XFX GeForce 8800 GS 384MB DDR3 XXX Review

Page 4 - Test Configuration

The rest configuration picked up for us by Solytrade was to be used not only in this review, but in the upcoming NVIDIA 3-Way SLI review as well. It is possible that the processor is "too fast" for a card such as 8800 GS, so keep in mind that the results would be lower with adequate dual core or single core processor. Here are the details about our test machine:

Hardware:

• XFX 780i 3-way SLI Motherboard
• Intel QuadCore Q6600 @ 3GHz 9x333
• A-DATA DDR800 2x2GB @ 1066MHz 12-5-5-5
• 36GB Western Digital Raptor 10 000 RPM
• Corsair TX750W PSU

Software:

• Windows Vista Ultimate x86
• NVIDIA 169.25 x64 WHQL Drivers
• AMD Catalyst 8.2 WHQL Drivers

The videocards used in the tests were:

• XFX PV-T88S-FDD4 - 8800 GS Alpha Dog Edition XXX 384MB
• 8800 GS 384MB
• HD 3850 512MB

The cards in BOLD are the ones in the mid price class (abour 300 leva (~150 Euro)) for which 8800 GS is competing


• Sapphire HD 3870 X2 1GB
• Sapphire HD 3870 512MB
• Albatron 8800GT 512MB
• XFX 8800Ultra 768MB

We wanted to include 8600 GTS... again... During the review of the G92 based cards a month ago and in the following HD 3800 series review, we were unable to include the card in the review because the one we had was cooled by huge passive cooler with massive heatpipes on the back. It's radiator was overshadowing the high radiators of the Corsair XMS memory modules. Determined to include it this time i used my own memory modules - 2x2 GB ADATA - capable of higher frequencies than the mentioned Corsair and without meddling high radiators too, but this time the motherboard - XFX 780i had huge and tall radiator on the chipset that was pouching with the card. The 8600 GTS was left untouched on the table yet again.

List of tests:

• Crysis DirectX 10 SP Demo
• World in Conflict DirectX 10 Demo
• Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
• Lost Planet – Extreme Condition DX10 Demo
• Unreal Tournament 3
• Call of Juarez DirectX 10 Benchmark
• 3DMark06

We tested without any changes on the drivers of the cards, except in two cases with HD 3870 X2 in Crysis and Lost Planet, where we manually disabled Catalyst A.I. due to the intolerable artifacts. If any was done it is noted in the according test. Let the testing begin now...