System setup and notes
| Graphics cards |
BFG GeForce GTX 285 1,024MB |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275
896MB |
BFG GeForce GTX 260
896MB |
Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 OC Edition 1,024MB |
XFX Radeon HD 4890 OC 1,024MB |
Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 XT 1,024MB |
Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 1,024MB |
Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 X2 2,048MB |
| Current pricing, including VAT |
£299
|
£199+ |
£160 |
£245 (estimated) |
£240+ |
£210+
|
£165 |
£260 |
| Shader model |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
| Stream processors |
240 |
240 |
216 |
800 |
800 |
800 |
800 |
1600 |
| GPU clock speed (MHz) |
648 |
633 |
576 |
901 |
900 |
850 |
750 |
625 |
| Shader clock speed (MHz) |
1,476 |
1,404 |
1,242 |
901 |
900 |
850 |
750 |
625 |
| Memory clock speed (MHz) |
2,484 |
2,268 |
1,998 |
4,000 |
3,900 |
3,900 |
3,600 |
1,986 |
| Memory bus width (bits) |
512 |
448 |
448 |
256 |
256 |
256 |
256 |
512 |
| CPU |
Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition (3.20GHz, 8MB L3 cache, quad-core, LGA1,366) |
| Motherboard |
Foxconn Bloodrage X58 |
| Motherboard BIOS |
P04 |
| Mainboard software |
Intel Inf 9.1.0.1012 |
| Memory |
6GB Corsair DOMINATOR PC12,800 |
| Memory timings and speed |
9-9-9-24 1T @ DDR3-1,333 |
| PSU |
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 182.06 |
ForceWare beta 185.63 |
ForceWare 182.06 |
Catalyst 9.4 beta? |
Catalyst 9.4 beta? |
Catalyst 9.4 beta? |
Catalyst 9.3 |
Catalyst 9.3 |
| Operating system |
Windows Vista Business SP1, 64-bit |
Software
| 3D Benchmarks |
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare v1.7, HEXUS custom-recorded benchmark: DX9 - very high quality
Company Of Heroes: Opposing Fronts v2.103: DX10 - very high quality
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars v1.5, HEXUS custom-recorded benchmark. OpenGL - very high quality
Far Cry 2 v1.01 - very high quality
Race Driver: GRID v1.2, HEXUS custom-recorded benchmark - ultra quality
|
Notes
Three Radeon HD 4890 cards that are differentiated on clock-speeds alone. Three questions: how much more performance will the extra 100MHz memory of the Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 OC Edition bring over and above the standard Radeon HD 4890 OC? Does it make the card better than a GeForce GTX 275 896MB? How does the HD 4850 X2 play out?
On that note, we've also added a joker in the pack, in the form of the Radeon HD 4850 X2 2,048MB. It's a custom-designed, twin-GPU card by Sapphire, but such is the attractive price-to-performance ratio that it impinges upon pre-overclocked GeForce GTX 275s and HD 4890 OCs. Indeed, it would be rude not to include it.
