System setup and notes
| Graphics cards | BFG GeForce GTX 295 | (2x) Inno3D GeForce GTX 260 SLI | Inno3D GeForce GTX 280 | Inno3D GeForce GTX 260 OC | Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 X2 | Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 X2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current pricing, including VAT | €499 / £400 (estimated) | £430 (2 x £215) | £338 | £245 (estimated) | £368 |
£310 |
| Shader model | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Stream processors | 480 | 216 | 240 | 216 | 1,600 | 1,600 |
| GPU clock speed (MHz) | 576 | 576 | 612 | 620 | 750 | 625 |
| Shader clock speed (MHz) | 1,242 | 1,242 | 1,296 | 1,242 | 750 | 625 |
| Memory clock speed (MHz) | 1,998 | 1,998 | 2,214 | 2,100 | 3,600 | 1,986 |
| Memory bus width (Bits) | 448 (per GPU) | 448 | 512 | 448 | 512 (2 x 256) | 512 (2 x 256) |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 LGA775 (3.0GHz, 12MB L2 cache, quad-core) | |||||
| Motherboard | EVGA CK132 -NF79 (nForce 790i Ultra SLI) | MSI X48 Platinum (X48+ICH9R) | ||||
| Motherboard BIOS | P06 | V2.3 | ||||
| Mainboard software | NVIDIA device driver 15.17 | Intel Inf 9.0.0.1008 | ||||
| Memory | 4GB Corsair XMS3 DHX (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1,333 | |||||
| Memory timings and speed | 9-9-9-24 1T @ DDR3-1333 | |||||
| PSU | GIGABYTE Odin GT 800W | Cooler Master Real Power Pro 1,000W | ||||
| Monitor | Dell 30in 3007WFP - 2,560x1,600px | |||||
| Disk drive(s) | Seagate 500GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 (3Gb/s mode) | |||||
| Graphics driver | ForceWare 181.20 | ForceWare 180.48 | Catalyst 8.12 | |||
| Operating system | Windows Vista Business SP1, 64-bit | |||||
Software
| 3D Benchmarks | Company Of Heroes: Opposing Fronts v2.103: DX10 - very high quality Far Cry 2 v1.01 - very high quality Enemy Territory: Quake Wars v1.5, HEXUS custom-recorded benchmark. OpenGL - very high quality Race Driver: GRID v1.2, HEXUS custom-recorded benchmark - ultra quality Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare v1.7, HEXUS custom-recorded benchmark: DX9 - very high quality |
|---|
Notes
Knowing that the Radeon HD 4870 X2 is the fastest single-board graphics card in the world, we'll be comparing it directly to the all-new GeForce GTX 295 to see if NVIDIA can reclaim the performance crown.
To see how well the GeForce GTX 295 scales, we've included results for a pair of stock-clocked Inno3D GeForce GTX 260s in SLI configuration. Just to paint a picture of how the entire high-end scene is shaping up, Inno3D's GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX 260 OC are included as standalone GPUs, and Sapphire's Radeon HD 4850 X2 has been added into the mix, too.
Real-world gaming benchmarks were run at 1,680x1,050, 1,920x1,200 and 2,560x1,600. We've also added in decent amounts of image quality, too.
The estimated retail price of the GeForce GTX 295 is €499, and we're told by NVIDIA to expect partner boards at £399 in the UK. However, please be aware that zero-day pricing may be higher when etailers update their listings.
