Gaming Benchmarks (Cont.)

We are on a roll, that is the least you can say as we are just continuing with more games. This time we are looking as well at a very recent release which is very popular and does offer to show some great visual effects. So first we will be looking at Crysis which is build on the full renewed Crytek gaming engine with some very realistic effects and functionality. Next to that we also take one of the older games again which is well known as well, namely Quake 4. Both games are based on a different 3D gaming engine and each is actually using a different standard, and where we have DirectX versus OpenGL technology. The OpenGL is quite special as it is less common than the DirectX technology, but we have to say that since id Software is coding their 3D engine based on this technology they have been released quite some great games. Load em up, and start your 3D engines to enjoy our gaming ride...

Electronic Arts Crysis

And yes of course we couldn't miss out on Crysis, which is the successor of Far Cry using the redone Crytek CryEngine 2 real-time gaming engine. The artificial intelligence in Crysis also aims to be realistic and believable. Enemy soldiers constantly employ tactical maneuvers, they work as squads, hide and ambush amongst the scenery, and adapt to changing environments and conditions. Crysis is an alien invasion game set in the year 2020. An archeological team on a remote Pacific island is captured by an invasion force of North Koreans, and your US special forces team is dispatched to investigate and rescue these scientists. Clad in high-tech nanosuits capable of boosting your strength, speed, and armor, as well as cloaking you temporarily to the enemy, you're parachuted into a tropical paradise that's crawling with intelligent enemies and something else that's tearing both the North Koreans and US forces to shreds.

Gaming Results - 1280x1024 - E6700 3.00GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 9800 GX2	GeForce GTX 260
No AA/No AF	50.67 fps	61.36 fps
2x AA/4x AF	49.05 fps	59.24 fps
4x AA/8x AF	48.24 fps	57.45 fps
8x AA/16x AF	46.40 fps	50.37 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.
Gaming Results - 1600x1200 - E6700 3.00GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 9800 GX2	GeForce GTX 260
No AA/No AF	49.63 fps	54.68 fps
2x AA/4x AF	46.95 fps	48.09 fps
4x AA/8x AF	44.87 fps	44.02 fps
8x AA/16x AF	32.13 fps	33.87 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Of course, we couldn't deny it any longer but the game we all have really been waiting for since a long time is the successor of Far Cry, or better known as Crysis. And with Crysis comes as well the new 3D engine of Crytek which will certainly be the engine used for many games to come. This game is really putting the graphics card to work and can also be seen from the frame rates during game play. With the Gainward GeForce GTX 260 taking the lead, which is somehow natural as being more optimized and having a faster memory interface. Though looking at the results delivered by the GeForce 9800 GX2 with its dual 512MB memory it's quite a close battle. Well you can't really call it a battle but still it does show that the GT200 graphics core is a logic choice, and certainly a great choice for reviving the aging G80 technology which has been around for quite a while now.

Gaming Results - 2560x1600 - E6700 3.00GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 9800 GX2	GeForce GTX 260
No AA/No AF	44.36 fps	41.44 fps
2x AA/4x AF	40.42 fps	35.57 fps
4x AA/8x AF	32.49 fps	31.52 fps
8x AA/16x AF	N/A	22.95 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Moving on to the higher resolutions, we find ourselves again with the widescreen high definition which is considered as the current ultimate gaming experience. That certainly means that the graphics accelerator has to be able to render these bigger sceneries without becoming unplayable due to the drop in frame rates. Well we must say with Crysis this is not as simple as that, because even the GeForce 9800 GX2 card is showing a decrease in frame rates. We do see that the new GeForce GTX 260 is having some struggle to keep up, but by having a larger frame buffer allocated to the singe GPU it can even play at highest anti-aliasing setting. This is exactly where the faster and beefier GeForce GTX 280 will have the advantage with an even bigger frame buffer and more stream processor to render the complex sceneries.

Raven Software Quake 4

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 actually developed by id Software itself but instead it outsourced the 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 have become synonymous with great technology and exciting multiplayer. The game follows the story of a marine named Matthew Kane who is a raw member of the fabled Rhino Squad which are tasked with spearheading the mission to finally secure the aliens' home planet.

Gaming Results - 1280x1024 - E6700 3.00GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 9800 GX2	GeForce GTX 260
No AA/-- AF	256.9 fps	239.7 fps
2x AA/-- AF	246.2 fps	232.0 fps
4x AA/-- AF	220.8 fps	206.7 fps
8x AA/-- AF	174.7 fps	161.1 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.
Gaming Results - 1600x1200 - E6700 3.00GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 9800 GX2	GeForce GTX 260
No AA/-- AF	254.9 fps	240.6 fps
2x AA/-- AF	230.0 fps	206.1 fps
4x AA/-- AF	197.1 fps	184.0 fps
8x AA/-- AF	117.9 fps	130.2 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

When looking at these Quake 4 gaming results we can see that these follow the same logic as we have encountered with Doom 3. Since both games are using the same 3D engine developed by id Software it doesn't come as a surprise. Both games use the OpenGL technology to bring the action alive. The frame rates are showing the same trend between both cards, but clearly showing the GeForce 9800 GX2 version as being superior. Also when we up the stakes by enabling the anti-aliasing feature, the Ultra edition shows a similar trend, but keeps trailing behind just until also the resolution is going up. This once more a typical example why you need a decent amount of memory to backup the GPU logic, and since the GeForce GTX 260 is better equipped the performance table is turning in favor when this comes in handy. Once again we notice great game play and stunning image quality.

Gaming Results - 2560x1600 - E6700 3.00GHz - 2GB RAM
	GeForce 9800 GX2	GeForce GTX 260
No AA/-- AF	224.3 fps	183.9 fps
2x AA/-- AF	155.6 fps	129.2 fps
4x AA/-- AF	100.8 fps	111.3 fps
8x AA/-- AF	57.4 fps	65.4 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Looking upon the figures with the widescreen high definition resolution, we can draw the same conclusion. The new GeForce GTX 260 edition does provide lower frame rates and that also shows when we start increasing the anti-aliasing capabilities, until a certain point. Again the stunning game play keeps amazing us, and with that said Quake 4 looks impressive with the Gainward GeForce GTX 260 accelerator which just brings the gaming experience to the next level. If you are a looking for the best visual quality available today, and you are into the high definition gaming then we would point towards these new GeForce GTX 200 series. There is no doubt in our mind that the GeForce GTX 260 is the best choice for the hardcore gamers looking for the smoothest game play, though for those with some extra cash we could point to GeForce GTX 280 which will just go a tad faster, taking the game play to a higher level.