CPU power, video playback, Blu-ray
| 7-zip compression of 205MB files | |
|---|---|
| Scan 3XS ION | Acer Timeline 5810 (mains) |
| 175 | 93 |
The Core 2 Duo SU9400 ULV processor in the Acer Timeline is derived from a full-fat Core 2 architecture, so whilst the also-dual-core Atom N330 is better than the N270 found in most netbooks, it takes almost twice as long to compress the photos. The test is based on CPU grunt in the main, and it's clear that Atom isn't a heavyweight contender.
| Terminator Salvation 480p (mov) playback via VLC | |
|---|---|
| Scan 3XS ION | Acer Timeline 5810 (mains) |
| 11.75 | 7.85 |
| Terminator Salvation 720p (mov) playback via VLC | |
|---|---|
| Scan 3XS ION | Acer Timeline 5810 (mains) |
| 24.1 | 18.9 |
Run up to 720p on non-GPU-accelerated QuickTime clips (for VLC player) and both systems do well enough, not dropping frames or pushing their respective CPUs.
| Terminator Salvation 1080p (mov) playback via VLC | |
|---|---|
| Scan 3XS ION | Acer Timeline 5810 (mains) |
| 51.7 | 32.4 |
But 1080p load, in this case, causes the ION system to stutter and corrupt the picture in places, which is not shown on the average CPU utilisation, and is caused by high-bitrate spikes, The more-potent Core 2 Duo SU9400 is far smoother here.
It's important to note the CPU's relative power here because, at the time of writing, the omnipresent Flash format is not yet accelerated on the GPU, and playing a full-screen 720p clip lead to a choppy viewing experience. Adobe has already stated that it will fix this, but that's why a CPU with more oomph is preferable.
| Terminator Salvation 1080p (mov) playback via MPC-HC | ||
|---|---|---|
| Scan 3XS ION (PV) | Acer Timeline 5810 (mains) | Scan 3XS ION |
| 6.9 | 32.4 | 51.7 |
Scan, though, bundles in Media Player Classic Home Cinema - a free download - that does accelerate QuickTime via the ION's PureVideo HD. Play it back via this software and the average CPU utilisation is just seven per cent at 1080p, with smooth, stutter-free performance.
| Die Hard 4.0 Blu-ray playback | |
|---|---|
| Scan 3XS ION | Acer Timeline 5810 (mains) |
| 27 | 44 |
NVIDIA's ION also helps accelerate the majority of high-definition content, including Blu-ray codecs. The 3XS produces a stutter-free performance when playing back Die Hard 4.0.
