ASUS U41JF: Arrandale's Not Dead Yet
by Jarred Walton on March 28, 2011 7:35 PM ESTWhy Discrete GPUs Matter: Gaming Performance
We’re skipping out on running any of the High detail testing this time around; with a 1366x768 resolution LCD, we’ll stick to our Low and Medium quality tests. Besides, we’ve checked 900p High performance on the GT 425M several times, and it’s no better this time around. Only two of our eight test titles (DiRT 2 and Mass Effect 2) break 30FPS at our demanding High settings, and then only by a few FPS. Medium is where the GT 425M works best, or even Low quality in a few titles (i.e. Crysis 2, Metro 2033, and Mafia II).
Does anyone else ever get the impression that perhaps Intel is spending a lot more time optimizing for 3DMarks than for actual games? Where we saw the gap between GT 425M and quad-core HD 3000 get as small as 12% in Vantage Entry, or as much as 53% in 3D05, for actual games—even at low/minimum detail—the margin of victory starts at 40% (Metro 2033) and is as much as 97% (Mafia II). On average, the 425M leads at low detail by 62% in our eight titles. We only have results for six games with the MBP13, but the average margin is even greater at 101%. And that’s not even factoring in better compatibility and more consistent performance across a wider selection of titles! What happens when we move to Medium quality?
The GT 425M lead in individual games ranges from 42-143% over the i7-2820QM, with an average lead of 72%, so slightly higher than at our Low details. Compared to the MBP13’s i5-2415M, the lead average is 100%, with individual leads of 71-137%, but we're missing Mafia II and Metro 2033 scores. The two SNB laptops may not have used the same driver version, and we don’t have results for all the games on the MBP13. I can also confirm that an i5-2520M notebook outperforms the MBP13 results by around 5-10% on average. Either way, it’s obvious that even a moderate discrete GPU like the GT 425M still offers a lot more performance than any current IGP. It will be interesting to see how that changes once Llano hits in the next couple of months.
Something else to point out before we move on is that some driver updates appear to have improved performance with the GT 425M, at least in a couple titles. Left 4 Dead 2 is running a lot faster than on the N53JF, though the XPS 15 is still the best result (see next page for a discussion of other points of interest relating to L4D2). The bigger change is in StarCraft II, where the U41JF is at least 10% faster than the next closest 425M laptop.
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lexluthermiester - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - link
As opposed to HP and AMD? Or was that sarcasm?ajp_anton - Monday, March 28, 2011 - link
Have you ever considered flipping that graph and make a simple "Watts (lower is better)" instead?sleepeeg3 - Monday, March 28, 2011 - link
Appreciate your comments on the LCD. I had an different Acer, which probably was not much different from the one in your graphs and tried to switch to the ASUS - horrible. While the Acer was no gem, the ASUS was almost intolerable. I ended up returning it, because of trackpad skipping and partly for the horrible LCD.That said, would I be willing to pay for an IPS panel in a cheap laptop that I am going to use and abuse? Especially one in an Acer with a chafing, integrated LCD power cable that is causing some of the LED backlights to fail, requiring replacement of the panel. Maybe $100 more if I knew it was an IPS, but it's not critical for something I do work on, when I can go home and type on the fantastic 26" IPS I am typing on now. It is amazing to sit behind someone with an Apple laptop and see their gorgeous screen, but on the other hand I know they paid $2000-3000 for that battery sucking, incompatible brick so it's alot easier to tolerate.
Bottom line though, it would be nice to have more choices and for there to be a clear standard for LCD display technology.
mschira - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - link
save another 100g by ditching the DVD drive,give us a better (highres screen) - you have a buy.
So. Yea well.
M.
duploxxx - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - link
While this is a nice update / upgrade if you want it is nothing more then stretching the life cycle of an EOL platform.By adding the GT425M, sure the performance is a better then the UM but the playback already shows what will happen with battery in real life not to mention any gaming on battery.
SB will clearly have the lead in poweroptimization for the CPU while still the need is there for a dGPU, the HD series are just not strong enough gaming wise.
Liano on the other hand will provide the gaming performance in the same 35W package.
Watch the P520+5650 real close that is the performance it will have but with a more optimised CPU, when AMD is able to get the idle power under controll of the whole package (mainly needed for idle and surfing), the platform will be a much more balanced solution, the right one for this kind of notebook offers.
Chris Peredun - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - link
"DVD-RAM (Matshita UJ892AS)"Really? A DVD-RAM drive? Haven't seen one of those in years. ;)
Methinks you meant "DVDRW" instead.
JarredWalton - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - link
DVD-RAM is another standard, and that's the way the drive chose to identify itself. Technically, every DVD-RAM capable drive is also able to support DVD+/-RW as well, but I suppose just keeping the model number in there is sufficient.Chris Peredun - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - link
DVD-RAM isn't used very often these days, that's why I suggested the change to the more common "DVDRW" - but mea culpa, apparently this drive can in fact read *and* write to DVD-RAMs.geniekid - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - link
I'm still using my UL80VT from 1.5 years ago. When I'm away from home, I still use it to play semi-old-school games like TF2 and Torchlight. The battery life is amazing if you mode down to integrated graphics and watch movies or surf the internet. If the U41JF is two refreshes away from the UL80VT and still offers the same battery life for about the same price (I bought my UL80VT for $850) with the ability to run modern games, I have no problem recommending it to anyone who's on the fence.Alexo - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 - link
Are there any (current or upcoming) laptops that combine a good screen with long battery life?I understand that the Tnikpad X220 is available with an IPS panel (although it has a rather small screen and no discrete graphics).
Are there other options?