Stacking it up
Geekbench is a simple, one-fits-all test that stresses the computer's CPU computational ability and memory performance. The Zacate E-450 chip is reckoned to be 35 per cent better than the Atom found in the original EDGE. What's more, it's about the same speed as an Athlon II Neo K325.
Look at it from another benchmark and the E-450 continues to be that little bit better. The dual-core chip, based on a Bobcat architecture, bests a quad-threaded Atom chip of the 'Pineview' persuasion. Putting the results into some kind of context for desktop users, an Intel Core i5 2500K system manages a CINEBENCH score of around 5.4 marks, or 9x the E-450's performance.
The basic gaming test shows that the third-generation EDGE is a little slower than its predecessor. Radeon HD 6320 graphics are trumped by NVIDIA's ION 2 here. What this graph also shows is the lacklustre performance provided by older Intel graphics - GMA3150 on the Acer D260 netbook.
And running the power-draw test highlights that the EDGE-HD3 pulls, from the mains, roughly the same power as other small-form-factor PCs.
