost: Freeware

• What benchen we?
  • The Membench contained in Sciencemark.

  • Special settings: – No.

Also science mark joins a 9100 IGP behind the Intel the ST61G4 with ATis Radeon boards and provides no new information.

Also the bandwidth test points out ATi again relatively bad values. The i865GBF Intel beats under science mark surprisingly well and surpassed even the i875P Board. Even if the results of verwunderten us, they were reproduced, so that we have to accept them as correct.

Audio encoding

Lame 3.93.1

• Official website: lame.sourceforge.net

• Download: CellularOne.com
  • Cost: Freeware

• What benchen we?
  • Compressing a wave file to MP3: “Iron Butterfly – in-A-Gadda-DA-Vida” CD RIP, 17,04 minutes, 180,75MB.

  • Special settings: bitrate 192kbit / joint stereo, optimization; quality, VBR: 320, quality 0

Lame largely depends on the processor clock. The tested motherboards all very reserved the CPU clock, there are hardly any differences. Differences of a second can be dismissed essentially as measurements and justify any unique rating. In particular, the fact that Intel’s i865GBF with external graphics falls back behind its internal solution, although the memory interface is relieved, shows the dependence of the CPU clock and the influence of measurement inaccuracies.

Ogg Vorbis

• Official website: Vorbis.com

• Download: Vorbis.com (Oggdrop)
  • Cost: Freeware

• What benchen we?
  • Compressing a wave file in the Vorbis Ogg drop: “Iron Butterfly – in-A-Gadda-DA-Vida” CD RIP, 17,04 minutes, 180,75MB.

  • Special settings: nominal bitrate of 320 kBps quality (9)

Also Ogg Vorbis allows for no further conclusions. All tested boards are virtually the same in our test configuration because the audio encoding depends too much on the CPU clock than of other components.

Windows Media Encoder 9

• Official website: Microsoft.com

• Download: Microsoft.com
  • At a cost: free of charge, requires Windows 2000/XP

• What benchen we?
  • Also here is the same file to the course and is converted to WMA: “Iron Butterfly – in-A-Gadda-DA-Vida” CD RIP, 17,04 minutes, 180,75MB.

  • Special settings: 320 kbps VBR

In the Windows Media Encoder 9 at least minor, which easily see Intel’s Springdale chipset 9100 IGP before ATis Radeon differences.

Video encoding

XMPEG 5.0 DivX 5.1

• Official website: Mp3guest.com

• Download: Download
  • Cost: Freeware

• What benchen we?
  • XMPEG 5.0 encoded a 328MB big THX promotional trailer from vob format ripped from DVD in a DivX 5.1. out come 47,35 MB.

  • Special settings: no audio, divx 780 kbps, “home theater”, disable logo, disable feedback windows, crop 720 x 480 to 720 x 309, DivX Commandozeile: “-bv1 780 – psy 2 – key 300 p b – sc 50 – pq 5 – vbv 6951200,3145728,2359296 profiles 3 – nf”

In the video encoding, the results fall out again more clearly because the maturities are longer and differences is therefore more clearly defined. Also see XMPEG, Intel’s i865G with Intel extreme graphics 2 can cut out 9100 IGP ATis Radeon and put both external and internal picture before the competitors. So far it looks therefore, ATi would have to wait for the graphics benchmarks, to enforce even against Intel’s opponent. In this area are at least the specifications clearly on the side of ATi and Radeon 9100 IGP should be significantly better than Intel’s old extreme graphics 2.

TMPEGEnc

• Official website: TMPEGEnc.net

• Download: TMPEGEnc.net
  • Cost: Freeware

• What benchen we?
  • From the DivX created by just using XMPEG 5.0 is using TMPEGEnc a SVCD (PAL) created. The file is 168,93 MB.

  • Special settings: Super Video CD PAL (MPEG-2 480 x 576 25 fps CBR 2520kbps, layer-2 44100Hz 224 kbps), fullscreen, no resize

TMPGEnc also confirmed the results obtained in XMPEG. The shuttle ST61G4 is here neither with GeForce FX 5900 ultra with integrated graphics against Intel’s i865G chipset prevail.

Windows Media Encoder 9

• Official website: Microsoft.com

• Download: Microsoft.com
  • At a cost: free of charge, requires Windows 2000/XP

• What benchen we?
  • The DivX created using XMPEG is converted to a Windows Media movie (wmv). The resulting file is 120 MB.

  • Special settings: DVD quality video (VBR), 2000Kbps, PAL 25pfs

The video encoding in Windows Media Player 9 brings to light very different results. While Intel’s Board achieved the best performance with integrated graphics and in combination with the GeForce FX 5900 Ultra is surprisingly much slower, it behaves when ATi exactly the other way around. ST61G4 with FT61 mainboard is much faster than with enabled, internal video unit with external graphics.

CAD & 3D rendering

Spec Viewperf 7.1

• Official website: Specbench.org

• Download: Specbench.org
  • At a cost: free

• What benchen we?
  • All spec Viewperf run 7.1 included benchmarks.

  • Special settings: – No.