Gaming Benchmark (Cont.)

Since we are having fun playing with the Jetway Radeon HD 2900 XT video card, it was only logic to include some extra game titles. Since Half-Life 2 has the possibility to be run as a benchmark, we just installed the full version via our Steam license and took it for a spin. And next to that we also opted for Prey, a newer title but also based on the enhanced 3D engine used by Doom 3. So again we meet an OpenGL based 3D engine set against a DirectX supporting 3D engine. Yeah, you got that right; both have their strengths and extensive processing features. Either way, both technologies have one purpose, to bring you the best looking games you can think of...and more!

Humand Head Prey

Continuing with a newer game, Prey tells the story of Tommy, a Cherokee garage mechanic stuck on a reservation going nowhere. Abducted along with his people to a menacing mothership orbiting Earth, he sets out to save himself and his girlfriend and eventually his planet. In Prey, players enter a living spaceship which enslaves alien races and devours humans for lunch. A unique twist on the first person shooter genre, Prey features such innovations as the ability to walk on walls, manipulate gravity and perform a spirit walk by leaving your physical body behind. Designed by Human Head (under the direction of 3D Realms), Prey features full online support for up to eight players, utilizing the game's play innovations for unique multiplayer experiences.

Gaming Results - 1280x1024 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS	Radeon HD 2900 XT
No AA/No AF	140.4 fps	174.6 fps
2x AA/4x AF	102.3 fps	116.1 fps
4x AA/8x AF	92.5 fps	101.6 fps
8x AA/16x AF	64.9 fps	74.1 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.
Gaming Results - 1600x1200 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS	Radeon HD 2900 XT
No AA/No AF	105.9 fps	140.2 fps
2x AA/4x AF	75.6 fps	90.6 fps
4x AA/8x AF	69.6 fps	79.2 fps
8x AA/16x AF	47.2 fps	56.5 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

With Prey falling within the same range of Doom 3, due to being build upon the same 3D engine it comes as no surprise that the GeForce 8800 GTS edition performs a bit less than the Radeon HD 2900 XT setup. This means that the Jetway video card is once again showing the way, with the GeForce 8800 GTS trying to hang on and follow. The game play is outstanding with excellent image quality, and we would like to point out that this is really one of the biggest advantages of the new high-end graphics accelerators. With the R600 chip comes visual clarity and improved image quality which is exactly the point of interest by many. With the Radeon HD 2900 XT you can experience this new world of visual improvements.

Gaming Results - 2560x1600 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS	Radeon HD 2900 XT
No AA/No AF	54.8 fps	78.8 fps
2x AA/4x AF	39.1 fps	50.3 fps
4x AA/8x AF	32.3 fps	44.4 fps
8x AA/16x AF	15.4 fps	31.2 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

The gaming experience is somehow similar to Doom 3, but it does deliver just that little extra. With Prey we have the ability to enabled both anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering which adds some extra complexity and processing for the graphics processor. On top of that you can set those awesome HD resolutions and still enable all those extra features. Doing so brings out the more superior game play of the Radeon HD 2900 XT, delivering higher frame rates. Of course it is no match for the more expensive GeForce 8800 GTX version, but is well positioned considering its very competitive pricing. Both cards come with excellent image quality, so the choice should not depend on that but more on the price to performance ratio.

Valve Software Half-Life 2

As we also wanted to include another famous game we opted for Half-Life 2, a well know game amongst the gaming community. Half-Life 2 is an immersive first person shooter from the developers at Valve Software, the creators of the original Half-Life game. Building off of the riveting storyline and game play of the debut title, Half-Life 2 pushes the envelope even further and has once again raised the bar of the first person shooter genre. Using Valve's own built from the ground up Source engine, Half-Life 2 offers interactive physical environments, intense realism and impressive graphics, all bundled together with a masterfully crafted storyline. Players once again assume the role of scientist Gordon Freeman, but this time Gordon finds himself in a post apocalyptic environment.

Gaming Results - 1280x1024 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS	Radeon HD 2900 XT
No AA/No AF	147.9 fps	181.2 fps
2x AA/4x AF	147.4 fps	149.6 fps
4x AA/8x AF	N/A	148.4 fps
8x AA/16x AF	N/A	135.8 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.
Gaming Results - 1600x1200 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS	Radeon HD 2900 XT
No AA/No AF	144.4 fps	175.3 fps
2x AA/4x AF	143.2 fps	144.0 fps
4x AA/8x AF	N/A	137.5 fps
8x AA/16x AF	N/A	113.3 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Who doesn't know Half-Life? Yeah what a question, of course everyone knows the game. And yes, although not being one of our favorite games, we actually changed our minds and also took Half-Life 2 for a spin with the Jetway Radeon HD 2900 XT graphics card. At first we have to say that the performance was about on par with the GeForce 8800 GTS, but if when we enabled the visual goodies in the game it became quite obvious that it does do well on ATI based hardware. This game is based on the Source engine from Valve and is quite shader intensive, which does show that the GeForce 8800 GTS is a bit too narrowed down to take on the Radeon HD 2900 series. Once again the Radeon HD 2900 XT comes out on top and does offer very smooth game play.

Gaming Results - 2560x1600 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 8800 GTS	Radeon HD 2900 XT
No AA/No AF	128.6 fps	160.9 fps
2x AA/4x AF	107.9 fps	103.1 fps
4x AA/8x AF	N/A	86.9 fps
8x AA/16x AF	N/A	59.4 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

As you are now getting used to we also increased the gaming resolution to pull down the frame rates reported by both video cards. Once again the Radeon HD 2900 XT is doing great and able to keep up the pace. With Half-Life 2 the memory bus interface is quite important as Valve designed this game with the Radeon X1900 series in mind having an internal 512-bit bus, although only communicating at 256-bit with the memory chips. Since the Radeon HD 2900 series come with a 512-bit memory interface it doesn't need a lot of details to understand why the ATI hardware is in favor. The GeForce 8800 GTS only features a 320-bit memory bus so it is a bit less strong on that aspect, and therefore a less good choice.