The evaluation was well documented, though I would have liked to see what method was used for cpu utilization. Probably Perfmon, but it would have been nice to have it defined as well as the rest of the testing.

Nice review. Good test suite. Sensible conclusion.

This is a very capable integrated graphics platform for Socket AM2, but apart from HDMI output, free Avivo video processing, and a graphics core that's still too slow for real gaming, AMD hasn't done much to distance the 690G from a GeForce 6150/nForce 430 chipset that was introduced a year and a half ago. I think this is the essential bottom line. Unimpressive IMO. C'mon AMD, get that chipset machine into high gear.

#35, 36# Thanks for the replies! So I guess as long as I get a GMA950 or better aero will run smooth as silk? Only issue will be when as Geoff says you use multiple demanding wpf apps.

On a semi-related note, Anand finally comes out with Barcelona analysis, and it's a pretty good read:

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2939

Grab yer soda stash, this may take a couple of hours heh.

I've been looking around but have surprisingly (to me at least) found no info with regards to how well current IGPs handle vista aero. I know which ones "support" it but I'd be very interested in knowing how they perform. Anyone using aero on either a laptop or desktop with a gma950 or perhaps a 6100/6150 whose willing to share some thoughts on how well aero runs?

ATI has always been good for integrated graphics, one of their Strong suits of old in the server world.
This mobo goes well with the concept of underDog.
DAAMIT!

Well written review, as always though.
Edit: forgot to say ... Wake me when there's K8L/Quad and HTX.

sweet - been waiting to hear about this chipset. This would rock for older games, especially if made in a mini-itx/dtx formfactor/

Whither the HDMI port?

Why was there no testing of the HDMI output? How about connecting it to one of those 32" LCD TV's that are so popular on Newegg right now? Throw in a Klipsch 5.1 Dolby surround system for good measure. Or use an HDMI to DVI converter and connect it to a 24" LCD. Perhaps that would have demonstrated just how much AMD distanced this chipset from the competition?

chipsets w/o a real vertex shader sometimes cause games to not detect pixel shader support at all. I ran into that with GMA950. Max Payne 2, for example, wouldn't use shader effects. Neither would Morrowind. VS and PS are used together for the effects.

BTW, that some stunning texturing efficiency. 100% efficient with multi texturing in 3dmark, according to its 400 MHz clock.

I thought SM 3.0 was a requirement for the Vista Aero desktop.

Game benchmarks:

If there is one type of gamer likely to use a system like this, its a gamer who plays MMO's. Many of them have no clue about PC's and buy somethings cheap, often with onboard video - which may actually play the game moderatly well.

A World of Warcraft benchmark would be nice to see on any of the lower end system reviews. Perhaps with medium video settings @1280x1024 (most common cheap LCD res).
Wow is not that demanding on medium settings, so this system may have run it quite acceptably.

Just FYI, you don't have to buy Nvidia's own software codec to enjoy the Nvidia's hardware PureVideo features, there are plenty of other programs (such as PowerDVD and WinDVD) who can use all of the PureVideo hardware features:
http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_purevideo_requirements.html

Hmmm, I guess I have a different definition of "casual gamer." I wouldn't expect a casual gamer to touch Battlefield 2, let alone Oblivion. To me a casual gamer is playing things like Sims 2, Crazy Machines, maybe a Civ or Tycoon game. This board would seem to be fine for that Perhaps for non-enthusiast IGP boards and low-end GPUs you could add a benchmark involving one of those games? Even if most of the folks here don't play those games, they may get called upon to build a machine for friends or family who do.

How does this thing stack up against an Core2/G965 rig in gaming, video, and power consumption?

Nice review; thanks for the hard work.

Any special reason why there was no O/Cing results?

Also, you can do HDMI to DVI from the board, right? I just want to be sure.

Anyone find it odd that the nVidia chipset uses a HyperTransport interconnect and the AMD chipset doesn't? I mean, I know it's an ATI design an' all, but you'd think they could have tacked it on...

Well at least the SB600 is quite competitive.

A good business solution I'm sure, corporates like a single platform provider, which is what Intel has had for years. The performance is good enough, the graphics will handle Vista without a problem, and the odd after-hours gaming session can occur without too much graphical woe.

Do the integrated graphics work with a graphics card inserted as well, i.e., you get extra outputs instead of replacing them?

I'd buy a mobo with the 690G, but only mini-DTX. I'd also probably buy a mobo with the old 6150, but only mini-DTX. No more useless IDE and PCI connectors on huge Micro-ATX mobos for me.

"The 690G's CPU utilization is lower, too, although keep in mind HD Tach's +/- 2% margin of error in that test."

http://techreport.com/reviews/2007q1/amd-690g/index.x?pg=14

That statement does not tie up with the graph unless you mean lower than the older ATI chips rather than the nvidia. Good review once again.

Wrong title at page 3:

Rolling out on MSI's K8AGM2

Should be K9AGM2.

I'm shocked, shocked I say, that ATI's OpenGL drivers still suck. /sarcasm

I can't believe the c2d e6600 wasn't in this review. What a sham! /asshat

Nice article. I was really expecting better out of the game tests. FEAR looks good, but the rest are kinda meh for having twice the pipelines as the competition.

Nice integrated graphics indeed. Impressed with the F.E.A.R numbers.

those IOMeter results are kind of weird. what would cause that??

Mix Pack !!!

Please Digg, if you will.

http://digg.com/hardware/AMD_ATI_merger_bears_first_chipset