Our testing methods
While we ran the majority of tests with integrated graphics, we wanted to get an idea of how these systems would respond with a discrete mobile graphics solution. Therefore, the gaming benchmarks were performed both with the integrated graphics as well as an NVIDIA 6600GT plugged into each board's PCI-E x16 slot.

Because these are mobile processors, we tested with power management features like SpeedStep and PowerNow! enabled throughout our benchmark suite, with the lone exception of CPU-Z's memory access latency test. That test reports its results in terms of CPU cycles, and it could be thrown off by processor clock speed changes.

As ever, we did our best to deliver clean benchmark numbers. Tests were run at least three times, and the results were averaged.

Our test systems were configured like so:

Processor Pentium M 760 2.0GHz Turion ML-44 2.4GHz
System bus 533MHz (133MHz quad-pumped) 1GHz HyperTransport
Motherboard Asus AOpen i915Ga-HFS MSI RS482M-IL
BIOS revision 1.01 080012
North bridge 915G MCH Radeon RS482
South bridge ICH6 SB400
Chipset drivers INF Update 7.2.2.1006
 Catalyst 6.2
Memory size 1GB (2 DIMMs) 1GB (2 DIMMs)
Memory type Crucial Ballistix PC2-8000
DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz		 Crucial Ballistix PC3200
DDR SDRAM at 400MHz
CAS latency (CL) 4 2
RAS to CAS delay (tRCD) 4 4
RAS precharge (tRP) 4 4
Cycle time (tRAS) 15 8
Hard drive Maxtor DiamondMax 10 250GB SATA 150
Audio Integrated ICH7R/STAC9221D5
with SigmaTel 5.10.4825.0 drivers		 Integrated nForce4/ALC850
with Realtek 5.10.0.5970 drivers
Graphics Integrated i915G with 6.14.10.4277 drivers
GeForce 6600GT PCI-E with ForceWare 81.98 drivers		 Integrated RS482 with Catalyst 6.2 drivers
GeForce 6600GT PCI-E with ForceWare 81.98 drivers
OS Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2

Thanks to Crucial for providing us with memory for our testing. Their products and support are both far and away superior to generic, no-name memory.

Also, all of our test systems were powered by OCZ PowerStream power supply units. The PowerStream was one of our Editor's Choice winners in our latest PSU round-up.

The test systems' Windows desktops were set at 1024x768 in 32-bit color at a 75Hz screen refresh rate. Vertical refresh sync (vsync) was disabled for all tests.

We used the following versions of our test applications:

The tests and methods we employ are generally publicly available and reproducible. If you have questions about our methods, hit our forums to talk with us about them. Update 02/15/2006: After the publication of this review, two issues with the testing were found and corrected. See this link for more information.