Test Setup
| Intel HardwareSocket 478 | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Pentium 4/1800 MHz (400 MHz QDR FSB) |
| Motherboard | ASUS P4T-E (I850) Revision: 1.00 |
| Memory | 256 MB 400 MHz RDRAM |
| AMD HardwareSocket 462 | |
| Processor | AMD Athlon 1333 MHz266 MHz DDR |
| Motherboard | MSI K7 Master-S (MS-6341)AMD 761 |
| Memory | 256 MB DDR-SDRAM, PC2100, CL2.0 |
| Graphic Cards | |
| NVIDIA GeForce2 Ultra | Chip-Clock: 250 MHzMemory: 64 MB DDR-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 230 MHzNVIDIA Reference Driver v23.11 |
| NVIDIA Geforce2 Ti | Chip-Clock: 250 MHzMemory: 64 MB DDR-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 200 MHzNVIDIA Reference Driver v23.11 |
| NVIDIA Geforce2 MX400 | Chip-Clock: 200 MHzMemory: 64 MB SD-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 166 MHzNVIDIA Reference Driver v23.11 |
| NVIDIA GeForce2 Pro | Chip-Clock: 200 MHzMemory: 64 MB DDR-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 200 MHzNVIDIA Reference Driver v23.11 |
| PowerVR Kyro II | Chip-Clock: 175 MHzMemory: 64 MB SD-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 175 MHzDriver v1.00.09.0031 |
| NVIDIA GeForce3 | Chip-Clock: 200 MHzMemory: 64 MB DDR-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 230 MHzNVIDIA Reference Driver v23.11 |
| NVIDIA GeForce3 Ti200 | Chip-Clock: 175 MHzMemory: 64 MB DDR-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 200 MHzNVIDIA Reference Driver v23.11 |
| NVIDIA GeForce3 Ti500 | Chip-Clock: 240 MHzMemory: 64 MB DDR-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 250 MHzNVIDIA Reference Driver v23.11 |
| ATI RADEON 7200 | Chip-Clock: 183 MHzMemory: 64 MB DDR-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 366 MHzATI-Driver: V7189 (Win98)ATI-Driver: V3276 (WinXP) |
| ATI RADEON 7500 | Chip-Clock: 290 MHzMemory: 64 MB DDR-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 460 MHzATI-Driver: V7189 (Win98)ATI-Driver: V3276 (WinXP) |
| ATI RADEON 8500 | Chip-Clock: 275 MHzMemory: 64 MB DDR-SDRAMMemory-Clock: 550 MHzATI-Driver: V7206 (Win98)ATI-Driver: V3286 (WinXP) |
| Drivers & Software | |
| AGP (AMD) | Miniport Driver 4.80 (Win98SE) |
| DirectX Version | 8.1 |
| OS | Windows 98 SE, Version 4.10.2222 AWindows XP Pro(V2002) |
| Aquanox | Version v1.17, Timedemo Magelan |
Currently, beta drivers which fix these problems are available on the web. But be warned: these are not official drivers and, as such, are not supported by ATi.
Benchmarks - Level: Magellan
The Pentium 4 benchmarks were run both in Windows 98SE (red) and Windows XP Professional (green). Since no real differences are expected, the Athlon tests (blue) were run only in Windows 98.
800x600-32 : Thanks to their higher clock speed, the GeForce3 cards grab the lead. The RADEON 8500 is close on the heels of the Ti500, though. The performance differences of the ATi cards in Win98SE and WinXP are interesting. The GeForce2 cards show no such phenomenon, offering nearly identical performance in both operating systems, across the board. The RADEON 7500 follows at a respectable distance, trailed by the RADEON 7200 (the graphics card formerly known as RADEON DDR 64 MB ViVo). The GF2 MX barely makes the magical 25fps barrier, but the Kyro II is already on its knees, crawling along at 20fps. We can safely say that the game is not playable on either of these two cards, even at this resolution.
Benchmarks - Level: Magellan, Continued
1024x768-32 : As we increase the resolution, we see the Ti500 now tied for the lead with the RADEON 8500. Slowly but surely, memory bandwidth, not raw processing power, is becoming the deciding factor in this race. Consequently, the field now shows a clearer ranking, with the GeForce2 Ultra outrunning the Ti and the Pro. The R7500 can also close the gap to the GF2 group, threatening the slower models. Unsurprisingly, the MX400 and Kyro II continue to drag behind - the game is completely unplayable. They are not alone though, as the R7200 now shares their fate. It, too, can no longer pass the 25fps mark.