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    VIA NANO CPU base netbooks is better than ATOM?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by USLaptopUser, Jul 25, 2009.

  1. USLaptopUser

    USLaptopUser Notebook Enthusiast

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    I will buy a netbook for web serving, video, and music. Is VIA nano is better than ATOM? Some benchmark show that VIA nano beat Intel ATOM in many apps, however, it consume more power than ATOM too.
     
    USLaptopUser, Jul 25, 2009
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  2. Phil

    Phil Retired

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    I like it when people answer their own questions :)

    For web browsing both are fine and you won't notice much difference. Battery life of Atom is better yes.

    Both will not be strong enough for Youtube HD. Some 720p video will be possible. 1080p H264 will only be possible on netbooks with either GMA500 or Broadcom HD chip. I'm not sure how well the latter works.
     
    Phil, Jul 25, 2009
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  3. jackluo923

    jackluo923 Notebook Virtuoso

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    However, in certain conditions, netbooks with intel atom with intel gma 950 can play 720P and 1080P h.264 videos as well as some hd flash videos.

    1) install windows media player 12 or windows 7's windows media center with its integrated h.264 codec will allow you to play 720P h.264 videos up to 7.5-10mbps and 1080P videos up to 5-7.5mbps h.264.
    2) Using coreavc codec for h.264 decoding will result in ability to play about 7.5Mbps 720P videos and 5Mbps 1080P h.264 videos

    When watching hd videos on Vimeo.com, my intel atom netbook can handle most hd videos. Some youtube hd videos also work flawlessly. Fast action ones on youtube doesn't work very well and average around 15-20FPS. A simple overclock of the processor to 1.8ghz~ will allow most of the hd youtube video to play flawlessly.
     
    jackluo923, Jul 25, 2009
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  4. Phil

    Phil Retired

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    Phil, Jul 25, 2009
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  5. jackluo923

    jackluo923 Notebook Virtuoso

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    No, unfortunately, that hd youtube video still can't achieve full FPS. It still lags a little bit, but it's very close to being perfect.

    http://staging.vimeo.com/5078027
    For example, the above video plays flawlessly on the non-overclocked intel atom with intel gma 950.
     
    jackluo923, Jul 25, 2009
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  6. iGrim

    iGrim Notebook Evangelist

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    Yup, I have an Acer netbook and the Atom CPU is so crippled that it can not even play many Youtube videos smoothly. That pretty pathetic if you ask me...

    Also, the VIA Nano is a superior architecture. It uses out-of-order processing which is FAR superior to the Atoms crippled in-order design.
     
    iGrim, Jul 25, 2009
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  7. jackluo923

    jackluo923 Notebook Virtuoso

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    I have an acer aspire one netbook (first gen) and the CPU performance is pretty good.
     
    jackluo923, Jul 25, 2009
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  8. Phil

    Phil Retired

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    Did you buy one? :)

    After you've been bashing it for weeks ...
     
    Phil, Jul 25, 2009
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  9. iGrim

    iGrim Notebook Evangelist

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    Pretty good? It cant even play some youtube videos without pining the CPU max out. You really think that "pretty good" performance??? :eek:
     
    iGrim, Jul 26, 2009
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  10. iGrim

    iGrim Notebook Evangelist

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    Yes I bought it when netbooks first came out. That is the same day I realized how BAD the Atom CPU performance is.
     
    iGrim, Jul 26, 2009
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  11. jackluo923

    jackluo923 Notebook Virtuoso

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    What do you expect from a $400 laptop with pentium M level of performance. This is not a quadcore laptop.
     
    jackluo923, Jul 26, 2009
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  12. iGrim

    iGrim Notebook Evangelist

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    Pentium M level performance??? HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!!!! The Pentium M CPU is so superior to the Atom its funny. Atom cpu cant even run some youtube videos in full frame rate.
     
    iGrim, Jul 26, 2009
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  13. MidnightSun

    MidnightSun Emodicon

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    Really? When I was on my friend's HP MiniNote (Atom N270), the YouTube videos I watched played fine.

    @OP: Not really sufe performance-wise, but VIA-based netbooks tend to have a significantly shorter battery life. Of course, that varies with the particular netbook.
     
    MidnightSun, Jul 26, 2009
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  14. jackluo923

    jackluo923 Notebook Virtuoso

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    I agree. All standard and high quality youtube videos plays 100% smooth. 720P flash videos is almost always perfectly smooth.
     
    jackluo923, Jul 26, 2009
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  15. John Ratsey

    John Ratsey Moderately inquisitive Super Moderator

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    My Samsung NC20 reciew (link below) contains some detailed comparisons between the NC10 (Atom) and NC20 (Nano). There are some further results in the discussion thread.

    The Atom wins in some tests and the Nano wins in others.

    There are yet more comparative results in the attached.

    John
     

    Attached Files:

    John Ratsey, Jul 26, 2009
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  16. Phil

    Phil Retired

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    My Pentium M 1.6 can not play some Youtube videos either.

    Going by several benchmarks provided by Anandtech, the Atom is about equal to a Pentium M 1.1.

    If those benchmarks are wrong please do provide proof. Just continuously bashing the Atom without providing any benchmarks does not lead any where.
     
    Phil, Jul 26, 2009
    #16