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Testing To run the 4850X2 through its paces, we are going to run a plethora of benchmarks. Now, GPU benchmarks generally fall into three different classes, all with different strengths and weaknesses: Synthetic: These benchmarks are generally not tied to any specific game, but are generally designed to emulate what gaming can be like. If the benchmark is universally accepted, it can be used as a rough guideline as to performance. The downside is they are a poor judge for any specific game title. For the synthetic side of things, we are using Futuremark’s 3DMark06 and 3DMark Vantage. Timedemos: Time demos are usually pre-recorded sequences within the game that are replayed, and the performance measured. The advantage of time demos are that runs are exact every time, and should give a good measure of a games performance. The disadvantage is that not everyone owns all the games. In this case we will be using Crysis, Crysis: Warhead, and Far Cry 2. In Game Frame Counting: In game frame counting usually involves the tester playing the game, and using a tool like FRAPS to capture the frame rate. The advantage here is that actual game play is being used, the disadvantage is that it is hard to duplicate the exact same sequence more than once. In this situation we will be using Race Driver: GRID and Call of Duty 4. In order to paint the most complete performance picture, we will be using all three methods. In order to make things interesting, we are going to compare the 4850X2 to its big brother, the 4870X2, as well as its opponent from the green side, the GTX-280. All testing will be done on the following test bench, using Vista Ultimate x64 SP1:
3DMark First up on our list of tests will be the synthetic benchmarks. In this category we will be using Futuremark's 3DMark06 and 3DMark Vantage. First up, the 3DMark06 results:
As old as it is, running 3DMark06 is still a must. I still run it because I know people will hoot and holler if I don't. The 4850X2 sits almost directly halfway between the 4870X and the GTX-280, scoring 18530 at stock settings. Next, we will take a look at 3DMark Vantage results. Even though the 180 beta drivers include PhysX, I have disabled the software throughout all testing. This is a double-edged sword, as the CPU scores in Vantage benefit from PhysX, however it has been known to hurt game scores.
In Vantage X, the 4850X2 still beats out the GTX-280, but just barely. In this case, we are talking about 3.7% difference between the two.
Vantage H tells the same story, with the 4850X2 holding a 0.7% lead over the green team's offering.
The 4850X2 holds a slim 4.1% lead over the GTX-280 in Vantage P.
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