MSI’s GeForce GTX 260 Lightning is factory-overclocked, employing faster clock speeds for both the GPU and the shaders. While Nvidia’s reference design calls for 576 MHz (GPU) and 1242 MHz (shaders), this card runs at a combination of 655/1404 MHz. At 1792 MB, it also offers twice the memory of standard GTX 260 cards. Since the card’s factory-overclocked settings are saved in its BIOS, they were used as “standard” settings during testing. Any overclocking achieved here is thus a further improvement over the already elevated clock speeds.
| Product Name | Chip | GPU Frequency | Memory Size | Memory Type | Memory Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSI N260GTX Lightning | GTX 260 | 655 MHz | 1792 MB | GDDR3 | 2 x 999 MHz |
| MSI R4870-MD1G | HD 4870 | 750 MHz | 1024 MB | GDDR5 | 4 x 900 MHz |
| Nvidia and ATI Graphics Cards | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-920 @ 3.8 GHz (20x190), BIOS 1.2625 Volt, 45 nm, Socket 1366 LGA |
| Motherboard | Asus P6T, PCIe 2.0, ICH10R, 3-Way SLI |
| Chipset | Intel X58 |
| Memory | Corsair, 3 x 2 GB DDR3, TR3X6G1600C8D, 2x570 MHz 8-8-8-20 |
| Audio | Realtek ALC1200 |
| LAN | Realtek RTL8111C |
| HDDs | SATA, Western Digital, Raptor WD300HLFS, WD5000AAKS |
| DVD | Gigabyte GO-D1600C |
| Power Supply | Cooler Master RS-850-EMBA 850 Watts |
| Drivers & Configuration | |
| Graphics Drivers | MSI Driver 182.06, Nvidia GeForce 186.18, MSI Driver 8.542, ATI Catalyst 9.6 |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Ultimate 32 Bit, SP1 |
| DirectX | 9, 10 and 10.1 |
| Platform Driver | Intel 9.1.0.1007 |
Power consumption is measured in Watts at the wall socket and reflects the entire system (without the monitor).
Summary
- CPUs Have More Headroom
- Keeping Cool (Enough)
- Graphics Chips And Our Test Setup
- MSI’s D.O.T.-Enabled Driver
- Overclocking The ATI Card Via D.O.T.
- Benchmarks: ATI And D.O.T.
- Overclocking Using RivaTuner And Tray Tools
- Benchmarks: ATI And Catalyst 9.6
- Overclocking: Nvidia And D.O.T.
- Benchmarks: Nvidia And D.O.T.
- Overclocking: Nvidia With CoreCenter And AirForce
- Benchmarks: Nvidia And GeForce 186.18
- RivaTuner And Precision
- Effects Of Overclocking: ATI
- Effects Of Overclocking: Nvidia
- Overall Performance
- Performance Per Watt
- 3D Performance (Sorted By Anti-Aliasing)
- Conclusion: It’s A Tie
