GeForce 9600 GT: The Benefit Of CPU Overclocking
In the ’CPU against graphics card’ test, it’s clear that the GeForce 9600 GT is well-served by a 2.4 GHz to 3.2 GHz processor. In the following evaluations it has been allowed access to a 3.47 GHz overclocked model, which it is able to utilize in a handful of games.
| Assassins Creed in fps | 12800xAA | 16800xAA | 19200xAA | 12804xAA | 16804xAA | 19204xAA | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) 177.92 | 52.1 | 39.6 | 34.1 | 39.3 | 30.2 | 25.0 | 220.3 |
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) CPU@3.47 | 51.8 | 39.8 | 34.5 | 38.9 | 30.3 | 26.0 | 221.3 |
| Difference in performance in percentage | -0.6 | 0.5 | 1.2 | -1.0 | 0.3 | 4.0 | 0.5 |
Here, the results are interesting yet again: in the higher resolutions, the frame rate increases contradict the other measurements. This may have something to do with the 1 GB graphics memory, which works better under more load. But in terms of overall performance, a faster CPU doesn’t make much difference.
| Call of Duty 4 in fps | 12800xAA | 16800xAA | 19200xAA | 12804xAA | 16804xAA | 19204xAA | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) 177.92 | 88.1 | 72.4 | 58.9 | 71.3 | 59.3 | 47.9 | 397.9 |
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) CPU@3.47 | 89.5 | 73.6 | 60.0 | 78.3 | 63.9 | 52.5 | 417.8 |
| Difference in performance in percentage | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 9.8 | 7.8 | 9.6 | 5.0 |
Also interesting is the performance in Call of Duty 4. While the faster GTX 280 loses a little, the GeForce 9600 GT with anti-aliasing gains almost 10 percent. These results fly in the face of what we’d expect, as the lower resolutions without AA usually see the greatest increase and anti-aliasing tends to limit the graphics card.
| Crysis High in fps | 12800xAA | 16800xAA | 19200xAA | 12804xAA | 16804xAA | 19204xAA | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) 177.92 | 28.8 | 22.0 | 18.7 | 18.4 | 14.2 | 11.5 | 113.6 |
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) CPU@3.47 | 28.6 | 22.3 | 17.8 | 18.3 | 14.2 | 11.1 | 112.3 |
| Difference in performance in percentage | -0.7 | 1.4 | -4.8 | -0.5 | 0.0 | -3.5 | -1.1 |
The increased CPU performance actually hurts frame rates, and what the driver optimizes is subsequently destroyed by the 3.47 GHz of the test system.
| Crysis Very High in fps | 12800xAA | 16800xAA | 19200xAA | 12804xAA | 16804xAA | 19204xAA | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) 177.92 | 19.0 | 14.3 | 11.4 | 12.9 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 74.6 |
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) CPU@3.47 | 17.7 | 13.3 | 10.6 | 12.8 | 8.9 | 7.5 | 70.8 |
| Difference in performance in percentage | -6.8 | -7.0 | -7.0 | -0.8 | -6.3 | 0.0 | -5.1 |
With Very High image quality it is even clearer that the higher CPU power has a negative effect on frame rate.
| ET: Quake Wars in fps | 12800xAA | 16800xAA | 19200xAA | 12804xAA | 16804xAA | 19204xAA | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) 177.92 | 82.6 | 79.7 | 71.7 | 77.5 | 63.0 | 51.2 | 425.7 |
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) CPU@3.47 | 92.7 | 89.7 | 73.1 | 79.0 | 63.6 | 51.2 | 449.3 |
| Difference in performance in percentage | 12.2 | 12.5 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 5.5 |
Additional CPU clock rates make a difference only in the lower resolutions without anti-aliasing. At 1920x1200 pixels or with the anti-aliasing activated, the GeForce 9600 GT reaches its limit. The frame rate improves with the increased CPU performance. With anti-aliasing activated, the graphics card is the reason for the limitations.
| Half-Life 2 Episode 2 in fps | 12800xAA | 16800xAA | 19200xAA | 12804xAA | 16804xAA | 19204xAA | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) 177.92 | 104.4 | 98.1 | 90.3 | 100.3 | 84.3 | 66.5 | 543.9 |
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) CPU@3.47 | 115.5 | 108.0 | 92.0 | 106.3 | 84.6 | 66.7 | 573.1 |
| Difference in performance in percentage | 10.6 | 10.1 | 1.9 | 6.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 5.4 |
The 18.2 percent increased CPU clock rate is transferred to the game with 6 percent to 10 percent, but at the higher resolutions, the 9-series graphics chip reaches its limits.
| Mass Effect in fps | 12800xAA | 16800xAA | 19200xAA | 12804xAA | 16804xAA | 19204xAA | 12808xAA | 16808xAA | 19208xAA | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) 177.92 | 68.1 | 52.1 | 41.0 | 49.9 | 38.5 | 26.9 | 47.9 | 36.9 | 26.3 | 387.6 |
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) CPU@3.47 | 68.3 | 52.2 | 41.0 | 50.0 | 38.5 | 26.9 | 48.0 | 37.0 | 26.3 | 388.2 |
| Difference in performance in percentage | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
Mass Effect and the UT3 Engine run with 100 percent CPU load, so if there is no increase in frame rate, the graphics chip is at its limits. The driver update does not show any increase; for more power, you need a more powerful graphics chip or a second card for SLI.
| MS Flight Simulator X SP2 in fps | 12800xAA | 16800xAA | 19200xAA | 12804xAA | 16804xAA | 19204xAA | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) 177.92 | 33.3 | 33.0 | 32.6 | 34.6 | 34.2 | 34.2 | 201.9 |
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) CPU@3.47 | 37.5 | 38.8 | 37.8 | 39.1 | 39.2 | 35.5 | 227.9 |
| Difference in performance in percentage | 12.6 | 17.6 | 16.0 | 13.0 | 14.6 | 3.8 | 12.9 |
The GeForce 9600 GT reaches its limits only in the 1920 resolution with anti-aliasing (4xAA); below this it has reserves and can probably take advantage of more CPU performance.
| World in Conflict in fps | 12800xAA | 16800xAA | 19200xAA | 12804xAA | 16804xAA | 19204xAA | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) 177.92 | 36.6 | 33.1 | 28.1 | 23.9 | 19.8 | 16.5 | 158.0 |
| 9600 GT (1024 MB) CPU@3.47 | 36.5 | 33.4 | 27.9 | 23.6 | 19.8 | 16.2 | 157.4 |
| Difference in performance in percentage | -0.3 | 0.9 | -0.7 | -1.3 | 0.0 | -1.8 | -0.4 |
In World in Conflict the graphics card is the limitation; the GeForce 9600 GT can do nothing with the additional CPU power—the results are within the measuring tolerance.
