Performance is summarized by computing the cost per average frame rendered for each graphics card, which may be a useful statistic to some readers. Using all of the benchmark results from Windows XP, the following exercise reveals the cost per average frame rendered for each graphics card that was tested.
At the time this review was posted, the lowest price (approximate and without rebates) from our PriceGrabber feed is as follows:
Stock GeForce 8800 GTX ~ $550
Overclocked GeForce 8800 GTX ~ $600
XFX GeForce 8800 Ultra XXX Edition ~ $750
Next, total the average frames per second from all of the benchmarks for each graphics card:
Stock GeForce 8800 GTX - 581 frames
Overclocked GeForce 8800 GTX - 606 frames
XFX GeForce 8800 Ultra XXX Edition - 707 frames
Finally, divide the cost of each graphics card by the total frames to get the average cost per frame:
Based on the results, the XFX GeForce 8800 Ultra XXX Edition would offer similar value as a stock GeForce 8800 GTX at a price of $671.65 (0.95 per frame x 707 frames) or an overclocked GeForce 8800 GTX at a price of $699.93 (0.99 per frame x 707 frames).
With a $50 rebate on the XFX GeForce 8800 Ultra XXX Edition in effect at Newegg until June 30, its value comes very close to the overclocked GeForce 8800 GTX when gaming at 2560x1600 with 4x AA.
CPU Comparison
In most cases, a high-end graphics card like the XFX GeForce 8800 Ultra XXX Edition is matched with a high-end processor to maximize performance. This is especially true at lower resolutions such as 1680x1050 or 1600x1200.
CPU Scaling - 2560x1600
At the ultra-resolution of 2560x1600, gamers with a mid-range Athlon 64 dual-core processor can enjoy frame rates with the XFX GeForce 8800 Ultra XXX Edition that are comparable to games running on an Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
