Benchmarks IV
Let's now focus our attention to a new benchmark in the form of Comanche 4, a DX8.1 compliant helicopter simulation that is almost unique in the fact that it uses both vertex and pixel shading.
Flight simulations are noted for requiring the use of anti-aliasing at lower resolutions. They also tend to be rather CPU limited, too. The Comanche benchmark extrapolates the average frames per seconds from a feature-packed helicopter mission. On to the numbers.
First, as always, no anti-aliasing
Notice the lack of performance decrease as we run up through the resolutions. The MSI GF4Ti4600-VTD ensures that the benchmark is heavily CPU-limited at all resolutions. We see the power of the card in an indirect way. Overclocking doesn't pay great dividends either. The Ti 500 becomes heavily card limited at 1280x1024x32 and above.
How about 2x AA ?
Again, notice the lack of performance hit at 1024x768x32 with anti-aliasing enabled on the Ti 4600. I would consider 30fps to be the minimum sustained average frame rate for decent play, the Ti 4600 seemingly delivers this. The Ti 500 quickly raises the white flag as the performance penalty of anti-aliasing begins to hurt the older logic.
Let's really hurt the cards and try 4x FSAA.
The performances are impressive considering the complexity involved. 1024x768x32, with 4x FSAA, is eminently smooth with barely a jagged-edge in sight.
That wraps up our benchmarking analysis, onto the conclusion.
