Specifications, power consumption, the tests

Spécifications

Note once again that the dual GPU cards tested here are the equivalent of a single 512 MB and not a 1 GB card!

Power consumption and noise

We evaluated the power consumption of the different cards. Measurements were taken at the wall socket. This is therefore the total power consumption of the power supply, in this case a Cooler Master Real Power M1000 (1000 watt).


Use of the 55 nanometer process and PowerPlay in order to reduce consumption means the Radeon HD 3870 as well as the X2 are very economical in stand-by; however, in load PowerPlay no longer gives the Radeons this advantage.

The GeForce 9800 GTX consumes more than the GeForce 8800 GTS 512 MB which is only logical given the higher frequencies. On the other hand, consumption is 30 watts lower compared to the GeForce 8800 Ultra. Given that a GeForce 8800 GTX generally needs 20 watts less than an Ultra, there hasn’t been much progress here.

Note that the GeForce 9800 GX2 is Hybrid Power compatible and can therefore be entirely turned off when used in a system compatible with this technology (such as the future nForce 780a for AMD processors). We will have to wait for this summer until a similar alternative arrives for the Core 2.

In terms of noise, the GeForce 9800 GTX is still discreet in stand-by but is noisier than a GeForce 8800 GTX or Ultra in load. The fan turns noticeably faster or at least airflow seems to be louder.

The tests

In this test, we used ten games, four of which support DirectX 10. Tests were carried out only in 1920x1200 as a lower resolution isn’t generally suited for such a high end product. Anisotropic filtering and HDR were activated in all cases when available in the game. Finally, transparency/adaptive anti-aliasing were activated in multisampling mode.

Of course, all updates to Windows Vista relative to performance were installed.

Configuration

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770
Asus P5E3
2 GB DDR3 1066
Windows Vista
Forceware 174.53
Catalyst 8.3

Enemy Territory : Quake Wars

Enemy Territory : Quake Wars

While Quake Wars is based on the Doom 3 engine, it has undergone some evolution such as megatexturing which facilitates the work of artists; however, there is the additional cost in terms of decoding and access to megatextures. In the end, Quake Wars is a little more resource heavy than Doom 3 or Quake 4.

We saved a demo in a sequence versus 4 bots. Given that artificial intelligence was not calculated in the timedemo, results were less affected by the CPU than in actual gameplay or at least in this case versus our bot adversaries.

All parameters were set to a maximum in the game including 16x anisotropic filtering. The patch 1.2 was used.


In this first game test, the GeForce 9800 GTX finishes at the same level as the 8800 Ultra without anti-aliasing and is equal to the 8800 GTX with this filter.

Half Life 2 Episode 2

Half Life 2 Episode 2

Still based on the Source Engine, Half Life 2 Episode 2 doesn’t really have anything new on the technological level. It simply optimizes and more heavily relies on the engine’s capabilities, making the game more resource heavy than its previous versions. We carry out a demo with all game options set to a maximum including anisotropic filtering which is in 16x.


In Half Life 2 Episode 2, the GeForce 9800 GTX does a little better and is equal to the 8800 Ultra with anti-aliasing and is 10% ahead without.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

We carry out an identical movement and measure the framerate with fraps. The test was done in high quality, complete dynamic lighting, maximum details (anisotropic filtering 16x) and foliage shadows. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. uses an engine based on differed rendering, which is fundamentally incompatible with MSAA and makes the use of anti-aliasing impossible – or at least this is what we thought! Despite everything, Nvidia ended up finding a solution. The 1.00005 patch was used.


The GeForce 9800 GTX places with the GeForce 8800 GTX. With FSAA 4x activated via Nvidia drivers, memory use increases while it was already very high from the start. For this reason, cards equipped with only 512 MB, and therefore the 9800 GTX, are left behind. AMD does not support anti-aliasing in this game.

Rainbow Six : Vegas

Rainbow Six : Vegas

The first PC game based on the Unreal Engine 3.0, Rainbow Six : Vegas is still a very resource heavy game. We measure performances in the introductory scene. The HDR mode is activated as it is more or less obligatory as without it banding is very noticeable. Shadows are set to “low” because a higher quality in this domain lowers performance too much in certain areas.


Originally designed for the Xbox 360, this game seems to have a natural affinity for the Radeon HD which has a similar architecture to the game console’s graphic chip. The GeForce 9800 GTX is once again equivalent to the 8800 Ultra without anti-aliasing and behind with this filter.
The game does not support anti-aliasing but Nvidia has implemented it to drivers as it has done with Oblivion. This is contrary to AMD who unfortunately didn’t make this effort.

Oblivion

Oblivion

We saved a specific movement in order for it to be always identical and the test reproducible. Of course, HDR was activated.


Here the GeForce 9800 GTX is equal to the GeForce 8800 Ultra with anti-aliasing.

Colin McRae DIRT

Colin McRae DIRT

To test Colin McRae‘s latest opus which is very resource heavy we carried out a well defined sequence in high quality mode. Note that the activation of anti-aliasing is highly recommended given the way menus are rendered and because post processing effects amplify aliasing. The patch 1.2 was used.


Very demanding in terms of calculation power, in Colin McRae DIRT the GeForce 9800 GTX places slightly ahead of the 8800 Ultra.

Bioshock

Bioshock

The first game based on the Unreal Engine 3.0 to support DirectX 10, Bioshock has great graphics even in DirectX 9 mode while it is less resource heavy than Rainbow Six : Vegas. We carry out a well defined sequence of movement with all options pushed to a maximum.


In DirectX 9 mode, the new arrival finishes behind the GeForce 8800 GTX whether it’s with anti-aliasing or without.

Like with Rainbow Six: Vegas, Nvidia allows the activation of anti-aliasing for this game which doesn’t normally support it. AMD also does this, or at least attempts to because it is not functional with the Radeon HD 3870 X2 and isn’t too effective with the Radeon HD 3870.


In DirectX 10 mode, performances improve significantly and the GeForce 9800 GTX comes close to the 8800 Ultra without anti-aliasing and with this filter it is behind the 8800 GTX.

Note that it is not yet possible to activate anti-aliasing in DirectX 10 with AMD.

Company of Heroes

Company of Heroes

Given that Company of Heroes received a DirectX 10 patch that adds a real plus on the graphics level, we decided to add it to our test protocol. All graphic settings were pushed to a maximum except for terrain details which remained on High (Ultra mode is reserved for DirectX 10). Textures were also limited to High, because the game indicates a lack of system memory for the GeForce in DirectX 9 mode with Ultra textures.

We run the integrated test on version 1.71.


In this game, calculation power is very important and for this reason the GeForce 9800 GTX places ahead of the 8800 Ultra.



In DirectX 10, the situation is identical without anti-aliasing. With this filter, the 9800 GTX falls behind the 8800 Ultra.

World in Conflict

World in Conflict

Very resource heavy and with nice graphics, it’s only natural World in Conflict joins our test suite. We carry out the internal test with the patch 1.0002. All game options are pushed to a maximum.


In this game, the Radeons hardly shine while the GeForce 9800 GTX once again places next to the GeForce 8800 Ultra without anti-aliasing. With this filter is its equivalent to the 8800 GTX.


All cards do slightly less well in DirectX 10 mode, except the GeForce 9800 GX2, 9800 GTX and 8800 GTS 512 MB which show higher reductions in scores. This is probably due to a lack of memory bandwidth or memory because World in Conflict is very demanding in this area.

Crysis

Crysis

Of course we can’t forget Crysis and it was tested with its 1.2 patch (optimized for multi-GPU systems). We carried out the internal test in DirectX 9 High mode (forced via the addition of ‘’–dx9’’ behind the executable) and in DirectX 10 Very High.


While the GeForce 9800 GTX is ahead of the 8800 Ultra without anti-aliasing, once the filter is activated the drop in performances is more significant.


With all details pushed to a maximum and in DirectX 10, the GeForce 9800 GTX is equivalent to the 8800 GTX; however, the lack of memory means a big drop in performances with anti-aliasing. Either way, this mode remains inaccessible whatever the card.

Recap of performances

Recap of performances

Although individual game results are interesting, we calculated a performance index based on all tests with the same weight for each game. A score of 100 was given to the GeForce 8800 GTX in 1920x1200.


These scores effectively represent results obtained in numerous games. We can see the GeForce 9800 GTX is roughly equivalent to a GeForce 8800 Ultra without anti-aliasing and a GeForce 8800 GTX with this filter. Compared to the GeForce 8800 GTS 512 MB, there is an average gain of 8%.

Note that results from Rainbow Six : Vegas, Bioshock and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. were taken into account here and therefore Radeon scores were affected by the 0’s obtained in these games.


In DirectX 10, and therefore with games / options that are generally more demanding, the GeForce 9800 GTX showed lower performances and thus finishes between the GeForce 8800 GTX and Ultra. On the other hand, with anti-aliasing it is significantly behind the GeForce 8800 GTX.

Note that results from Bioshock were taken into account here and therefore Radeon scores were affected by the 0’s obtained in these games.

Conclusion

Conclusion

By continuously offering the strict minimum compared to the competition and also coming close to the acceptable limit in playing with product names, Nvidia ends up disappointing us. The fact that GeForce 8 architecture is still very efficient is probably the source of the problem. Almost 18 months after its introduction, it continues to have the lead in terms of performances as AMD has not yet been able to produce a more powerful GPU than the G80 which equipped the first GeForce 8800s.

For this reason, Nvidia has not seen the interest in aggressively developing a higher performance GPU. In the meantime, they are content with the G92, a more economically efficient version which enables reducing production costs while at the same time improving profitability. In parallel, marketing and sales need new products despite everything else, and therefore there was the creation of the GeForce 9 line. This new family doesn’t offer anything new compared to GeForce 8s other than the catchy name.


Without a new high end GPU, we could have thought that Nvidia wouldn’t launch a x800 GTX type graphic card in the GeForce 9 line, because even if there is nothing new in terms of functions, we would have expected higher performances from a product in April 2008 than in November 2006. Nvidia first of all opted for a dual GPU card, the GeForce 9800 GX2. To this we say, ‘’Sure, why not?’’, even if it was only half convincing due to limited memory. However, they also seemed to think that there is no limit for the company which dominates the market. Despite all else, it was decided to release a GeForce 9800 GTX without having a better adapted GPU to such a product. For this reason, we are in a situation where the GeForce 8800 GTS 512 MB is more or less renamed the GeForce 9800 GTX.

Of course, the card is slightly overclocked, has added triple SLI support and is 3 cm longer, but the 8% gain in performances has trouble covering up this maneuver. It’s all the more so true that in the end the "new generation" card is sometimes behind the GeForce 8800 GTX in complex situations given memory limited to 512 MB and to a 256 bit bus versus 768 MB and 384 bits. You may have gathered that even if the performances/price ratio is well in the average, the GeForce 9800 GTX seems like a bad April Fool’s Day joke to us…