VGA Charts 2008: 101 Configurations Tested
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Chip Comparison And Test Configuration
All cards run at the default clock speed. Only the GeForce 8800 GTS 512 was also tested with overclocking values. We did not use SLI and CrossFire with graphics chips that have an identification of x200 to x400, due to their low 3D performance. The Radeon X800 XT from AMD represents the oldest generation in the test. And even then, since this card only supports Shader Model 2, some games won’t work with it. As a result, we chose not to test the other X800 and X850 models. The Radeon X600 and X700 also no longer make sense with these demanding test settings.
The current GeForce 6 models—the 6600 GT, 6800 GT and 6800 Ultra—lead off for Nvidia. We did not include the in-between versions, like the GeForce 8800 GS, 9600 GTO or 8800 GT with 256 MB. The values of the 9600 GT with 1024 MB can be transferred to the 9600 GT with 512 MB. When comparing the GeForce 8800 GT 512 against the 8800 GT 1024, it is clear that the doubled memory mainly affects the game Crysis with AA enabled, but the additional frames do not play a large part in the overall results.
| Chip | Code name | Memory | GPU rate | Shader | Memory rate | SPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 280 SLI | GT200 | 1024 GDDR3 | 602 MHz | 4.0, 1296 MHz | 2214 MHz | 240 |
| GeForce GTX 280 | GT200 | 1024 GDDR3 | 602 MHz | 4.0, 1296 MHz | 2214 MHz | 240 |
| GeForce GTX 260 SLI | GT200 | 896 GDDR3 | 576 MHz | 4.0, 1242 MHz | 1998 MHz | 192 |
| GeForce GTX 260 | GT200 | 896 GDDR3 | 576 MHz | 4.0, 1242 MHz | 1998 MHz | 192 |
| GeForce 9800 GX2 | 2xG92 | 2x512 MB GDDR3 | 600 MHz | 4.0, 1500 MHz | 2000 MHz | 2x128 |
| GeForce 9800 GTX SLI | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 675 MHz | 4 . 0, 1688 MHz | 2200 MHz | 128 |
| GeForce 9800 GTX | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 675 MHz | 4.0, 1688 MHz | 2200 MHz | 128 |
| GeForce 9600 GT SLI | G94 | 1024 MB GDDR3 | 650 MHz | 4.0, 1625 MHz | 1800 MHz | 64 |
| GeForce 9600 GT | G94 | 1024 MB GDDR3 | 650 MHz | 4.0, 1625 MHz | 1800 MHz | 64 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS OC | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 730 MHz | 4.0, 1825 MHz | 1944 MHz | 128 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS SLI | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 650 MHz | 4.0, 1625 MHz | 1944 MHz | 128 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 650 MHz | 4.0, 1625 MHz | 1944 MHz | 128 |
| GeForce 8800 GT SLI | G92 | 1024 MB GDDR3 | 600 MHz | 4.0, 1500 MHz | 1800 MHz | 112 |
| GeForce 8800 GT | G92 | 1024 MB GDDR3 | 600 MHz | 4.0, 1500 MHz | 1800 MHz | 112 |
| GeForce 8800 GT SLI | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 600 MHz | 4.0, 1500 MHz | 1800 MHz | 112 |
| GeForce 8800 GT | G92 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 600 MHz | 4.0, 1500 MHz | 1800 MHz | 112 |
| GeForce 8800 Ultra 3SLI | G80 | 768 MB GDDR3 | 612 MHz | 4.0, 1512 MHz | 2160 MHz | 128 |
| GeForce 8800 Ultra SLI | G80 | 768 MB GDDR3 | 612 MHz | 4.0, 1512 MHz | 2160 MHz | 128 |
| GeForce 8800 Ultra | G80 | 768 MB GDDR3 | 612 MHz | 4.0, 1512 MHz | 2160 MHz | 128 |
| GeForce 8800 GTX | G80 | 768 MB GDDR3 | 576 MHz | 4.0, 1350 MHz | 1800 MHz | 128 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS | G80 | 640 MB GDDR3 | 500 MHz | 4.0, 1188 MHz | 1600 MHz | 96 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS SLI | G80 | 320 MB GDDR3 | 500 MHz | 4.0, 1188 MHz | 1600 MHz | 96 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS | G80 | 320 MB GDDR3 | 500 MHz | 4.0, 1188 MHz | 1600 MHz | 96 |
| GeForce 8600 GTS | G84 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 675 MHz | 4.0, 1450 MHz | 2016 MHz | 32 |
| GeForce 8600 GTS SLI | G84 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 675 MHz | 4.0, 1450 MHz | 2016 MHz | 32 |
| GeForce 8600 GTS | G84 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 675 MHz | 4.0, 1450 MHz | 2016 MHz | 32 |
| GeForce 8600 GT SLI | G84 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 540 MHz | 4.0, 1180 MHz | 1400 MHz | 32 |
| GeForce 8600 GT | G84 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 540 MHz | 4.0, 1180 MHz | 1400 MHz | 32 |
| GeForce 8500 GT | G86 | 256 MB DDR2 | 459 MHz | 4.0, 918 MHz | 800 MHz | 16 |
| GeForce 8400 GS | G86 | 256 MB DDR2 | 459 MHz | 4.0, 918 MHz | 800 MHz | 16 |
| GeForce 7950 GX2 SLI | 4xG71 | 4x512 MB GDDR3 | 500 MHz | 3.0 | 1200 MHz | 4x24P 8V |
| GeForce 7950 GX2 | 2xG71 | 2x512 MB GDDR3 | 500 MHz | 3.0 | 1200 MHz | 2x24P 8V |
| GeForce 7950 GT SLI | G71 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 550 MHz | 3.0 | 1400 MHz | 24P 8V |
| GeForce 7950 GT | G71 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 550 MHz | 3.0 | 1400 MHz | 24P 8V |
| GeForce 7900 GTX | G71 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 650 MHz | 3.0 | 1600 MHz | 24P 8V |
| GeForce 7900 GTO | G71 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 650 MHz | 3.0 | 1320 MHz | 24P 8V |
| GeForce 7900 GT SLI | G71 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 450 MHz | 3.0 | 1320 MHz | 24P 8V |
| GeForce 7900 GT | G71 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 450 MHz | 3.0 | 1320 MHz | 24P 8V |
| GeForce 7900 GS SLI | G71 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 450 MHz | 3.0 | 1320 MHz | 20P 7V |
| GeForce 7900 GS | G71 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 450 MHz | 3.0 | 1320 MHz | 20P 7V |
| GeForce 7800 GTX | G70 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 550 MHz | 3.0 | 1700 MHz | 24P 8V |
| GeForce 7800 GTX SLI | G70 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 430 MHz | 3.0 | 1200 MHz | 24P 8V |
| GeForce 7800 GTX | G70 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 430 MHz | 3.0 | 1200 MHz | 24P 8V |
| GeForce 7800 GT SLI | G70 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 400 MHz | 3.0 | 1000 MHz | 20P 7V |
| GeForce 7800 GT | G70 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 400 MHz | 3.0 | 1000 MHz | 20P 7V |
| GeForce 7600 GT SLI | G73 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 560 MHz | 3.0 | 1400 MHz | 12P 5V |
| GeForce 7600 GT | G73 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 560 MHz | 3.0 | 1400 MHz | 12P 5V |
| GeForce 7600 GS SLI | G73 | 256 MB DDR2 | 400 MHz | 3.0 | 800 MHz | 12P 5V |
| GeForce 7600 GS | G73 | 256 MB DDR2 | 400 MHz | 3.0 | 800 MHz | 12P 5V |
| GeForce 7300 GT | G73 | 256 MB DDR2 | 350 MHz | 3.0 | 666 MHz | 8P 4V |
| GeForce 7300 GS | G72 | 128 MB DDR2 | 550 MHz | 3.0 | 810 MHz | 4P 3V |
| GeForce 6800 Ultra | NV40 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 425 MHz | 3.0 | 1100 MHz | 16P 6V |
| GeForce 6800 GT | NV40 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 350 MHz | 3.0 | 1000 MHz | 16P 6V |
| GeForce 6600 GT | NV43 | 128 MB GDDR3 | 500 MHz | 3.0 | 1000 MHz | 8P 3V |
| Chip | Memory bus | Manufacturing process | Transistors | Interface |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 280 SLI | 512 Bit | 65 nm | 1400 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce GTX 280 | 512 Bit | 65 nm | 1400 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce GTX 260 SLI | 448 Bit | 65 nm | 1400 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce GTX 260 | 448 Bit | 65 nm | 1400 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 9800 GX2 | 2x256 Bit | 65 nm | 2x754 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 9800 GTX SLI | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 754 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 9800 GTX | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 754 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 9600 GT SLI | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 505 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 9600 GT | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 505 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS OC | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 754 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS SLI | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 754 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 754 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 8800 GT SLI | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 754 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 8800 GT | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 754 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 8800 GT SLI | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 754 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 8800 GT | 256 Bit | 65 nm | 754 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| GeForce 8800 Ultra 3SLI | 384 Bit | 90 nm | 681 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8800 Ultra SLI | 384 Bit | 90 nm | 681 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8800 Ultra | 384 Bit | 90 nm | 681 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8800 GTX | 384 Bit | 90 nm | 681 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS | 320 Bit | 90 nm | 681 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS SLI | 320 Bit | 90 nm | 681 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8800 GTS | 320 Bit | 90 nm | 681 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8600 GTS | 128 Bit | 80 nm | 289 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8600 GTS SLI | 128 Bit | 80 nm | 289 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8600 GTS | 128 Bit | 80 nm | 289 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8600 GT SLI | 128 Bit | 80 nm | 289 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8600 GT | 128 Bit | 80 nm | 289 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8500 GT | 128 Bit | 80 nm | 210 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 8400 GS | 64 Bit | 80 nm | 210 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7950 GX2 SLI | 4x256 Bit | 90 nm | 4x278 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7950 GX2 | 2x256 Bit | 90 nm | 2x278 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7950 GT SLI | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 278 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7950 GT | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 278 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7900 GTX | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 278 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7900 GTO | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 278 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7900 GT SLI | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 278 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7900 GT | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 278 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7900 GS SLI | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 278 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7900 GS | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 278 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7800 GTX | 256 Bit | 110 nm | 303 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7800 GTX SLI | 256 Bit | 110 nm | 303 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7800 GTX | 256 Bit | 110 nm | 303 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7800 GT SLI | 256 Bit | 110 nm | 303 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7800 GT | 256 Bit | 110 nm | 303 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7600 GT SLI | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 178 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7600 GT | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 178 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7600 GS SLI | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 178 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7600 GS | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 178 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7300 GT | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 178 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 7300 GS | 64 Bit | 90 nm | 112 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 6800 Ultra | 256 Bit | 130 nm | 222 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 6800 GT | 256 Bit | 130 nm | 222 MB | PCIe 1 |
| GeForce 6600 GT | 128 Bit | 110 nm | 146 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Chip | Code name | Memory | GPU rate | Shader | Memory rate | SPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radeon HD 4870 CF | RV770 | 512 MB GDDR5 | 750 MHz | 4.1 | 3600 MHz | 800 |
| Radeon HD 4870 | RV770 | 512 MB GDDR5 | 750 MHz | 4.1 | 3600 MHz | 800 |
| Radeon HD 4850 CF | RV770 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 625 MHz | 4.1 | 1986 MHz | 800 |
| Radeon HD 4850 | RV770 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 625 MHz | 4.1 | 1986 MHz | 800 |
| Radeon HD 3870 4CF | 2xR680 | 4x512 MB GDDR3 | 825 MHz | 4.1 | 1802 MHz | 4x320 |
| Radeon HD 3870 3CF | R680/RV670 | 3x512 MB GDDR3/4 | 825/800 MHz | 4.1 | 1802/2252 MHz | 3x320 |
| Radeon HD 3870 X2 | R680 | 2x512 MB GDDR3 | 825 MHz | 4.1 | 1802 MHz | 2x320 |
| Radeon HD 3870 CF | RV670 | 512 MB GDDR4 | 775 MHz | 4.1 | 2252 MHz | 320 |
| Radeon HD 3870 | RV670 | 512 MB GDDR4 | 775 MHz | 4.1 | 2252 MHz | 320 |
| Radeon HD 3850 CF | RV670 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 670 MHz | 4.1 | 1658 MHz | 320 |
| Radeon HD 3850 | RV670 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 670 MHz | 4.1 | 1658 MHz | 320 |
| Radeon HD 3650 CF | RV635 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 725 MHz | 4.1 | 1602 MHz | 120 |
| Radeon HD 3650 | RV635 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 725 MHz | 4.1 | 1602 MHz | 120 |
| Radeon HD 3470 | RV620 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 796 MHz | 4.1 | 1886 MHz | 40 |
| Radeon HD 3450 | RV620 | 256 MB DDR2 | 594 MHz | 4.1 | 990 MHz | 40 |
| Radeon HD 2900 XT CF | R600 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 743 MHz | 4.0 | 1656 MHz | 320 |
| Radeon HD 2900 XT | R600 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 743 MHz | 4.0 | 1656 MHz | 320 |
| Radeon HD 2600 XT CF | RV630 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 800 MHz | 4.0 | 1400 MHz | 120 |
| Radeon HD 2600 XT | RV630 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 800 MHz | 4.0 | 1400 MHz | 120 |
| Radeon HD 2600 XT | RV630 | 256 MB GDDR4 | 800 MHz | 4.0 | 2200 MHz | 120 |
| Radeon HD 2600 Pro CF | RV630 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 600 MHz | 4.0 | 1400 MHz | 120 |
| Radeon HD 2600 Pro | RV630 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 600 MHz | 4.0 | 1400 MHz | 120 |
| Radeon HD 2400 XT | RV610 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 700 MHz | 4.0 | 1400 MHz | 40 |
| Radeon HD 2400 Pro | RV610 | 256 MB DDR2 | 525 MHz | 4.0 | 800 MHz | 40 |
| Radeon X1950 XTX CF | R580+ | 512 MB GDDR4 | 650 MHz | 3.0 | 2000 MHz | 48P 8V |
| Radeon X1950 XTX | R580+ | 512 MB GDDR4 | 650 MHz | 3.0 | 2000 MHz | 48P 8V |
| Radeon X1950 XT | R580+ | 256 MB GDDR3 | 625 MHz | 3.0 | 1800 MHz | 48P 8V |
| Radeon X1950 Pro | RV570 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 575 MHz | 3.0 | 1380 MHz | 36P 8V |
| Radeon X1950 GT | RV570 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 500 MHz | 3.0 | 1200 MHz | 36P 8V |
| Radeon X1900 XT CF | R580 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 625 MHz | 3.0 | 1450 MHz | 48P 8V |
| Radeon X1900 XT | R580 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 625 MHz | 3.0 | 1450 MHz | 48P 8V |
| Radeon X1900 XT | R580 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 625 MHz | 3.0 | 1450 MHz | 48P 8V |
| Radeon X1900 GT | R580 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 575 MHz | 3.0 | 1188 MHz | 36P 8V |
| Radeon X1800 XT | R520 | 512 MB GDDR3 | 631 MHz | 3.0 | 1504 MHz | 16P 8V |
| Radeon X1800 XT | R520 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 621 MHz | 3.0 | 1494 MHz | 16P 8V |
| Radeon X1800 XL | R520 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 500 MHz | 3.0 | 990 MHz | 16P 8V |
| Radeon X1800 GTO | R520 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 500 MHz | 3.0 | 990 MHz | 16P 8V |
| Radeon X1650 XT | RV560 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 575 MHz | 3.0 | 1350 MHz | 24P 8V |
| Radeon X1650 Pro | RV530 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 594 MHz | 3.0 | 1378 MHz | 12P 5V |
| Radeon X1600 XT CF | RV530 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 581 MHz | 3.0 | 1368 MHz | 12P 5V |
| Radeon X1600 XT | RV530 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 581 MHz | 3.0 | 1368 MHz | 12P 5V |
| Radeon X1600 Pro CF | RV530 | 256 MB DDR2 | 500 MHz | 3.0 | 784 MHz | 12P 5V |
| Radeon X1600 Pro | RV530 | 256 MB DDR2 | 500 MHz | 3.0 | 784 MHz | 12P 5V |
| Radeon X1300 XT | RV530 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 587 MHz | 3.0 | 1378 MHz | 12P 5V |
| Radeon X1300 Pro | RV515 | 128 MB GDDR3 | 594 MHz | 3.0 | 990 MHz | 4P 2V |
| Radeon X1300 | RV515 | 256 MB DDR2 | 446 MHz | 3.0 | 496 MHz | 4P 2V |
| Radeon X800 XT | R423 | 256 MB GDDR3 | 506 MHz | 2.0 | 1000 MHz | 16P 6V |
| Chip | Memory bus | Manufacturing process | Transistors | Interface |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radeon HD 4870 CF | 256 Bit | 55 nm | 965 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 4870 | 256 Bit | 55 nm | 965 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 4850 CF | 256 Bit | 55 nm | 965 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 4850 | 256 Bit | 55 nm | 965 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3870 4CF | 4x256 Bit | 55 nm | 4x666 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3870 3CF | 3x256 Bit | 55 nm | 3x666 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3870 X2 | 2x256 Bit | 55 nm | 2x666 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3870 CF | 256 Bit | 55 nm | 666 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3870 | 256 Bit | 55 nm | 666 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3850 CF | 256 Bit | 55 nm | 666 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3850 | 256 Bit | 55 nm | 666 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3650 CF | 128 Bit | 55 nm | 378 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3650 | 128 Bit | 55 nm | 378 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3470 | 64 Bit | 55 nm | 181 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 3450 | 64 Bit | 55 nm | 181 MB | PCIe 2.0 |
| Radeon HD 2900 XT CF | 512 Bit | 80 nm | 720 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon HD 2900 XT | 512 Bit | 80 nm | 720 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon HD 2600 XT CF | 128 Bit | 65 nm | 390 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon HD 2600 XT | 128 Bit | 65 nm | 390 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon HD 2600 XT | 128 Bit | 65 nm | 390 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon HD 2600 Pro CF | 128 Bit | 65 nm | 390 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon HD 2600 Pro | 128 Bit | 65 nm | 390 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon HD 2400 XT | 64 Bit | 65 nm | 180 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon HD 2400 Pro | 64 Bit | 65 nm | 180 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1950 XTX CF | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 384 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1950 XTX | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 384 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1950 XT | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 384 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1950 Pro | 256 Bit | 80 nm | 330 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1950 GT | 256 Bit | 80 nm | 330 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1900 XT CF | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 384 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1900 XT | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 384 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1900 XT | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 384 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1900 GT | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 384 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1800 XT | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 321 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1800 XT | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 321 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1800 XL | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 321 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1800 GTO | 256 Bit | 90 nm | 321 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1650 XT | 128 Bit | 80 nm | 330 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1650 Pro | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 157 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1600 XT CF | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 157 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1600 XT | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 157 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1600 Pro CF | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 157 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1600 Pro | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 157 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1300 XT | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 157 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1300 Pro | 64 Bit | 90 nm | 105 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X1300 | 128 Bit | 90 nm | 105 MB | PCIe 1 |
| Radeon X800 XT | 256 Bit | 130 nm | 120 MB | PCIe 1 |
Memory rate = DDR clock rate doubled; physical rate is half
DDR5 clock rate quadrupled; physical rate is one quarter
SPs= Stream Processors; P and V = Pixel shader and Vertex shader
TC = Turbo Cache
HM = Hyper Memory
OC = overclocked (clock rate higher than default)
SLI = Parallel operation with 2 Nvidia cards
3SLI = Parallel operation with 3 Nvidia graphics chips
4SLI = Parallel operation with 4 Nvidia graphics chips
CF = CrossFire, parallel operation with 2 AMD cards
3CF = CrossFire, parallel operation with 3 AMD graphics chips
4CF = CrossFire, parallel operation with 4 AMD graphics chips
R680 = 2xRV670
Shader 2.0 = DirectX 9.0; 3.0 = DirectX 9.0c; 4.0 = DirectX 10; Shader 4.1 = DirectX 10.1
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 @ 2.93 GHz (11x 266 MHz),Socket 775, 1.28 V, 65 nm, 4096 KB L2 cache |
| FSB | 1066 MHz (4x 266 MHz) |
| Motherboard | Asus P5E3 Deluxe, PCIe 2.0 2x16, ICH9R |
| Chipset | Intel X38 |
| Memory | 2x 1 GB, Ballistix (Crucial Technology) 1.5 V,DDR3 1066 7-7-7-20 (2x 533 MHz) |
| Audio | Intel High Definition Audio |
| LAN | Intel 1000 Pro |
| Drives | Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500 GB, SATA, 16 MB cache,Hitachi 120 GB, SATA, 8 MB cache |
| DVD | Gigabyte GO-D1600C |
| Power Supply | CoolerMaster RS-850-EMBA 850 W |
| Motherboard | Asus P5N-T Deluxe, PCIe 2.0 2x16 |
| Chipset | Nvidia nforce 780i SLI |
| Memory | 2x1 GB, A-Data Technology 1.8 V, DDR2 800 5-5-5-18 (2x 400 MHz) |
| Audio | ADI 1988B SoundMax |
| LAN | Marvell 88E1116 Gigabit |
| Graphics | AMD Catalyst 8.6Nvidia Forceware 175.16, GTX 260 and GTX 280 Forceware 177.39 |
| Operating system | Windows Vista Enterprise SP1 |
| DirectX | 10 and 10.1 |
| Chipset driver | X38 Intel 8.3.1.1009780i Nvidia nforce 9.64 |
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Current page: Chip Comparison And Test Configuration
Prev Page Five Generations Tested Next Page The Benchmark Suite-
rocky1234 Not to nit pick but ummm where is the Radeon 4870x2 2GB card in those charts or did I miss it you know the one with 2GB memory umm 800x2 shaders GDDR5 memory 3.6Ghz rated at & 750 core x2 whatever.Reply -
Mathos Just curious. Why is it you're using catalyst 8.6 for the ATI cards which doesn't have proper support for the 4000 series cards, instead of 8.7 or 8.8? Yet for the Nvidia cards, you use the most up to date drivers.Reply -
cangelini Rocky1234Not to nit pick but ummm where is the Radeon 4870x2 2GB card in those charts or did I miss it you know the one with 2GB memory umm 800x2 shaders GDDR5 memory 3.6Ghz rated at & 750 core x2 whatever.Reply
As mentioned in the charts introduction, these numbers take hours upon hours to compile, which means setting cut-offs for the product submissions and drivers. Unfortunately, the X2 didn't make it. However, there are results for a pair of 4870s in CrossFire, which is a roughly equivalent configuration. You'll also notice that there are no 4600-series Radeons. Again, same issue. -
ossie Why do I have the impression that at THG is a persistent confusion between power and energy?Reply -
JeanLuc Great job, I'm always pointing people to the charts now they can compare the latest hardware.Reply
The charts also show the difference between games they are coded well and ones that aren't. Compare Crysis (very high quality) and HL2 Ep2 at 1920 x 1200 4xAA 8xAF, on Crysis even the best hardware left begging for mercy at around 24fps, yet HL2 EP2 which looks just as good (graphically speaking) IMO will run at 30 FPS on a 8600 GTS (yes an 8600 GTS!) and X1800XL. A small portion of the difference can be put down to DX10 but not all of it. -
Wonder why you insist on using catalyst 8.6 - a 3/4 months old driver, out *before* the whole HD4xx0 series and not really supporting it. And by the time the 48x0 cards were released you also had a better driver with actual support the the cards (and some 10% performance boost).Reply
-
buzzlightbeer OMFG they did it again, why oh why did they use 8.6 drivers didnt they learn from all the annoyed people from the last testReply