Benchmark Results: Crysis, Unreal Tournament 3
3D Games: Crysis, Unreal Tournament 3
We start out with one of the most hardware-demanding games currently available. It’s no surprise that even when overclocked, our $500 System, with its single $110 graphics card, is unable to offer playable performance when running the maximum DirectX10 at very high details. These settings are better suited for the more capable GPU solutions found in the $1,500 and $4,500 machines.
After adding even more demands to the GPU by enabling 4x AA, our $500 build begs for mercy. Not even the lowest resolution tested is even close to being playable. At 1920x1200, both setups were full of pauses and seemed to be starving for more memory.
Taking a look at more realistic Crysis settings for this system comprising 1680x1050, no AA, and all medium details, the $500 PC averaged 32.98 FPS at stock speeds and 46.62 FPS once overclocked, which represented a 41% boost. At 1280x1024, no AA, and all high details, it managed 30.17 FPS stock and 38.71 FPS once overclocked, for a 28% increase in performance. We would call this a successful overclock at both these playable settings.
Unlike Crysis, in Unreal Tournament 3 we see the $500 PC offering very playable performance at the highest detail levels. Looking at the results, it would seem things were quite CPU-limited with the E2180 at its stock 2.0 GHz clock speed. Once overclocked, we see huge gains in performance with a drop in speed at the highest resolution showing the GPU becoming the limiting factor.
At 1280x1024, the 2.0G Hz E2180 was indeed the limiting factor in our testing, since enabling 4x AA and 8x AF had no effect on the frame rates. Things quickly change as we up the resolution and increase the demands on the 8800GT. Even when enabling eye candy, the $500 machine does well at all resolutions and we again see significant gains with our overclocking efforts.
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Looking at the three systems that TH has put together for these reviews:
All the CPU's are of INTEL, does this mean that AMD is not an economical option in any of these price/performance brackets?
obviously not, this test is for price/power. if economy was a big factor in these reviews then im sure an amd proc would of gone in this computer.most likely not the super pc tho
It means that AMD simply isn't giving a decent power
rice ratio. As good as some of the chips AMD has released they just don't quite get there in terms of what you're paying for in comparison
Surely (as suggested in the article as an alternative) an X2 6000 which is already a 3ghz CPU would be a better long-term bet than a heavily overclocked Intel?
I woud have thought that for those with only $500 to spend, they would also be looking for years of stability rather than ultimate raw speed /shrug
Kyzarvs> well said. The conclusion I got, was there is nothing out there for $500 and you'll have to overclock.
What if you don't want to overclock?
Would anyone here play games at 800x600 to get a good frame rate with high detail. For some parts of crysis I did. guess what - it was still a great game.
well said, waxdart.
cheers,
bill
p.s. stuff and nonsense: http://www.eupeople.net/forum
Well AMD can't compete with Intel at the low because of:
However the choice of a E2180 is a bit stupid IMHO.
Bob
Kyzarvs> well said. The conclusion I got, was there is nothing out there for $500 and you'll have to overclock.What if you don't want to overclock?Would anyone here play games at 800x600 to get a good frame rate with high detail. For some parts of crysis I did. guess what - it was still a great game.
Well put it this way, Would you Spend £250/$500 to run Games @ 800x600 And then be outrun by something even cheaper in the next couple of months?
You have to look at it this way;
Spend Money on a good PC that will Outrun for months/year.
Or Spend a little amount on a PC; which you can overclock to the max and then buy another pc for a little amount once it has been outrun?
Great review guys,
Gareth.
How much are motherboard's?