Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Performance

For Splinter Cell, we used the SM3.0 path this time around since all but one of the cards we tested support it. The X850 XT was sent down the SM1.1 path and we list its score at 1600x1200 in our bar graph, but the numbers are not included in the resolutions scaling chart/table. All the SM3.0 features of SC:CT are enabled for this test as well.

For our first test, the 7800 GTX maintains a consistent advantage over the X1800 XT.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Performance

With AA, we see the X1800 XT perform exactly on par with the new 7800 GTX 512, while the X1800 XL performs on par with the 7800 GTX. Again the ATI parts seem to be more resilient when it comes to AA, but the NVIDIA parts remain competitive by sheer brute force.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Performance 4xAA



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  • nourdmrolNMT1 - Monday, November 14, 2005 - link

    i still need to figure out what to get for my Computer so i can run CSS at native res (1680*1050)

    its hard having to always scale the games.
  • ElFenix - Monday, November 14, 2005 - link

    i would assume so, seeing as how it would be a very good use of the second slot. but two slot designs don't always do that.
  • Fluppeteer - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link

    At least one picture I've seen (Ars) shows vents in the second slot backplane. The
    air seems to blow in both directions. Which is better than nothing, but I might
    still have to make some kind of ducting to stop the fans at the front of my
    case blowing into the open end of the shroud. This is one reason I prefer water
    cooling, but I'm too wary of cooking the RAM if it's not fully cooled.

    (Saving up...)
  • Fluppeteer - Monday, November 14, 2005 - link

    Good review, good to see some high(er) resolutions being benchmarked.
    Thanks for the efforts, people.

    Just wondering, have any of the cards other specs changed? Is it still
    one dual-link and one single link DVI (the latter run from the chip,
    the former from external SiI parts)? (Since the 512MB 6800Ultra was dual
    link and the Quadro FX4500 is dual dual link, I thought I'd check.) I'm
    still hoping someone will get around to testing the G70's DVI quality on
    the single link output for me, since the issue with the 6800.

    I don't suppose nVidia took the opportunity to stick some of SiI's
    HDCP-capable TMDS transmitters on it, did they? They're playing
    catch-up with the X1800, and it would be a good time for them to
    spend the extra few dollars on fixing it.

    I'd be quite interested in some audio measurements of the fan, too.

    Speaking of which, is the airflow actually useful with the Quadro
    fan? I've got a lot of air blowing from the front of my case to the
    back, and I've suspected that the overheating issues I've seen with
    my 6800 are because the card's fan is fighting the case airflow
    (for some reason nVidia's fans seem to blow the wrong way round).

    --
    Fluppeteer
  • Sunbird - Monday, November 14, 2005 - link

    So how bad does this spank my 5900XT? :P
  • bob661 - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link

    I had one of those. You might be able to dig up an early benchmark on the 6600GT that will show how it compares to the 5900XT.
  • bob661 - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link

    quote:

    benchmark on the 6600GT that will show how it compares to the 5900XT
    http://tinyurl.com/77v66">Here you go. :)
  • Griswold - Monday, November 14, 2005 - link

    Ok, if this peanut represents the 5900XT, the GTX 512 would be the size of a melon. ;)
  • viciousvee - Monday, November 14, 2005 - link

    For the price this is really for people with a "I don't care what it cost" (big) budget! Get 2 GT's (7800 ones) and call it a day. N.E ways Good article but I would like to see more benches with WOW (World of warcraft, even though they don't support SLI setup) and with 2 setups rather than one, one with the AMD 3500+ and the 57!
  • Spoonbender - Monday, November 14, 2005 - link

    You mean, get two GT's (which would cost about the same as one of these, while offering far less performance? No thanks, if I were to spend $6-700, I'd go for the faster solution. Which means this card.

    As for the rest, well, why is it relevant? AT is a hardware site, reviewing hardware. They're not benchmarking games to find "the best WoW card", they're benchmarking to find the best card overall. As for the CPU's, what would it add to a review of a card like this? Again, the purpose isn't to tell you "how many fps would you gain if you upgraded your CPU to a FX57?". It's to test this card versus the competition.

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