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ECS U-Buddie barebone for an Office Computer

Performance tests

Testbed configuration:

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.53 GHz, Socket 478
Mainboards:
- ECS ES4M based on SiS650GL as part of ECS U-Buddie 4m23
- ASUS P4SQ based on SiS651 as part of ASUS DiGiMatrix
- ASUS P4S333-VF based on SiS651 as part of ASUS Prodigy (P4S)
- AOpen MX4GR based on i845G as part of AOpen MX4GR
- Shuttle FB51 based on i845G as part of Shuttle SB51G
Memory:
- 1x512 MB PC3200(DDR400) DDR SDRAM DIMM TwinMOS, CL 2 (in tests it was used as PC2100(DDR266) for ECS U-Buddie and as PC2700(DDR333) for ASUS DiGiMatrix)
- 2x256 MB PC3200(DDR400) DDR SDRAM DIMM Winbond, CL 2 (in tests it was used as PC2100(DDR266) for other barebones)
External video card: not used
HDD:
- Seagate Momentus ST94011A, 5400 rpm (for ECS U-Buddie)
- IBM IC35L040AVER07-0 and Western Digital WD400EB, 7200 rpm both (for other barebones)

Software:

OS and drivers:
- Windows XP Professional SP1
- DirectX 9.0b (for ASUS DiGiMatrix and ECS U-Buddie)
- DirectX 8.1 (for other barebones)
- SIS AGP Driver 1.17 (for ASUS DiGiMatrix and ECS U-Buddie)
- SiS AGP Driver 1.13 (for ASUS Prodigy)
- SIS IDE Driver 2.04a (for ASUS DiGiMatrix and ECS U-Buddie)
- SiS IDE Driver 2.02 (for ASUS Prodigy)
- SIS VGA Driver 2.21 (for ASUS DiGiMatrix and ECS U-Buddie)
- SiS Video Driver 2.07 (for ASUS Prodigy)
- Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility 4.10.1012
- Intel Application Accelerator 2.3
- Intel Extreme Graphics Driver PV11.4.1
- AD1980 Driver dated 07.05.2003
- C-Media CMI9738 UDA039
Test applications:
- Gray Matter Studios & Nerve Software Return to Castle Wolfenstein v1.1
- Croteam/GodGames Serious Sam: The Second Encounter v1.07

As we used the results of the above-mentioned systems (including ASUS DiGiMatrix) to compare with U-Buddie, we decided to content ourselves with the same tests in games. We certainly used the integrated video in all cases, because an external video card can be installed only to Shuttle SB51G. Performance of all reviewed systems based on SiS650/651 turned out the same (accurate within 3%). You can find the comparison of those SiS chipsets with their competitors in archives of our web site.

We can tell the same about U-Buddie what we already wrote about DiGiMatrix: with new drivers the performance in games raised considerably (you can compare with Prodigy), but there appeared problems with maximum graphics settings. However, the absolute fps values are still far from optimistic: you can play only in low game modes.

In newer games the situation is even worse, and the 640x480 mode cannot be seriously reviewed in 2004. Nevertheless, note that ECS U-Buddie squeezes everything possible from its integrated video, even outscoring the ASUS model.

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Sergei Pikalov (peek@ixbt.com)
Dmitry Majorov (destrax@ixbt.com)
September 13, 2004
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