As a baseline for this comparison, we used Windows XP SP1 with all Hotfixes up to the point of testing. The standard resolution was 1,600 by 1,200 pixels, although the 3D gaming tests were also carried out at 1,280 by 1,024 and 1,024 by 768 pixels.
In the 3D gaming tests, image quality was boosted by turning on anti-aliasing (4x AA) and anisotropic filtering (8xAF). Most users of modern graphics cards like the Nvidia Geforce 6800GT -- as used for this test -- will activate these settings, so their effect on performance is worth considering.
For this performance comparison, we selected Intel and AMD's current fastest desktop processors. Intel's Pentium 4 560 running at 3.6GHz and the 3.4GHz Pentium 4 550 feature the new Prescott core and 1MB of on-board Level 2 cache. Both P4 processors are housed in the latest D925XCV motherboard from Intel.
The Athlon 64 3800+ running at 2.4GHz and the 2.2GHz 3500+ are housed in MSI's Nforce3-equipped K8N Neo2 Platinum motherboard. Both systems have 1GB of main memory: DDR400-RAM is used in the Athlon system, while the Intel board is fitted with the new DDR2-533 RAM.
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AquaMark 3 |
Unreal Tournament 2003 3D Studio Max 6 Video Studio 8 |
6%
1%
