GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 AM2+/AM3 Motherboard Review | ||
| by MAC | July 27, 2009 | ||
| Gaming Benchmarks Gaming BenchmarksFuturemark 3DMark06 The Futuremark 3DMark series has been a part of the backbone in computer and hardware reviews since its conception. The trend continues today as 3DMark06 provides consumers with a solid synthetic benchmark geared for performance and comparison in the 3D gaming realm. This remains one of the most sought after statistics, as well as an excellent tool for accurate CPU comparison, and it will undoubtedly be used for years to come.  In 3DMark06, the overclocked configuration boasts a solid 22% lead over the stock clocked system. This is an impressive improvement when you consider that it was achieved solely through an increase in CPU clock speed and memory bandwidth. Let's see if the gains are as prominent on Futuremark's latest gaming benchmark... Futuremark 3DMark Vantage You asked for it, so we have finally included 3DMark Vantage, Futuremark’s latest release in their renowned line of 3D benchmarking software. This latest DX10-only 3DMark comes with a variety of presets, but for our tests will be use the standard Performance preset which is suitable for a much greater range of system specifications than the other more demanding presets.  In 3DMark Vantage, there is a 28% gain in the CPU score, but only a 10% increase in the overall score. This is to be expected since Vantage is a heavily GPU-dependent benchmark. Can we expect similar results in actual games? Let's find out... Far Cry 2 Far Cry 2 is the hot new new first-person shooter from Ubisoft's Montreal studio, and the first game to utilize the new visually stunning Dunia Engine, which will undoubtedly be used by numerous future games. Using the included Benchmarking Tool, we ran the Long Ranch demo in DX10 mode at 1680x1050 with all settings set to very high.  Our overclocked configuration makes some impressive gains in Far Cry 2, with a 15% boost in average frame rates and a 20% increase in the all-important minimum frame rate. World in Conflict One of the most visually stunning real-time strategy games in recent history, World in Conflict can really push systems to the brink, which is what we attempt by running the game in DirectX 10 mode at 1680x1050 with all settings maxed out. For this test we used the in-game benchmarking tool.  Clearly, processing power matters a LOT in World in Conflict, even when all the graphics settings are maxed out. There is a staggering 77% difference in the minimum framerate between the stock and overclocked configurations, and that's no fluke. There is also a solid 19% increase in the average framerate. Left 4 Dead Left 4 Dead is the latest disorienting, fast-paced zombie apocalypse mega-hit from Valve. L4D uses the latest version of the Source engine with enhancements such as multi-core processor support and physics-based animation. We test here at 1680x1050 with in-game details set to their highest levels, with MSAA 4X and AF 8X. For benching, we used a pre-recorded 20 minute timedemo taken on the No Mercy campaign during The Apartments mission.  As always we end with Valve's multiplayer Zombie mega-hit. The Source engine is known for its strong CPU scaling, and the overclocked configuration achieved a significant 24% higher average frame rate then at stock.         | ||
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