Graphics Chips Compared And Test Setup
Each of our two MSI cards appears in this table three times. Both models are sold as OC editions, meaning that they run at overclocked speeds to begin with. Since the higher frequencies are coded into the BIOS, we consider them the cards’ stock frequencies, so they show up in the table under their normal model name. We also tested each of the cards at the reference speeds specified by Nvidia and ATI, respectively, labeling their scores as “No OC.”
In our third test, we tuned the factory overclocked MSI boards even further. This setting is labeled “Max OC” in the table. ATI’s Radeon HD 5770 is the only DirectX 11-capable card, and it uses ATI’s reference design. Its overclocked scores are marked as “OC” in the table, simultaneously representing the maximum overclock we achieved.
To put the score in context, we decided to add results from various cards that we have already tested running at stock speeds. To ensure that none of the cards was being held back by the CPU, we chose a Core i7-920 overclocked to 3.8 GHz as the heart of our testing platform.
A word of warning: these overclocking tests are by no means a recommendation for your hardware. Overclocking can damage your graphics card and may void your warranty. Make changes to your card’s clock speeds at your own risk.
Nvidia Graphics Cards
| Manufacturer and Model Name | Code Name | Memory | GPU Frequency | Shader Model | Memory Frequency | SPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 295 | 2 x GT200b | 2 x 896MB GDDR3 | 576 MHz | 4.0, 1,242 MHz | 2 x 999 MHz | 2 x 240 |
| GeForce GTX 285 | GT200b | 1,024MB GDDR3 | 648 MHz | 4.0, 1,476 MHz | 2 x 1,242 MHz | 240 |
| GeForce GTX 280 | GT200 | 1024MB GDDR3 | 602 MHz | 4.0, 1,296 MHz | 2 x 1,107 MHz | 240 |
| BFG GTX 275 (GTX 275) | GT200b | 896MB GDDR3 | 648 MHz | 4.0, 1,440 MHz | 2 x 1,152 MHz | 240 |
| Gainward GTX275 Golden Sample (GTX 275) | GT200b | 896MB GDDR3 | 648 MHz | 4.0, 1,420 MHz | 2 x 1,185 MHz | 240 |
| MSI N275GTX Lightning Max OC | GT200b | 1,792MB GDDR3 | 720 MHz | 4.0, 1,600 MHz | 2 x 1,200 MHz | 240 |
| MSI N275GTX Lightning | GT200b | 1,792MB GDDR3 | 700 MHz | 4.0, 1,404 MHz | 2 x 1,150 MHz | 240 |
| MSI N275GTX Lightning No OC | GT200b | 1,792MB GDDR3 | 633 MHz | 4.0, 1,404 MHz | 2 x 1,134 MHz | 240 |
| GeForce GTX 275 | GT200b | 896MB GDDR3 | 633 MHz | 4.0, 1,404 MHz | 2 x 1,134 MHz | 240 |
| MSI N260GTX Lightning BE (GTX 260 216SPs) | GT200b | 1,792MB GDDR3 | 680 MHz | 4.0, 1,458 MHz | 2 x 1,050 MHz | 216 |
| Sparkle GeForce X265 (GTX 260 216SPs) | GT200b | 896MB GDDR3 | 666 MHz | 4.0, 1,476 MHz | 2 x 1,134 MHz | 216 |
| Zotac GeForce GTX 260 (GTX 260 216SPs) | GT200b | 896MB GDDR3 | 576 MHz | 4.0, 1,242 MHz | 2 x 999 MHz | 216 |
| GeForce GTX 260 | GT200b | 896MB GDDR3 | 576 MHz | 4.0, 1,242 MHz | 2 x 999 MHz | 216 |
| GeForce GTX 260 | GT200 | 896MB GDDR3 | 576 MHz | 4.0, 1,242 MHz | 2 x 999 MHz | 192 |
| Geforce GTX 250 | G92b | 1,024MB GDDR3 | 740 MHz | 4.0, 1,836 MHz | 2 x 1,100 MHz | 128 |
ATI Graphics Cards
| Manufacturer and Model Name | Code Name | Memory | GPU Frequency | Shader Model | Memory Frequency | SPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATI Radeon HD 5770 OC | Juniper | 1,024MB GDDR5 | 895 MHz | 5.0 | 4 x 1,430 MHz | 800 |
| ATI Radeon HD 5770 | Juniper | 1,024MB GDDR5 | 850 MHz | 5.0 | 4 x 1,200 MHz | 800 |
| Sapphire Toxic HD4890 1G Vapor-X (HD4890) | RV790 | 1,024MB GDDR5 | 960 MHz | 4.1 | 4 x 1,050 MHz | 800 |
| MSI R4890 Cyclone SOC max OC | RV790 | 1,024MB GDDR5 | 1,030 MHz | 4.1 | 4 x 1,065 MHz | 800 |
| MSI R4890 Cyclone SOC | RV790 | 1,024MB GDDR5 | 1,000 MHz | 4.1 | 4 x 1,000 MHz | 800 |
| MSI R4890 Cyclone SOC no OC | RV790 | 1,024MB GDDR5 | 850 MHz | 4.1 | 4 x 975 MHz | 800 |
| Radeon HD 4890 | RV790 | 1,024MB GDDR5 | 850 MHz | 4.1 | 4 x 975 MHz | 800 |
| Radeon HD 4870X2 | R700 (2 x RV770) | 2 x 1,024MB GDDR5 | 750 MHz | 4.1 | 4 x 900 MHz | 800 |
| Radeon HD 4870 | RV770 | 1,024 MB GDDR5 | 750 MHz | 4.1 | 4 x 900 MHz | 800 |
| HIS H487QT1GP ICEQ4+ (HD4870) | RV770 | 1,024MB GDDR5 | 770 MHz | 4.1 | 4 x 1,000 MHz | 2 x 800 |
| Sapphire Vapor-X HD4870 2G (HD4870) | RV770 | 2,048MB GDDR5 | 750 MHz | 4.1 | 4 x 900 MHz | 800 |
| Radeon HD 4870 | RV770 | 512MB GDDR5 | 750 MHz | 4.1 | 2 x 900 MHz | 800 |
| Radeon HD 4850 | RV770 | 512MB GDDR5 | 625 MHz | 4.1 | 2 x 993 MHz | 800 |
| Radeon HD 4830 | RV770 | 512MB GDDR5 | 575 MHz | 4.1 | 2 x 900 MHz | 640 |
| Radeon HD 4770 | RV740 | 512MB GDDR5 | 750 MHz | 4.1 | 4 x 800 MHz | 640 |
SPs=Stream Processors, Shader 4.0 = DirectX 10, Shader 4.1 = DirectX 10.1, Shader 5.0 = DirectX 11
| Test Setup | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-920 @ 3.8 GHz (20x190), BIOS 1.2625 Volt, 45 nm, Socket 1366 LGA |
| Motherboard | Asus P6T, PCIe 2.0, ICH10R, 3-Way SLI |
| Chipset | Intel X58 |
| Memory | Corsair, 3 x 2GB DDR3, TR3X6G1600C8D, 2x570 MHz 8-8-8-20 |
| Audio | Realtek ALC1200 |
| LAN | Realtek RTL8111C |
| HDDs | SATA, Western Digital, Raptor WD300HLFS, WD5000AAKS |
| DVD | Gigabyte GO-D1600C |
| Power Supply | Cooler Master RS-850-EMBA 850 Watts |
| System Software and Drivers | |
| Graphic Driver | ATI Catalyst 9.10, Nvidia GeForce 191.07 |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Ultimate 32 Bit, SP1 |
| DirectX | 9, 10, and 10.1 |
| Platform Driver | Intel 9.1.0.1007 |