Gaming Benchmarks

As we saw the synthetic benchmark results, the next logical step is to dive into the real gaming performance of the Sparkle Calibre 8800 GTX OC edition video card. As reference we will use a reference GeForce 8800 GTS setup to check the performance differences. Each setup is going to run each game at different resolution settings using a variety of AntiAliasing and Anisotropic Filtering 3D effects. So in effect we are stuffing both cards in the same system, using the same settings and spending some time playing games and performing tests on the following game titles, let's check what we got...

UbiSoft Far Cry

Who doesn't know the game Far Cry? You should at least have heard about it... It's the game that came out right before Half-Life 2, Doom 3 and so on and set some new standards in gaming experience. Without a doubt, Far Cry was the most advanced graphics seen in any PC game. Everything in this game looks amazing, and the level of verisimilitude is unprecedented. Far Cry isn't just a stunning technical accomplishment. It's quite possibly the best single-player first-person shooter experience for the PC since Half-Life. Since Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 came out Far Cry had to share the welt on de gaming market.

Gaming Results - 1280x1024 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB	Calibre 8800 GTX 768MB
No AA/No AF	129.61	138.05
2x AA/4x AF	126.08	137.54
4x AA/8x AF	123.40	136.78
SM3.0/HDR	107.36	124.48
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.
Gaming Results - 1600x1200 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB	Calibre 8800 GTX 768MB
No AA/No AF	129.43	137.64
2x AA/4x AF	112.58	135.94
4x AA/8x AF	103.50	134.27
SM3.0/HDR	82.47	115.90
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Well yeah we still like the hang of it with Far Cry, it just keeps amazing us this game with very nice visual graphics and stunning game play. Besides that it is an excellent game to checkout the performance of a graphics card. Both cards perform somehow on par, although when AntiAliasing comes into the picture the GTX version of the G80 GPU has the advantage by a greater margin and dropping only slightly in produced frame rates. Far Cry is also a game where you can enable HDR. This comes in handy as it adds more complexity and processing towards the video accelerator. Upon enabling HDR with Far Cry the Sparkle Calibre 8800 GTX OC edition comes out on top and performs noticeably better.

Gaming Results - 2560x1600 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB	Calibre 8800 GTX 768MB
No AA/No AF	87.72	123.41
2x AA/4x AF	61.97	95.43
4x AA/8x AF	40.43	70.37
SM3.0/HDR	43.14	64.61
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

The game is on and High Definition is the new hype around the gaming community. That means we couldn't stay behind neither. And indeed NVIDIA has done quite some marketing around the HD gaming experience and in particularly linked with the GeForce 8800 series. Make no mistake the GeForce 8800 GTS does have all it takes for the enjoying the HD gaming experience but does come a bit short against our Calibre 8800 GTX configuration. Nonetheless we were quite impressed by the stunning image clarity provided.

idSoftware Doom 3

Next on our list of favorite games is Doom 3 developed by id Software. Doom 3 is quite possibly the best-looking game ever, thanks to the brand-new 3D graphics engine used to generate its convincingly lifelike, densely atmospheric, and surprisingly expansive environments. At the same time, when you look past the spectacular appearance, you'll find a conventional, derivative shooter. Doom 3 is essentially a remake of the original Doom, though series fans will find reimagined versions of almost every monster from both previous versions in the new sequel.

Gaming Results - 1280x1024 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB	Calibre 8800 GTX 768MB
No AA/No AF	189.8	228.7
2x AA/-- AF	149.5	194.8
4x AA/-- AF	117.0	167.1
8x AA/-- AF	73.9	106.9
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.
Gaming Results - 1600x1200 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB	Calibre 8800 GTX 768MB
No AA/No AF	155.1	201.7
2x AA/-- AF	112.3	157.5
4x AA/-- AF	86.9	128.0
8x AA/-- AF	52.4	75.8
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Another one that is already going a long way but still is considered a very good reference in terms of OpenGL gaming performance. We notice that the reported frame rates are in favor of the Sparkle Calibre 8800 GTX system, which delivers very high results. On the other hand, the GeForce 8800 GTS shows that it has quite a lot of processing power, although only being the little brother of the GTX version. When AntiAliasing is enabled the performance is dropping a bit with both G80 based cards, with the GTX showing superior performance. An excellent feature for both accelerators as AntiAliasing becomes more and more favorable in the current and upcoming gaming titles.

Gaming Results - 2560x1600 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB	Calibre 8800 GTX 768MB
No AA/No AF	78.5	120.9
2x AA/-- AF	57.1	83.5
4x AA/-- AF	39.2	62.3
8x AA/-- AF	20.3	31.9
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

When looking upon the HD gaming results, it shows a similar performance. The GeForce 8800 GTS edition from Gainward is less fast at normal operation and with AntiAliasing. The Calibre 8800 GTX OC edition takes the lead on all benchmark runs and when you up the stakes and raise it to the maximum level. And, if you are in favor of games based upon the 3D engine from id Software, meaning based upon the OpenGL technology then don't think twice and just go for a NVIDIA based graphics card. And a good choice would certainly be this GTX version from Sparkle, a pre-overclocked version which shows once again superior images visualization and quality.