[Techreport] Radeon 6450 (Caicos) Review

[n0x1ous]

http://techreport.com/articles.x/20728

Faster than Intel Sandy Bridge 3000 IGP, but slower than Nvidia GT 430.

EDIT: Ryan at Anandtech comes to the same conclusion

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4263/amds-radeon-hd-6450-uvd3-meets-htpc/14

 

[nemesismk2]

I do enjoy reading Tech Report Reviews, they are not as good as Anandtech ofcourse but very good all the same.

 

[nanaki333]

nice read. i read the techreport.com one. i was surprised by how much the intel IGP actually draws under load.

 

[Gloomy]

At 50 bucks, it's a good deal. But I'd go the extra mile-- well, let's be honest, it's more like an extra meter-- and put up fifteen more dollars for a GT430 (or equivalent). The difference is quite large when you use it, even if you're getting no extra performance for your dollar when you see it through the eyes of your wallet.

I'd like it more if it was passively cooled though!!

 

[nyker96]

not too exciting these low ends.

 

[Lonyo]

At 50 bucks, it's a good deal. But I'd go the extra mile-- well, let's be honest, it's more like an extra meter-- and put up fifteen more dollars for a GT430 (or equivalent). The difference is quite large when you use it, even if you're getting no extra performance for your dollar when you see it through the eyes of your wallet.

I'd like it more if it was passively cooled though!!

I was going to disagree with you and point out that the GT430 uses lots more power at load, so the 6450 is better for an HTPC.

Then I remembered that load power under gaming doesn't matter when you can't game.
Then I checked the reviews, and idle power was the same, and neither review tested the useful power consumption: HD playback power use.

If you are going to suggest that a card is ideal for HTPC use, then you should show power use between cards while doing HTPC things. Both TR and AT show idle and load, and load is a gaming load, which is pretty dumb, especially for the AT review.

Since the GT430 uses the same idle power as the 6450, you are right, it's probably worth spending a tiny bit more and getting a lot more gaming power, since idle/typical power use is the same, meaning you won't be suffering in terms of power use from leaving the PC running all/a lot of the time.

 

[Gloomy]

Well, the 6450's green counterpart is the GT220, which doesn't have a lot going for it at the moment in comparison to the 6450. So I was suggesting movement up a tier at the very least, since boundaries are blurring anyway (GT430 is bound to be compared to the 6450, since the GT220 is so unattractive and prices blur at the bottom range since brackets are divided by pocket change). So I guess that

Damn. I lost my train of thought

Anyway, it's a solid card, but has nothing really going for it. Which is a product of the price range and not the engineering, I'm sure. I don't really pay much attention to these price ranges but I think what would make these more interesting to others besides bargain hunting grandmothers would be reference passive coolers. There's not much to do battle at these ranges since, haha, it's not hard (relatively) to design a card to meet a pre-conceived performance:dollar ratio when you've already designed juggernauts like the 6970 and the 580.

Oh hey, I guess I didn't lose my train of thought.

 

[tincart]

So the Sandy GPU is about on par with the lowest-end part from the last generation. Good compared to previous Intel graphics technology, but nothing to brag about.

 

[Lonyo]

Well, the 6450's green counterpart is the GT220, which doesn't have a lot going for it at the moment in comparison to the 6450. So I was suggesting movement up a tier at the very least, since boundaries are blurring anyway (GT430 is bound to be compared to the 6450, since the GT220 is so unattractive and prices blur at the bottom range since brackets are divided by pocket change). So I guess that

Damn. I lost my train of thought

Anyway, it's a solid card, but has nothing really going for it. Which is a product of the price range and not the engineering, I'm sure. I don't really pay much attention to these price ranges but I think what would make these more interesting to others besides bargain hunting grandmothers would be reference passive coolers. There's not much to do battle at these ranges since, haha, it's not hard (relatively) to design a card to meet a pre-conceived performance:dollar ratio when you've already designed juggernauts like the 6970 and the 580.

Oh hey, I guess I didn't lose my train of thought.

My point was the GT430 isn't any worse than the 6450 from a power POV, since idle power is the same.

What they needed to do was test HD decode power, then you can work out which is better, but as it stands, the GT430 is just as good for an HTPC as an HD6450 from a power perspective, because they have equal idle power use, making the 6450 a dumb buy.

 

[Gloomy]

Hey now, that's not true. You can buy a Big Mac with your graphics card if you opt for the 6450, and still not break 70 dollars!!!!

 

[n0x1ous]

I believe that AMD scores higher on the HQV (or whatever its called) test for video playback, at least in the past. Ryan didnt get a chance to run the full suite on the 6450, but based on the 5450 etc that might be one advantage it has on the 430 in regards to HTPC use.

Whether that actually translates to better image quality in some way in real life, I do not know.

It would be good too see some more testing with the power draw while playing video like Lonyo mentioned and also a full suite of HQV testing on both the 6450 and 430 (in case Nvidia has improved here with newer drivers)

But as it stands right now, the 430 looks like the better card/buy

 

[Madcatatlas]

I honestly dont see the point of such a test Ryan Smith. Especially as you pointed out several shortcomings in the test method.

1: time, you spent 2 days and say you rushed it. Even though you boast of the card, saying its a great HTPC card, it still just looks bad being a Anandtech review.

2: not testing the card for its targeted use. You mention not having done all the tests you would want to, among those several HTPC tests.

3: as Lonyo pointed out, and as you also mentioned yourself, your testbed (testing metro and crysis like games on a card like this) is ill suited for this product category. Idle and load power consumtion?.. not that i think people care all that much about load/idle power when its this low for starters, but still, a point.


Disappointing review. Perhaps it needs mentioning, you should review the product in light of its target market. I apoligise if i come off as rude, I generally like your reviews and this is just a comment on this particular review.

Id like to add, that you review this card as it gets "launched" for the retail market. So "showing game performance" for the people that buy OEM products, isnt an excuse.


Suggestion: Add a separate testbed/testing method for HTPC and lower end cards like the 210/220/430/5450/6450 etc to show their strenghts/weaknesses for their intended use.
Dropping games would mean a significantly more focused review, though you could add one or two games to show off relative performance.

Sorry for my ..bad english

Keep up the good reviews.

 

[n0x1ous]

Looks like Tom's did what I was looking for, at least in part.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-6450-caicos-blu-ray-3d,2920-10.html

6450 does in fact do better here than the 430, but Nvidia has improved alot since the 430 came out and its not too far behind now.

 

[Ryan Smith]

I honestly dont see the point of such a test Ryan Smith. Especially as you pointed out several shortcomings in the test method.

1: time, you spent 2 days and say you rushed it. Even though you boast of the card, saying its a great HTPC card, it still just looks bad being a Anandtech review.

2: not testing the card for its targeted use. You mention not having done all the tests you would want to, among those several HTPC tests.

3: as Lonyo pointed out, and as you also mentioned yourself, your testbed (testing metro and crysis like games on a card like this) is ill suited for this product category. Idle and load power consumtion?.. not that i think people care all that much about load/idle power when its this low for starters, but still, a point.


Disappointing review. Perhaps it needs mentioning, you should review the product in light of its target market. I apoligise if i come off as rude, I generally like your reviews and this is just a comment on this particular review.

Id like to add, that you review this card as it gets "launched" for the retail market. So "showing game performance" for the people that buy OEM products, isnt an excuse.


Suggestion: Add a separate testbed/testing method for HTPC and lower end cards like the 210/220/430/5450/6450 etc to show their strenghts/weaknesses for their intended use.
Dropping games would mean a significantly more focused review, though you could add one or two games to show off relative performance.

Sorry for my ..bad english

Keep up the good reviews.

Hi Madcatatlas;

With the low-end cards, my job duties blend together with those of Ganesh, our HTPC & media streamer editor. The reason I mention this is that 2 days did not give us enough time to get him an HDMI-equipped 6450, which is why our HTPC testing was lacking. Once we can get him setup with a suitable 6450, you will see a full workup from him on the HTPC side. In lieu of that the only HTPC testing we could do was what there was time for and with the tools on hand.

-Thanks
Ryan Smith

 

[n0x1ous]

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the clarification! Did AMD mention if any partners will be using the reference design or will it be all custom skus?

 

[ElFenix]

nice read. i read the techreport.com one. i was surprised by how much the intel IGP actually draws under load.

jesus hume christ wtf did intel do to make it draw so much?

 

[Madcatatlas]

Ill buy that. Im guessing, but also hoping that this (your clarification) means, that at some point you will, or are likely to, do a more in-depth review of several HTPC cards with a full and focused testbed.

It will be on my wishlist, an aging PC user like myself needs to know the best possible options for a HTPC setup in the living room.

Thank you for your quick reply

 

[Ryan Smith]

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the clarification! Did AMD mention if any partners will be using the reference design or will it be all custom skus?

I just got some images of the partner boards. None of them are using the reference design, though the difference is mostly in the cooler as the PCBs are all quite similar.

http://www.anandtech.com/Gallery/Album/1021

Ill buy that. Im guessing, but also hoping that this (your clarification) means, that at some point you will, or are likely to, do a more in-depth review of several HTPC cards with a full and focused testbed.

It will be on my wishlist, an aging PC user like myself needs to know the best possible options for a HTPC setup in the living room.

Thank you for your quick reply

I'm going to decline to make promises Ganesh can't keep. But if you talk to Ganesh, he'll make promises that Ganesh can keep.

 

[Binky]

LOL at the reviews aimed at gaming performance for a non-gaming card.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Ryan, I still don't see why you guys just didn't wait on this review until you could put it through a complete battery of tests. Why did you have have to rush the review out in 2 days? It's a 6450 review, not a 6990 review. It's not like we're all on pins and needles waiting for this review to come out. I don't get it.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

It's about time they doubled up on those 80 shaders they've been using for so long. And I don't think the AT review is pointless for testing games. What it shows is that the 6450 should allow for better playability on more games. In some games the 5450 was not playable or barely playable even on the lowest settings, and the 6450 gets the game into playable territory. So thumbs up there. Only thing is that a 5570 and 5550 pretty much do the same thing better and could be the same price on the streets, but as AT mentioned prices will most assuredly be all over the place.

 

[n0x1ous]

I just got some images of the partner boards. None of them are using the reference design, though the difference is mostly in the cooler as the PCBs are all quite similar.

http://www.anandtech.com/Gallery/Album/1021

figures! I really like the looks of AMD's reference designs the last few generations, particularly the 6000 series.

Probably would have picked up a 6790 if any partners actually used the reference design. No reference 6850's either which I thought was surprising

I just really like the clean look of the reference designs from both camps. Thats one of the things that is a plus for Nvidia to me, because EVGA almost always has a reference version of the Nvidia design no matter what class of card it is.

Anyway, thanks for responding and for all your hard work. I really enjoy your reviews and the consistent way they are structured. I particularly like your catchy Review titles. The night before a new review is coming out i try and guess what your tagline is going to be in the review title like "coming up short @ 150"

You got to reuse that one this week!

Take care.