Fall '06 NVIDIA GPU Refresh - Part II: GeForce 7950 GT and SLI
by Derek Wilson on September 14, 2006 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
Battlefield 2 Performance
This benchmark is performed using DICE's built in demo playback functionality with a few added extras built in house. When using the built in demo playback features of BF2, frames rendered during the loading screen are counted in the benchmark. In order to get a real idea of performance, we use the instantaneous frametime and frames per second data generated from a benchmark run. We discard the data collected during the loading screen and calculate a result that represents the actual gameplay that was benchmarked. While DICE maintains that results over 100fps aren't reliable, our methods have allowed us to get useful data from high performing systems.
During the benchmark, the camera switches between players and vehicles in order to capture the most action possible. There is a lot of smoke and explosions, so this is a very GPU intensive Battlefield 2 benchmark. The game itself is best experienced with average in-game framerates of 35 and up.
We ran Battlefield 2 using the highest quality graphics settings we could. Shadows, lighting, and especially view distance are very important in order to best play the game. In our opinion view distance should never be set to less than the max, but other settings can be decreased slightly if a little more performance or a higher resolution is required.
At our median resolution of 1600x1200, the 7950 GT splits the difference between the two flavors of X1900 XT. We see just slightly higher numbers for 7950 GT SLI than for the 7950 GX2 setup, while the 7900 GS SLI just leads the single 7900 GTX.
The CPU limit for multi-GPU setups is a little lower than with the single cards, and we do begin to see this at 1280x1024. At the same time, without AA, there really isn't a resolution here that any of these cards will have trouble with. All of our tests fall above 50fps even at the highest resolution.
Enabling AA gives ATI a boost in performance relative to NVIDIA under BF2, so this time we see the 7950 GT losing to the X1900 XT 256MB. 7950 GT SLI increases its margin over the 7950 GX2, while the 7900 GS SLI configuration manages to hang on to the performance spot between singe GPU cards and multi GPU configurations.
CPU limitedness is not a factor with 4xAA turned on. There are three classes of performance that are clearly visible here with the X1900 GT, 7900 GT, and 7900 GS making the lowest performance group. 7950 GT SLI, 7900 GTX SLI, and the 7950 GX2 command the lead, while the rest of the cards fall both well above the lower end cards and well below the higher end multi-GPU configurations.
This benchmark is performed using DICE's built in demo playback functionality with a few added extras built in house. When using the built in demo playback features of BF2, frames rendered during the loading screen are counted in the benchmark. In order to get a real idea of performance, we use the instantaneous frametime and frames per second data generated from a benchmark run. We discard the data collected during the loading screen and calculate a result that represents the actual gameplay that was benchmarked. While DICE maintains that results over 100fps aren't reliable, our methods have allowed us to get useful data from high performing systems.
During the benchmark, the camera switches between players and vehicles in order to capture the most action possible. There is a lot of smoke and explosions, so this is a very GPU intensive Battlefield 2 benchmark. The game itself is best experienced with average in-game framerates of 35 and up.
We ran Battlefield 2 using the highest quality graphics settings we could. Shadows, lighting, and especially view distance are very important in order to best play the game. In our opinion view distance should never be set to less than the max, but other settings can be decreased slightly if a little more performance or a higher resolution is required.
At our median resolution of 1600x1200, the 7950 GT splits the difference between the two flavors of X1900 XT. We see just slightly higher numbers for 7950 GT SLI than for the 7950 GX2 setup, while the 7900 GS SLI just leads the single 7900 GTX.
The CPU limit for multi-GPU setups is a little lower than with the single cards, and we do begin to see this at 1280x1024. At the same time, without AA, there really isn't a resolution here that any of these cards will have trouble with. All of our tests fall above 50fps even at the highest resolution.
Enabling AA gives ATI a boost in performance relative to NVIDIA under BF2, so this time we see the 7950 GT losing to the X1900 XT 256MB. 7950 GT SLI increases its margin over the 7950 GX2, while the 7900 GS SLI configuration manages to hang on to the performance spot between singe GPU cards and multi GPU configurations.
CPU limitedness is not a factor with 4xAA turned on. There are three classes of performance that are clearly visible here with the X1900 GT, 7900 GT, and 7900 GS making the lowest performance group. 7950 GT SLI, 7900 GTX SLI, and the 7950 GX2 command the lead, while the rest of the cards fall both well above the lower end cards and well below the higher end multi-GPU configurations.
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Calin - Thursday, September 14, 2006 - link
Maybe they just ignore some visual artifacts if the playing experience is good.DerekWilson - Thursday, September 14, 2006 - link
winners don't use drugs :-Palso, I'm not trying to imply that we would like more fps for free -- just that (with oblivion) turning up the settings offers better playability (things don't pop out of no where right next to you) and a better visual experience than a higher framerate with less eye candy.
plus, my wife hates jaggies. jaggies and bad anisotropic filtering. I've not seen her react to lag, as she doesn't usually play games where lag is a factor. but she definitely hates waiting for anything, so I'd guess she'd hate lag too.
LoneWolf15 - Thursday, September 14, 2006 - link
Personally, I hope the Frag Dolls kick your butt for that remark. I'd pay money to see it.yacoub - Thursday, September 14, 2006 - link
PASSIVELY-COOLED top-tier GPU?! SWEET. Finally. :)goatfajitas - Thursday, September 14, 2006 - link
I would really like to see the 256mb version of 7950GT tested against the 512mb version (biostar makes both, but clocks are easy enough to adjust on any card) at various resolutions with and without 4xAA to see when/if the 512 megs helps speed things up.tuteja1986 - Thursday, September 14, 2006 - link
7950GT availability is terrible.. its looks like a 7800GTX 512MB launch.. few card released on day and none to seen for weeks ?Surprising I see ATI not having a paper launch with the X1950XTX which is amazing if you see ATI track record with delays after delays
At the moment i don't think its wise to buy them , as i hear G80 product start next month and early November launch.
I also hear that R600 has run in some trouble and i don't think they will be out this year and will lag 3months behind G80 launch. I would say Mid Jan if they fix what ever problem the engineers are having at ATI.
DerekWilson - Thursday, September 14, 2006 - link
a 256mb version should really be branded as an overclocked 7900 GT, but I won't argue that too much :-)we are planning on doing a roundup of 7950 Gt cards, and we will address this issue at that time.
thanks,
Derek Wilson
goatfajitas - Thursday, September 14, 2006 - link
Thanks. I should have guessed something like that would be coming from AT.retrospooty - Thursday, September 14, 2006 - link
cool. thanks.R3MF - Thursday, September 14, 2006 - link
i wonder if its possible?that with a Core 2 Duo 6600 would be a hell of a SFF combination!