Image Quality
We will be providing additional image quality results in our mATX roundup that will provide in-game and Blu-ray screenshots, but for now here are a few samples that we collected during our recent testing.
Our first image quality test consists of playing back House of Flying Daggers utilizing Windows Media Player 11. We also used PowerDVD 7 and WinDVD 8 with basically the same results.
We think the 690G and G965 provide the best overall picture with the 6150 just not producing an image with the same color and detail as the other platforms. Utilizing the PureVideo application resulted in a slightly better picture but still behind the 690G and G965. Overall, we tend to think the G965 had the best picture quality during playback but your mileage will vary.
Our second image quality test consists of playing back a Windows WMV-HD clip from the Fighter Pilots DVD utilizing Windows Media Player 11. We also tested with WinDVD 8 and it generated similar results.
We believe the 690G and G965 once again provide the best overall picture quality; the 6150 produces an image that is clear but without the color saturation of the other two alternatives. These results could be considered a toss up depending on personal preferences. We tend to think the G965 has the best picture quality although it took a lot of long stares for our opinion to be formed on the subject. We think the pilot's harness was slightly sharper in the G965 picture thus swaying our opinion.
Our final image quality test consists of playing back a Windows .AVI clip from our encoding tests utilizing Windows Media Player 11. We also tested with WinDVD 8 and PowerDVD 7 with both generating similar results. The results from the encoding process from the AVI to WMV file format will be provided shortly. It is near impossible to capture the image at the exact same point with Windows Media player but the images in this test group are very close to being identical.
When reviewing these images we firmly believe the G965 has the best overall image from both a color saturation and picture detail viewpoint. The 690G and 6150 produce an almost equal image that but we think the clarity in the 6150 images give it an edge.
In our video playback tests we believe the G965 had the best picture quality of our solutions with the 690G performing equally in most cases and the 6150 trailing behind. Intel touted the G965's Clear Video Quality at product launch and from all indications this technology has made a difference, at least in our limited testing to date.
We will be providing additional image quality results in our mATX roundup that will provide in-game and Blu-ray screenshots, but for now here are a few samples that we collected during our recent testing.
Our first image quality test consists of playing back House of Flying Daggers utilizing Windows Media Player 11. We also used PowerDVD 7 and WinDVD 8 with basically the same results.
 690G - Click to enlarge |
 G965 - Click to enlarge |
 6150 - Click to enlarge |
We think the 690G and G965 provide the best overall picture with the 6150 just not producing an image with the same color and detail as the other platforms. Utilizing the PureVideo application resulted in a slightly better picture but still behind the 690G and G965. Overall, we tend to think the G965 had the best picture quality during playback but your mileage will vary.
Our second image quality test consists of playing back a Windows WMV-HD clip from the Fighter Pilots DVD utilizing Windows Media Player 11. We also tested with WinDVD 8 and it generated similar results.
 690G - Click to enlarge |
 G965 - Click to enlarge |
 6150 - Click to enlarge |
We believe the 690G and G965 once again provide the best overall picture quality; the 6150 produces an image that is clear but without the color saturation of the other two alternatives. These results could be considered a toss up depending on personal preferences. We tend to think the G965 has the best picture quality although it took a lot of long stares for our opinion to be formed on the subject. We think the pilot's harness was slightly sharper in the G965 picture thus swaying our opinion.
Our final image quality test consists of playing back a Windows .AVI clip from our encoding tests utilizing Windows Media Player 11. We also tested with WinDVD 8 and PowerDVD 7 with both generating similar results. The results from the encoding process from the AVI to WMV file format will be provided shortly. It is near impossible to capture the image at the exact same point with Windows Media player but the images in this test group are very close to being identical.
 690G - Click to enlarge |
 G965 - Click to enlarge |
 6150 - Click to enlarge |
When reviewing these images we firmly believe the G965 has the best overall image from both a color saturation and picture detail viewpoint. The 690G and 6150 produce an almost equal image that but we think the clarity in the 6150 images give it an edge.
In our video playback tests we believe the G965 had the best picture quality of our solutions with the 690G performing equally in most cases and the 6150 trailing behind. Intel touted the G965's Clear Video Quality at product launch and from all indications this technology has made a difference, at least in our limited testing to date.
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JarredWalton - Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - link
What's worse is that the G965 scores almost twice as high in 3DMark06... and then falls flat on its face in actual gaming tests. (Well, most of them anyway.)IntelUser2000 - Wednesday, March 14, 2007 - link
I think it might be combination of Vista too. Half Life 2 can score ~20 fps with G965 at the same settings AT tested at, when using Windows XP. I would also like to see how it performs it in XP. It seems G965 suffers more from Vista then other IGP.
chucky2 - Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - link
I think it would be good insurance, given how amazingly late 690G is, to please confirm with AMD that 690G motherboards will definitly support the AM2+ CPU's this late summer/fall.And before people remind me that this is already fact, we have not to my knowledge see AMD themselves confirm this...which for something so seemingly simple to confirm, is getting distrubingly telling.
When AnandTech updates their article and says that they've gone back and confirmed with AMD that all 690G boards being release with support AM2+, or AMD themselves says it, then we'll know for sure. Until then, it's rumor...
Chuck
JarredWalton - Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - link
AMD has not officially stated whether the Agena/Kuma will be drop-in compatible with current AM2 chipsets (or even the AM2 socket). We'd certainly love to know, but we're still waiting along with everyone else.chucky2 - Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - link
Do they have any idea, and have you specifically put the question to them? I'm sure you have contacts at AMD......because from what I can tell, if a discrete graphics card is used, this chipset is looking like when Dr. Evil says, 1 million dollars! ...and then everyone is like, Uh, big deal...
...this thing should have released in Sept. of last year, and then become the defacto AMD chipset, not be released now - as you point out - with MCP68 right around the corner and the G35 coming also.
This chipset really looks to me like a could have been. Good work ATI (and then AMD)!!!
Chuck
Gary Key - Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - link
We asked the question Chuck, have not received an official answer yet. While backwards compatibility has always been discussed as possible by AMD, we are still not convinced with any of the current motherboards. One only has to look at the Conroe launch last year and realize that while the chipsets were compatible, the motherboards were not without an update. We just recently saw this again with Kentsfield. We wish this chipset would have been released last fall also. ;)chucky2 - Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - link
Thanks Guys, that's about all I can ask for.I guess now I've got to really sit down and decide what's the best course of action for my godson and also cousins builds. Their both going to be budget builds, but I don't want to build them an AM2 system and basically have it be End Of Lifed in 3-4 months.
You'd think if AMD wanted to stop the hemmoraging their seeing on the enthusiast side, they'd make a statement about AM2+ compatibility now, rather than wait and just keep loosing more and more. Not that a lot won't go over to the Intel side, but still, tell me 690G and say MCP68 will be the only AM2 chipsets that can take AM2+ CPU's, and now at least I've got a comfortable long term upgrade path.
Leave me in doubt, I mine as well get a 1333FSB Intel board and go to the dark side...
Looking forward to that mATX review...you think it'll be out this time next week, or towards Friday?
Chuck
JarredWalton - Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - link
Honestly, the fact that AMD hasn't come out and said the next gen CPUs will work in AM2 speaks volumes in my book. Perhaps they are just trying to keep things quiet so that a bunch of people won't complain that their particular board won't run the new processors (some 939 boards wouldn't work with X2, after all, and there were some complaints saying AMD "guaranteed backwards compatibility). Hopefully that's all it is, but I am seriously concerned that Kuma and Agena will not work in the vast majority of AM2 boards - that's assuming they'll work in any at all.If AMD doesn't support older boards with the new processors, they are going to need some really impressive performance to keep people from raising Cain. As it stands, if a reasonably fast X2 5200+ or so isn't good enough for your long-term needs, I certainly wouldn't purchase a new AM2 system with the hope of an upgrade until the truth comes out.
Final thought: The Quad FX platform has clearly been stated as being forwards compatible with native quad core Barcelona chips. If AMD is willing to make that commitment, why not make a similar commitment with AM2 and Agena/Kuma?
dmce - Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - link
Are we going to see some details regarding HD (1080P) playback and whether it can do it comfortable or not. I appreciate you made a small comment about it, but this was lifted from the original look at the 690G chipset a few days ago so no real update in this review. Im just puzzled no sites are taking a closer look at this considering its surely one of, if not the whole point of HDMI being there?Im not interested at all in using this for games, i want a 1080p capable machine.
PokerGuy - Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - link
I'm considering a board based on the 690G for my new HTPC, but now I see it won't be able to output 1080P? Yipes... even the lowly 6150 can output at 1080P, correct?Games are not important with regard to this board, but if it can't output at 1080p, what use would it be in a HTPC??
Also, any ETA on when the mATX roundup will be released?