Posted:2006-09-15 By video card review Number of View:105134
VIDEO CARD COMPARISON CHART 2006
GPU DX9 FROM ATI AND NVIDIA FROM
200 TO 350 EURO
By :video card review
Posted:2006-09-15
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2006 GPU DX9 Chart From 200-350 ˆ
Introduction to nvidia dx9 Video card
For some time, competition between ATI and Nvidia on the segment top-end-range graphics card is going harder and harder. The 2 manufacturers fight with the new variations built in their GPU and in the price falls . The launching of GeForce 7950 gt from Nvidia is the occasion to observe in detail the performances of all these charts.
6 card containing G71!
Nvidia does not propose now less than 6 card built in G71, the current high-end-range GPU from Nvidia. For recall, manufactured in 90 nanometers, this GPU supports Shader Model 3.0 and has for principal advantage a raised output, and in the level of production costs since the chip is relatively small and also the power consumption which is far below that posted by the concurrent ATI solution . This week has two new card GeForce 7900 GS is followed by the GeForce 7950 GT. The first positions below GeForce 7900 GT and the second above. The latter is thus brought to disappear with the profit from the 2 new arrivals. These 3 card share the same design and identical cooling system . This one is relatively simple and effective. On the other hand it is not really quiet .
GeForce 7950 GT is
one 7900 GT with higher frequencies since we passes from 450/660 to 550/700 is an increase of 22% on the gpu and 6% in the memory . The card is announced with 300-320 ˆ in version 512 MB and with less than 300 ˆ in version 256 MB On the side of GeForce 7900 GS, we deal with one 7900 GT with 20 pixel shader pipelines instead of 24 a fall of 16% in the computing power.
The sixth card, which also has just appeared is GeForce 7900 GTO. Physically identical to GeForce 7900 GTX, this card is different from the 7900 gtx
by the frequency memory with 660 MHz instead of 800 MHz, which involves a fall of 17.5% on the level of band-width. The GPU on the other hand still working at 650 MHz (700 MHz for vertexes shaders) as on the GTX. This chart is not a product which is officially intended to be sold with the detail but rather in OEMs. MSI however decided to sell it in the detail market, at a very aggressive price of 250 ˆ.
ATI, HDCP, SPECIFICATIONS
ATI prices Drop
Canadian side, it does not have there any really new models but rather consequent drop in price. Radeon X1900 gt thus passed from 300 to 200 ˆ and Radeon X1900 XT equipped with 256 Mb instead of 512 Mo makes its appearance with 250 ˆ.
Radeon X1900 XT 256 Mb is a very good at this price, but has as the disadvantage of it cooling system witch is the same as the x1900xtx mean noisy ...
Radeon X1900 GT move in "revision 2" with modified frequencies
and support HDCP. The card passes from 575/600 MHz to 512/660 MHz is a drop of 10% in the GPU frequency and an increase of 10% in the memory. We will see which one has more impact on the card performances.
HDCP
ATI and Nvidia finally start to push their partner to implement the support of HDCP. For recall, the HDCP is technology to control the video reading high definition encrypted. When a video is HDCP, it is not readable in full resolution unless the system is not certified HDCP, which implies the use the HDCP reader , of a graphics board HDCP and a screen HDCP. On the level of the graphics board the support of HDCP requires an adapted GPU (last GPU ATI and Nvidia )
and use of a crypto-Rom.
GeForce 7950 GT and 7950 GX2 as well as Radeon X1950 XTX and X1900 GT v2 all support the HDCP. For other cards you have to check attentively that the HDCP is well supported if you estimate that the support of this technology is important.
As usual, we activate anisotropic filtering for all the tests , especially on high-end-cards. .
Test Configuration :
Asus P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe INTEL Core 2 Duo E6600 2 X 1 G Corsair XMS2 8500C5 Western DIGITAL Raptor 74 G Enermax 535W Windows XP SP2 Catalyst 6.8 ForceWare 91.45
Quake 4, F.E.A.R. benchmark
Quake 4
We recorded a demo which represents a scene of action. Contrary to Doom 3, there is less shades and more monsters and textures what changes the load on the level
Anisotropic filtering 8x is activated automatically by the game.
tests were done in mode Ultra quality.
F.E.A.R.
We begin the tests with F.E.A.R. of which we use the integrated demon. . We thus selected for each card the best 3 results.
All the graphic options are pushed to the maximum, except for the software shadows which are desabled.
Anisotropic filtering 16x is activated in the game.
Half Life 2 Lost Coast
Half-Life 2 Lost Coast
For this test we use an internal demo which we recorded on Lost Coast
Anisotropic filtering 16x is activated .
Far Cry
Far Cry
We use an internal demo, which mixes interior and external, recorded in map "catacombs". We activate the filter of post "cold" which improves the image quality. This filter of post involves a fall of performances of +/- 20%.
Anisotropic filtering 8x is activated.
Note that Radeon and GeForce use one similar FP16 but it is not perfectly identical since the image is burned side of ATI.
HDR on the GPU ATI (on the left) and Nvidia
(on the right).
Only Radeon X1000 support the antialiasing multisamples with HDR FP16. Tomb Raider Legend
Tomb Raider Legend
Anisotropic filtering 16x is activated via drivers.
Contrary to our practice, we changed the scale forHDR graphs in Tomb Raider Legend so much the difference in performances is enormous once this one is activated. Note on this subject that it is not question of HDR properly speaking but in particular from the paralal mapping and lighting . With Tomb Raider Legend, it is all or nothing!
Splinter Cell Theory Chaos
Splinter Cell Theory Chaos
We use once again use internal demonstration. SM 3.0 is used on all cards and the soft shadows and the parall mapping are activated.
Anisotropic filtering 16x is activated on the game menu.
Note that the HDR is different at ATI and Nvidia. With GeForce it acts with FP16, but with Radeon it acts a priori rather of FX16, which enables him to function on X800 but with reduced image quality.
HDR
on the GPU ATI (on the left) and Nvidia (on the right).
Age of Empire III
Age of Empire III
Anisotropic filtering is activated from game menu.
Note that the HDR produced a similar result at ATI and Nvidia but is carried out differently. Containing FP16 at Nvidia, it is in FX10 at ATI. This mode FX10, leave 2 bits for the transparency makes possible to hold in 32 traditional bits what is ideal for the performances.
HDR the GPU ATI (on the left) and Nvidia (on the right) is identical.
Although it is containing FP16 for GeForce, the HDR can be coupled here with the antialiasing. How is this possible? It is not a question of multisampling but of a supersampling done by the game engine: the image is calculated in a resolution 2.25 times higher is one 1.5 times larger in each dimension (2400 X 1800 instead of 1600 X 1200 for
example) and then reduced in the face. this makes possible to have FSAA on GeForce, it is necessary to keep in mind that the quality of the antialiasing is definitely less vs the multisampling 4x of Radeon X1000.
The FSAA have better quality on GPU ATI (on the left) Nvidia (on the right).
Oblivion
Oblivion
Anisotropic filtering 16x is activated in the driver menu.
Radeon seem to appreciate Oblivion. Note that a bug affects HDR with Nvidia in certain textures (probably the specular effect) pixellisent.
Mode HDR containing FP16.
Oblivion directly does not support the HDR coupled with the antialiasing, .ATI thus takes care some via a special driver, the " patch". allow to activate the FSAA 4x via drivers ATI and hdr in the game play. Pacific Fighters, Colin McRae 05
Pacific Fighters
In this second OpenGL game of this comparative, we measure the performances at the time of the reading and recording the combat scene.
Anisotropic filtering 16x is activated in the driver. Note that the mode of hdr in flight simulators rests mainly on the texturing. Nvidia show less quality on the level of filtering , GeForce have an obvious advantage here on the level its performances. Keep however in head that this at the cost of the quality.
In our preceding tests, Nvidia had a significant advantage on over in this game but at the cost of quality. Nvidia uses more aggressive optimizations on the level of textures filtering . However the more these optimizations involve a rise in the performances, the more it is logical that the visual influence is also important, which is confirmed easily by looking at the posted images. We thus decided to test the Nvidia charts in mode HQ what brings back the quality
to a level close to that posted by Radeon card, which is more equitable.
Colin McRae 05
Anisotropic filtering 16x is activated via drivers.
Need for Speed Most Wanted
Need for Speed Most Wanted
Anisotropic filtering is activated in the game.
Summary of performances
Summary of performances
We calculated an average index of performances obtained in all the modes for each card by giving the same weight to each game and by giving index 100 to GeForce 7900 GT in 1280x1024.
The direct competitors of ATI and Nvidia show similar performances: 7900 GTX and X1950 XTX, 7950 GT and X1900 XT 256 Mb, 7900 GS and X1900 GT.
GeForce 7900 GTO, less expensive than GeForce 7950 GT, is the more powerful than the latter while remaining 10% behind GeForce 7900 GTX.
You will note that the new revision
of Radeon X1900 GT is less powerful than the first even if the variation is not enormous.
The average difference in performances between GeForce 7900 GT and GeForce 7900 GS is about 10%.
With the antialiasing, the things improve for ATI, as it is often the case. The 3 direct oppositions turn to the advantage of ATI although this one is weak, except for Radeon X1950 XTX.
The variation of performances between GeForce 7900 GT and GS is reduced slightly since they have an identical band-width and that it is an important factor once the antialiasing is activated . It is also for this same reason that GeForce 7900 GTO posts here performances close to those of GeForce 7950 GT.
Identical situation in HDR: ATI gains the 3 direct oppositions. Radeon X1900 XT 256 Mb is for example 7% faster than GeForce 7950 GT and is placed on the same level as GeForce 7900 GTO.
This graph is a little bit particular since the direct performances of ATI and Nvidia card are not compared there. Reason of that on the 7 game which propose HDR, ATI work with antialiasing at 6x whereas Nvidia turn only at 4x due to lack of support . Results GeForce obtain one 0 in these
tests what makes them drop in their average.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As already indicated by us in the test of Radeon X1900 GT, all the card of the segment which goes from 200 to 350 ˆ post very good results. They make possible to play under good conditions and the majority of game in 1600x1200 which is the native resolution of the LCD 20"and to push the graphic options by activating antialiasing and HDR in 1280x1024 which is the most used resolution.
If the card of this segment are dropping so much in price , this is
partly due to the nearest arrival of DirectX 10 and thus for DirectX 10 card. The segment 200-350 ˆ remains on the other hand an interesting compromise since it enables you to have a very powerful solution for DirectX 9 game.
As it was indicated ATI preserves an advantage over Nvidia in the level of textures filtering quality and the support of antialiasing and HDR. These 2 solutions increase the interest for ati cards with equivalent price and performances.
The 2 new arrivals in the range of Nvidia, GeForce 7900 GS and 7950 GT represent interesting evolutions of the report/ratio price quality. GeForce 7900 GS is 33% less expensive than GeForce 7900 GT
for performances in withdrawal with only 10%. As for GeForce 7950 GT it brings 512 Mb instead of 256 Mb and an increase in the performances of about 15% for a price slightly higher. In version 256 Mb, that we did not test here, the card is posted at the same price as the 7900 GT.
Remain that these card suffer from the price drop applied by ATI for the X1900 GT witch proposes performances slightly higher than those of GeForce 7900 GS, in more of the advantage filters
level . With 200ˆ, this is rather good solution from ATI . The second revision of this card which should arrive soon on the market is a little less wrost but supports the HDCP.
A little higher in the range, GeForce 7950 GT has also its equivalent from ATI. In version 256 Mb, Radeon X1900 XT witch show better performances with price of 250 ˆ.
The card That showld becaume the leader is GeForce 7900 GTO. Proposed at the price defying any competition, it is the current most interesting
card. Raised performances, 512 MB and silence thanks to the system of high-end-range cooling from Nvidia for the price of only 250 ˆ. If we must retain only one card from this comparative, it would be that one...!
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