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Intel G45 Express Chipset Tested - TechAmok
Intel G45 Express Chipset Tested - [hardware] 03:46 PM EDT - Oct,10 2008 - post a comment 
The Tech
Report takes a further look at the Intel G45 Express chipset. On
paper, the G45 Express certainly looks like it should be able to run with the
new IGP order. But can Intel really compete with the graphics specialists on
their home turf?
Let's get this out of the way right now: if you're looking to play games on
an integrated graphics chipset, you can do a lot better than the G45 Express.
AMD's 780G and Nvidia's GeForce 8300 platforms offer significantly better
performance and a more reliable track record when it comes to compatibility,
especially with newer titles. Of course, if you want to play newer games, you're
much better off ditching integrated graphics in favor of one of the sub-$100
discrete graphics cards available on the market, but I digress.
So the G45 Express' Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD isn't much of a gamer,
then. But Intel's latest GMA does support Blu-ray decode acceleration—a task it
performs rather well. Even with our budget Pentium E2180, the X4500HD had no
problems smoothly playing back high-bitrate Blu-ray movies at 1080p. The latest
integrated graphics chipsets from AMD and Nvidia can do this too, of course, but
at least Intel has reached parity here.
The rest of the G45 Express is also up to snuff, with a second-generation PCI
Express x16 slot, low power consumption at idle and under load, plenty of south
bridge features including an integrated Gigabit Ethernet MAC and problem-free
AHCI implementation, and a front-side bus compatible with a wide range of very
potent Core 2 processors. Intel arguably has a much more attractive processor
lineup than AMD at the moment, and that gives the G45 Express a leg up on the
780G and GeForce 8300. And if you're looking to build a Core 2-based home
theater PC with an integrated graphics chipset and Blu-ray decode acceleration,
the G45 is currently the only game in town.
As tends to be the case with Intel's integrated graphics platforms, there's a
price premium associated with the G45 Express. Motherboards based on the G45
typically cost $10-40 more than those based on AMD's 780G, which is our current
integrated graphics chipset of choice. That's not a lot of money in the grand
scheme of things, but it's something to keep in mind, particularly when building
a budget rig.
The MSI G45M-FIDR we tested today should hit the market at around $120, and it's
a decent board overall. I particularly like the inclusion of the ICH10R south
bridge chip, since falling hard drive prices continue to make RAID more
attractive for desktops, if only for redundancy. However, the G45M-FIDR doesn't
play to the G45's strengths, which are its Blu-ray playback acceleration and
abundance of digital output options. We can only hope MSI's
home-theater-PC-oriented take on the G45 does better on that front
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