XFX GTX 280 XXX and MSI HD 4870: not only overclocking
Benchmarking and conclusions
We'll tested the video cards with the following configuration:
Test configuration |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Quad X6850 3.0 GHz |
| Motherboard | ASUS P5E3 (Intel X38) |
| RAM | Corsair Dominator DDR3 2x 1 GB 1333 MHz 6-6-6-18 1T |
| Operating system | Windows XP+SP2+DirectX 9.0c / Windows Vista for DX10 tests |
| Power supply unit | Thermaltake Toughpower 750 W |
To test GeForce video cards, we used Catalyst 177.41 drivers, for Radeon - Catalyst 8.7. We start introduction to the results with 3DMark test suites.
Test results for 3DMark.
In 3DMark tests, overclocking helped MSI HD 4870 to win the first place. However, there is no special difference between the video cards based on the results of these two tests. A more vivid demonstration of the speed difference between the video cards can be seen from gaming tests which we ran with 4X FSAA and 16X AF enabled.
Test results for Call of Duty 4, Windows XP.
At Call of Duty 4 under Windows XP, the first place was gained by XFX GTX 280 XXX, the second - by the "regular" GeForce GTX 280. Overclocking did not help MSI HD 4870 win the rivals, however, shortened the lag from the leaders substantially.
Test results for Call of Duty 4, Windows Vista.
Under Windows Vista, the alignment of forces has not changed: at Call of Duty 4, XFX GTX 280 XXX and GeForce GTX 280 take a lead.
Test results for Need for Speed Pro Street Racing under Windows XP.
At Need for Speed Pro Street Racing under Windows XP, again XFX GTX 280 XXX and GeForce GTX 280 take a lead, but overclocking helped MSI HD 4870 approach closely to the "regular" GeForce GTX 280.
Test results for Need for Speed Pro Street Racing under Windows Vista.
Under Windows Vista, the situation has not changed. Once again, we draw your attention to the fact that MSI HD 4870 when overclocked shows results close to those for GeForce GTX 280.
Test results for Crysis under Window XP.
At Crysis under Windows XP, XFX GTX 280 XXX and GeForce GTX 280 showed much better results than the rivals. Perhaps it was the relatively small video memory capacity that played an evil trick with Radeon video cards. Once we get Radeon HD 48x0 with video memory greater than 512 MB, we will certainly verify that.
Test results for Crysis under Windows Vista.
Under Windows Vista, the alignment of forces has not changed, except that with Catalyst 8.7 in Radeon HD 4870 image disappears at 1920x1200.
Test results for Call of Juarez under Windows XP.
At Call of Juarez under Windows XP, XFX GTX 280 XXX and GeForce GTX 280 take a lead, but the overclocked MSI HD 4870 is close on the heels. In practice, the difference between them is unlikely to be seen.
Test results for Call of Juarez under Windows Vista.
Under Windows Vista, the overclocked MSI HD 4870 took a lead over the "regular" GeForce GTX 280 in two resolutions: 1600x1200 and 1920x1200. This case is a vivid demonstration of the fact that Radeon cards are optimized for some resolutions, although they are certainly there for GeForce cards as well.
Test results for Race Driver: GRID under Windows XP.
At Race Driver: GRID under Windows XP, XFX GTX 280 XXX takes a lead at almost all the resolutions, but at 1920x1200 it yielded to the overclocked MSI HD 4870. In its turn, overclocking did not bring MSI HD 4870 any essential gains, although the results have somehow improved.
Test results for Race Driver: GRID under Windows Vista.
Under Windows Vista, the leadership of XFX GTX 280 XXX is not so evident - Radeon cards compete against them almost on par.
Final Words
The video cards reviewed today are certainly interesting, each in its own way. In many tests, XFX GTX 280 XXX has demonstrated a much higher speed than the "regular" GeForce GTX 280, due to the effective factory overclocking. MSI HD 4870 has not demonstrated a substantial performance gain, but due to the modified firmware it turned much colder as compared to the "regular" Radeon HD 4870. But the tradeoff for that is in the increased noise level, and due to better overclocking the card will certainly serve for a longer time than its hotter "colleagues".
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