Video Playback - CPU Utilization
Both the ATI and Nvidia mainstream cards include a piece of silicon on die that handles video decoding. The first image shows what happens when the CPU does all of the decoding. The first core is over 60% utilized while the second is at 30-40% making the total utilization between 50 and 60%.
When the HD DVD decoding is done on the by ATI’s Universal Video Decoder, the CPU utilization drops to a total of 10-15% with the second core doing almost nothing. This shows just how much work can be offloaded to the GPU for the decoding process.
Nvidia didn’t do as well as the ATI UVD acceleration using the InterVideo software with the hardware acceleration options enabled: it is still lower than CPU only option. We are going to revisit this with the next AVIVO vs. Pure Video update that Don Woligroski is currently working on. We wanted to demonstrate that these functions were operational on both companies’ hardware.
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" As for those of you who are still in a holding pattern: you need to dive in soon."
Why would people want to folow this advice if this "The R700 is on its way, as well as Nvidia’s refresh of the G80." is going to happen.
If you want a low level pc for less demanding games,interestingly you class the sims as such in your article and i have upgraded gpu twice before so the wife can run it.then there is no need to rush as the cards are not going anyware.
Secondly if you are after more performance then dosent it make sunce to wait for the G80 refresh and R700 as prices should then drop on the lower cards ie 8800gts.
My take on it is that when the prices come down and the new cards come out the 8800gts will be the midrange.
but Mactronix, when r700 comes out, not long after that there will be the next load of new, better cards
Yes this is true but we are talking about the midrange here not what is the latest and greatest
and i beleive that as far as gaming goes to buy a card bellow the x1650xt/7600gt which comes out at 2600xt/8600gt/gts with the newer cards just isnt worth it.
That dosent leave many cards above that so with the new cards hopefully being better than the present offerings that makes the 8800gts320/640 the only real midrange cards in my opinion.
And as the article said you cant sit on the fence for ever but personally i like to sit long enough to tell the wheat from the chaff.
Mactronix