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3D Performance
In 3DMark, the NF9C-2600 scored poorly compared to ION and the E-350's
HD 6310 graphics chip, but it did manage to almost double the 3DMark05 result
of the Intel D510M0 with GMA 3150 graphics (which couldn't even run 3DMark06).
Unfortunately, these two synthetic benchmarks were the only ones for which we
managed to get results. We typically run three standalone game benchmarks when
testing systems running low-end graphics, but this wasn't possible on the NF9C-2600.
The H.A.W.X. 2 and Lost Planet 2 demo benchmarks both crashed before starting, and Alien vs. Predator was incompatible as it requires
DirectX 10.
It seems that switching to a PowerVR graphics chip has resulted in some compatibility
issues. The underlying architecture is superior to the pitiful GMA 3150 of the
previous Atom platforms, but without proper driver/software, 3D use is almost
out of the question. That being said, you won't be missing much. We also encountered
screen flickering when loading programs, minimizing windows, or even navigating
through folders with explorer (but never when playing video). The issue was
especially bad when transparency was enabled. The system on a whole was much
smoother with Aero disabled.
CPU Performance
When we reviewed the Asus E35M1-M a year ago we were surprised by its surprisingly
poor video encoding results compared to the Intel D510M0. Here we see the D510M0
pummeling the NF9C-2600 in every test, which doesn't make sense as the N2600
is simply a die-shrunk version of its predecessors. We believe this is because
the D510M0 was tested 3 years ago using Windows XP. Since then we've tested
all boards using Windows 7, which has substantially greater overhead demands
on the hardware.
Compared to the AMD E-350, the N2600 fared poorly, particularly in our NOD32
anti-virus scan and iTunes encoding test where it was slower by more than 55%.
The E-350 was also substantially faster in WinRAR and Photoshop. Only in video
encoding with TMPGEnc and HandBrake, probably the least likely activities to
be performed with this kind of hardware, could the new Atom CPU keep up.
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