The GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition & ASUS Strix GTX 1060 Review
by Ryan Smith on August 5, 2016 2:00 PM ESTGrand Theft Auto V
The latest edition of Rockstar’s venerable series of open world action games, Grand Theft Auto V was originally released to the last-gen consoles back in 2013. However thanks to a rather significant facelift for the current-gen consoles and PCs, along with the ability to greatly turn up rendering distances and add other features like MSAA and more realistic shadows, the end result is a game that is still among the most stressful of our benchmarks when all of its features are turned up. Furthermore, in a move rather uncharacteristic of most open world action games, Grand Theft Auto also includes a very comprehensive benchmark mode, giving us a great chance to look into the performance of an open world action game.
On a quick note about settings, as Grand Theft Auto V doesn't have pre-defined settings tiers, I want to quickly note what settings we're using. For "Very High" quality we have all of the primary graphics settings turned up to their highest setting, with the exception of grass, which is at its own very high setting. Meanwhile 4x MSAA is enabled for direct views and reflections. This setting also involves turning on some of the advanced redering features - the game's long shadows, high resolution shadows, and high definition flight streaming - but it not increasing the view distance any further.
Otherwise for "High" quality we take the same basic settings but turn off all MSAA, which significantly reduces the GPU rendering and VRAM requirements.
While more often than not GTX 1060 trails GTX 980 by a couple of percent, in GTAV the tables get turned. Now GTX 1060 has the lead, albeit a trivial 1-2%. The net result is that much like its last-generation predecessor, GTX 1060 can deliver framerates in the mid-40s at 1440p, but you need to go to 1080p to average better than 60fps.
Meanwhile compared to GTX 960 we’re looking at another case where more VRAM and GPU performance improvements combine to make GTX 1060 punch above its weight. Here the new NVIDIA card outperforms the last-generation x60 card by 93%. Otherwise compared to the more powerful GTX 1070, we’re looking at about 73% of that card’s performance.
Finally, this is another game where the GTX 1060 compares very favorably to the RX 480. Here NVIDIA leads by 30%.
Shifting gears to 99th percentile framerates, the story is much the same as with the averages. GTX 1060 retains a comfortable lead over the competition and in the process stays above 30fps, even at 1440p.
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ddriver - Friday, August 5, 2016 - link
You are imagining things, I did not state that it "doesn't make me happy", nor does this implies some website determines how I feel, the very notion is stupid on its face. As for zepi and all the other "happy" campers - it is understandable, they are "happy" because reading 'in-depth" materials cultivates an illusion of being smart, and even if they don't get the just of it, they will at least memorize a few phrases to add to their fanboy internet warrior arsenal ;)The point people seem to be missing is I was not complaining about "in-depth" articles, merely stating that vendors wouldn't be too motivated to send samples if they don't get immediate publicity for their products. And this site is not about anyone's happiness but the people who bought it to cram stupid ads in our faces for profit.
Alexvrb - Saturday, August 6, 2016 - link
The whole basis of your argument is that they won't give samples to sites that "take too long". But they didn't give samples out to many sites that DO produce swift reviews, as Devo pointed out. Nice try though, I'm sure you'll find something else to whine about soon enough. I mean, uh, something else to educate us peons on. Since you're so insightful and clever.mkaibear - Saturday, August 6, 2016 - link
Oh dear. Calm down ddriver, you'll give yourself palpitations.It amuses me that you're quite happy to throw aspersions on other people's motives for liking the in-depth articles and yet don't spot the obvious counterpoint.
Ah well. I have better things to do than argue with a troll. Ta-ta!
Fujikoma - Sunday, August 7, 2016 - link
ddriver,In the matter of cultivating the illusion of being smart...
It's 'gist of it' not 'just of it'.
ddriver - Monday, August 8, 2016 - link
OK strawmen, you win because "grammar nazi" ;)BTW would love yo see your proficiency across half a dozen of languages.
Manch - Monday, August 8, 2016 - link
It's gist, not just. If you're going to stand on your pedestal of superiority mocking all the small minded peons that disagree with your all knowing word, at least use proper grammar so they do not see that the God like keyboard warrior bleeds too, you twit...ddriver - Monday, August 8, 2016 - link
Gotta love it how with your illusions threatened you cuddle together like a herd of frightened sheep, to find comfort in your numbers, and strength to try and "make a point" using your limited arsenal of insinuations, grammar nazism and personal attacks. Hopefully you do realize that this only adds further proof to my point, not that it needed any, as it is already totally obvious. Try harder next time...snowmyr - Tuesday, August 9, 2016 - link
You're right. You seem very happy.Michael Bay - Saturday, August 6, 2016 - link
>ddriver>expecting any self-awareness
at80eighty - Saturday, August 6, 2016 - link
he's explaining why your wall of whining in response to Ryan's brief & matter-of-fact answer is irrelevant. you want average/sub-par reviews? plenty of sites available.