CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Features of the videocards
3. Configurations of testbeds, test tools
4. Synthetic tests in D3D RightMark
5. Test results: Quake3 ARENA
6. Test results: Serious Sam: The Second Encounter
7. Test results: Return to Castle Wolfenstein
8. Test results: Code Creatures DEMO
9. Test results: Unreal Tournament 2003
10. Test results: Unreal II: The Awakening
11. Test results: RightMark 3D
12. Test results: TRAOD
13. Test results: FarCry (performance and quality)
14. Test results: Call Of Duty
15. Test results: HALO: Combat Evolved
16. Test results: Half-Life2(beta)
17. Test results: Splinter Cell
18. Test results: Colin Mcrae Rally04 (performance and quality)
19. Test results: Max Payne-2 (performance and quality)
20. Test results: Painkiller (performance and quality)
21. Test results: Need For Speed: Underground (performance and quality)
22. Test results: Pirates of the Carribean (quality)
23. Test results: Vietcong (quality)
24. Test results: 3DMark03-Game1
25. Test results: 3DMark03-Game2
26. Test results: 3DMark03-Game3
27. Test results: 3DMark03-Game4
28. Test results: 3DMark03-MARKS
29. Test results: AquaMark3
30. Driver NVIDIA version 61.11
31. Conclusions

3DMark03 - Game2

The lightest mode (no AA or anisotropy): NV40 is equal to its rival with 400 MHz and overtakes it with the help of 450 MHz.

The heaviest mode (both AA and anisotropy): NV40 wins in both cases.

Thus:

• NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra 450MHz vs. ATI RADEON X800 XT: an irrefutable victory.
• NVIDIA 61.11 vs. 60.72: a 4-to-5-percent performance increase.

In this test, performance increase was really helpful for NV40 (shaders DX8.1, a heavy load on the core, hence such sensibility to frequency increase).

3DMark03 - Game3

The picture is, in fact, similar to the previous test.

Thus:

• NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra 450MHz vs. ATI RADEON X800 XT: the former wins.
• NVIDIA 61.11 vs. 60.72: an up-to-7-percent gain.

Because the test is close to the previous one in terms of the load shaders 1.1-1.4 create, the conclusions are the same.

3DMark03 - Game4

The lightest mode (no AA or anisotropy): X800 XT defeats its rival.

The heaviest mode (both AA and anisotropy): a colossal advantage over NV40.

Thus:

• NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra 450MHz vs. ATI RADEON X800 XT: 450 MHz couldn't save NV40 from a defeat.
• NVIDIA 61.11 vs. 60.72: an up-to-8-percent increase.

X800 XT was better in a test where shaders 2.0 prevailed. 450 MHz made no difference, although core frequency increase was influential. That is, bandwidth plays no crucial role here.

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