Test methodology
GPU comparisons |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics card | GPU clock (MHz) |
Stream processors |
Shader clock (MHz) |
Memory clock (MHz) |
Memory bus (bits) |
Graphics driver | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 (2,048MB) | 1,006+ | 1,536 | 1,006+ | 6,008 | 256 | GeForce 304.48 beta | |
| Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 WindForce 3X (2,048MB) | 980+ | 1,344 | 980+ | 6,008 | 256 | GeForce 304.48 beta | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 (2,048MB) | 915+ | 1,344 | 915+ | 6,008 | 256 | GeForce 304.48 beta | |
| AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition (3,072MB) | 1,000+ | 2,048 | 1,000+ | 6,000 | 384 | Catalyst 12.7 beta | |
| AMD Radeon HD 7970 (3,072MB) | 925 | 2,048 | 925 | 5,500 | 384 | Catalyst 12.7 beta | |
| AMD Radeon HD 7950 (3,072MB) | 800 | 1,792 | 800 | 5,000 | 384 | Catalyst 12.7 beta | |
HEXUS high-end test bench |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5-2500K (3.30GHz, 6MB smart cache, quad-core, LGA1155) | |||||||||||
| Motherboard | Intel Desktop Board DP67BG | |||||||||||
| Memory | 8GB Corsair Vengeance (9-9-9-24 @ 1,600MHz) | |||||||||||
| Power Supply | Corsair AX750W | |||||||||||
| Monitor | Dell 30in 3007WFP | |||||||||||
| Disk drive(s) | Crucial RealSSD C300 (256GB) | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Corsair Graphite Series 600T | |||||||||||
| Operating system | Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit, SP1) | |||||||||||
HEXUS high-end benchmark suite |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark 11 | Performance and Extreme presets | |||||||||||
| Aliens vs. Predator | DX11, 1,920x1,080, 2,560x1,600 resolutions, 4xAA, 16xAF, very high quality | |||||||||||
| Batman: Arkham City | DX11, 1,920x1,080, 2,560x1,600 resolutions, 8xMSAA, extreme quality | |||||||||||
| Battlefield 3 | DX11, 1,920x1,080, 2,560x1,600 resolutions, 4xMSAA, 16xAF, ultra quality | |||||||||||
| Crysis 2 | DX11, 1,920x1,080, 2,560x1,600 resolutions, 4xAA, ultra quality | |||||||||||
| Just Cause 2 | DX10, 1,920x1,080, 2,560x1,600 resolutions, 4xAA, 16xAF, very high quality | |||||||||||
| Total War: Shogun 2 | DX11, 1,920x1,080, 2,560x1,600 resolutions, 4xMSAA, 16xAF, high quality | |||||||||||
| Power Consumption | To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record mains power draw both when idle and whilst playing Batman: Arkham City | |||||||||||
| Temperature | To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record GPU core temperature both when idle and whilst playing Batman: AC | |||||||||||
| Noise | A PCE-318 meter is used to record noise levels when idle and whilst playing Batman: AC | |||||||||||
Notes
To get an idea of how things stand, we've re-tested the best single-GPU cards from both NVIDIA and AMD on the latest available drivers; GeForce 304.48 beta and Catalyst 12.7 beta.
Gigabyte's pricing puts the GeForce GTX 670 WindForce 3X up against AMD's Radeon HD 7970, so we'll be keeping a close eye on how those two compare, and of course we'll be eager to see if the 980MHz overclock is enough to close the gap on the venerable GeForce GTX 680.
[Update] Frak. Not a day after we re-tested these cards, NVIDIA went and launched a new beta driver, version 304.79. We're not seeing any visible performance improvements over the previous beta release, but you can get a full rundown of what's new in the release notes at GeForce.com.
