AMD vs. Intel: Battery Life Investigated

[zmatt]

Intel has always been that way with laptops because of the centrino platform.

Then again, the test has one flaw.

The intel system was running the standard Intel GMA, while the amd system actualy had a dedicated gpu, the HD3200.

The HD3200 is not dedicated. It is part of the northbridge. It may indeed be faster than most other integrated gpus, but it's still an IGP. It's like comparing a civic si to a porsche 911. Yeah the si is faster than other civics, but it's still a civic.

 

[Baez]

I think you meant it's like comparing a Civic to a Civic SI .

No need for a porsche in there!

 

[zmatt]

I think you meant it's like comparing a Civic to a Civic SI .

No need for a porsche in there!

No, the porsche is a real video card. The civic is a gma 950 and the si is the hd3200.

 

[ricanflow]

The HD3200 is not dedicated. It is part of the northbridge. It may indeed be faster than most other integrated gpus, but it's still an IGP. It's like comparing a civic si to a porsche 911. Yeah the si is faster than other civics, but it's still a civic.

Yeah i looked it up to see.

Its still way better than intel gma, so its gonna use more power. So the battery performance difference might not be as wide of a gap.

Yes centrino is better still.

The gpu in mine must be a 3000GT na then....

 

[zmatt]

Yeah i looked it up to see.

Its still way better than intel gma, so its gonna use more power. So the battery performance difference might not be as wide of a gap.

Yes centrino is better still.

The gpu in mine must be a 3000GT na then....

It depends on which gma. I don't have nay numbers in front of me, but the gma 900 family is very inefficient and I bet the hd3200 uses less power simply because its newer and a smaller process. The newer gma 500 however is far and away more efficient.

 

[ricanflow]

Well looking over at notebook check, every intel gma chipset is listed lower than the hd3200.

Something tells me it would use more power than any of the gma chipsets,

 

[zmatt]

I just checked. The amd chipset in question uses 11.4w load. The new gma 500 is 2.1 watts and the 950 is 15 watts. I took me forever to dig up the 945 info. I hate reading data sheets.