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Albatron KM51PV-AM2 Geforce 6150 Motherboard Review
Albatron KM51PV-AM2 Geforce 6150 Motherboard Review - PCSTATS
The KM51PV-AM2 is based on the nVIDIA GeForce 6150 and nForce 430 chipsets, and as such it supports all current socket AM2 AMD Athlon64/FX/X2 and Sempron processors.
 90% Rating:   
Filed under: Motherboards Published:  Author: 
External Mfg. Website: Albatron Aug 21 2006   Max Page  
Home > Reviews > Motherboards > Albatron KM51PV-AM2

nVIDIA PureVideo and High Definition Content

High definition is the future entertainment standard of tomorrow's video's. Playing high definition content on current generation PCs can bog down even the fastest processors because there is more data to handle. Similar to the need for DVD accelerators a few years ago, nVIDIA PureVideo enables computer users to view MPEG-2/DVD and WMV High Definition formats on the monitor without slowing the Albatron KM51PV-AM2 system to a crawl.

The PureVideo standard incorporates a hardware accelerator for the afore mentioned MPEG-2/DVD, and Microsoft Windows Media High Definition Video standards (WMV HD). According to nVIDIA's documentation on PureVideo, the GPU (GeForce 6 and 7 series GPUs) takes on video decoding tasks from the CPU, and the end result is smoother, shutter free High Definition playback. nVIDIA PureVideo also supports most current and future high definition formats.

PureVideo is more than just a media accelerator; it also includes features to improve video picture quality. DVD, cable and satellite video provide poor crispness, clearness and smoothness that consumers have been desperate to be "saved from." nVIDIA's PureVideo technology applies spatial temporal de-interlacing to apparently deliver a better image than traditional de-interlacing can muster. PureVideo also fixes the 3:2 pull down problem that can arise from 24 fps video being converted to 30 fps for viewing on TVs or monitors. By recovering the original 24 frame content, PureVideo allows for a clear crisper image.

Another neat feature of PureVideo is its ability to scale videos to any resolution, while maintaining a relatively detailed picture. This means users can view lower resolution videos at a high resolution without suffering too much from blocky or blurry pictures.

Examining CPU Load with PureVideo

To test PureVideo's High Definition accelerating capabilities on the Albatron KM51PV-AM2, we'll playback a video downloaded from Microsoft's WMV HD Content Showcase through Windows Media Player 10. "The Discoverers" (IMAX) video is available in both 720P and 1080P formats. Socket AM2 processor utilization will be monitored via Task Manager.

When running the 720P version of The Discoverers video, CPU usage hovered between 20-28% with the Albatron KM51PV-AM2. That means you can do many things in the background without worrying about dropped frames or an interrupted video.

When playing back the 1080P version of The Discoverers video, CPU usage stays about the same as we saw with the 720P version of the video. That's very surprising since 1080P obviously shows more detail, and with previous setups we've seen 1080P videos push CPU usage past the 60% mark. Looks like nVIDIA did its homework with the new generation of GeForce 6150 chipsets!

Please note that CPU usage varies depending on the type of processor that's used. For instance when the Albatron KM51PV-AM2 is equipped with a single Sempron 3600+, CPU load will jumps to ~30% with the 720P version of the video and 60% with the 1080P version. Note that these numbers are similar to how a GeForce 6150 performs with a single core Socket 939 Athlon64 4000+ processor.

nVIDIA PureVideo Decoder Software

Sold separately is nVIDIA's PureVideo Decoder software (retails for between $20-$50 US) which functions with any GeForceFX/6/7 series videocard. The software essentially turns a desktop PC into a home entertainment center with the ability to watch DVD movies or other computer related videos, listen to music or view pictures.

The look and feel of nStant Media is very similar to Microsoft WindowsXP Media Center's media browser. Under the 'Watch Movies' category, users can watch videos stored on the hard drive or on disc. 'Listen to Music' has the same options as does 'View Pictures.' The 'Settings' options allow users to change language, when the nVIDIA screen saver kicks in, parental control, closed captioning, display formats (Standard definition or high), etc. Overall the look and feel of nStant Media is nice and the program is extremely easy to use.

Next up, overclocking the Albatron KM51PV-AM2 motherboard!

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Contents of Article: Albatron KM51PV-AM2
 Pg 1.  Albatron KM51PV-AM2 Geforce 6150 Motherboard Review
 Pg 2.  nVidia Geforce 6150 on AM2
 Pg 3.  KM51PV-AM2 Motherboard Highlights
 Pg 4.  — nVIDIA PureVideo and High Definition Content
 Pg 5.  Overclocking the KM51PV-AM2!
 Pg 6.  Prelude to Benchmarks / Sysmark 2004
 Pg 7.  Benchmarks: Office Productivity, SiSoft Sandra, Super Pi
 Pg 8.  Benchmarks: PCMark05, 3DMark05
 Pg 9.  Benchmarks: 3DMark06, FarCry
 Pg 10.  Benchmarks: X3: Reunion, Doom 3, Quake 4
 Pg 11.  What a speedy MicroATX motherboard!

 
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