Home FAQ Search Archive Forum IRC Prices Reviews Tweaks Benchmarks Files DistComp


Check out Xoxide!
Xoxide Computer Mods
Product Search
Search
for


Benchmarks
Lost Planet
Shop Online
AMD64
Compare at AMD
5200+ X2
6000+ X2
Phenom 9600
Phenom 9750
Phenom 9850
Phenom 9950
Intel Core 2
Compare at Intel
Duo E4500
Duo E8400
Duo E8500
Quad Q6600
Quad Q9300
Quad Q9550
Quad QX9650
Drivers/Support
Events
Articles
Associates
MSI NX8800GTS-T2D320E-HD OC Review - Page 3 of 8

VALVE'S SOURCE ENGINE

Here is one instance where, at 2560x1600 at least, more RAM definitely DOES make a difference. Below is a chart detailing the engine settings used.

Source Engine Settings

Source Engine Settings

Clock speeds alone couldn't help the 320MB GTS at 2560x1600 as the below graph shows. However, 1920x1200 was a different story with the extra clock speeds doing wonders for the 320MB GTS.

Counter-Strike: Source Stress Test

Counter-Strike: Source Stress Test

To test using the most demanding visuals Source has to offer, Half-Life 2: Lost Coast was used. The image below is from my favorite spot on this level, overlooking the entire bay. The screen was captured at 2560x1600 with all in-game settings at maximum and 4x antialiasing applied.

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast (in game)
8800s installed

Click Image to Enlarge - 2560x1600 (504KB)

The results are shown below in a point graph illustrating the gameplay in frames per second thanks to FRAPS. The area used to test was inside the chapel housing the cannon shortly after breaking said cannon. An onslaught of Combine in addition to lots of outside lighting from all over the room offers a beautiful and demanding area of the game. The below graphs show results at both 2560x1600 and 1920x1200 and the charts show a frame-by-frame analysis of the benchmarks.

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast Benchmarks

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast - 2560x1600 benchmarks

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast - 1920x1200 benchmarks

The charts below chronicle the second-by-second number of frames for each run-through of Lost Coast.

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast Benchmarks

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast - 2560x1600 benchmarks

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast - 2560x1600 benchmarks

Once again, the 320MB suffered at 2560x1600 in the Source Engine. And again, at 1920x1200, those extra MHz allowed the 320MB GTS to almost match the 640MB GTS. The Source Engine is definitely an engine that relies on very large textures so in this case, more memory is going to offer better performance at the highest resolutions.

Next Page: Oblivion Results


Table of Contents

Shop Online at PriceGrabber!


nV News - Copyright © 1998-2008. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any form or medium without written permission of the site's owners is prohibited.
Shop Online
TOP GRAPHICS CARDS
NVIDIA GeForce 200
GTX 260
GTX 260 216
GTX 280
NVIDIA GeForce 9
9500 GT
9600 GT
9800 GT
9800 GTX
9800 GX2
NVIDIA GeForce 8
8400 GS
8500 GT
8600 GT
8600 GTS
8800 GT
8800 GTS512
8800 GTS
Graphics Utilities
Add-In Partners
For Developers