How we test
GPU comparisons |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics card | Approx. pricing |
GPU clock (MHz) |
Stream processors |
Shader clock (MHz) |
Memory clock (MHz) |
Memory bus (bits) |
Graphics driver |
| AMD Radeon HD 6670 1,024MB | £75 | 800 | 480 | 800 | 4,000 | 128 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 5670 1,024MB | £65 | 775 | 400 | 775 | 4,000 | 128 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| AMD Radeon HD 6790 1,024MB | £105 | 850 | 800 | 850 | 4,800 | 256 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| HIS Radeon HD 5770 1,024MB | £95 | 850 | 800 | 850 | 4,800 | 128 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 5750 1,024MB | £85 | 700 | 720 | 700 | 4,600 | 128 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| AMD Radeon HD 6450 1,024MB | £40 | 750 | 160 | 750 | 3,600 | 64 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti 1,024MB | £110 | 900 | 192 | 1,800 | 4,104 | 192 | ForceWare 267.59 |
| Inno3D GeForce GTS 450 1,024MB | £90 | 783 | 192 | 1,566 | 3,608 | 128 | ForceWare 267.59 |
| ASUS GeForce GT 440 1,024MB | £60 | 810 | 96 | 1,620 | 1,800 | 128 | ForceWare 267.59 |
| ASUS GeForce GT 430 1,024MB | £50 | 700 | 96 | 1,400 | 1,600 | 128 | ForceWare 267.59 |
Test bench |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5 2500K (3.30GHz, 6MB L3 cache, quad-core, LGA1155) | |||||||||||
| Motherboard | Intel DP67BG | |||||||||||
| Memory | 8GB Corsair Vengeance (9-9-9-24-2T @ 1,600MHz) | |||||||||||
| Power Supply | Corsair AX750 | |||||||||||
| Monitor | Dell 24in 2405FPW | |||||||||||
| Disk drive(s) | Crucial RealSSD C300 (256GB) | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Corsair Graphite Series 600T | |||||||||||
| Operating system | Windows 7, SP1, 64-bit | |||||||||||
Benchmarks |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark 11 | Performance preset, overall score and combined test results recorded. | |||||||||||
| Aliens vs. Predator | DX11, 1,280x720 and 1,920x1,080 resolutions, 2xAA, 8xAF, medium quality. | |||||||||||
| Call of Duty: Black Ops | DX9, 1,280x720 and 1,920x1,080 resolutions, 4xAA, ultra quality, FRAPS-recorded benchmark. | |||||||||||
| F1 2010 | DX11, 1,280x720 and 1,920x1,080 resolutions, 4xAA, high quality, Monaco circuit. | |||||||||||
| Just Cause 2 | DX10, 1,280x720 and 1,920x1,080 resolutions, 4xAA, 16xAF, medium/high quality, Dark Tower benchmark. | |||||||||||
| Metro 2033 | DX11, 1,280x720 and 1,920x1,080 resolutions, 4xAA, 16xAF, medium quality. | |||||||||||
| StarCraft II | DX9, 1,280x720 and 1,920x1,080 resolutions, 2xAA, high quality. | |||||||||||
| Power consumption | To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record mains power draw both when idle and whilst playing Just Cause 2. | |||||||||||
| Temperature | To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record GPU core temperature both when idle and whilst playing Just Cause 2. | |||||||||||
| Noise | A PCE-318 noise level meter is placed at front of a Corsair 600T chassis with side panel on. | |||||||||||
Notes
We've grouped together as many mainstream GPUs as we could get our mitts on. While not directly comparable, we've thrown in the next model up from both AMD and NVIDIA - HD 6790 and GTX 550 Ti, respectively.
It's more than a little unfair to put the HD 6450 through this mid-range wringer, but we do it to see what a genuinely entry-level card makes of quality settings at 720p and 1080p resolutions.
