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 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 6670 1,024MB Ultimate | £85 | 800 | 480 | 800 | 4,000 | 128 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| HIS Radeon HD 5770 1,024MB | £90 | 850 | 800 | 850 | 4,800 | 128 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 5750 1,024MB | £80 | 700 | 720 | 700 | 4,600 | 128 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 5670 1,024MB | £65 | 775 | 400 | 775 | 4,000 | 128 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 6570 512MB HM | £60 | 650 | 480 | 650 | 4,000 | 128 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 5550 512MB | £55 | 650 | 320 | 650 | 4,000 | 128 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| AMD Radeon HD 6450 1,024MB | £40 | 750 | 160 | 750 | 3,600 | 64 | Catalyst 11.4 |
| Inno3D GeForce GTS 450 1,024MB | £85 | 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 recorded. | |||||||||||
| Aliens vs. Predator | DX11, 1,920x1,080 resolution, 2xAA, 8xAF, medium quality. | |||||||||||
| Call of Duty: Black Ops | DX9, 1,920x1,080 resolution, 4xAA, ultra quality, FRAPS-recorded benchmark. | |||||||||||
| F1 2010 | DX11, 1,920x1,080 resolution, 4xAA, high quality, Monaco circuit. | |||||||||||
| Just Cause 2 | DX10, 1,920x1,080 resolution, 4xAA, 16xAF, medium/high quality, Dark Tower benchmark. | |||||||||||
| Metro 2033 | DX11, 1,920x1,080 resolution, 4xAA, 16xAF, medium quality. | |||||||||||
| StarCraft II | DX9, 1,920x1,080 resolution, 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. | |||||||||||
Notes
We've pulled together 10 distinct GPUs that fall between £40-£90. Going the active-cooling route will give you more performance - take a look at the HD 5750 or GTS 450 numbers in the upcoming graphs - but that's missing the point somewhat.
Keeping the gaming benchmarks simple, they're run at a full-HD (1,920x1,080) resolution with medium/high IQ settings.
