How we tested

As always, we did our best to deliver a clean set of benchmarks, with each test repeated three times and an average of those results is what we’re reporting here. In the rare case where performance was inconsistent, we continued repeating the test until we got three results that were consistent.

The tests performed are a mixture of custom in-game timedemos and manually played sections with FRAPS to record the average and minimum frame rates. We strive to not only record real-world performance you will actually see, but also present the results in a manner that is easy to digest.

Unlike the high-end cards that we test at 2,560 x 1,600 (the native resolution of a 30in TFT), we tested this budget card at 1,280 x 1,024 as well as 1,680 x 1,050 and 1,920 x 1,200. This is because we don’t expect budget cards to handle massively high resolutions. However, as 22in screens are fast becoming the norm (with resolutions of either 1,680 x 1,050 or 1,920 x 1,080, depending on their aspect ratio), running games at 1,280 x 1,024 is looking increasingly archaic and irrelevant.

Test Kit

• Intel Core i7 965 processor (3.2GHz: 133MHz x 24)
  
• Asus P6T V2 motherboard (Intel X58 Express)
  
• 6GB Corsair TR3X6G1333C9 DDR3 memory (3x 2GB, 1,333MHz, CL9)
  
• Corsair X128 SSD
  
• Corsair HX1000W PSU
  
• Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit (with Service Pack 2)
  
• Antec Twelve Hundred Chassis

ATI graphics cards

• Sapphire AMD ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB – operating at 700/4,600MHz using Catalyst 8.66 RC6 (September 11th Build)
  
• AMD ATI Radeon HD 5870 1GB – operating at 850/4,800MHz using Catalyst 8.66 RC6 (September 11th Build)
  
• AMD ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB – operating at 725/4,000MHz using Catalyst 8.66 RC6 (September 11th Build)
  
• AMD ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB – operating at 850/4,800MHz using Catalyst 8.66 RC6 (September 11th Build)
  
• AMD ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB – operating at 750/3,600MHz using Catalyst 9.9 WHQL
  
• AMD ATI Radeon HD 4890 1GB - operating at 850MHz/4,200MHz using Catalyst 9.9 WHQL
  
• AMD ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB - operating at 750MHz/3,600MHz using Catalyst 9.9 WHQL
  
• AMD ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB - operating at 625MHz/2,000MHz using Catalyst 9.9 WHQL
  
  

Nvidia graphics cards

• Nvidia GeForce GTX 295 1,792MB - operating at 576/1,242/1,998MHz using Forceware 190.38 WHQL
  
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 285 1GB – operating at 648/1,476/2,484MHz using Forceware 190.38 WHQL
  
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 275 896MB – operating at 633/1,404/2,268MHz using Forceware 190.38 WHQL
  
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 896MB – operating at 576/1,242/1,998MHz using Forceware 190.38 WHQL
  
• Nvidia GeForce 8800GT (9800GT) 512MB – operating at 600/1,500/1,800MHz using Forceware 190.38 WHQL
  

Games Tested

• Fallout 3, version 1.7 with DirectX 9.0
  
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, version 1.5.07 with DirectX 10/10.1
  
• Crysis, version 1.21 (64-bit) with DirectX 10
  
• Call of Duty: World at War, version 1.7 with DirectX 9.0