NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT: The Only Card That Matters
by Derek Wilson on October 29, 2007 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
The Test
For this test, we are using a high end CPU configured with 4GB of DDR2 in an NVIDIA 680i motherboard. While we are unable to make full use of the 4GB of RAM due to the fact that we're running 32-bit Vista, we will be switching to 64-bit within the next few months for graphics. Before we do so we'll have a final article on how performance stacks up between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vista, as well as a final look at Windows XP performance.
Our test platform for this article is as follows:
We've made use of a good handful of the latest games, but our format for this article is more focused on breaking out specific comparisons than the usual GPU review. We will be individually pitting the 8800 GT against the 8800 GTX, the 8800 GTS, the 8600 GTS, and the 2900 XT. We'll also take a second to look at how the 8800 GT compares against previous generation hardware. First up is our comparison with the 8800 GTS.
For this test, we are using a high end CPU configured with 4GB of DDR2 in an NVIDIA 680i motherboard. While we are unable to make full use of the 4GB of RAM due to the fact that we're running 32-bit Vista, we will be switching to 64-bit within the next few months for graphics. Before we do so we'll have a final article on how performance stacks up between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vista, as well as a final look at Windows XP performance.
Our test platform for this article is as follows:
| Test Setup | |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 |
| Motherboard | NVIDIA 680i SLI |
| Video Cards | AMD Radeon HD 2900 XT AMD Radeon X1950 XTX NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GT |
| Video Drivers | AMD: Catalyst 7.10 NVIDIA: 169.01 |
| Hard Drive | Seagate 7200.9 300GB 8MB 7200RPM |
| RAM | 4x1GB Corsair XMS2 PC2-6400 4-4-4-12 |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit |
We've made use of a good handful of the latest games, but our format for this article is more focused on breaking out specific comparisons than the usual GPU review. We will be individually pitting the 8800 GT against the 8800 GTX, the 8800 GTS, the 8600 GTS, and the 2900 XT. We'll also take a second to look at how the 8800 GT compares against previous generation hardware. First up is our comparison with the 8800 GTS.
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defter - Monday, October 29, 2007 - link
Yes it has VP2 processor for video decoding. But why would you need a fast gaming card for HTPC? Wouldn't 8400/8600 be a cheaper/cooler solution?Hulk - Monday, October 29, 2007 - link
Thanks for the reply.This card looks to be pretty cool running and when not running 3D intensive apps I'm sure power consumption and noise is really low.
So it might be nice to be able to play a little on a 52"LCD!
DerekWilson - Monday, October 29, 2007 - link
also, if you go with a less powerful card for HD HTPC you'll want at minimum the 8600 GTS -- which is not a good card. The 8800 GT does offer a lot more bang for the buck, and Sparkle is offering a silent version.spittledip - Monday, October 29, 2007 - link
Nothing like cherry picking the games... I don't understand why games like Stalker and Prey weren't tested as the 2900XT has superior performance on those titles, as well as other titles. Seems like a biased test.AssBall - Monday, October 29, 2007 - link
They didn't test The Sims2 or DeerHunter either...DerekWilson - Monday, October 29, 2007 - link
lol ... stalker and prey?we tested quake wars, which is effectively updated prey (id's engine).
and stalker runs better on nvidia hardware -- when tested properly (many people use demo flybys that point up at the sky way too much rather than fraps run throughs).
abe88 - Monday, October 29, 2007 - link
Hmmm I thought ATI's RV630 and RV610 chips both support PCI-E 2.0?Wirmish - Monday, October 29, 2007 - link
Yeah but it's not worth mentioning because theses GPU are not from nVidia.defter - Monday, October 29, 2007 - link
G92 has the same amount of SPs and MORE texturing power (twice as many addressing units) than G80. However, 8800GT card has some SPs and texture units disabled.
DerekWilson - Monday, October 29, 2007 - link
well, first, if G92 has those units disabled, then it can't claim them.second, NVIDIA would not confirm that the G92 as incarnate on 8800 GT has units disabled, but it is fair to speculate that this configuration was chosen to work out yields on their first 65nm part.