Gaming Benchmarks (Cont.)

Let's continue with the next games we have selected, being Quake 4 and X³: Reunion. Both games who are very popular amongst gamers and that will give a good idea on the performance delivered by the PowerColor Radeon X1950 PRO graphics card. Again we have one game using the DirectX and the other using the OpenGL technology. This will have some impact on the performance and gaming experience in these games.

As we want to have a good mix of games, we just had to give Quake 4 a spot in the gaming analysis. Quake 4 is based upon id Software's revolutionary Doom 3 technology. Furthermore, Quake 4 wasn't even developed by id Software internally; it instead outsourced game development to the capable minds at Raven Software, who have turned in a fantastic looking game with a great single-player campaign. The multiplayer, however, is underwhelming. Quake was among the first PC shooters to let you take your multiplayer matches onto the Internet, and over the years, the series has become synonymous with great technology and exciting multiplayer.

Quake 4 - 1280x1024 Gaming Results

Gaming Results - 1280x1024 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	Radeon X1950 PRO	GeForce 7900 GS
No AA	133.9 fps	147.6 fps
2x AA	124.5 fps	126.0 fps
4x AA	100.7 fps	94.9 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

When looking at the Quake 4 gaming results we can see that these follow the same logic as we have encountered with Doom 3. As both games are using the same 3D engine developed by id Software based upon the OpenGL technology. The frame rates are very close between both cards, but once we up the stakes by enabling the AntiAaliasing feature, the Radeon X1950 PRO does proof to have the advantage. Although, we need to point out that NVIDIA still remains the champion when it comes to the OpenGL support and implementation. It is all up to ATI to try and close down that gap...

Following up on our gaming overview, we use one of the newer games which goes by the name, X³: Reunion. This is a sequel to the award winning X²: The Threat game. Quite some extensive development has gone into the X³ engine, making use of DirectX 9.0 technology, to create dramatic visual effects and stunningly realistic starships. Coupled with the massively enhanced artificial life system, X³: Reunion will present players with an ever changing, evolving universe; where a players action really can shape the future of the universe.

X³: Reunion - 1280x1024 Gaming Results

Gaming Results - 1280x1024 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	Radeon X1950 PRO	GeForce 7900 GS
No AA/No AF	80.957 fps	61.161 fps
2x AA/4x AF	71.746 fps	54.898 fps
4x AA/8x AF	68.196 fps	48.754 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Looking at X3: Reunion, the results are in favor of the PowerColor Radeon X1950 PRO accelerator. The Radeon X1950 PRO shows clearly to be in the winning position and marks higher frame rate scores consistently. When we go enabling the AntiAliasing functionality, the GeForce 7900 GS can't keep up and starts to fall behind at a quick pace. The Radeon X1950 PRO accelerator shows of its real potential by showing stunning game play results and performance figures. If we look at the technology behind the game, namely a 3D engine based upon the DirectX 9.0 specifications it is clear that the Radeon X1950 PRO takes the lead on this one.