Test System And Benchmarks
For the purposes of this article, we're using a Core 2 Duo E7200-based system. Yes, the CPU is an older processor, but it's a cool-running component and a good representation of a chip that someone might use in a home theater PC.
As for graphics cards, we're testing both a Radeon HD 4890 and GeForce GTX 260. These are powerful graphics cards, but are probably the minimum you'd want to use when it comes to 3D gaming because performance takes a big hit in stereoscopic 3D mode. Also remember that dual outputs are necessary because you need to use one for each projector.
We'd like to show you how these games look in 3D and we're offering a way to experience the 3D depth without spending any cash on a 3D monitor. It is called “cross viewing.” The image on the left is for your right eye and the image on the right is for your left eye. A good trick to use is to hold your finger about halfway to the screen in front of the images you are trying to cross view. Focus your eyes on your finger and move your finger towards or away from the screen until there appears to be three identically sized images behind it instead of two. Then, shift your focus to the center image and move your finger out of the way. If done properly you will see what appears to be three images: a clear 3D image in the center and blurry 2D images on each side. For some people it is easier to accomplish this by increasing the distance between your eyes and the monitor. Not everyone will have success with cross viewing, but it is a nice option for folks who can experience it.
To get a better view, click on the cross view image for a pop-up window that features a larger version.
For viewers who can't wrap their eyes around cross viewing, these images can still be used to point out any anomalies between right- and left-perspective views.
3D Test System | ||||
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CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 (Wolfdale), 2.53 GHz, 3MB Shared L2 Cache; Overclocked to 2.61 GHz @ 275 MHz Front Side Bus | |||
Motherboard | Asus P5N7A-VM nForce 730i, BIOS 512 | |||
Networking | Onboard Gigabit LAN controller | |||
Memory | Kingston PC2-6400 2 x 2,048MB, 330 MHz, CL 5-5-5-15-2T | |||
Graphics | ATI Radeon HD 4890 Reference850 MHz Core, 975 MHz Memory, 1GB GDDR5Asus GeForce ENGTX260 Matrix 576 MHz Core, 1,242 MHz Shaders, 999 MHz Memory, 796MB GDDR3 | |||
Hard Drive | Western Digital Caviar WD50 00AAJS-00YFA500GB, 7,200 RPM, 8MB cache, SATA 3.0 Gb/s | |||
Power | Thermaltake Toughpower 1,200W1,200 W, ATX 12V 2.2, EPS 12v 2.91 | |||
Software and Drivers | ||||
Operating System | Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit, SP2 | |||
DirectX version | DirectX 10 | |||
Graphics Drivers | AMD Catalyst 10.2, Nvidia GeForce 196.21 |
Benchmark Configuration | |
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3D Games | |
Crysis | Patch 1.2.1, DirectX 9, Medium Settings |
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | Version 1.0.0, Highest Settings, 4x AA |
Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box | Highest Details, 8xMSAA, SSAO off |
Left 4 Dead | Version 1.0.1.5; Highest Settings, 4x AA |
Dungeons and Dragons Online | Version 1.11.0.8125; Ultra-High Details, DirectX 9, 4xAA |
Star Trek Online | Version 2010.03.22.11.32; Recommended Quality, 4x AA |