The Intel Atom Thread

[Arachnotronic]

Also, S805 has no integrated modem, while Moorefield does.

Unfortunately, Moorefield does not. It is paired w/ discrete XMM 7260 in high end phones.

That said, I think the physics test more or less demonstrates the superiority of the Silvermont CPU core, especially since this test apparently exposes a significant glass jaw for the mighty Apple A7 🙂

 

[Sweepr]

Unfortunately, Moorefield does not. It is paired w/ discrete XMM 7260 in high end phones.

Thanks for the correction. SoFIA might be the first with integrated modem then, and I hope Broxton comes with one too (any news on this?).

That said, I think the physics test more or less demonstrates the superiority of the Silvermont CPU core, especially since this test apparently exposes a significant glass jaw for the mighty Apple A7 🙂

Indeed, impressive score.

 

[Arachnotronic]

Thanks for the correction. SoFIA might be the first with integrated modem then, and I hope Broxton comes with one too (any news on this?).



Indeed, impressive score.

I do not believe Broxton will have an integrated modem:

It will apparently be paired w/ XMM 7360.

 

[Bolshoi Booze]

Emdoor Miso could be one of the first 7 inch Windows 8.1 tablets

Another affordable Emdoor tablet, this one comes with Atom Z3735G and a smaller 7''. This model may be even cheaper than the ~$100 8'' Emdoor EM-i8080.

http://liliputing.com/2014/06/emdoor-miso-one-first-7-inch-windows-8-1-tablets.html

how cheap can these tablets get? 😵
a few months ago I'd be shocked about $200 windows 8 tablets, now we're talking sub $100... great value for the money though

Intel Atom Moorefield Processor Benched, Beats Snapdragon 801

It's amazing that they can fit 4 x86 Silvermont cores @ 2.3GHz, a beefy PowerVR iGPU and LTE in a phone SoC. Perfect match for the new Nexus 8 IMHO.

Here's Snapdragon 805. There might be something wrong with Adreno 420's graphics score (that's probably bringing the overall score down) but I'd say Moorefield should hold its own (graphics perf. wise) against S805 in an actual phone. Moorefield's CPU performance @ Physics Test is rather impressive, higher score than the 4x 2.7GHz Krait cores in the S805.

www.hardwarezone.com.my/tech-news-computex-2014-intel-atom-moorefield-processor-benched-beats-snapdragon-801

http://www.hardwarezone.com.my/tech...efield-processor-benched-beats-snapdragon-801

is this their new phone SoC? can it run windows? they have come a long way since CT+ days... finally competitive cpu and graphics performance

 

[witeken]

Imagine if Intel weren't too lazy to enter a new market, and started working on it many years ago (maybe even delivering the iPhone SoCs from the start), Intel would have had something that was even better than Moorefield in 2012. In the Galaxy Note II or HTC One X+. Galaxy Note IV performance in the Galaxy Note II: this is what Intel can do with its manufacturing prowess. Broxton will do exactly that.

 

[Shivansps]

is this their new phone SoC? can it run windows? they have come a long way since CT+ days... finally competitive cpu and graphics performance

Moorefield? yeah, not sure if they will be able to deliver a good and working PowerVR Windows driver.

 

[ams23]

Unfortunately, Moorefield does not. It is paired w/ discrete XMM 7260 in high end phones.

That said, I think the physics test more or less demonstrates the superiority of the Silvermont CPU core, especially since this test apparently exposes a significant glass jaw for the mighty Apple A7 🙂

The Silvermont CPU is nice (especially in an ultra mobile form factor), but do keep in mind that the 3dmark Ice Storm Unlimited "Physics" CPU test appears to be highly threaded to take advantage of at least four CPU cores. So, all else equal, a quad-core CPU will have ~ 2x the Physics score compared to a dual-core CPU (you can see this by zooming in on the score breakdown and comparing dual-core Merrifield to quad-core Mooresfield Physics scores). In Apple's case, it just so happens to be the case that the Cyclone CPU Physics score is no better than the Swift CPU Physics score, which means that the multi-core performance is not any better in this benchmark for the A7 SoC vs. A6X SoC (both Cyclone and Swift are dual-core CPU's with approximately the same CPU clock operating frequency).

 

[SAAA]

I do not believe Broxton will have an integrated modem:

It will apparently be paired w/ XMM 7360.

Ehy nice! So Goldmont is still quad core/threads at 2.7GHz... what more than Cherry Trail performance in a phone? 14nm sure is magic pixie dust :biggrin:
Oh found the other slides, tablet Goldmont speed is still unconfirmed but presumabely 3+ GHz. I hope this Platform tock isn't just 10% better like in desktop skus 😉

 

[Shivansps]

Ehy nice! So Goldmont is still quad core/threads at 2.7GHz... what more than Cherry Trail performance in a phone? 14nm sure is magic pixie dust :biggrin:
Oh found the other slides, tablet Goldmont speed is still unconfirmed but presumabely 3+ GHz. I hope this Platform tock isn't just 10% better like in desktop skus 😉

Im petty sure that is not pixie dust what makes a dual haswell to perform better than a quad BT.
Right now the BT IPC is way lower than of AMD Kabini, there is a lot of room to improve there, with 14nm there is more room, but also bigger IGP, so that may or may not come.

 

[Homeles]

I do not believe Broxton will have an integrated modem:

It will apparently be paired w/ XMM 7360.

So Goldmont is coming to smart phones before Airmont? Bizarre.

 

[Roland00Address]

The Silvermont CPU is nice (especially in an ultra mobile form factor), but do keep in mind that the 3dmark Ice Storm Unlimited "Physics" CPU test appears to be highly threaded to take advantage of at least four CPU cores. So, all else equal, a quad-core CPU will have ~ 2x the Physics score compared to a dual-core CPU (you can see this by zooming in on the score breakdown and comparing dual-core Merrifield to quad-core Mooresfield Physics scores). In Apple's case, it just so happens to be the case that the Cyclone CPU Physics score is no better than the Swift CPU Physics score, which means that the multi-core performance is not any better in this benchmark for the A7 SoC vs. A6X SoC (both Cyclone and Swift are dual-core CPU's with approximately the same CPU clock operating frequency).

Actually anand and brian talked about this in one of the podcasts. They found out why this was happening. One reason why cyclone is so much faster than swift in real life is that its memory controller is so much better which allows them to feed the wide cpu cores, and thus get such a high cpu utilization. The nature though of 3d mark physic test though is so random or something that the cpu can't get properly feed and thus you do not get a better use of the wide cpu core (I may not be remembering the details perfectly). Thus your six wide cpu core is not acting like a six wide and is being under utilized and thus you only get benefits from the higher clock speed.

 

[IntelUser2000]

So Goldmont is coming to smart phones before Airmont? Bizarre. .

That's the old roadmap. Also, Airmont may go into value devices, so there's no conflict.

 

[witeken]

Ehy nice! So Goldmont is still quad core/threads at 2.7GHz... what more than Cherry Trail performance in a phone? 14nm sure is magic pixie dust :biggrin:
Oh found the other slides, tablet Goldmont speed is still unconfirmed but presumabely 3+ GHz. I hope this Platform tock isn't just 10% better like in desktop skus 😉

I really hope they will make Goldmont much faster per clock, and reduce clock speeds. 3GHz isn't necessary.

 

[Enigmoid]

Actually anand and brian talked about this in one of the podcasts. They found out why this was happening. One reason why cyclone is so much faster than swift in real life is that its memory controller is so much better which allows them to feed the wide cpu cores, and thus get such a high cpu utilization. The nature though of 3d mark physic test though is so random or something that the cpu can't get properly feed and thus you do not get a better use of the wide cpu core (I may not be remembering the details perfectly). Thus your six wide cpu core is not acting like a six wide and is being under utilized and thus you only get benefits from the higher clock speed.

Yep it had to do with random memory performance.

http://www.futuremark.com/pressrele...results-from-the-apple-iphone-5s-and-ipad-air

Glass Jaw problem. A7 memory is tuned for sequential access, random access is poor.

 

[ams23]

Good info. And as stated by Futuremark, the 3dmark Ice Storm Unlimited Physics test has four simulated worlds, so the benchmark scales quite well up to four CPU cores, as I suspected earlier.

 

[Arachnotronic]

Yep it had to do with random memory performance.

http://www.futuremark.com/pressrele...results-from-the-apple-iphone-5s-and-ipad-air

Glass Jaw problem. A7 memory is tuned for sequential access, random access is poor.

I would hope to see this improved in this year's A8.

 

[Sweepr]

Intel Atom Z3736F and Z3736G processors spotted

[...] The PCN document states that both chips run at 1.33 GHz and have C0 core stepping. The Z3736F and Z3736G have SR20D and SR20E S-spec numbers. Since both SKUs belong Z3700 series, they should have 4 CPU cores and 2 MB of level 2 cache. The "F" letter in the Z3736F model number indicates that the part incorporates a single-channel 64-bit DDR3 memory controller, and can address up to 2 GB of RAM. The "G" suffix in the Z3736G corresponds to single-channel 32-bit DDR3 controller, which means that the maximum amount of supported memory is 1 GB.

www.cpu-world.com/news_2014/2014061101_Intel_Atom_Z3736G_and_Z3735G_processors_spotted.html

Asus tablet with 8.9 inch display, Bay Trail CPU in the works?

An unannounced Asus tablet showed up in the database of benchmark utility GFXBench, and it looks like the tablet features an 8.9 inch screen and an Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core Bay Trail processor.

The tablet has an 8.9 inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel display and what looks like 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It has a 4.7MP rear camera, a 1.2MP front-facing camera, WiFi, Bluetoth, GPS, and the tablet runs Android 4.4 KitKat software.

It’s not clear if or when this tablet will hit the streets, or what it’ll be called if it does. For now, it seems to have the model number of Asus K014.

http://liliputing.com/2014/06/asus-tablet-8-9-inch-display-bay-trail-cpu-works.html
www.tabletguide.nl/48622/nieuwe-asus-k014-tablet-ontdekt

Asus Eee Box EB1036 is a Celeron J1900-powered mini PC

You can now buy the Asus Eee Box EB1036 with a J1900 processor and Intel HD graphics. Newegg is selling the slim desktop computer for $339, and Beach Audio has systems for as little as $275… although the specs for the cheapest model are a little vague.

Intel’s Celeron J1900 processor is a 2 GHz 64-bit, quad-core Bay Trail processor with burst speeds up to 2.41 GHz. The chip features 688 MHz Intel HD graphics with burst speeds up to 854 MHz, and support for dual-display setups.

The Asus Eee Box EB1036 sold by Newegg features 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit software. It has HDMI and VGA ports, 3 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, a COM port, an SD card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi, and 2 memory slots. It measures 8.6″ x 6.7″ x 1.15″ and weighs about 1.5 pounds.

http://liliputing.com/2014/06/asus-eee-box-eb1036-is-a-celeron-j1900-powered-mini-pc.html

BIOSTAR iDEQ-T1 miniPC - $160 Bay Trail barebone

BIOSTAR is testing the waters with a mini-PC powered by a Celeron J1800.
Showcased at Computex, the system revolves around a passively cooled Thin mini-ITX motherboard. At $160 (according to Tweakers) the iDEQ-T1 could be an option for web browsing, light office work, or tight budgets. Stay tuned.

www.fanlesstech.com/2014/06/biostar-160-bay-trail-barebone.html
http://lab501.net/computex-2014-biostar-shows-ideq-t1-minipc-bitcoin-mining-machine

Teclast X98 now available: Bay Trail-T 64-bit, 3G & 9.7'' 2048x1536 screen Android tablet for $225

www.aliexpress.com/store/product/9-...let-PC-1-83GHz-Retina/1052504_1895805272.html
www.spemall.com/Teclast-X98-3G-Inte...5MP-Dual-Camera-Bluetooth-GPS-2GB-32GB_g.html

Intel Keynote: Endless Possibilities - Hermann Eul

Reinforces a late 2014 launch for Cherry Trail.

https://translate.google.com.br/tra...endless-possibilities-hermann-eul/&edit-text=

 

[Bolshoi Booze]

just saw this: ASUS C200 Cromebook review
http://liliputing.com/2014/06/asus-...w-long-battery-life-moderate-performance.html

It also outperforms models with a Samsung Exynos 5 ARM Cortex-A15 dual-core processor including the Samsung Series 3 and HP Chromebook 11 by offering both longer battery life and faster performance.

great battery life, beats previous ARM versions

 

[witeken]

Asus C200: 48Wh --> 15 minutes/Wh
HP 11: 30Wh --> 9 minutes/Wh
Samsung Chroomebook: 30Wh --> 13 minutes/Wh

67% and 15% more battery life per Wh.

 

[ninaholic37]

Asus says 10 hours for typical use, so 12.5 min/Wh and old 2012 Samsung still wins? :awe:

...can go for roughly 8 hours of real-life daily use, with Wi-Fi ON and the screen’s brightness set to 60%, which is not bad at all. Asus claims you can squeeze more out of the C200′s 48 Wh battery, and that’s true, when dimming OFF the screen and shutting down the wi-fi connection. Running a 720p mkv clip in the same conditions depletes the battery in a little over 6 hours.

You’ll get between 6 and 8 hours of daily use from this mini laptop.

http://www.ultrabookreview.com/4401-asus-chromebook-c200-review/

Oh snap.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

Asus says 10 hours for typical use, so 12.5 min/Wh and old 2012 Samsung still wins? :awe:

http://www.ultrabookreview.com/4401-asus-chromebook-c200-review/

Oh snap.

man, to heck with companies for coming out with crap like this, it makes it hard to tell from the haswell stuff that actually performs ok. atom is total junk

 

[Sweepr]

Lenovo ThinkPad 10 Atom Z3975 Bay Trail-T W8.1 Tablet Review (Hot Hardware)

As a follow-up to its ThinkPad 8 tablet (see our review), Lenovo has now incorporated Intel's Bay Trail platform into its larger size ThinkPad 10, a business-ready slate the company claims can offer users a full PC experience. Stopping there would be selling this tablet a bit short, however, as it's really a multi-mode device that can serve a number of purposes, both during and after business hours. Ideally, this would negate the need to purchase separate systems for work and play.

Can a Windows 8.1 tablet truly replace your laptop? Just as Microsoft set to prove it can with its Surface Pro 3, Lenovo also believes it can be done, and its ThinkPad 10 is the tablet it envisions doing it. To some extent, Lenovo succeeds. The 10.1-inch display with its 1920x1200 resolution complements Windows 8.1 nicely, and the Bay Trail platform provides sufficient muscle for general purpose computing chores and productivity software.

[...] As configured, this is a $599 slate -- the same price as Apple's 32GB iPad Air, but a heck of a lot more functional. Make no mistake, this isn't solely a content consumption tablet, though you can use it as one after the work day is done. Instead, Lenovo built a multi-mode tablet that can tackle a variety of tasks.

http://hothardware.com/News/Lenovo-...y-Trail-Tablet-Reviewed/#!73m6x#ixzz36SKM7Hsi

Shuttle’s fanless Bay Trail desktops are now available

Shuttle is offering its first low-power, fanless mini-desktops powered by Intel Celeron J1900 Bay Trail processors. The Shuttle XS35V4 is a small PC with an optical disc drive bay, while the Shuttle XS36V4 is a slightly smaller model without the drive bay.

The Shuttle XS35V4 features Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi, a 2.5 inch drive bay, an SD card reader, HDMI, DisplayPort, and audio jacks and 4 USB 2.0 ports and a USB 3.0 port. It has a slim optical drive bay and a mini PCI Express card slot which is used by the WiFi card. The case measures 9.9″ x 6.4″ x 1.5″.

Shuttle’s XS36V4 is a little smaller, measuring 7.9″ x 6.3″ x 1.4″. This model is designed as a digital signage player and it features serial ports and no bay for a DVD, CD, or Blu-ray drive. But otherwise the specs are largely the same as those for the XS35V4.

http://liliputing.com/2014/06/shuttles-fanless-bay-trail-desktops-now-available.html

CTL Education Chromebook is a rugged, fanless Bay Trail Chrome laptop

CTL is launching a new Chromebook featuring an 11.6 inch display, an Intel Celeron N2930 quad-core Bay Trail processor, and a fanless design.

The $279 Chromebook is aimed at the education market, but it’s available for anyone to purchase from the CTL Website.

The CTL Education Chromebook also features a rugged design which makes it a bit more classroom-friendly than some laptops.

Features include a 1366 x 768 pixel anti-glare display, 4GB of RAM, 16GB of solid state storage, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 1MP camera that can rotate so it’s facing the student or the teacher. [...]

http://liliputing.com/2014/06/ctl-e...a-rugged-fanless-bay-trail-chrome-laptop.html

New Merrifield-based Dell Venue 7 now available

Intel® Atom™ processor Z3460 (up to 1.6GHz Dual-Core)
Intel® HD Graphics (Imagination PowerVR G6400)
Android 4.4 & 16GB storage
Price: $159.99

www.dell.com/us/p/dell-venue-7-3740-tablet/pd?oc=ftcwt01&model_id=dell-venue-7-3740-tablet

Intel Linux Driver Trying Bay Trail Aggressive Downclocking

Intel's Linux open-source crew is toying with aggressive down-clocking for current-generation Bay Trail hardware for greater power-savings and lower heat output.

Chris Wilson of Intel OTC has proposed a patch to be more aggressive about down-clocking -- dropping the Atom/Celeron SoCs to their lower frequency/power states more quickly after being in a ramped-up state. Assuming the workload has finished, this should yield a quicker return to the lowest power state for maximum power-savings / longest battery life and lower heat output. [...]

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTczMzc

Giada I39 Bay Trail-Powered Mini PC Unveiled

Shenzhen JEHE Technology Development Co., Ltd., one of the world’s leading cloud computing and system solution providers, has just introduced a new family of powerful mini-PCs based on the latest accelerated Intel Celeron processor J1900 (Bay Trail) – the I39 mini-PC. The I39 is a powerful, compact and energy-efficient processor, which clocks at a burst frequency of up to 2.41 GHz and consumes less than 22 W of power, more powerful than Intel Celeron 1037U processors. It is ideal for professional use without maintenance, office applications and for home users.

It is supported with 2 GB DDR3L internal memory and includes a 2.5-inch SATAII Type HDD of up to 500 GB storage. Manufactured in a slim and book-sized dimension (192 mm x 155 mm x 26 mm), it is extremely portable and lightweight and can be conveniently placed to save space and accommodate room for other digital appliances. [...]

www.hardwareheaven.com/2014/07/giada-i39-bay-trail-powered-mini-pc-unveiled

New, cheaper Acer Aspire Switch 10 model on the way (Atom Z3735F)?

Mobile Geeks discovered a version of the tablet called the Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012 which has a slightly less powerful processor, a slightly lower-resolution display, and a slightly smaller battery.

The original model features an Intel Atom Z3745 processor, a 10 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, and a 5910mAh battery.
The new model has an Atom Z3735F CPU, a 1280 x 800 pixel display, and a 5700mAh battery. The rest of the specs appear to be unchanged.

http://liliputing.com/2014/07/new-cheaper-acer-aspire-switch-10-model-way.html

Celeron J1900 ''Bay Trail-D'' & Athlon 5350 ''Kabini'' Power Measurement (Sweclockers.com)

http://www.sweclockers.com/recensio...ch-intel-celeron-j1900-kabini-mot-bay-trail/1

New Bay Trail Mini-ITX Mainboard (Celeron J1900): Mitac PD10BI (Intel DN2800MT2)

http://www.cartft.com/catalog/il/1193

 

[Bolshoi Booze]

so I played with the new dell venue 7 this week and I really liked it.. smooth android experience, similar to my 2013 nexus 7.. wish I could have tried a few games though.. overall, lots of value for a ~$160 tablet

 

[Sweepr]

Intel quietly expands Atom Z3700 series lineup

Intel this week released three new Z3700 series Atom systems on a chip for tablets. On the high end, the company added Z3785 model, which has a comparable CPU performance to existing Z3775, but faster graphics. We believe that this SKU is aimed at premium 10" tablets, priced at $200 and higher. Two new SKUs for low-budget tablets are Z3736F and Z3736G. These models match most of the features of the Z3735F and Z3735G parts, however they should perform a bit better due to higher CPU burst frequency.

All Z3700 series SoCs have 4 "Silvermont" CPU cores, 2 MB of L2 cache, and a single or dual-channel DDR3 memory controller. The processors integrate an on-chip GPU, powered by 7th generation graphics architecture. The Z3785, the second fastest model in the series, runs at 1.49 GHz, and supports Burst Performance feature, that can boost frequency up to 2.41 GHz. The graphics unit on this part is clocked at up to 833 MHz, which is about 7% higher than on the Z3775. The Z3785 supports LPDDR3 memory, and has 2.2 Watt Scenario Design Power (SDP). [...]

Bay Trail-T iGPU clock now tops out at 833MHz, ~25% higher than earlier chips like Atom Z3740 & Z3770.

www.cpu-world.com/news_2014/2014071301_Intel_quietly_expands_Atom_Z3700_series_lineup.html

Tom's Hardware tested Bay Trail-based Dell Venue 8 Pro as a Windows Gaming Tablet. Includes popular PC titles like The Elder Scrolls, Dota 2, World of Warcraft, Left 4 Dead and Burnout Paradise.

Is Your Windows 8 Tablet Fast Enough For PC Gaming?

Dell Venue 8 Pro 32GB
SoC : Intel Atom Z3470D
CPU Core : Intel Bay Trail-T (4 Core) @ 1.85 GHz
GPU Core : Intel HD Graphics @ 667 MHz
Memory : 2 GB LPDDR3-1066 @ 1600 MHz
Display : 8-inch IPS @ 1280x800 (189 PPI)
Battery : 4830 mAh (Non-removable)
Storage : 32 GB / 64 GB
Optics : 2 MP (Front) / 5 MP, AF (Rear)
Connectivity : Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0
Size : 216 x 131 x 9 mm, 395 g

Their conclusion:

If you're a PC gaming enthusiast willing to do a little trial and error for compatible software, there's a lot of entertainment to be found in small, low-cost Windows-based tablets. In another year or two, I think this space will have evolved tremendously. When that happens, it's possible that gaming on tablets might become more mainstream. Fingers crossed.

www.tomshardware.com/reviews/windows-8-tablet-gaming,3847.html

We're getting closer to Cherry Trail-T launch, with 4x Airmont cores @ up to 2.7GHz and greatly improved 16 EU (Gen 8) graphics. While Windows might lack many tablet specific apps I really like the idea of being able to play actual PC games in a small 7-8'' tablet with respectable battery life, especially if coupled with a BT keyboard/mouse and HDMI/video out.

Asus Fonepad 7 with Intel Moorefield receives Global Certification

[...] According to a Global Certification Forum listing, the Asus Fonepad 7 will support GSM 850/900/1800/1900 bands and it will be available with a handful of different model numbers.

The Asus Fonepad 7 is expected to feature a 1.8 GHz Intel Atom Z3560 quad-core processor, a 1280 x 800 pixel display, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB to 16GB of storage. It has a 5MP rear camera, a 2MP front-facing camera, and stereo front-facing speakers.

The device runs Android 4.4 KitKat software with the Asus ZenUI user interface.

www.mobilegeeks.de/computex-2014-asus-fonepad-7-mit-intel-merrifield-im-hands-on-video

NotebookCheck: Asus Transformer Pad TF103C-1B072A Tablet Review (Atom Z3745)

Is it a tablet? Is it a laptop? It's both! The Transformer Pad TF103C is versatile: The tablet turns into a small laptop when the keyboard dock is inserted. Buyers can choose among a dock-less keyboard and one with a dock. The prices range from 229 Euros (~$312) without a dock and 279 Euros (~$380) with a dock.

www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-Transformer-Pad-TF103C-1B072A-Tablet-Review.120331.0.html

NotebookCheck.net: Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-011-12VU Convertible Review (Atom Z3745D)

Acer has recently replaced its Clovertrail-generation W510 2-in-1 with the new Acer Aspire Switch 10, a Baytrail-T based Windows 8 PC with similar dockable tablet design. The Acer Aspire Switch 10 will compete directly with what is probably the most successful 2-in-1 yet - the Asus Transformer Book T100. Have Acer done enough to attract people away from the Transformer T100?

www.notebookcheck.net/Acer-Aspire-Switch-10-SW5-011-12VU-Convertible-Review.119801.0.html

 

[frozentundra123456]

I read the Toms article and hate to be negative, but I just dont get PC gaming on a tablet, at least with older games that are not optimized for touch. (and really that is all the cheap atom tablets will run)

For any kind of decent experience, you need a keyboard and mouse, and that seems to sort of defeat the purpose of a tablet (not to mention the tiny screen). Wouldnt it just be easier to use a real laptop? I bet any cheap 300 dollar i3 or core pentium would game better than any of those atom tablets. Maybe in a few years, when the hardware is more powerful, and possibly there are PC games designed for touch, things will be different, but as of now, just seems like too many compromises.