Test Setup
As we add more and more comparison numbers, it gets difficult to interpret the charts at a quick glance. We’re working on a way to make this easier (splitting each resolution off into a separate chart, tripling the number of charts, isn’t really the answer). In the meantime, though, I’ve tried to re-order the way cards appear this time around. The three new configurations are up top: Radeon HD 5770 in CrossFire, Radeon HD 5770, and Radeon HD 5750. Then you’ll find the products in ATI’s own stack, in order of performance. Finally, we have two cards from Nvidia: the GeForce GTS 250 (priced to compete with ATI’s Radeon HD 5750) and the GeForce GTX 260 (a Radeon HD 4870 competitor priced more aggressively than the Radeon HD 5770).
| Test Hardware | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5-750 (Lynnfield) 2.66 GHz, 8 MB L3 Cache, power-saving settings enabled Overclocked to 3.8 GHz (20 * 190 MHz) for scaling tests |
| Motherboard | Asus P7P55D Premium (LGA 1156) P55 Express chipset |
| Memory | Corsair Dominator 4GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 7-7-7-20 @ 1,600 MHz |
| Hard Drive | Intel SSDSA2MH160G2C1 160 GB SATA 3 Gb/s |
| Networking | Realtek RTC8111C, 1 Gbps |
| Graphics Cards | ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB |
| ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB | |
| ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB | |
| ATI Radeon HD 4890 1GB | |
| ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB | |
| ATI Radeon HD 4770 512MB | |
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 896MB | |
| Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 1GB | |
| Power Supply | Cooler Master UCP 1100 W |
| CPU Cooler | Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme |
| System Software And Drivers | |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 |
| DirectX | DirectX 11 |
| Platform Driver | Intel INF Chipset Update Utility 9.1.1.1019 |
| Graphics Driver | AMD Catalyst 8.66 RC6 |
| AMD Catalyst 9.9 | |
| Nvidia GeForce 191.07 | |
| Benchmark | Configuration |
|---|---|
| World in Conflict | Very High Quality Settings, No AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050/1920x1200, 2560x1600, Patch 1009, DirectX 10 |
| Very High Quality Settings, 4x AA / 16x AF, vsync off, 1680x1050/1920x1200, 2560x1600, Patch 1009, DirectX 10 | |
| Far Cry 2 | Very High Quality Settings, No AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050/1920x1200, 2560x1600, Steam Version |
| Very High Quality Settings, 4x AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050/1920x1200, 2560x1600, Steam Version | |
| Crysis | High Quality Settings, No AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050/1900x1200, 2560x1600, Patch 1.2.1, DirectX 10, 64-bit Executable |
| High Quality Settings, 4x AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050/1900x1200, 2560x1600 Patch 1.2.1, DirectX 10, 64-bit Executable | |
| Left 4 Dead | Highest Quality Settings, No AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050/1920x1200, 2560x1600, Steam Version |
| Highest Quality Settings, 4x AA / 8x AF, vsync off, 1680x1050/1920x1200, 2560x1600, Steam Version | |
| Grand Theft Auto IV | Highest Quality Settings, No AA / "High" AF, vsync off, 1680x1050/1920x1200, 2560x1600, Patch #4 |
| Stalker: Clear Sky | High Quality Setting, No AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1600, DirectX 10 lighting |
| High Quality Setting, 4x MSAA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1600, DirectX 10 lighting | |
| H.A.W.X. | Highest Quality Settings, No AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1600, AO enabled, DirectX 10/10.1 |
| Highest Quality Settings, 4x AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1600, AO enabled, DirectX 10/10.1 | |
| Resident Evil 5 | High Quality Settings, No AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1600, DirectX 10, Fixed Benchmark |
| High Quality Settings, 4x AA / No AF, vsync off, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1600, DirectX 10, Fixed Benchmark | |
| 3DMark Vantage | Performance Default, High Quality, Extreme Quality |
| Batman: Arkham Asylum | High Details, No AA / Max AF, vsync off, 1680x1050/1920x1200/2560x1600, Patch 1.1, In-game benchmark, w/ and w/o PhysX |
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Comments
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on the test setup page;
"Corsair Dominator 4GB (3 x 2GB)"
shouldn't it be 2 x 2GB?
shouldn't these cards be able to overclock well, considering how energy efficient they are?
Where's my 5830?
The procesor bottle neck test you presented is just horrible!
For reasons readers will never know is why you left out AA in some of the bottle neck tests but added AA in some the previous benchmarks. For example on page 8 testsing farcry2 had test with AAx4 but not on the CPU bottle neck test, which is what you SHOULD be tsting for!
AA/AF uses the CPU where the graphics card can't handle it and for whatever reason you will come up with to answer me, i think you are simply trying to advertise the Core i5-750 CPU as some sort of incredible cpu that doesn't need overclocking. Are you being paid to do this on purpose are are you just really that shit at making decent review?
umm AA/AF is done purely on the graphics card.
So you're saying that someone forking out small money for a mid range gfx card sees the value in supporting three monitors? Sorry but I really can't see that proposition!
And the DX11 support to me seems a red herring too. Bit-Tech gave a more luke-warm reception and I have to say that I agree with them. DX11 is hardly a sell if the card can only just keep up with the upper-mid range in DX10? Its not like DX11 is going to increase FPS.....
Bitstreaming? Don't know enough to comment!
Thanks Chris.
Another good article.
Although Intel won't want to hear your last sentence I am sure AMD wins either way.
I think that was eskimo's point .. .wasn't it? Be happy with the Q3 earnings report.
We have long know that money spent on better graphics (or a second graphics card in SLI / CF) once you have a quad core runnng at around 3Ghz (Intel i7 or AMD Phenom II) gives much better value return for gaming than anything else.
wheres the overclocking?
Its not like DX11 is going to increase FPS.....Bitstreaming? Don't know enough to comment!
There's already battleforge out there that renders using dx11 subroutines, etc thats showing increase in fps over the dx10 version. So technically, its a game that's taking advantage of a dx11 feature to get higher fps.
http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/15721/1/
@ Anonymous 13/10/2009 16:37
Perhaps some of the people "forking out small money for a mid range gfx card" are in the market purely for a 3-monitor setup that previously they'd have to use multiple cards for? I don't know.
I would buy a 5770 for an HTPC (the idle power rating / core clock look pretty good to me) but not for anything else.
shouldn't these cards be able to overclock well, considering how energy efficient they are?
Yup. They should.
Worth noting ATI cards seem to have a lot of problems with decoding video streams - in particular there is an open problem with Win7 MCE and BBC HD over satellite.
@ anon
im pretty sure one of the big selling points of dx11 is how much more efficent it is, and how it can offer incresed performance with a higher level of visual fidelity.
so having a dx11 card will most likely prove to allow for higher framerates than a game run with a higher spec dx 10 only card.
I bought this card. My x1950 bit the dust in my last move, and I need a replacement under $200. My mobo only supports a single card, and this is probably the only upgrade I'll do for 2 years or more. At that point, my CPU will likely be a bottleneck (core 2 duo 2.1ghz, overclockable to 2.8 or so).
My thoughts: Of single card setups under $200, this one seems like the best long term value. Especially overclocked, it's as powerful as anything else at this price point, and it has DX11 support. It killed me that I bought my x1950, only to have DX10 come out and instantly obsolete my card... the 5770 won't have that problem. I recognize that I'm giving up a few fps in the short term, but in the long term... this card will be competitive for a longer time in its field.
i have a 5750 and i have oc it to gpu clock 750 and memory clock to 1250 when the card is at 97 % activity the card gets up to 64C! is that dangerous and can destroy my card?
The cards are entirely overclockable dependant on your current CPU/PSU set-up. I would advise buying an aftermarket cooling system also as the card can get incredibly hot when you unleash its potential! I myself have a 5770 and agree that it is a powerful card when combo with a good processor (e.g i5 or higher) excells in performance. And as for the price tag, its also very nice to look at for around £100 for the card (Even lower for the 5750) it is a very wise investment to make for any gaming enthusiast that doesn't want to rape their wallet.