Comparison: Factory-Overclocked Versus Reference Graphics

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In order to set their products apart, third-party vendors take reference GPUs from AMD and Nvidia, then make their own tweaks to layout, cooling, and performance. We're comparing a tuned-up card from MSI to AMD's reference Radeon HD 5870 to measure value.

Benchmarks: Left 4 Dead 2

The second part of the 3D horror shooter Left 4 Dead requires you to hunt down zombies again. The 3D engine is an advanced version of Half Life 2’s Source engine. We like its working support of multi-core processors and efficient 3D processing, which ensures high frame rates.

Graphics quality is set to very high, which is the maximum setting. Our 8x anti-aliasing option would only stress lower-end graphics cards, but not the Radeon HD 5870. We decided to use the game’s timedemo, which includes various very different load scenarios. Graphics cards typically work at 100% load; all CPU cores run between 50 and 80% activity.