VIA Nano Dual-Core Preview

Test Setup

VIA Nano Dual-Core (VIA VT8591B reference board):

• VIA Nano Dual-Core: 1.8GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache, dual core
  
• 4GB DDR3 1,066MHz (dual-channel, two DIMM)
  
• VIA VN1000 chipset with Chrome 520 IGP
  
• VIA pre-release GPU driver
  
• Microsoft Windows Home Premium x64, Aero Disabled

VIA Nano (VIA Artigo A1100 barebones):

• VIA Nano U2500: 1.2GHz, 800MHz FSB
  
• 2GB DDR2 800MHz SO-DIMM (single channel, single DIMM)
  
• VIA VX855 with VIA Chrome9 HCM DX9 IGP
  
• VIA 241004j GPU Driver
  
• Microsoft Windows Home Premium x64, Aero Disabled

Intel Atom (Intel D330 mini-ITX reference board):

• Intel Atom D330: 1.6GHz, 533MHz FSB, 512k L2 cache (per core), dual core with HyperThreading
  
• Intel 945GC chipset with GMA950 IGP
  
• 2GB DDR2 800MHz SO-DIMM (single channel)
  
• Microsoft Windows Home Premium x64, Aero Disabled

Intel CULV (Dell Inspiron Ultra-thin notebook):

• Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300, 1.3 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 3 MB L2 cache, dual core
  
• 4GB DDR2 800MHz SO-DIMM (dual channel, two DIMM)
  
• Intel GMA 4500MHD IGP
  
• Intel 15.12.75.50.64.2023 GPU driver
  
• Microsoft Windows Home Premium x64, Aero Disabled

AMD V Series (ASUS Eee PC 1015T netbook):

• AMD V105: 1.2GHz, 1GHz CPU-NB, 512k L2 cache, single core
  
• 2GB DDR3 800MHz SO-DIMM (single channel, single DIMM)
  
• AMD M880G chipset with Radeon HD4250 GPU
  
• AMD Catalyst 9.10 WHQL driver
  
• Microsoft Windows Home Premium x64, Aero Disabled

Because the VIA Nano Dual-core platform is designed to traverse a range of laptop, net-top and basic PC systems, we did our best to round up a mixture of systems based on similar hardware from Intel, AMD and VIA. Unfortunately, because some of the systems are highly integrated (netbooks and laptops), it was impossible to have completely like-for-life comparative hardware. Because not all systems were fast enough to handle Windows Aero, we disabled it on all the systems.

We wanted to show how these 'typical platforms' for netbook, 'ultra-thin' CULV laptops, net-tops and basic desktops compare in the real world rather than just the new CPU specifically.