Practicality
As a PC-based DVDÂ player
Whisper-quiet operation and a number of video-related ports and sockets, the Tranquil PC sets itself up as a living room DVD and DivX player. What's more, the CLE266 North Bridge contains a hardware MPEG-2 decoder that helps shift the processing load from the CPU. That should, in theory, make it perfect for smooth DVD playback. To test its proficiency as a playback machine, PowerDVD XP 4.0 was installed on to Windows XP Home. A 2-speaker setup was selected and an action sequence of The Score was run for 10 minutes. The output was crisp, sharp and free from artifacts and slowdown.
Windows Task Manager reported an average CPU load of around 70%. Playback didn't appear to be compromised in any way, shape or form. At this juncture, we must note that the 2D exhibited by the EPIA M10000 was almost as good as a Radeon's, and far, far better than the mediocre displays from, say, Intel's integrated video. Text was sharp and defined. A definite thumbs up to VIA on this count. TV-Out, too, was crisp, detailed and generally enjoyable. The output adjustment panel, located in the options section, gave reasonable flexibility in managing the video stream's appearance.
DivX player
DivX playback, something that many a PC user is familiar with, was conducted with the latest DivX5.05 CODEC and a 2GB, high bit-rate 'rip' of The Phantom Menace. However, much like the initial EPIA M10000 review's findings, the machine wasn't partial to high intensity, high bit-rate rips. With no additional hardware support in this instance, the Tranquil appeared to slow down in a number of passages. During one particularly hectic sequence, Task Manager had this to say.
Literally on the edge for the whole period. Funnily enough, changing down to the 5.02 CODEC smoothed the playback somewhat, but it was still not as smooth as we're accustomed to. The DivX movie was re-run on a 700MHz P3 256MB laptop with integrated 8MB SavageMX video. The same DivX clip played without skip or stutter, and CPU utilisation hovered around the 75% mark. That's what makes the Tranquil and, in particular, the EPIA M10000's performance so perplexing. Maybe a new driver is required ?.
Glorified jukebox
Absolutely no problems on this count. Hook up the Tranquil to your stereo, preferably through the superior S/PDIF socket, and turn the machine into an 80GB MP3 jukebox. The CPU didn't break into a sweat when running through a number of high-quality MP3s. The quietness of the machine allowed for low level listening. Larger hard drives open up the way for unbelievable music storage
Business machine
Most businesses, with IT-heavy companies excepted, would prefer small, quiet machines over ear-bashing monsters. Plenty of USB 2.0, FireWire, LAN and sound support, coupled with the quiet operation, would make it a ideal candidate for offices that require multiple machines but don't want excessive noise. Libraries are a case in point. 20 Tranquil PCs wouldn't mask a muted cough, such is the lack of noise.
General home machine
If true gaming isn't necessarily for you, the Tranquil could serve as a silent downloader, general e-mail and word processing PC, and everyday PC.
Gaming machine ?
No, sadly. Quake III is positively laughed at by midrange cards and powerful AMD / Intel CPUs, yet the Tranquil could barely break 15FPS at 1024x768x32 HQ. Similarly, 3DMark 2001SE returned a score of below 1,000 marks. Fine for very basic games, but hardly suited to anything with complexity. That's not its forte, though.
