ASRock VisionX 471D Review - Evolutionary Upgrades for a Powerful mini-PC
by Ganesh T S on January 26, 2015 6:00 AM ESTGaming Benchmarks
The gaming credentials of the AMD R9 270MX are quite impressive. We already know what it is capable of, thanks to our coverage in the VisionX 420D review. We are looking at the same GPU configuration in the VisionX 471D. However, we do have a more capable CPU (Core i7-4712MQ vs. the Core i5-4200M) this time around.
For the purpose of benchmarking, we chose five different games (Company of Heroes 2, Sleeping Dogs, Tomb Raider, Bioshock Infinite and DiRT Showdown) at three different quality levels. As someone focusing on HTPCs and multimedia aspects, I rarely get to process gaming benchmarks, even while evaluating GPUs. One of the aspects that I feared was spending lot of time in installing the same games again and again on different PCs under the review scanner. The solution was to go the Steam route. Unfortunately, Steam also likes to keep the game files updated. A quick online search revealed that Steam could make use of an external drive for storing the game executables and downloadable content. With the Steam drive on-the-go use-case being read-heavy, the Corsair Flash Voyager GS USB 3.0 128GB Flash Drive (with read speeds of up to 275 MBps) was ideal for use as a portable Steam drive.
Company of Heroes 2
In this title, there are benefits provided by the better CPU. But, it is debatable whether the difference is noticeable in real-world gameplay. In addition, the GB-BXi5G-760 performs much better than the VisionX 471D. However, the acoustic profile of the VisionX 471D is way better.
Sleeping Dogs
In this title, the three leading systems are much more evenly matched.The choice of CPU has almost negligible effect on the performance.
Tomb Raider
The situation for Tomb Raider is similar to that of Sleeping Dogs. The better CPU provides marginal gains and the GTX 760 and the R9 270MX provide almost equivalent performance.
Bioshock Infinite
In Bioshock Infinite, the GTX 760 is way ahead of the R9 270MX. Again, the acoustic profile of the two relevant PCs must be kept in mind.
DiRT Showdown
The VisionX 471D performs very well in DiRT Showdown compared to the other PCs. In fact, at lower resolutions, the unit manages a healthy lead compared to the GTX 760-equipped GB-BXi5G-760. At higher resolutions / quality, the performance of both units is very similar.
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Zizy - Monday, January 26, 2015 - link
I don't see the point of this. Not good enough for fhd gaming, too expensive and power hungry for a HTPC.As for HTPC duties, what about testing 4K@60 and FHD@60 (both with H.265)? Not really needed now, but I would rather get something future proof, especially for this kind of money.
Daniel Egger - Monday, January 26, 2015 - link
I totally agree. My (Desktop-grade) Haswell Core i5 with 750 Ti OC uses less in Idle and only slightly more under FurMark load yet is a completely different beast allowing for Full HD gaming despite running very quietly and staying cool.heffeque - Monday, January 26, 2015 - link
If you want hardware h.265 4K60p, you'll have to wait until Carrizo comes around.MLSCrow - Monday, January 26, 2015 - link
I honestly believe that Carrizo, is going to be the greatest HTPC/MiniGamingPC APU when it comes out and probably the first AMD processor that is worth purchasing since the Phenom II. Granted, they aren't going to release a Desktop version strait away if ever, and instead are releasing a Kaveri update, which is, meh, imo, but whatever...I'm just waiting for Zen to shock the world with it's Intel dominating performance, until Intel copies it, puts more money into it, and produces a better performing product, as they always have.baii9 - Monday, January 26, 2015 - link
I believe Intel had the lead on hardware 4k decode for a while, so stick with igpu? :)kmmatney - Monday, January 26, 2015 - link
yes - this is pretty neat, but you can get a laptop with better specs at this price, and inlcudes a screen and it portable. This system doesn't really need such a high end processor.britjh22 - Tuesday, January 27, 2015 - link
I'm guessing this would actually be decent at FHD gaming, just not at the presets/detail settings that are used for AT's testing. I would really like to see a second detail setting for FHD be tested, as just because it fails at ultra settings doesn't mean it would at high/medium.boe - Tuesday, February 3, 2015 - link
I definitely want lot's of 4K goodness! I don't care if it makes it bigger use heat radiators and lose the fan. Offer a black model to match my other HT equipment as well. Offer a model without a disc player as I'm only using this to stream from a server.Rafterman - Saturday, February 21, 2015 - link
H.265 not really needed now, I would dissagree. AFAICS H.265(HEVC) is fast replacing AVC.ToTTenTranz - Monday, January 26, 2015 - link
The GPU's PCB seems to be risen above the motherboard's level.Is the M270X a MXM module? Can it be changed?