Conclusion
We have seen the board and performance. The fanless ECS
945GCT-D with integrated Diamondville processor which has a 4W TDP makes it
an ideal platform for DIYing a Net Top that serves the purpose of surfing and
basic multimedia needs.
In our multimedia tests, we threw WMVHD clips
at 1080p clips using classic mediaplayer. The system is able to 'run' but we
still see some tearing. That is not a surprise as the Intel 945GC chipset was
not designed to decode WMVHD. So don't expect it to decode H.264 Blu-Ray titles.
DVD playback isn't a problem though.
Something we tested is to overclock the board. As
there are no voltage adjustments, we can only increase the FSB from 133 to
150MHz. At 150MHz, the system couldn't POST at all. We tested again and got it
running at 145MHz.
In conclusion, the ECS 945GCT-D fits the bill as a small form
factor board with more memory (2 slots) support. You could also convert it into
a simple multimedia PC by adding on a PCIe x1 TV tuner card. If such boards were
to pair up with a PCIe x16 slot, I think it will definitely get more attention
as a solution to low cost computing.
Pros
- 2 DDR2 slots
- PCIe x1 slot
- Fan less design
Cons
Ratings
Here are my ratings out of 10.
|
Category |
Score |
|
Performance |
6 / 10 |
|
Features |
7
/ 10 |
|
Ease Of Installation |
10 / 10 |
|
Overclocking Features |
5 / 10 |
|
Documentation |
6 / 10 |
|
Packaging |
6 / 10 |
|
Cost / Performance |
9 / 10 |
|
Overall Rating : |
7
/ 10 |
