Benchmark Results: DiRT 2 (DirectX 9)
This one almost had to be trashed altogether. Our DiRT 2 testing centers on the game demo, which includes a built-in benchmarking mode (the retail game does not come with this, and instead needs to be tested manually via FRAPS and a human pilot).
We noticed that the GF100-based cards were generating really high scores compared to the Radeon HD 5000-series cards, which seemed a little odd since both architectures are able to run the game in DirectX 11 mode. As it turns out, the GeForce GTX 480 and 470 aren’t properly detected as DX11 cards by the demo (though they function as expected in the retail game). So, we forced all of the boards into DX9 mode in order to get a look at performance in a DX9 title (rather than toss DiRT 2 as a benchmark altogether) .
Without anti-aliasing applied, the dual-GPU ATI cards take first-place finishes at 1920x1200 and 2560x1600. Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 480 performs well against ATI’s Radeon HD 5870, though its advantage slowly evaporates in moving from 16x10 to 19x12 to 25x16. The GeForce GTX 470 starts in front of the Radeon HD 5870, slips between ATI’s two fastest single-GPU cards at 1920x1200, and then falls behind the 5850 at 2560x1600.
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I have been waiting for this review since freaking January. Tom's Hardware, I love you.
With official reviews available, the GTX 480 certainly doesn't seem like the rampaging ATI-killer they boasted it would be, especially six months after ATI started rolling out 5xxx cards. Now I suppose I'll just cross my fingers that this causes prices for the 5xxx cards to shift a bit (a guy can dream, can't he?), and wait to see what ATI rolls out next. Unless something drastic happens, I don't see myself choosing a GF100 card over an ATI alternative, at least not for this generation of GPUs.
Completely unimpressed. 6 months late. Too expensive. Power hog. Performance not particularly impressive. The Radeon 5k series has been delivering a near identical experience for 6 months now, at a lower price.
hmmm.. so this is a paper launch... six months after and they do a paper launch on a friday evening, after the stock exchange has closed.. smart move by Nvidia, that way people will cool off during the weekend, but I think their stocks won't perform that brilliantly on monday...
not at all impressed
high power consumption, high prices along with a (small, all things considered) performance edge over ATI is all there is. Are 100$ more for a gtx 480 really worth 5-10% increase in performance?
Though the big downside of fermi are temps. 97 is a very large(and totally unacceptable) temperature level. IMO fermi cards will start dying from thermal death some months from now.
I just wanted competition,so that prices would be lower and we(the consumers) could get more bang for our buck. Surely fermi doesnt help alot in that direction(a modest 30$ cut for 5870 and 5850 from ATI and fermi wont stand a chance). It seems AMD/ATI clearly won this round
Wow, it seems Nvidia actually went ahead and designed a DX11 card and found out how difficult it is to design. ATI/AMD just slapped a DX11 sticker on their DX10 card and sells it as DX11. In half a year HD 5000 will be so outdated that all it can play is DX10 games.
Kinda impressed
The minimum frame rates are quite nice at least...
Lets talk again when a version with the full 512 SP is released.
yawn
The way we're meant to be dismayed, gg infirmi
I'll keep my GTX275.
Traditionally I have been a big nVidia loyalist. Why? Because I think they have better drivers. This however makes me question whether I will stick with them this time around. Its a huge letdown. The performance is not anywhere close to good enough. At this late point in the game ATi likely has something newer than the 5000 series close to launch. It will make people physically sick that they spent the big bucks on these nVidia cards if in 3 months or so there are faster cards from ATi.
They held it back for 6 months, but it still can't play Crysis lol.
im glad i bought the 5850, im not even a little impressed
ati won this round.
Now I am really looking forward to DX11 gaming on GTX 400. ATI/AMD has a long way to go to get DX11 at acceptable performance.
So... We better start talking about Fermi 2...
I think I'll stick with my 4870s...
gotta love the competition. prices will surely go down and costumer will only benefit. sad that it took nvidia 6 months to get here though..
GTX 480: 10%-15% more performance than a 5870 for a power consumption akin to a 5970, at much higher temperatures, and for 100$ more. More than likely available in limited quantities in two weeks (let's see about that). I have a word for this: faillure.
Oh, it seems that ATI already has a preview of Catalyst 10.3a, which add another few frames to the already very respcatable 10.3.
I admit Tom's want to be polite, although I do have to say, from the reviews I've read so far, you seem to be the most objctive, so you deserve congratulations for that, but anyway, to me, it simply is not worth the money. Efficiency is not just a fashion word, it has real world implications, and Nvidia has a lot of homework to do on redesigning their chip.
I am so disappointed. I have been using Nvidia since the 6000 series and, unfortunately for them, i will be purchasing an ATI card next. I have a GTX280 and there is really no performance gain big enough to justify the cost, power, and heat levels of the card. I have really gained some newfound respect for ATI though, I look forward to purchasing a card from them. I also believe that eyefinity is going to be the way to go.