Gearing Up For 64bit: Beta Graphics Driver Comparison

The Test

Our test platform for 64bit is the same platform that we used in our most recent 32bit reviews on the NVIDIA 6800 and ATI X800 parts, and the only thing that has changed is the software running on the hardware.

Performance Test Configuration
Processor(s):	AMD Athlon 64 3400+
RAM:	1GB OCZ PC 3200 2:2:2:6
Hard Drive(s):	Seagate 120GB 7200 RPM (8MB Buffer)
Video Card(s):	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5950 Ultra ATI Radeon 9800 XT
Motherboards:	FIC K8T800
Driver Versions:	Catalyst Beta 1 for WinXP 64 ForceWare 57.30 for WinXP 64

Again, it is important to remember that not only are we looking at beta video drivers, we are also running on a beta operating system. All of our games are 32bit games, and, as such, they will all be running within the WoW64 component of Windows (which still needs some work in the area of compatibility). Some of our games didn't work because they weren't supported by the driver, and some games didn't work because Windows couldn't handle running them. It really is hard to tell at this point what's wrong with what and where.

Two games that we really wanted to see make it into this test suite that didn't were Painkiller and FarCry. Currently, we have only been able to play around with the demo versions of Painkiller, neither of which we could get to run (though, we hear that the retail version of the game is playable). FarCry ran beautifully, and we were really excited about it. Unfortunately, one of the few things that we ran into which was less than functional was the benchmarking functionality. We couldn't record or playback any benchmarks at all.

It is also important to note that ATI and NVIDIA do not currently have drivers that support R420 and NV40 based cards under a 64bit operating system. We have asked each of them if they could provide us with a beta 64bit driver so we could run some tests on the latest and greatest hardware, but we have yet to get our hands on anything. We will definitely keep you posted.