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Intel Atom x5-Z8500 reviewed in Teclast X98 Pro tablet

by on04 November 2015

Index

 

Conclusion

Intel’s new Atom x5 Z8500 SoC is a winner on paper, but in real life we were let down by Windows throttling issues on our review sample. We could have received a lemon lacking thermal paste, or it could be a problem with device driver optimisation. We suspect driver issues in Windows, but nonetheless we feel we didn’t get a chance to experience the x5 Z8500 in its full glory. That said, we did manage to get some great benchmark results with a cold device in Windows, along with good sustained performance figures in Android, which were enough to show off the chip’s potential, and we can conclude that the Atom x5 Z8500 is an excellent chip.

This particular Atom SKU supports up to 8GB of RAM, dual-channel memory, and boasts a powerful GPU with 12 EUs, yet it’s relatively inexpensive. We’ve already seen slower Cherry Trail parts in $100 devices and that’s what really matters – these chips are coming to commoditised Android and Windows tablets and mini PCs, yet they offer performance on a par with some high-end devices launched in the last year or so. The GPU performance boost is impressive and makes Intel’s platform a lot more attractive for Android gaming, not to mention cheap media boxes.

Bottom line: Intel has a winner on its hands, an inexpensive 14nm chip that will end up in tens of millions of commoditised Windows and Android devices, bringing excellent performance to the masses. Not everyone can afford a high-end tablet or PC, but Cherry Trail chips like the x5 Z8500 will allow cash strapped geeks around the world to enjoy a lot of performance on cheap devices, running the two most prolific operating systems on the planet.

As for the Teclast X98 Pro, we experienced a fair amount of throttling and felt the rest of the device couldn’t keep up with the processor. Hopefully this is just a kink, since we’re dealing with a pre-production sample.

Teclast X98 Pro Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Excellent processor
  • 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage
  • Display quality
  • Value

Cons

  • Loads of throttling in Windows
  • Lack of ambient light sensor
  • Weak speaker
  • Battery life under heavy GPU load

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Last modified on 16 December 2015
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