MSI Wind U123 and ASUS 1000HE Show Netbook Evolution

Performance Comparison

PCMark05 test results are reported as an overall PCMark05 score and a separate CPU Test Suite Score for this initial round of performance testing. Three processors are represented in these test results and the actual impact of those processors on the CPU Test Suite was of great interest.

As a raw CPU score the improvement from the Celeron M900 to the Atom N270 represents a 47% increase in performance. However, the impact of the improved CPU performance with the similarly improved capabilities of the 945 Express chipset combine for a 72% higher PCMark05 score, which factors in graphics, CPU, and total system performance to achieve the final score.

Manufacturers claim about a 10% improvement in performance in the move from the Atom N270 to the more recent Atom N280. PCMark results show an even smaller performance improvement, with just a 4.3% improvement in the CPU Test Suite score. The PCMark05 overall performance improvement also measured in the 4% to 5% range, which is definitely an improvement level you will not likely notice in day-to-day use of your netbook.

The bottom line is that you will definitely notice the performance improvement in a move from an early Celeron M900 to an Intel Atom processor notebook. However, while the Atom N280 is a better performer than the N270, the improvement would be hard to notice in everyday computing. The performance difference between the N270 and N280 is minor at best and should not strongly influence your Netbook buying decision.