System setup and notes
| Graphics cards | BFG GeForce GTX 295 1,792MB and SLI | BFG GeForce GTX 285 1,024MB and SLI | Sapphire Radeon HD 5970 2,048MB and XF | Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 1,024MB and XF | Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1,024MB and XF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current pricing, including VAT | £320 | £250 | £425 |
£300 | £200 |
| Shader model | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Stream processors | 480 | 240 | 3,200 | 1600 | 1440 |
| GPU clock speed (MHz) | 576 | 648 | 725 | 850 | 725 |
| Shader clock speed (MHz) | 1,242 | 1,476 | 725 | 850 | 725 |
| Memory clock speed (MHz) | 2,016 | 2,484 | 4,000 | 4,800 | 4,000 |
| Memory bus width (bits) | 448 | 512 | 256 | 256 | 256 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition (3.20GHz, 8MB L3 cache, quad-core, LGA1366) | ||||
| Motherboard | Foxconn Bloodrage X58 | ||||
| Motherboard BIOS | P08 | ||||
| Mainboard software | Intel Inf 9.1.0.1015 | ||||
| Memory | 6GB Corsair DOMINATOR PC12,800 | ||||
| Memory timings and speed | 9-9-9-24 1T @ DDR3-1,333 | ||||
| PSU | Corsair HX1000W | ||||
| Monitor | Dell 30in 3007WFP - 2,560x1,600px | ||||
| Disk drive(s) | Seagate 1TB Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 (3Gb/s mode) | ||||
| Graphics driver | ForceWare 195.39 beta | ForceWare 195.39 beta | 5970 press driver | 5970 press driver | 5970 press driver |
| Operating system | Windows 7 RTM Ultimate, 64-bit | ||||
Software
| 3D Benchmarks | Call of Duty: Modern
Warfare 2 - DX9 - very high quality - FRAPS Crysis v1.1.1.711 - train map - enthusiast quality Enemy Territory: Quake Wars v1.5, HEXUS custom-recorded benchmark. OpenGL - very high quality Far Cry 2 v1.03 - very high quality Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X v1.2, internal benchmark: DX10/10.1 - very high quality |
|---|
Notes
The gaming suite has been updated since the last major GPU review, Radeon HD 5850. The most-anticipated game of the year Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released last week to critical acclaim and booming sales. We're FRAPSing a 60-second firefight near the start of the title.Due to popular demand, we're also including GPU-bustin' Crysis, as well. Enemy Territory is included because it demonstrates OpenGL performance - all other games are based on DirectX.
We've included a total of 10 configurations, split over single- and dual-card setups, to see how performance scales as you add a second board into the mix. You can multiply the specifications and pricing by two for the CrossFireX and SLI setups, of course.
Benchmarks are conducted at 1,680x1,050, 1,920x1,200, and 2,560x1,600 with the maximum in-game detail. Power-draw is also considered.
