ATI remains the leader in the battle for notebook graphics accelerator performance, edging arch-rival Nvidia, according to preliminary tests perfomed by InQuest, the semiconductor analyst firm.

It was so nearly a draw, but at the last gasp, Bert McComas and colleague Richard Lee, plumped for ATI after "taking into consideration system power consumption under graphics loads".

There were some differences in CPU speed and type, but InQuest reckon their tests isolated the contribution to performance made by the processors.

Power consumption was the biggest difference between the two graphics accelerators - "when under heavy graphics and video loads the... figures diverge significantly," McComas and Lee say.

"We do not know how much the graphics controllers contribute to these differences as compared to other components. More than anything else, this data raises a red flag and begs for further detail level evaluation."

You can read the full report at InQuest. ®