Crysis 2 Performance Previewed And Analyzed

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Test System And Benchmarks

The Crysis 2 multiplayer demo has three levels of detail: Gamer, Advanced, and Hardcore. Unfortunately, the demo was disabled by Crytek before we could take comparison screenshots. What we can say is that the lowest Gamer detail setting looks very attractive, but Advanced and Hardcore really do appear to amp up the lighting model and water quality.

Because the demo has no built-in benchmark, the performance figures we gathered were taken during actual gameplay on the Pier 17 map. Because of this, the results might not be as consistent as a canned benchmark loop, but we’ve invested enough time to gather some solid and comparable data.

We do regret the omission of the GeForce GTX 570 and 580. The demo was shut down without warning and we didn't have time to benchmark these cards. On the plus side, you will see that the GeForce GTX 560 Ti was capable of pulling smooth performance at 1080p on the Hardcore setting. The following chart details the system and graphics cards we used:

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Test Hardware
ProcessorIntel Core i5-2500K (Sandy Bridge)Overclocked to 4 GHz, 6 MB L3 Cache, power-saving settings enabled, Turbo Boost disabled.
MotherboardAsus P8P67 Pro, Intel P67 Chipset
MemoryOCZ PC3-16000, 2 x 2 GB, 1338 MT/s, CL 9-9-9-20-1T
Hard DriveWestern Digital Caviar Black 750 GB, 7200 RPM, 32 MB Cache, SATA 3Gb/s
Graphics CardsGeForce GT 430GeForce GT 240 GDDR5GeForce GTS 450GeForce GTX 550 TiGeForce GTX 460 1 GBGeForce GTX 560 TiRadeon HD 5570Radeon HD 5670Radeon HD 5750Radeon HD 5770Radeon HD 6850Radeon HD 6870Radeon HD 6950Radeon HD 6970
Power SupplyePower EP-1200E10-T2 1200 W, ATX12V, EPS12V
CPU CoolerCooler Master Hyper TX 2
System Software And Drivers
Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64
DirectXDirectX 11
Graphics DriverNvidia 266.58 WHQL
Row 11 - Cell 0 AMD Catalyst 11.2 WHQL
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Games
Crysis 2 Multiplayer DemoVersion 1.0.0, No AA, Pier 17 map, FRAPS runs
Don Woligroski
125 Comments Comment from the forums
  • kcorp2003
    I still have to download their demo....but so far, everyone is saying its a let down. (perhaps copying CoD?)But its nice to see hardware performance. however its Dx9.
    Reply
  • reasonablevoice
    So its another crappy console port? Oh I'm shocked. No wait, what is the opposite of surprised? I'm that.
    Reply
  • rohitbaran
    Well, so the 1 million grant from nVidia to Crytek was indeed to make the game run faster on Geforce cards.
    Reply
  • rohitbaran
    As for the game to be run on mainstream cards, I have to say that the graphics in Crysis 2 aren't much better than the first one. The major thing about Cryengine 3 is that it is multi-platform, but visually, the two games are not too far apart. Current mainstream cards are at least 2-3 times faster than 8800 Ultra, so that answers question of the game running so well.
    Reply
  • mantis2001
    As I saw lots of Benchmarks dx11/dx10/dx9, I sill believe that GTX 460 is the best card $150
    Reply
  • Saljen
    That last pic looks like a freakin' photograph. I can't wait for this to be released.
    Reply
  • stiehl
    Crysis 2 is already the most disappointing game of 2011. Subpar graphics, console port and that the multiplayer is a dumbed down copy of COD multiplayer all make this game something to scoff at. The fact crytek has the audacity to release a dx9 game instead of dx11 baffles me. I don't understand how PC enthusiasts such as toms can enjoy this game!
    Reply
  • sabot00
    rohitbaranAs for the game to be run on mainstream cards, I have to say that the graphics in Crysis 2 aren't much better than the first one. The major thing about Cryengine 3 is that it is multi-platform, but visually, the two games are not too far apart. Current mainstream cards are at least 2-3 times faster than 8800 Ultra, so that answers question of the game running so well.Actually, a 8800GTX is more or less equal to a 9800GTX, and the 5770 = 9800GTX+/GTS250, so the slight improvements means a 5770 (mainstream today) is only say 10-20% better instead of 2-3 times.
    Reply
  • jlefebre6001
    the multi-player is so much like CoD its ridiculous.
    Reply
  • Rizlla
    I'll be waiting to hear some feedback from others about the games before buying it, but first I must get Dragon Age 2. :D
    Reply