Ripped off by packard bell

[bubba_000]

Hi

4 months ago I bought a Packard Bell MV86-003 laptop with the following specs:

C2D T5500
1 GB of RAM(Dual Channel)
Radeon X1700(with 128mb dedicated vRAM)

Before the purchase, I googled it to find some reviews. But i couldn't find any, only some offers in some online stores. Then I looked in the PB website, a few online stores AND the store from where I bought it website, and everywhere it said that the video card's dedicated memory was 128 mb with 128 bits(http://support.packardbell.com/global/item/index.php?i=spec_video_mobradeonx1700&psn=772000550235). Also, i searched for reviews o this current card, and everywhere it said that it should score around 4000 pts in 3dmark05. But I only got 2666. After some research I found out that it was caused by bad drivers. So I downloaded the catalyst mobility pack from the ati website, but still i was only getting 3200 pts, and the SupCom demo was running at 15fps on medium-low settings. Then somebody on a forum advised me to install everest. I did, and lo and behold, the bus width is only 64-bits!!! I also tried other diagnostics programs like ATI Tary Tools(64-bit) and PC Wizard( reported 128-bit:wtf:).

I went to the shop I bought it from and the service guy spoke to the PB guys. After about a week of waiting i got the reply: they said that everest and other programs are not compatible with this card and they won't do anything because it's not broken. I'm seriously thinking about complayning to the Consumer Protection Office in my country(Romania). But just to be sure, don't you know any other diagnostics programs?

I also posted in a specialized notebook forum(forum.notebookreview.com), but all they could do is confirm that the performance indicates a 64-bit bus.

[DaMulta]

http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/779/TechPowerUp_GPU-Z_v0.0.4.html

[Casheti]

DaMulta, you've come off the moon base?

[theonetruewill]

The X1700 is a higher clocked versions of the X1600. It is therefore highly unlikely that it is 64bit. However it may still be- but don't expect the card to get 4000+ in 3DMark05; it's not a gaming card, in fact it's absolutely rubbish. The X1700 mobility probably has the same average performance of between an X1300Pro and XT. It is really quite awful. Supreme commander brings most computers to their knees, including mine, and itis also extremely CPU intensive. The T5500 is only 1.66Ghz! Don't expect so much from a laptop, it isn't a gaming machine.

[bubba_000]

GPU-Z doesn't work. It just gives an ''this program has encountered a problem and needs to close error''

[DRDNA]

Your score looks fine to me:toast:

[bubba_000]

Your score looks fine to me

Now i really don't know what to believe. The guys at notebookreview.com said that this score is definately low and i should be getting atleast 3800 pts in 3dm05.

And about my cpu being only 1.6 ghz: its freq may seem low, but remember it's a C2D notebook cpu. These have low clocks but are very energy efficient.

[Frick]

I think the real bad news is that it's Packard Bell.. I have dealt with a bunch of their laptops and desktops, and they're all awful. Overheating A64's in laptops, expensive and old desktops. I'm not a fan of them..

Did the updated drivers help gaming?

[theonetruewill]

Now i really don't know what to believe. The guys at notebookreview.com said that this score is definately low and i should be getting atleast 3800 pts in 3dm05.

And about my cpu being only 1.6 ghz: its freq may seem low, but remember it's a C2D notebook cpu. These have low clocks but are very energy efficient.

Being "energy efficient" doesn't mean it's especially powerful. Your laptop is scoring a little low but thats probably due to a rubbish Hard-Drive, slow RAM and your card might even be underclocked a bit. Try using ATiTool or ATi Tray tools to see if you can get a significantly higher score with an overclock. If the guys at notebookreview.com know their stuff they should know that the X1700 is not a great card.

[bubba_000]

Your laptop is scoring a little low but thats probably due to a rubbish Hard-Drive, slow RAM and your card might even be underclocked a bit.

As far as i know, the HDD doesn't affect gaming performance(only loading times). And it's a seagate momentus 100gb 5400rpm drive. The ram is indeed clocked at only 533 mhz, but is there really a huge difference between 533 and 667 mhz? The ram manufacturer is Micron, if it matters.
Also, the clocks for the card are 460 GPU/400 mem(DDR2), which are normal values.

And I'm a bit reluctant about OCing since i don't want to fry anything. I don't want to use a laptop cooler and the vid card apparently has no thermal sensor.

[theonetruewill]

As far as i know, the HDD doesn't affect gaming performance(only loading times). And it's a seagate momentus 100gb 5400rpm drive. The ram is indeed clocked at only 533 mhz, but is there really a huge difference between 533 and 667 mhz? The ram manufacturer is Micron, if it matters.
Also, the clocks for the card are 460 GPU/400 mem(DDR2), which are normal values.

And I'm a bit reluctant about OCing since i don't want to fry anything. I don't want to use a laptop cooler and the vid card apparently has no thermal sensor.

Well your HDD isn't on the super-fast side, but it certainly isn't slow either. Your RAM is slow, and faster RAM would increase system performance. But to be honest I still think you are worrying too much about this. Your Laptop isn't designed for gaming, and I personally don't believe in synthetic benchmarks. If your card truly was 64bit and not 128bit I would have expected a larger difference between your score and the expected (128bit) score. However 600 points is not that much! It's a laptop and if it isn't performing quite up to what it should then it just isn't. Try using ATi Tray tools to turn on some optimizations and turn off some of the default eye-candy. Packard Bell have not "ripped you off".

[bubba_000]

Try using ATi Tray tools to turn on some optimizations and turn off some of the default eye-candy. Packard Bell have not "ripped you off".

OK, you convinced me;)

What do you mean by ''turn on some optimizations'' and ''turn off the default eye-candy''?

[ghost101]

You running 3dmark05 connected to a power supply?

[bubba_000]

You running 3dmark05 connected to a power supply?

Yes, of course. The powerplay feature in the ccc is set to ''optimal performance''

[von kain]

i really believe that this is not a gaming laptop...but try to see the software and after the hardware. which os you have? have you unload antivirus,antispamm.etc??clear windows and then re run the bench

[bubba_000]

I use windows xp HE with sp2. The antivirus and firewall were both off during the tests.

[DRDNA]

And about my cpu being only 1.6 ghz: its freq may seem low, but remember it's a C2D notebook cpu. These have low clocks but are very energy efficient.

Also remember that the C2D also show its shine when you overclock it !!! Check your power options in the controle panel and see its set to Home/office desk to be sure that it is running at 100% stock clocks ...if set to portable laptop it maybe throttling your cpu.

Also with 1 GiG of ram then your slow harddrive will become a factor at times when you are using the page file to make up for system ram..

The memory speed is an issue right off the bat..if that can be adjusted to a higher speed then your CPU can do its job better but if CPU is stock and running at 1.6GHZ then it may not matter much.
Best bet is to clock up the CPU and Ram....try to get the CPU to 2GHZ and use ATITOOL on graphic chip set for a possible higher clock there as well.

[bubba_000]

Also remember that the C2D also show its shine when you overclock it !!! Check your power options in the controle panel and see its set to Home/office desk to be sure that it is running at 100% stock clocks ...if set to portable laptop it maybe throttling your cpu.


The cpu indeed underclocks and undervolts itself, but only when not in use. If required, it jumps to the normal 1.6ghz. And i don't think OCing is a good idea. I don't want to fry this thing and lose the warranty. Also, the thermal sensor on the cpu is very strange. It only shows the same temperature wheter the cpub is idle or under heavy load.

[DRDNA]

The cpu indeed underclocks and undervolts itself, but only when not in use. If required, it jumps to the normal 1.6ghz. And i don't think OCing is a good idea. I don't want to fry this thing and lose the warranty. Also, the thermal sensor on the cpu is very strange. It only shows the same temperature wheter the cpub is idle or under heavy load.

well the real issue is can you game smooth? if so then dont sweat the bench score.Besides that is a fair score.

[bubba_000]

Well, here are the real life results:

Quake 4: 800x600 with high settings(not ultra high) and every special effect activated except AA: very smooth in enclosed spaces(about 40-60 fps), but sometimes laggy(with the fps going down to 15) in open spaces with alot of lights and enemies.

FEAR: playable at mediumish settings at 800x600 with some of them on high(can't remember exactly)

NFS Carbon: 27-30 fps at 800x600 with everything on high except shaders(medium) and world detail(medium). Very smooth with no stuttering.

World in Conflict: mediumish settings(shaders on high, textures on medium, bloom and some checkboxes checked): 23 fps in the benchmark demo, but very playable in game with rare stutterings when big explosions happen)

Company of heroes: 1024x768 medium-high(textures on medium and the rest on high): pretty playable, but with some freezes from time to time, especially when a tank exploded. This was only in the tutorial btw.

So, are these results normal?

[Mussels]

The X1700 is a higher clocked versions of the X1600. It is therefore highly unlikely that it is 64bit. However it may still be- but don't expect the card to get 4000+ in 3DMark05; it's not a gaming card, in fact it's absolutely rubbish. The X1700 mobility probably has the same average performance of between an X1300Pro and XT. It is really quite awful. Supreme commander brings most computers to their knees, including mine, and itis also extremely CPU intensive. The T5500 is only 1.66Ghz! Don't expect so much from a laptop, it isn't a gaming machine.

I drop to 30-40FPS on medium settings in supreme commander with 4xaa, and my system is... a little beyond what a laptop can do *cough*

Dont use sup com for any form of performance comparison, its ALWAYS a slow game.

As far as i know, the HDD doesn't affect gaming performance(only loading times). And it's a seagate momentus 100gb 5400rpm drive. The ram is indeed clocked at only 533 mhz, but is there really a huge difference between 533 and 667 mhz? The ram manufacturer is Micron, if it matters.
Also, the clocks for the card are 460 GPU/400 mem(DDR2), which are normal values.

And I'm a bit reluctant about OCing since i don't want to fry anything. I don't want to use a laptop cooler and the vid card apparently has no thermal sensor.

Hard drive will affect load time, and 'stutter' in game, sometimes. Defragmenting fixes that tho. 533MHz vs 667 wont matter, as quite often laptops settle for tighter latencies (533 CL4 vs. 667 CL5)


Just to make sure, you havent got anti aliasing or anything else enabled? 'application controlled' in the catalyst drivers is the best setting for this.

Also, what resolution are you using? i've been seeing a lot of people run 3dm05 at widescreen res on laptops lately, but your score isnt correct unless you do it at 1024x768

And finally - please make sure on 3dmark 05 or 06, if you're confusing the two and running 06 comparing to an 05 score, the results will not compare.

[DRDNA]

Well, here are the real life results:

Quake 4: 800x600 with high settings(not ultra high) and every special effect activated except AA: very smooth in enclosed spaces(about 40-60 fps), but sometimes laggy(with the fps going down to 15) in open spaces with alot of lights and enemies.

FEAR: playable at mediumish settings at 800x600 with some of them on high(can't remember exactly)

NFS Carbon: 27-30 fps at 800x600 with everything on high except shaders(medium) and world detail(medium). Very smooth with no stuttering.

World in Conflict: mediumish settings(shaders on high, textures on medium, bloom and some checkboxes checked): 23 fps in the benchmark demo, but very playable in game with rare stutterings when big explosions happen)

Company of heroes: 1024x768 medium-high(textures on medium and the rest on high): pretty playable, but with some freezes from time to time, especially when a tank exploded. This was only in the tutorial btw.

So, are these results normal?

In my opinion your occasional stuttering is ram related and I would think at that low resolution 800x600 the FPS are a reflection more of the CPU and not GPU ...But still not a bad go for a laptop!

[Mussels]

In my opinion your occasional stuttering is ram related and I would think at that low resolution 800x600 the FPS are a reflection more of the CPU and not GPU ...But still not a bad go for a laptop!

My bet is he's running out of ram, and its paging to the hard drive that causes the stutter. Many tweaks can be done to alleviate that.

[DRDNA]

My bet is he's running out of ram, and its paging to the hard drive that causes the stutter. Many tweaks can be done to alleviate that.

I am with you on this for sure;)

[bubba_000]

ust to make sure, you havent got anti aliasing or anything else enabled? 'application controlled' in the catalyst drivers is the best setting for this.

Also, what resolution are you using? i've been seeing a lot of people run 3dm05 at widescreen res on laptops lately, but your score isnt correct unless you do it at 1024x768

And finally - please make sure on 3dmark 05 or 06, if you're confusing the two and running 06 comparing to an 05 score, the results will not compare.

AA and AF are set to ''application controlled''

Both 3dmark05(3200 pts) and 06(1700 pts) were run at the 1024x768 resolution.

My bet is he's running out of ram, and its paging to the hard drive that causes the stutter. Many tweaks can be done to alleviate that.

What tweaks? Are there any other than killing as many processes as possible?

[DRDNA]

Set your page file min and max to the same! for one.

[bubba_000]

Set your page file min and max to the same! for one.

OK, thanks for the advice. What value should i set it? 1500 MB?

[Mussels]

AA and AF are set to ''application controlled''

Both 3dmark05(3200 pts) and 06(1700 pts) were run at the 1024x768 resolution.



What tweaks? Are there any other than killing as many processes as possible?

06 runs at 1280x1024.

Tweaks such as a static page file, disabling services in windows, 'killing processes' disabling visual effects/themes in windows. There really are a lot of ways to save some ram... and defragging regularly, or using superfetch (vista only) will also be a great help.

[DRDNA]

also take note that the ORB shows this as highest score for a x1600xt on 3DM05
3DMark Score: 4461 X2 4600 crossfire
Date: 2007-01-17
CPU: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual-Core 2412 MHz
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4600
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ / 2.4 GHz processor
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ / 2.4 GHz processor


GPU: ATI RADEON X1600 XT
Display Driver: 8.33.0.0
Driver Status: Non WHQL - Not FM Approved
Motherboard Model: MS-7280

[Mussels]

also take note that the ORB shows this as highest score for a x1600xt on 3DM05
3DMark Score: 4461 X2 4600 crossfire
Date: 2007-01-17
CPU: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual-Core 2412 MHz
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4600
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ / 2.4 GHz processor
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ / 2.4 GHz processor


GPU: ATI RADEON X1600 XT
Display Driver: 8.33.0.0
Driver Status: Non WHQL - Not FM Approved
Motherboard Model: MS-7280

not sure what your point is there, i know x1650pro's vary between 4000-5000 points in 05 at stock settings, if that helps at all (DDR2/DDR3 models, stock OC models etc)

that score says 4461, but it also says crossfire - which cant be right.

[bubba_000]

06 runs at 1280x1024.


That is the default res, but i set it to 1024x768 because my display can only support 1280x800

[DRDNA]

not sure what your point is there, i know x1650pro's vary between 4000-5000 points in 05 at stock settings, if that helps at all (DDR2/DDR3 models, stock OC models etc)

that score says 4461, but it also says crossfire - which cant be right.

Point being his integrated x1700 benches 3200 pts
and the highest post for x1600xt non integrated is only 1200 points higher than his results which in my opinion is for him a decent score..Thats all:D

[Mussels]

That is the default res, but i set it to 1024x768 because my display can only support 1280x800

changing the res changes the results, so make sure you say that any time you mention your 06 score - you'd be getting a lower score if you had it at the default resolution.

personally your score is 'ok' its definately low, but its not abysmal - having only 64 bit could explain the drop. Try finding out the MHz values of GPU and memory on the card if you can, and compare them to the desktop versions. perhaps the laptop model is just really underclocked?

[bubba_000]

Point being his integrated x1700 benches 3200 pts

:confused: the x1700 is not an integrated card, it' dedicated

changing the res changes the results, so make sure you say that any time you mention your 06 score - you'd be getting a lower score if you had it at the default resolution

the score i get in 3dm06 on 1280x800 is 1536

[Mussels]

:confused: the x1700 is not an integrated card, it' dedicated



the score i get in 3dm06 on 1280x800 is 1536

yes, its dedicated - he's just calling it integrated beacuse its a mobile version/built into the laptop.

i never benched my 1600's/1650's in 06, but in 05 you should be getting around 4K in my opinion. you'll need to try and find as much details of the cards as possible (i think you replied before i finished editing my previous post)

OK, thanks for the advice. What value should i set it? 1500 MB?

less in my opinion, maybe 512MB

[DRDNA]

Well to get to the meat of it...upgrade your ram to 2gigs and that should help with stutter.
if you can clock your CPU up with out adding voltage to highest stability that will help your FPS in low res gaming such as 800x600, I would think you could overclock the cpu to 2GHZ with out adding voltage so heat shouldnt be an issue.(You may need to use clockgen or somthing,if even that works)
You may also be able to clock the graphics a little more as well with out much issue with ATITOOL , a little OC may be all thats needed for you to see a difference.
Good luck ;)

PS listen to Mussels as well he is a good tech!

[bubba_000]

less in my opinion, maybe 512MB

OK, new settings applied:)

f you can clock your CPU up with out adding voltage to highest stability that will help your FPS in low res gaming such as 800x600, I would think you could overclock the cpu to 2GHZ with out adding voltage so heat shouldnt be an issue

So, if i understand correctly, increased clocks don't increase heat output whitout extra voltage, right?

Still, i'm concerned abou OCing because i heard that it reduces the lifespan of the components and i don't want ot risk that(this lappy was about 1200 euros, which is quite a fortune). Not to mention the fact that the thermal sensor doesn't seem to be working properly.

[DRDNA]

OK, new settings applied:)



So, if i understand correctly, increased clocks don't increase heat output whitout extra voltage, right? That is correct.

Still, i'm concerned abou OCing because i heard that it reduces the lifespan of the components and i don't want ot risk that This is untrue it is the voltage increase in relation to heat increase that shortens the lifespan (this lappy was about 1200 euros, which is quite a fortune). Not to mention the fact that the thermal sensor doesn't seem to be working properly.

:toast::toast::toast:

[DRDNA]

also on a lappy i would clock back to stock for normal usage as this ocing will shorten battery usage and will need charging faster;)

[bubba_000]

Yes, of course, but iomatizing the process?s there any way of aut

[Mussels]

OK, new settings applied:)



So, if i understand correctly, increased clocks don't increase heat output whitout extra voltage, right?

Still, i'm concerned abou OCing because i heard that it reduces the lifespan of the components and i don't want ot risk that(this lappy was about 1200 euros, which is quite a fortune). Not to mention the fact that the thermal sensor doesn't seem to be working properly.


Short version:

Increasing clock speed increases heat a little. Its very linear, so if its only a little too hot, take the clocks down a little and its fine.

HEAT is what reduces the life span, not the OCing - so all you gotta do is watch the temps, and make sure they dont get too much hotter than they did at stock :)

From my experience with core 2 duo/quad, i'd say at least 200MHz OC is possible with only a 2-3C change in load temps, as for how much difference that makes, is up to you to decide/benchmark.

Yes, of course, but iomatizing the process?s there any way of aut

I'm sorry, what?

[unsmart]

I think the issue with your 64bit/128bit is because of the ringbus interface being 128bit and the mem interface being only 64bit. lot of OEMs market the ringbus width so it looks better,it's just how you look at it I guess.

[Mussels]

I think the issue with your 64bit/128bit is because of the ringbus interface being 128bit and the mem interface being only 64bit. lot of OEMs market the ringbus width so it looks better,it's just how you look at it I guess.

Good idea - that hadnt occured to me.

[bubba_000]

I'm sorry, what?

Sorry, I was in a hurry. The question was: is there any way of automatizing the process(OCing when needed, like in a game, and stock speeds when not needed, or even underclocking)

HEAT is what reduces the life span, not the OCing - so all you gotta do is watch the temps, and make sure they dont get too much hotter than they did at stock

And that is a good reason not to OC. The thermal sensor on my cpu seems busted. It always shows the same temp. NHC, for example has shown 19 degrees this whole day, wheter the cpu was idling or doing video converting. Speedfan reports 4 degrees:eek:

The vid card is even worse: it appears not to have a thermal sensor at all(neither everest nor ati tray tools say anything about temp)

[theonetruewill]

Join us (http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=25716). But there's also a lot of good info available on monitoring and controlling the full power of your laptop as well.

[bubba_000]

Join us. But there's also a lot of good info available on monitoring and controlling the full power of your laptop as well.


Well, maybe... But, after reading your guide i still have no idea how to read the cpu and gpu temps correctly(i wonder if the sensors got fried..)

And, just out of curiosity, do i have any chance of playing future games like hl2ep2, ut3, gta4 and sc2? I know they're not out yet, but you guys know your stuff. i don't want crazy settings, 800x600 on medium-low settings is enough for me.

[Mussels]

Well, maybe... But, after reading your guide i still have no idea how to read the cpu and gpu temps correctly(i wonder if the sensors got fried..)

And, just out of curiosity, do i have any chance of playing future games like hl2ep2, ut3, gta4 and sc2? I know they're not out yet, but you guys know your stuff. i don't want crazy settings, 800x600 on medium-low settings is enough for me.

HL2 ep 2, yes - look at HL2 and ep 1, and you'll see that they run on very modest hardware. UT3/GTA4 - unknown, we dont really know how those engines perform (UT3 has some games using its engine, but in an unfinished stage - so we dont know how UT3 itself will be)

as for the temps, just keep looking for new software.

Personally, i'd OC the video card and leave the CPU alone, because the card already should have 2D/3D clocks built in, ATI tool and rivatuner support independant selection of those. (2D/3D being the automated overclock you speak of)

[bubba_000]

I tried a little experiment. I set powerplay in the ccc to ''optimal battery'', even when it's running off the mains. I noticed that the fan(which would normally run non-stop) only turns on when i'm donig cpu-intensive stuff, like video compressing. I like it because it's very quiet. the problem is that the laptop's underside gets significantly warmer now. And i have absolutely no idea what the cpu's temp is because of that apparently jammed sensor(nhc showed 19 degrees all day). When the fan kicks in, in about 30 mins it becomes cool again(the only part that is a little warm is the heatsink area). Should i be worried about this?

[theonetruewill]

I tried a little experiment. I set powerplay in the ccc to ''optimal battery'', even when it's running off the mains. I noticed that the fan(which would normally run non-stop) only turns on when i'm donig cpu-intensive stuff, like video compressing. I like it because it's very quiet. the problem is that the laptop's underside gets significantly warmer now. And i have absolutely no idea what the cpu's temp is because of that apparently jammed sensor(nhc showed 19 degrees all day). When the fan kicks in, in about 30 mins it becomes cool again(the only part that is a little warm is the heatsink area). Should i be worried about this?

No, I wouldn't worry. The temperature jam is very annoying but only get worried about the laptop if you ever smell burning! They are designed to be able to withstand a fair bit of heat. I still advise some kind of cooling pad for longevity though.

[bubba_000]

No, I wouldn't worry. The temperature jam is very annoying but only get worried about the laptop if you ever smell burning! They are designed to be able to withstand a fair bit of heat. I still advise some kind of cooling pad for longevity though.

OK, nice to hear that. In that case there's no problem. I don't think i need a cooling pad either. The sensor might be busted, but it simply doesn't get hot. If i do more menial tasks it remains almost completely cool. The only part that is a little warm is the heatsink. It gets pretty warm after a few hours of gaming, but not VERY hot. I heard that some laptops are so hot that you can't put hem on your lap. ouch...:eek:

And the funny thing is that it's a packard bell, and many think that these are the worst notebooks on the market, and that they overheat and stuff like that. Well, it's actually quite cool. The fan is a little noisy, but it does a very good job of getting the heat out. And i got a 2 year warranty with it, which, at least in my country, is a very rare thing. Not even the highly acclaimed dells don't get that.

And the really nice thing is that after some time the air coming out the side is cold!

[Mussels]

Just as an update, have you tried the latest GPUZ? it might give better info on your card now, its gone through a few updates.

[bubba_000]

Just as an update, have you tried the latest GPUZ? it might give better info on your card now, its gone through a few updates.

Just downloaded and ran it. It's showing 64-bit and a bandwith of 6.3 GB/s. So, is this conclusive proof that it's 64-bit afterall?

[bubba_000]

Anyone?

[Mussels]

yeah that sounds pretty conclusive to me.

[bubba_000]

Since i heard that a new version of the praised omega drivers was launched, i decided to give it another go. As expected, it didn't work:it installed, but after a reboot there was still no driver installed. However, i managed to install it using the add new hardware wizard(looks like the x1700 was supported afterall). Ran 3dmark05 and got 3184 points. So much for the highly-praised omega drivers... They seem to be worst than stock.

yeah that sounds pretty conclusive to me.

Just as i suspected. So i was tricked after all

I think the issue with your 64bit/128bit is because of the ringbus interface being 128bit and the mem interface being only 64bit. lot of OEMs market the ringbus width so it looks better,it's just how you look at it I guess.

The PB site clearly states that the MEM interface should be 128-bit.