3DMark03, Far Cry
3DMark03
Vendor: Futuremark - (Website)API: DirectX 9.0
Pixel Shader Version Supported: Mix PS1.1, PS1.4, PS2.0
3DMark03 ranks all three boards fairly evenly. However, given certain strengths and weaknesses in various games titles, it's prudent to check performance in some other titles regardless of how well 3DMark03 ranks the hardware. Let's start with Far Cry.
Far Cry
Vendor: UBI Soft - (Website)API: DirectX 9.0
Pixel Shader Version Supported: Mix PS1.1, PS1.4, PS2.0 with PS2.0 forced
The 6800 Ultra initially leads the way, however with IQ-enhancing options enabled, the NV45-powered board swaps places with the Radeons, culminating in a rough 16% advantage at 1600x1200. X800 XT and XT PE's shader power, by virtue of its clock rate, is the reason it outclasses the 400MHz NVIDIA board in this test.
