Testing 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 | |
| KFA² GeForce GTX 660 Ti EX OC (3,072MB) | 1,006+ | 1,344 | 1,006+ | 6,008 | 192 | GeForce 305.37 beta | |
| EVGA GeForce GTX 680 (2,048MB) | 1,006+ | 1,536 | 1,006+ | 6,008 | 256 | GeForce 305.37 beta | |
| ASUS GeForce GTX 670 (2,048MB) | 915+ | 1,344 | 915+ | 6,008 | 256 | GeForce 305.37 beta | |
| ASUS GeForce GTX 580 (1,536MB) | 772 | 512 | 1,544 | 4,008 | 384 | GeForce 305.37 beta | |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 (3,072MB) | 925 | 2,048 | 925 | 5,500 | 384 | Catalyst 12.7 beta | |
| Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 (3,072MB) | 800 | 1,792 | 800 | 5,000 | 384 | Catalyst 12.7 beta | Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 (3,072MB) | 1,000 | 1,280 | 1,000 | 4,800 | 256 | Catalyst 12.7 beta |
HEXUS High-End Test Bench |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7-3770K (3.5GHz, 8MB cache, quad-core) | |||||||||||
| CPU Cooler | Intel reference E97378-001 | |||||||||||
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H | |||||||||||
| Memory | 8GB G.Skill TridentX (2x4GB) DDR3 @ 2,400MHz | |||||||||||
| Power Supply | Corsair AX750W | |||||||||||
| Storage Device | Samsung 830 Series 256GB SSD | |||||||||||
| Optical Drive | Generic 24x DVD-RW | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Corsair Graphite Series 600T | |||||||||||
| Monitor | Dell 30in 3007WFP | |||||||||||
| Operating system | Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit, SP1) | |||||||||||
HEXUS High-End Benchmark Suite |
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|---|---|---|
| Mode and Resolutions | Quality Settings | |
| 3DMark 11 | DX11 at 1,280x720 and 1,920x1,080 | Performance and Extreme Presets |
| Aliens vs. Predator | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,600 | 4xAA, 16xAF, Maximum Image Quality |
| Battlefield 3 | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,600 | 4xMSAA, 16xAF, Ultra Preset |
| Batman: Arkham City | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,600 | 8xMSAA, Extreme Preset |
| Crysis 2 | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,600 | 4xAA, Ultra Preset, DX11 and High-Res Textures |
| DiRT Showdown | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,600 | 4xMSAA, Ultra Preset |
| Just Cause 2 | DX10 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,600 | 8xAA, 16xAF, Very High Quality, PLS On |
| Total War: Shogun 2 | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,600 | 4xMSAA, 16xAF, Custom High Quality |
| LuxMark 2.0 | OpenCL GPUs-only | Sala (488,000+ triangles) and Room (2,000,000+ triangles) |
| General Benchmarks | ||
| Power Consumption | To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record mains power draw both when idle and while playing Batman: Arkham City | |
| Temperature | To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record GPU core temperature both when idle and while playing Batman: Arkham City | |
| Noise | A PCE-318 meter is used to record noise levels when idle and while playing Batman: Arkham City | |
Notes
We're using this review as an opportunity to introduce a new test platform and a refreshed benchmark suite. Our trusty-ol' Sandy Bridge rig has been retired in favour of a new Ivy Bridge system that consists of an Intel Core i7-3770K processor, a Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H motherboard and 8GB of G.Skill memory. DiRT Showdown and LuxMark 2.0 have been added to the benchmark suite.
In the interests of fairness, any GPU vendor-specific technologies are disabled during benchmarking. For example, NVIDIA-exclusive features such as PhysX in Batman: Arkham City and the Bokeh Filter in Just Cause 2 are not enabled.
