I've been looking at some of the socket 1155 boards coming out, but have
noticed something odd over at Newegg. This board, for example:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157236

The description says that it does not have onboard video, yet it sports
VGA/DVI/HDMI ports. The manufacturer's page talks about *supporting*
video standards, but nothing about onboard video.

Does this motherboard have onboard video or not?

Also, more generally, what's the outlook for these 1155 boards? Is it
worth buying one in this first round?

Grinder wrote:
> I've been looking at some of the socket 1155 boards coming out, but have
> noticed something odd over at Newegg. This board, for example:
>
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157236
>
> The description says that it does not have onboard video, yet it sports
> VGA/DVI/HDMI ports. The manufacturer's page talks about *supporting*
> video standards, but nothing about onboard video.
>
> Does this motherboard have onboard video or not?
>
> Also, more generally, what's the outlook for these 1155 boards? Is it
> worth buying one in this first round?
>

There are Intel processors with a GPU chip inside. Then, there are
chipsets, with display output drive, based on utilizing that GPU.
So you need a motherboard with a chipset that can pick up the GPU
output, then turn it into VGA, DVI, HDMI.

If you buy a motherboard with VGA, DVI, HDMI, and buy a processor
*without* the GPU inside, you get... no signal :-)

So you have to verify on the Intel site, that the chip has a GPU.

http://ark.intel.com/products/52206/...Cache-2_80-GHz)

You can see the scheme in the block diagram.

http://ark.intel.com/inc/images/diagrams/diagram-18.gif

Apparently, that FDI interface, carries output from the GPU, to
the chipset. If the "PCH" supports video, then the motherboard will
have video connectors. But if the processor didn't have a GPU inside
it, there'd be nothing to drive the FDI interface.

When the advert says "Supports Intel HD Graphics 2000/3000",
that is a reference to the GPU inside the Intel processor.

So you can have processors with or without GPU, chipset with
or without video conversion interface, giving combinations
that work and that don't work.

Back in the LGA775 days, the GPU would be inside the Northbridge,
and if you saw the video connectors on the motherboard, then
you knew for sure you'd have working video. The GPU was inside
the MCH.

http://ark.intel.com/inc/images/diagrams/diagram-5.gif

You have to be "wide awake" when shopping for the newer stuff...

*******

"Is it worth buying" ? Well, how would we measure that ? The platform
covers a range of processor performance levels, all of which are probably
adequate.

If you're building a video conversion or rendering box, maybe
something with more processor cores would help.

Maybe something with 10 cores for example. Only $4616.00

http://ark.intel.com/products/53580/...-GTs-Intel-QPI)

The thing is, the price rapidly escalates out of sight, once you
go past that 1155 platform.

By comparison, a 2600K is a "bargain".

http://ark.intel.com/products/52214/...Cache-3_40-GHz)

Paul

Grinder wrote:
> I've been looking at some of the socket 1155 boards coming out,
> but
> have noticed something odd over at Newegg. This board, for
> example:
>
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157236
>
> The description says that it does not have onboard video, yet
> it
> sports VGA/DVI/HDMI ports. The manufacturer's page talks about
> *supporting* video standards, but nothing about onboard video.
>
> Does this motherboard have onboard video or not?
>
> Also, more generally, what's the outlook for these 1155 boards?
> Is it
> worth buying one in this first round?

Paul has already explained the principles very well. I'd like to
add a couple of points to complete the picture.

Choosing the heart of a computing system is becoming more and
more complex and the best choice depends on the primary
application. Since the introduction of their Core 2 technology,
Intel has been ahead of AMD in terms of raw computing power, but
AMD still offers more value for money in entry- to mid-range
systems.

If pure processing power, as for video editing, is important to
you, the Intel Sandy Bridge 2600K mentioned by Paul is just about
the fastest you can get. If video display, as in gaming, is the
priority, then AMD's A8-3850 leaves the SB 2600K eating its
dust - at half the cost of the Intel processor. That's when both
systems are using their built-in graphics processors without a
separate graphics card. Even the cheaper A6-3650 soundly thrashes
the 2600K.

"Pimpom" <pimpom@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:j2rmgb$5s3$1@news.albasani.net...
> Grinder wrote:
>> I've been looking at some of the socket 1155 boards coming out, but
>> have noticed something odd over at Newegg. This board, for example:
>>
>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157236
>>
>> The description says that it does not have onboard video, yet it
>> sports VGA/DVI/HDMI ports. The manufacturer's page talks about
>> *supporting* video standards, but nothing about onboard video.
>>
>> Does this motherboard have onboard video or not?
>>
>> Also, more generally, what's the outlook for these 1155 boards? Is it
>> worth buying one in this first round?
>
> Paul has already explained the principles very well. I'd like to add a
> couple of points to complete the picture.
>
> Choosing the heart of a computing system is becoming more and more complex
> and the best choice depends on the primary application. Since the
> introduction of their Core 2 technology, Intel has been ahead of AMD in
> terms of raw computing power, but AMD still offers more value for money in
> entry- to mid-range systems.
>
> If pure processing power, as for video editing, is important to you, the
> Intel Sandy Bridge 2600K mentioned by Paul is just about the fastest you
> can get. If video display, as in gaming, is the priority, then AMD's
> A8-3850 leaves the SB 2600K eating its dust - at half the cost of the
> Intel processor. That's when both systems are using their built-in
> graphics processors without a separate graphics card. Even the cheaper
> A6-3650 soundly thrashes the 2600K.
There are a few points more to take in consideration. Sandy Bridge "K" cpu's
differ from other SB by their ability to overclock the bClk (base clock).
If you do not plan to overclock, you don't need à "K" cpu. If you want to
play games, an internal GPU is not the best solution and you'd best purchase
a separate graphic card.
Attention is then needed for the choice of the motherboard. If equipped with
a P67 chipset, you will be able to overclock the bClk of the CPU, which is
not the case with the H67.
However, the P67 will not work with the internal GPU, while the H67 uses the
internal GPU. If you want to overclock the CPU, AND be able to work with the
internal GPU AND with a graphics card, you have to buy a motherboard with
the Z68 chipset (on top of a SD "K" cpu), which allows it all.