Attacking the GeForce2 MX: ATi's Radeon 32 MB SDRAM

Test Setup

In the following benchmarks we compare the two 32-meg versions of the Radeon with the GeForce2 MX. All these graphics cards cost between $100 and $200. Additionally we publish the results of the high-end Radeon 64 MB DDR and GeForce2 GTS based boards to give you an idea how much performance boost they offer for the higher price.

Since 2D performance does not show any noticeable difference anymore, we focused to test all contenders with Quake 3 Arena, MDK2, Evolva and Mercedes Benz Truck Racing (MBTR).

We chose a minimum resolution of 1024x768 to stress the 3D pipeline of the graphics cards and not the chipset of the platform. We then increased the resolution up to 1600x1200 pixels. At this point we want to repeat what the following average frame rates (fps) actually mean:

• 60fps or higher the 3D scenes in a game are usually smooth
• between 40 and 60fps the game feeling is still acceptable but some jerky movements in some complex scenes are visible
• below 40fps you will perceive many action games more as agony than pleasure