The Graphics Chips Compared
In this test we included all current graphics cards using the PCI Express 2.0 interface, such as Nvidia's Geforce 8800 GT and 8800 GTS 512, as well as ATI's Radeon HD 3850 and 3870 cards. We also decided to test the HD2900XT; even though it's still a PCIe 1.1 card, it remains ATI's fastest offering, making it an ideal choice to compare the performance results between the old and new testbed platforms.
We included the more recent Nvidia cards and SLI sets in this test for reference as well. Only Nvidia's Geforce 8800 GT and 8800 GTS 512 and ATI's Radeon HD3850 and HD3870 are already equipped with the PCI Express 2.0 interface.
| NVIDIA Graphics Cards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics Card and Chip | Code Name | Memory | Shader | GPU Frequency | Memory Frequency |
| Geforce 8800 Ultra OC | G80 | 768 MB GDDR3 | 4.0, 1512 MHz | 660 MHz | 2300 MHz |
| Geforce 8800 GTX | G80 | 768 MB GDDR3 | 4.0, 1350 MHz | 576 MHz | 1800 MHz |
| Geforce 8800 GTS OC SLI | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 4.0, 1825 MHz | 730 MHz | 1944 MHz |
| Geforce 8800 GTS OC | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 4.0, 1825 MHz | 730 MHz | 1944 MHz |
| Geforce 8800 GT OC SLI | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 4.0, 1650 MHz | 660 MHz | 1900 MHz |
| Geforce 8800 GT OC | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 4.0, 1650 MHz | 660 MHz | 1900 MHz |
| ATI Graphics Cards | |||||
| Graphics Card and Chip | Code Name | Memory | Shader | GPU Frequency | Memory Frequency |
| Radeon HD3870 OC CF | RV670 | 512 MB GDDR4 | 4.1 | 800 MHz | 2252 MHz |
| Radeon HD3870 OC | RV670 | 512 MB GDDR4 | 4.1 | 800 MHz | 2252 MHz |
| Radeon HD3850 OC CF | RV670 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 4.1 | 690 MHz | 1658 MHz |
| Radeon HD3850 OC | RV670 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 4.1 | 690 MHz | 1658 MHz |
| Radeon HD2900 XT CF | R600 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 4.0 | 743 MHz | 1656 MHz |
| Radeon HD2900 XT | R600 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 4.0 | 743 MHz | 1656 MHz |
Memory Frequency=physical frequency is half of stated frequency (DDR), OC=overclocked, SLI=parallel operation of Nvidia cards, CF=CrossFire parallel operation of 2 ATI cards
| Single Nvidia Graphics Cards, Single- and Crossfire ATI Graphics Cards | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800, 2.93 GHz |
| FSB | 1066 MHz |
| Motherboard | Intel D975XBX2, PCIe 1.0a |
| Chipset | Intel 975X |
| Memory | 2x1 GByte, Vitesta DDR2 800 4-4-4-12 533 MHz |
| Hard Drive | Hitachi 2 x 120 GByte S-ATA, Cache 8 MByte |
| DVD | Gigabyte GO-D1600C |
| LAN | Intel 1000 Pro |
| Audio | Intel High Definition Audio |
| Power Supply | Seasonic M12 600 Watt |
| Single Nvidia Graphics Cards, Single- and Crossfire ATI Graphics Cards | |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800, 2.93 GHz |
| FSB | 1066 MHz |
| Motherboard | Asus P5E3 Deluxe, PCIe 2.0 |
| Chipset | Intel X38 |
| Memory | 2x1 GByte, Ballistix DDR3 800 5-5-5-16 800 MHz |
| Audio | Intel High Definition Audio |
| Power Supply | CoolerMaster RS-850-EMBA 850 Watt |
| Nvidia SLI Graphics Cards | |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800, 2.93 GHz |
| FSB | 1066 MHz |
| Motherboard | Nvidia 680i SLI |
| Chipset | Nvidia 680i SLI |
| Drivers & Configuration | |
| Graphics | ATI Catalyst 7.11Nvidia Forceware 169.12, 8800 GTS 512 MSI 169.06 |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Enterprise |
| DirectX | 10 |
| Chipset Driver Intel | 975BX2 Intel 8.2.0.1014, X38 Intel 8.3.1.1009 |
