Testing methodology
AMD Radeon R7 265 Specification |
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GPU Comparisons |
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| Graphics Card | Peak Core Clock (MHz) |
Stream Processors |
Memory Clock (MHz) |
Memory Bus (bits) |
Graphics Driver | |
| AMD Radeon R9 270X 2GB | 1,050 | 1,280 | 5,600 | 256 | Catalyst 14.1 beta 6 | |
| Sapphire Radeon R7 265 2GB | 925 | 1,024 | 5,600 | 256 | Catalyst 14.1 beta 6 | |
| AMD Radeon R7 260X 2GB | 1,100 | 896 | 6,400 | 128 | Catalyst 14.1 beta 6 | |
| AMD Radeon HD 6870 1GB | 900 | 1,120 | 4,200 | 256 | Catalyst 14.1 beta 6 | |
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB | 1,033 | 960 | 6,008 | 192 | GeForce 334.69 | |
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB | 1,033 | 768 | 6,008 | 192 | GeForce 334.69 | |
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB | 928 | 768 | 5,400 | 128 | GeForce 334.69 | |
HEXUS Graphics Test Bench |
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|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7-4770K (3.50GHz, 8MB cache, quad-core) |
| CPU Cooler | Intel reference E97378-001 |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H |
| Memory | 16GB G.Skill RipJaws (2x8GB) DDR3 @ 1,600MHz |
| Power Supply | Corsair AX760i |
| Storage Device | Crucial M500 240GB SSD |
| Chassis | Corsair Graphite Series 600T |
| Monitor | Philips Brilliance 272P (2,560x1,440) |
| Operating system | Windows 8.1 64-bit |
HEXUS High-End Benchmark Suite |
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|---|---|---|
| GPU Benchmarks | Mode and Resolutions | Quality Settings |
| 3DMark | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,440 | Fire Strike and Fire Strike Extreme |
| Battlefield 4 | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,440 | 4x MSAA, Ultra Preset |
| BioShock Infinite | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,440 | Ultra + DOF |
| Crysis 3 | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,440 | 4xMSAA, High Preset |
| Far Cry 3 | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,440 | 2xMSAA, Ultra Preset |
| GRID 2 | DX11 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,440 | CMAA, Ultra Preset |
| Just Cause 2 | DX10 at 1,920x1,080 and 2,560x1,440 | 8xMSAA, High Preset |
| General Benchmarks | Description | |
| Power Consumption | To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record mains power draw both when idle and while playing Far Cry 3 | |
| Temperature | To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record GPU core temperature both when idle and while playing Far Cry 3 | |
| Noise | A PCE-318 meter is used to record noise levels when idle and while playing Far Cry 3 | |
Notes
We have tested seven mainstream cards from the ground-up, on the very latest drivers, and run them through our high-end graphics suite. The dollar-to-dollar competitor for the Radeon R7 265 is the GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost, though it is being made end-of-life and making way for the next iteration of mainstream GeForce cards powered by the Maxwell architecture.
Providing a blast from the recent past and a handy comparison is the Radeon HD 6870 that was launched in October 2010. Debuting as a $240 card and popular amongst our readers, we can determine whether a substantially cheaper graphics card in 2014 is both faster and better.
