Testing configuration and method
All participating graphics cards will be
tested in a system with the following configuration standards:
·
Motherboard: Intel Siler DX79SI (Intel X79
Express, LGA 2011, BIOS 0494)
·
CPU : Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition, 3.3
GHz, 1.2 V, 6×256 KB L2, 15 MB L3 (Sandy Bridge-E, C1, 32 nm)
·
CPU cooling fan : Phanteks PH-TC 14PE (2×135 mm
fans at 900 RPM)
·
Thermal surface: ARCTIC MX-4
·
System memory: DDR3 4×4GB Mushkin Redline (Spec:
2133 MHz / 9-11-10-28 / 1.65 V)
·
System hard drive: Crucial m4 256 GB SSD
(SATA-III, CT256M4SSD2, BIOS v0009)
·
Drive for programs and games: Western Digital
VelociRaptor (300GB, SATA-II, 10000 RPM, 16MB cache, NCQ) inside Scythe Quiet
Drive 3.5” HDD silencer and cooler
·
Backup drive: Samsung Ecogreen F4 HD204UI
(SATA-II, 2 TB, 5400 RPM, 32 MB, NCQ)
·
Case: Antec Twelve Hundred (front panel; three
Noiseblocker NB-Multiframe S-Series MF12-S2 fans at 1020 RPM; back panel: two
Noiseeblocker NB-BlackSilentPRO PL-1 fans at 1020 RPM; top panel: standard 200
mm fan at 400 RPM)
·
Controlling and monitoring panel: Zalman ZM-MFC3
·
Power source: Seasonic SS-1000XP Active PFC F3
1000W (with a default 120 mm fan)
·
Display: 27” Samsung S27A850D (DVI-I, 2560×1440,
60Hz)
MSI GeForce GTX 660 2 GB
Besides the
graphics cards discussed above, we also add 3 more products for the review the
first one is MSI GeForce GTX 660 2 GB and it’s included to compare with GeForce
GTX 650 Ti, to define how big the distance between them is. The second one is Sapphire
Radeon HD 7850 2 GB, which have more retail prices than GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2
GB, but this difference about pricing is not really big, so we evaluate it as a
potential competitor to GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2 GB. And finally, the third one is AMD
Radeon HD 7770 1 GB, which price is between GeForce GT 640 and GeForce GTX 650
Ti 1 GB, so including it here is easy to understand.
Sapphire
Radeon HD 7850 2 GB
As usual, to reduce the dependence of the graphics
card working performance on the base speed of the entire system, I overclock CPU
with 6 32mm cores with the BCLK frequency set at 125 MHz and “Local-Line
Calibration” enabled at 4.625 GHz. The processor Vcore increases up to 1.49 V in
the motherboard’s BIOS:
The Hyper-Threading tech is allowed to run.
The 16-GB DDR3 system memory works at 2-GHz frequency with the timing
parameters of 9-10-10-28 and voltage of 1.65 V.
The test took place on December 25th,
2012, based on the Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 OS with the updated
readings and driver as of that date as following:
·
Drivers Intel Chipset 9.3.1.1009 WHQL for the chipset
of the motherboard
·
DirectX End-User Runtimes
·
AMD Catalyst 12.11 Beta (9.010.8) driver from
12/02/2012 + Catalyst Application Profiles 12.11 (CAP2) for the AMD graphics
card;
·
Driver Nvidia GeForce 310.70 Beta dated
12/04/2012 for the Nvidia graphics card
To perform the
test session for the GeForce GTX 650 Ti products, we decide to choose only 1
resolution, which is 1,920x1,080 pixels, controller that supports this
resolution is only sold for several GeForce GTX 650 Ti graphics cards. This
graphics card is not suitable for higher resolution because the performance is
insufficient, and any resolution under 1,920x1,080 pixels has absolutely no
problem for all testing products.
The test is performed with 2 different
image modes: “Quality+AF16x”, default image quality with driver that allows the
16x image-aliasing filtering process and “Quality+AF16x+MSAA 4 (8)x”, allowing
16x image-aliasing filtering process and 4x and 8x full screen if the average
frame rate is enough to experience the games comfortably. We also allow the
anisotropic-filtering process and image-aliasing filtering process while
installing games. If this corresponding request is not enough, we will change
them in Control Panels, Catalyst and GeForce driver. Here, we also deactivate Vsync.
There are no other changes in drivers setting folder.
The list of games and apps in this test
sessions consists of 2 rows of common systematic standard and 15 latest games
coming in various genres with the latest updated version as of the beginning of
the test session:
·
3DMark Vantage (DirectX
10) – version 1.0.2.1, Performance and Extreme profiles (only basic tests)
·
3DMark 2011 (DirectX
11) – version 1.0.3.0, Performance and Extreme profiles
·
Unigine Heaven Demo (DirectX 11) – version 3.0, maximum graphics quality settings,
tessellation at “extreme”, AF16x, 1280x1024 resolution with MSAA and
1920x1080 with MSAA 8x
·
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (DirectX 11) – version 1.6.02, Enhanced Dynamic DX11 Lighting
profile with all parameters manually set at their maximums, we used our custom cop03
demo on the Backwater map
·
Metro 2033: The Last Refuge (DirectX 10/11) - version 1.2, maximum graphics quality
settings, official benchmark, “High” image quality settings; tessellation, DOF
and MSAA4x disabled; AAA aliasing enabled, two consecutive runs of the
“Frontline” scene
·
Just Cause 2 (DirectX
11) - version 1.0.0.2, maximum quality settings, Background Blur and GPU Water
Simulation disabled, two consecutive runs of the “Dark Tower” demo
·
Aliens vs. Predator (2010) (DirectX 11) – Texture Quality “Very High”, Shadow Quality “High”,
SSAO On, two test runs in each resolution
·
Lost Planet 2 (DirectX
11) – version 1.0, maximum graphics quality settings, motion blur enabled,
performance test “B” (average in all three scenes)
·
Sid Meier’s Civilization V (DirectX 11) – version 1.0.1.348, maximum graphics quality settings,
two runs of the “diplomatic” benchmark including five heaviest scenes
·
Total War: Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai (DirectX 11) – version 1.1.0, built-in benchmark (Sekigahara battle)
at maximum graphics quality settings and enabled MSAA 4x in one of the test
modes
·
Crysis 2 (DirectX
11) – version 1.9, we used Adrenaline
Crysis 2 Benchmark Tool v.1.0.1.14. BETA with “Ultra High”
graphics quality profile and activated HD textures, two runs of a demo recorded
on “Times Square” level
·
Hard Reset Demo (DirectX
9) – benchmark built into the demo version with Ultra image quality settings,
one test run
·
Batman: Arkham City (DirectX 11) – version 1.2, maximum graphics quality settings,
physics disabled, two sequential runs of the benchmark built into the game
·
Battlefield 3 (DirectX
11) – version 1.4, all image quality settings set to “Ultra”, two successive
runs of a scripted scene from the beginning of the “Going Hunting” mission 110
seconds long
·
DiRT Showdown (DirectX
11) – version 1.0, built-in benchmark at maximum graphics quality settings
(“Ultra” preset) on the “Nevada” track
·
Nexuiz (DirectX 11)
– version 1.0, Ultra settings, double run of the in-built benchmark with High
and Ultra profiles
·
Sniper Elite V2 Benchmark (DirectX 11) – version 1.05, we used Adrenaline
Sniper Elite V2 Benchmark Tool v1.0.0.2 BETA with maximum
graphics quality settings (“Ultra” profile), Advanced Shadows: HIGH, Ambient
Occlusion: ON, Stereo 3D: OFF, two sequential test runs
·
Sleeping Dogs (DirectX
11) – version 1.5, we used Adrenaline
Sleeping Dogs Benchmark Tool v1.0.0.3 BETA with maximum image
quality settings, Hi-Res Textures pack installed, FPS Limiter and V-Sync
disabled, two consecutive runs of the built-in benchmark with quality
antialiasing at Normal and Extreme levels
·
F1 2012 (DirectX
11) – update 9, we used Adrenaline
Racing Benchmark Tool v1.0.0.13 with “Ultra” image quality
settings during two laps on Brazilian “Interlagos” race track with 24 other
cars and a drizzling rain; we also used “Bonnet” camera mode
·
Hitman: Absolution (DirectX
11) – version 1.0, built-in test with Ultra image quality settings, with
enabled tessellation, FXAA and global lighting
If the games
allow recording the smallest fps readings, they will also be performed on the
graph. We perform each gaming test or system benchmarking at least 2 times, but
only when the differences between 2 times doesn’t exceed 1%. If it exceeds 1% we
will perform the test at least one more time to have the repeat of the result.
