Test Setup And Benchmarks
Because we want a sense of the entire sub-$100 graphics card market, we're generating two sets of benchmarks. For the first set, we're dropping detail settings and resolutions to the point where very low-cost cards can contend (down to a minimum of 1280x720). The next set is at 1920x1080 at more demanding detail settings.
We've almost completely eliminated mechanical storage in the lab, and instead lean on solid-state drives to alleviate I/O-related bottlenecks. Samsung sent all of our offices 256 GB 840 Pros, so we standardize on these exceptional SSDs.
Naturally, discrete graphics cards require a substantial amount of stable power, so XFX sent along its PRO850W 80 PLUS Bronze-certified power supply. This modular PSU employs a single +12 V rail rated for 70 A. XFX claims that this unit provides 850 W of continuous power (not peak) at 50 degrees Celsius (notably higher than the inside of most enclosures).
Test System | |||||
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CPU | Intel Core i5-2550K (Sandy Bridge), Overclocked to 4.2 GHz @ 1.3 V | ||||
Motherboard | Asus P8Z77-V LX LGA 1155, Chipset: Intel Z77M | ||||
Networking | On-Board Gigabit LAN controller | ||||
Memory | Corsair Performance Memory, 4 x 4 GB, 1866 MT/s, CL 9-9-9-24-1T | ||||
Graphics | XFX Radeon R7 240 DDR3730/750 MHz GPU, 2 GB DDR3 at 900 MHz (1800 MT/s)XFX Radeon R7 250 GDDR51000/1050 MHz GPU, 1 GB GDDR5 at 1150 MHz (4600 MT/s)Sapphire Radeon HD 7730 GDDR5800 MHz GPU, 1 GB GDDR5 at 1125 MHz (4500 MT/s)Reference Radeon HD 6670 GDDR5800 MHz GPU, 1 GB GDDR5 at 1000 MHz (4000 MT/s)Gigabyte Radeon HD 6670 DDR3800 MHz GPU, 1 GB DDR3 at 900 MHz (1600 MT/s)Reference AMD Radeon HD 7750800 MHz GPU, 1 GB GDDR5 at 1125 MHz (4500 MT/s)Gigabyte Radeon HD 77701000 MHz GPU, 1 GB GDDR5 at 1125 MHz (4500 MT/s)Zotac GeForce GT 630 GDDR5810 MHz GPU, 1 GB GDDR5 at 900 MHz (3600 MT/s)Reference Nvidia GT 640900 MHz GPU, 1 GB DDR3 at 891 MHz (1782 MT/s) | ||||
Hard Drive | Samsung 840 Pro, 256 GB SSD, SATA 6Gb/s | ||||
Power | XFX PRO850W, ATX12V, EPS12V | ||||
Software and Drivers | |||||
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 Pro x64 | ||||
DirectX | DirectX 11 | ||||
Graphics Drivers | AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta 9.5, Nvidia GeForce 331.93 Beta |
Benchmark Configuration | |
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3D Games | |
Metro: Last Light | Version 1.0.0.0, DirectX 10, Built-in Benchmark |
Grid 2 | Version 1.6.89.06, Version 1.5.26.05, 25-Sec. Fraps |
Assassin's Creed IV:Black Flag | Version 1.04, Custom THG Benchmark, 60-Sec. Fraps |
Battlefield 4 | Version 1.2, Direct X 11, Built-in Benchmark, 60-Sec. Fraps |
BioShock Infinite | Version 1.0.1441711, Built-in Benchmark, Fraps |