Comparison of Graphics Chips and Introduction of the Test Configuration
The Geforce 6 and 7 are not overclocked. If the Geforce 8800 GTS 512 OC was to be operated at the standard clocking rate, it would be as fast as the Geforce 8800 GT OC in terms of overall performance. The Geforce 9600 GT has 1024 MB of graphics memory, while the new Geforce 9800 GTX is competing for first place with the Geforce 8800 GTS 512. Which of these two models comes out on top depends on the clocking rate used—the two cards are too similar in terms of the technical specifications and clocking rates with G92 graphics chip, for any relevant performance differences to be identified.
| Card manufacturer and chip | Code name | Memory | Shader | GPU Speed | Memory Data Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geforce 9800 GTX | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 4.0, 1688 MHz | 675 MHz | 2200 MHz |
| Geforce 9600 GT OC | G94 | 1024 MB GDDR3 | 4.0, 1680 MHz | 700 MHz | 1900 MHz |
| Geforce 8800 GTS OC | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 4.0, 1825 MHz | 730 MHz | 1944 MHz |
| Geforce 8800 GT OC | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 4.0, 1650 MHz | 660 MHz | 1900 MHz |
| Geforce 7950 GT | G71 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 3.0 | 550 MHz | 1400 MHz |
| Geforce 6800 GT | NV40 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 3.0 | 350 MHz | 1000 MHz |
OC = overclocked (speed is higher than standard)
Memory Data Rate = physical clock rate times two
| CPUs | Intel E2160@1.8, E2160@2.41,E6750@2.67,Q6600@2.4, Q6600@3.2,X6800EE@2.94 |
| Cooler | Zalman 9700 LED |
| Motherboard | Asus P5E3 Deluxe, PCIe 2.0 2x16, ICH9R |
| Chip set | Intel X38 |
| Memory | 2x1 GByte, Ballistix (Crucial Technology) 1.5 Volt,DDR3 1066 7-7-7-20 (2x533 MHz) |
| Audio | Intel High Definition Audio |
| LAN | Intel 1000 Pro |
| Hard drives | Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500 GByte, S-ATA, Cache 16 MB,Hitachi 120 GByte, S-ATA, Cache 8 MB |
| DVD | Gigabyte GO-D1600C |
| Power Supply | CoolerMaster RS-850-EMBA 850 Watt |
| Graphic | Nvidia Forceware 174.53, 9800 GTX 174.74 |
| Operating system | Windows Vista Enterprise |
| DirectX | 10 |
| Chip set driver | X38 Intel 8.3.1.1009 |
For the purpose of testing, all graphics cards used a version of the new 174 driver introduced with the 9600 GT. The Geforce 9800 GTX required Version 174.74 because the graphics chip was not included in official releases. The Microsoft Flight X SP2 and DX10 preview modes still have representation errors in the water pixel shader—as a result, the simulated waves are missing. In DX9 mode (Geforce 6 and 7) everything appears to be fine.
