Simcity 4

Simcity is another game that was tough to benchmark; we finally decided that most of the time, people are scrolling around, so why not benchmark framerates while we scroll. This was done in the Big City Tutorial map; we essentially just moved side to side over a set path and recorded the framerate with FRAPS.

Without AA/AF, we see the entire ATI family climb on top of NVIDIA. Moving to AA/AF:

The gain becomes even more pronounced, and everything looks like its become CPU bound. This will definitely be another good CPU test.

Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide Splinter Cell
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  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - link

    #81 and anyone who thinks it isnt important to benchmark dx9 performance:

    When you have 2 of the most highly anticipated games due for release over the next few months (halflife2 and doom3 for those who are asleep at the wheel) which both include dx9 features, Why in gods name would you buy a $500 card that _doesn't_ support dx9 features effectively? You would obviously have to be someone who isnt interested in having the best quality visuals you can get, and that is the exact opposite to the reason anyone would spend that amount of money on a video card in the first place. People want to see the best quality with the best performance! I simply cannot understand why someone would buy one of these expensive cards expecting that they would need to buy another equally or more expensive card as soon as such new dx9 titles appear... the simple truth is that you would have to be a fool with money to burn if you are prepared to pay $500 for a card that cannot perform well in new games that arrive after a couple of months

    It's not a matter of whether dx9 features should be benchmarked, it's a matter of how.. I will avoid the whole benchmarking fiasco going on with regard to cheats, but why do you think people put such weight in programs which are designed to predict the performance of hardware on future games? People want cards that will perform well with _future_ games! It is just a pity there arent more tools available that can provide a RELIABLE prediction of how hardware will perform with these future games.
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - link

    #90

    If you're serious enough to inquire about BF1942...why not test it using TFC? I personally enjoy the soles of my Air Nikes, but come on, Reebok? I think I'd rather buy a pair of New Balance at my local shoe wharehouse. ATi has proven itself to be capable of running today's graphically intense games, just as smooth as STEAM is running HL. Thx for the tests, ATech.
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - link

    How about benchmarking the game with Battlefield 1942? I know it isn't one of the most graphically intensive games out there, but it is one of the most popular.
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - link

    Any chance of benchmarking Soldier of Fortune 2, it may be old but still very popular online.
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - link

    No discussion of image quality for each game?
    Other sites now do this as a matter of course as it is clear that Nvidia is taking shortcuts on quality to maximize speed. Hey I own a 4600 Gold Sample so I am not an ATI zealot, but I know where my next card purchase this year is going, that is clear from all the reviews I have seen.

    I think its time you look beyond raw frame rates.
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - link

    id like to see doom 3 when available
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - link

    thanks #65\#77, that is very interesting

    it doesnt make a lot of sense as to why such scores would increase... unless it was some sort of driver 'bug'...
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - link

    #73, who in their right mind would use the PCI slot next to the AGP slot? That's a surefire way to give you graphics card trouble.
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - link

    I would suggest adding a few sports games to the mix; I myself would prefer Madden 2004. Thank you :)
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - link

    ADDD HL2

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