Conclusion
Here's the bottom line: the 785G is a welcome update to a highly-regarded IGP, but with no more raw power than the 780G it will replace. The 785G is essentially the 780G chipset re-introduced with a number of attractive features, and it looks even better beside AMD's value-oriented Phenom II and Athlon II processors.
Is the 785G the best IGP out there? The answer is going to depend on what the PC will be used for and whether the apps you want to run work better with a Phenom II or Core 2 processor. With this in mind, let's examine a few of the primary reasons someone would want an integrated chipset, and specific recommendations for those applications.
Home Theater PC:
Which IGP is the best in a home theater PC? At this point I would have to say Nvidia's GeForce 9300/9400 and the 785G are running a close race, with the G45 slightly behind both due to a lack of picture-in-picture acceleration and a lower video playback quality (we'll explore this HTPC Blu-ray playback on these IGPs in a dedicated article in the very near future).
If money is a factor and eight-channel LPCM isn't necessary, then the 780G is the way to go at prices below the GeForce 9300/9400.
Low-Cost Gaming PC:
For this specific use, I'd recommend skipping IGPs altogether and opting for a non-IGP motherboard of your choice in addition to a discrete graphics card. The Radeon HD 4350 is far more powerful than all of these IGPs, and can be found for under $35 online, while $50 gets you into Radeon HD 4650 territory and true 1280x1024 gaming. If you really don't have the $35 to spend, I'd recommend the 780G with a solid overclock to the graphics chipset. If you can't afford a discrete card today but plan on multiple cards in the future, the 790GX is the way to go with its dual-card CrossFireX capability.
All-Purpose PC
As a general, all-purpose PC for the home, I'd recommend the 780G or 785G, and not because of the chipset so much as the low cost of solid CPUs that drop into them. The Phenom II X2 and Phenom II X3 really do offer a great deal of performance for the price right now.
While Intel does offer its own low-priced Core 2 and Pentium dual-core gems, the G45 trades off too much in the graphics power department to be attractive, and the GeForce 9300/9400 motherboards are inexplicably expensive. The cheapest 780G motherboard is $45 less than the cheapest 9300 motherboard we can find, which is almost the cost of a discrete Radeon HD 4650.
In the final analysis, the 785G is a fine addition to AMD's chipset portfolio, and is perhaps most compelling for home-theater enthusiasts.
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just want to give you guys a heads up, meybe you wanna look into it:
AMD 785G Update - Multi-Channel LPCM is not Available
or at least thats what AMD says accordign to anandtech:
http://www.anandtech.com/weblog/showpost.aspx?i=629
Great article..thanks for including the GPGPU benchmarks
Be nice to see those vs. the fastest i7 and it's respective power draw.
Fair do's to AMD. They've bounced back, and given the market some products that can compete with both Intel (CPU's) and nVidia (GPU's). Seems like it's only nVidia that has kept Intel's head above water in the GPU market..the G45 couldn't even play Blue-Ray properly, let alone produce decent frame rates even in slightly older games.
If I was in AMD's shoes right now I'd push the advantage of GPGPU processing, in addition to low-cost Athlon II/Phenom II processors. Only thing that doesn't appeal to me is the naming conventions, which confuse the user into thinking higher numbers mean more performance..that really turned me off nVidia. The 785G is alright because it suggests a slightly modified design rather than a brand new one (nice to see them squeezing everything out of it and developing even better drivers), but the integrated HD4200 being slower than HD3300? Hmm, c'mon guys..that might cheese off a few people.
Finally, the article does lead me to ask: is nVidia doing the 9400 for AM3? If not, is it down to some competition law or something? The 8200 game results look very weak..they're even on par with the Intel G45 on occasion. An nVidia 9 series IGP for the AMD platform would obviously be better.
p.s.
I think Mother Earth is far better served by the US population, which is predicted to mushroom in a relatively short space of time..I'll settle for the lesser evil I think, and get that shiny new CPU.
I think Mother Earth is far better served by the US population, which is predicted to mushroom in a relatively short space of time..I'll settle for the lesser evil I think, and get that shiny new CPU.
I think you've missed out the words "not" and "cloud" from your quote
Anandtech is reporting that retail 785G motherboards typically won't actually support multi-channel LPCM. Any truth to this?
AMD chips still can't run standard windows Apps properly without cashing, so as far as I am concerned, Intel is a solid winner.
(every AMD I have been on has had an issue with some very basic program, ranging from Nero Burning Rom to something as simple as Microsoft Word (03/07))
Hey, this review is giving me ideas....
and now i'm slightly confused...
I was going to assemble an intel 5200+ Biostar g41 for a simple home use PC, but now I am seriously considering 785G. I am not really into gaming. All I want is a graphic good enough to play bluray with good onboard sound card.
Anyway, keep up the good work. This is the kind of review which a novice like me am looking at and depending upon when trying to buy a new PC. Thanks!!