Setup and notes
Hardware
- Crucial Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB, AGP8X, 378/700
- PowerColor Radeon 9800XT 256MB, AGP8X, 412/730
- Leadtek GeForce FX 5950 Ultra 256MB, AGP8X, 475/950
- AMD Athlon 64 3400+, 2200MHz
- EPoX 8HDA3+ S754 VIA K8T800 Motherboard (12/12 BIOS)
- Corsair XMS3500C2, 2 x 256MB, 2-2-2-6 @ DDR400
- Samcheer 420w PSU
- AMD reference cooler
- IBM 120GXP 40GB Hard Drive
- Dell P991 19" flat-faced CRT monitor
Software
- Windows XP Professional w/SP1
- ATI CATALYST 4.1
- NVIDIA ForceWare 53.03
- VIA Hyperion v4.51 chipset drivers
- DirectX 9.0b Runtime
- FRAPS 2.0.0
- 3DMark 2001SE v330
- 3DMark03 v340
- Aquamark3
- Splinter Cell (Beyond3D Demo)
- Unreal Tournament 2003 Retail (patched up to 2225) - HEXUS custom benchmark)
- X2: The Threat
- Call Of Duty HEXUS Custom Benchmark
- RTCW: Enemy Territory - HEXUS Custom Benchmark
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 - HEXUS Custom Benchmark with FRAPS
Notes
Nothing to report with respect to stability.
2D quality
We'd report here if the quality wasn't up to scratch. After swapping out the Crucial Radeon 9800 Pro and a 9800XT on several occasions, we found there to be no discernible 2D difference at any resolution. DVI, naturally, was sharp and precise on a 21.3" TFT. Let's not forget that most 3D accelerators will spend a vast proportion of their time displaying 2D images.
Noise
The Crucial's GPU fan is identical to most 128MB-equipped 9800 Pros'. Compared to the XT's fan and in a 2D environment, the Crucial's is of a higher pitch. The upside is that it does not vary with GPU load. It will be acceptable to most ears. Crucial is know for sticking with the reference design to the letter.
Testing
Benchmarking was undertaken at 1024x768 and 1600x1200, with both resolutions set to 32-bit quality. Vertical sync was disabled, as was sound. Both resolutions were also tested with 4x AntiAliasing and 8x Anisotropic Filtering. High-end cards should provide acceptable framerates with exceptional image quality. Where possible, image enhancement was set from the application's control panel. We know that the control panel can be selective of just how much AA and AF it actually applies. UT2003 being a case in point.
Benchmarks were run three times and the highest and lowest results were discarded. We expect the Crucial 9800 Pro to hover at around 10% below the XT's benchmarks. All three test cards carry 256MB of onboard RAM.
Gentlemen, start your GPUs.
