MSI NX8800GTX Review and Mixed-Vendor SLI - Page 8 of 9
Review By Mike Chambers - January 23, 2007
GOTHIC 3 GAMEPLAY PERFORMANCE
The graphics quality in today's role-playing games (RPG) is amazing and becomes an asset when matched with a compelling storyline and solid gameplay. The two RPG's I spent most of my time with during the course of this review were Gothics 3 (demo) and Neverwinter Nights 2.
The following comparison is a demonstration the shader and post processing effects that are available in Gothic 3.
Although SLI did not increase the performance of the Gothic 3 demo, gameplay was smoother with the latest ForceWare drivers. The first walkthrough takes place immediately after the demo is launched as the player defends the town from the orc attack.
Gothic 3
Click Image to Enlarge - 2560x1600 - No AA
With in-game graphics settings at their highest quality, the MSI NX8800GTX delivered the following performance at a resolution of 2560x1600. An MPEG-1 video clip of the action can be viewed using this link (~ 15 MB).
Gothic 3 Demo Performance
The following is a comparison of the low, medium, and high object detail settings that are available in Gothic 3.
Using SpeedTree, Gothic 3 is capable of rendering spectacular outdoor scenery and the MSI NX8800GTX is capable of maintaining a framerate of 30 fps in these areas at a resolution of 2560x1600. Our second walkthrough takes place as the player leaves the town and seeks out the underground hideout that is located in the woods.
Gothic 3
Click Image to Enlarge - 2560x1600 - No AA
An MPEG-1 video clip of the second walkthrough is available at this link (~ 11 MB). In the Gothic 3 demo, moving through heavily populated outdoor areas results in occasional micro-pauses during gameplay and tends to coincide with hard drive access. Note that the video clip shows a couple of the pauses as well as an extremely rather lengthy pause near the end.
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