Final thoughts
AMD's 780G chipset, limited to the company's own AM2(+) processors, ushers in a new era for gaming with respect to graphics integrated into a motherboard. That bold statement is predicated upon the performance of the Radeon HD 3200 core - the beating heart of the 780G northbridge.Generally analogous to the make-up of the discrete, low-end Radeon HD 2400 - albeit with an upgraded version of the video-decoding UVD ASIC - the 500MHz-clocked IGP offers playable frame-rates, at 1,024x768 and at low-to-medium settings, in a variety of first-person shooters, which, really, is something that's not been possible up until now. Our overclocking tests have shown it to scale to 850MHz with consummate ease, too.
The 780G's IGP also offers an eclectic range of display outputs and its 3D performance can be further augmented by adding a low-end, discrete ATI 3K card and combining the two, via Hybrid CrossFire, for around 20 per cent additional performance over and above the discrete card's.
The paired SB700 southbridge is competent, if not exceptional, and the duo combines to offer a compelling reason for purchase, with retail boards starting at around the £60 price-point.
The feature-set is such that 780G makes for an ideal base for an HTPC as well as a general workhorse/casual gaming machine for Mr. Average.
AMD's lined up a bunch of partners for 780G's official launch and Gigabyte's effort, priced at around £75, is decent enough in most respects. The layout and BIOS are both good, and when paired with a power-efficient AMD Athlon X2 4850e, the overall proposition, at £130, is enticing.
Bottom line: AMD's DX10-toting 780G chipset improves on the incumbent 690G in almost every way. It's leagues ahead of any other IGP-based solution currently available. NVIDIA and Intel will need to raise their respective games, substantially, if they're to have a better solution in H1 2008. Let's sit back, wait and see what MCP78/7A and G45 bring to the IGP table.
HEXUS Awards
AMD 780G chipset and Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H
