GeForce 7900 GTX Roundup - bit-tech.net Forums

Tim S · 16th Mar 2006, 09:11

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...roundup/1.html

Petor · 16th Mar 2006, 10:46

nice article

pity my moniter only likes 1024x786, gets fuzzy abouve that, so for now im happy with my 6600gt OC

Ab$olut · 16th Mar 2006, 10:54

very good artical better than others ive read and just look at the dod:source results can't wait till I get my hands on one of these babies.

Dr. Strangelove · 16th Mar 2006, 12:23

I read this rather quickly, so I might have missed it. But did you do all of these benchmarks in SLI/Crossfire or none of them?

BioSniper · 16th Mar 2006, 12:29

Well, looks like Nvidia are still failing to pull back their crown, considering the ATI is cheaper and about the same performance (1-5fps doesnt make too much of a difference) I know which I'd rather have (plus X1900 XTX sounds cooler)

sadffffff · 16th Mar 2006, 12:30

im sorry, but you really dont provide me with much of a comparison here... i actually laughed when i started seeing "PAAA" and "QAAA" "16xHQPQXAA" i dont know what these mean and i dont know which one is better over another. try running your cards at the same resolution and settings so i can know which one is better than the other

its unrealistic to try to show me what settings i can run a game at, because then i would have to have your exact system. which most people dont. so i would like to know what card is faster than another card.

off to anandtech again..

edit: although i must say, i love the indepth architectural explanations! and archi differences. dont see that at other sites

Hamish · 16th Mar 2006, 12:52

try reading the comments underneath the pretty pictures...
fps-wise they seem to be very similar but the ATi cards are able to run at higher image quality settings for the most part (except in opengl games)

Tim S · 16th Mar 2006, 13:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Strangelove

I read this rather quickly, so I might have missed it. But did you do all of these benchmarks in SLI/Crossfire or none of them?

We had some issues with dual cards and we're waiting for a replacement motherboard. We'll do some SLI/CrossFire evaluation in another article when we've fixed the issue.

Tim S · 16th Mar 2006, 14:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadffffff

im sorry, but you really dont provide me with much of a comparison here... i actually laughed when i started seeing "PAAA" and "QAAA" "16xHQPQXAA" i dont know what these mean and i dont know which one is better over another. try running your cards at the same resolution and settings so i can know which one is better than the other

its unrealistic to try to show me what settings i can run a game at, because then i would have to have your exact system. which most people dont. so i would like to know what card is faster than another card.

off to anandtech again..

If you read the test setup page and also the text underneath the results, you'll get a grasp of what to expect from each particular card. There is an explanation for PAAA/QAAA/TSS AA/TMS AA etc on the test setup page.

In short, Adaptive AA = ATI's transparent antialiasing algorithm and Transparency AA = NVIDIA's transparenty antialiasing algorithm. If you want comparisons of what is what, check the differences here.

As we've discussed on the test setup and quality pages, it's impossible to have a 'pissing match' with graphics cards these days, because that doesn't tell you what the best graphics card is. It just tells you what the fastest is. Fastest doesn't equal best if image quality is a concern.

If you enjoy reading anand's reviews, I can't stop you... I personally find them a little boring, but that's just a personal opinion. My favourite apples-to-apples read is probably The Tech Report.

Da Dego · 16th Mar 2006, 14:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadffffff

im sorry, but you really dont provide me with much of a comparison here... i actually laughed when i started seeing "PAAA" and "QAAA" "16xHQPQXAA" i dont know what these mean and i dont know which one is better over another. try running your cards at the same resolution and settings so i can know which one is better than the other

its unrealistic to try to show me what settings i can run a game at, because then i would have to have your exact system. which most people dont. so i would like to know what card is faster than another card.

off to anandtech again..

edit: although i must say, i love the indepth architectural explanations! and archi differences. dont see that at other sites

sadfffff, I'm a bit disheartened to hear you say that. You've been a member of these boards for some time. Though I understand that you have never 'liked' the apples to oranges comparisons that Tim does, I would think you would take the time to actually read the page labeled 'Test' that displays all the info you just talked about. About the only thing we could do further would be to link to the individual articles where Tim has explained in great detail about each of these features (some in groups of image quality articles, others in individual graphics card reviews with the relevant hardware).

I don't mean to sound like a grump, but we have covered multiple times why we don't just run everything at the same resolution and give you a fraps score...the 'best playable' gives you all of that information and more. If you're running at 1280x1024, for example, you know that the card can comfortably handle 1600x1200 with all details and still achieve an average frame rate of 45...that tells you it will comfortably exceed your current needs.

The idea of just throwing out a table of fraps scores at the same settings across the board is an overly simplistic way of looking at the cards, as both ATI and NVidia have their strengths and weaknesses in what can or cannot be enabled at what resolution based on architectural intricacies. If you prefer that approach, it looks like anandtech will continue to get the second part of your review reading. I do hope you at least enjoy the fact that we attempt to provide a much more technologically considerate method of testing, even if (for whatever reason) you cannot extrapolate what you need from it.

EDIT: Also, you often need very little of the 'exact system' to play at these settings. Most games are much more GPU than CPU limited these days. But even if that were true, it would then make ANY information useless, as we could say you get this speed at this resolution, but it's meaningless because you don't have our exact system...your mileage would vary and no review would be worth anything, no matter how it was done.

Tim S · 16th Mar 2006, 14:27

We do have something a little 'different' in the pipeline - look out for the next review which will change things a little. It's not quite apples to apples, but it's limiting some more factors and hopefully simplifying things a little more. I do appreciate your feedback, but most of the information we've referred to in this article has been covered before.

Marquee · 16th Mar 2006, 14:57

I still dont know why people are going crazy over the 7900GTX. I cant even sell my 7800GTX no more. I understand the 7900s are better but I was hoping twice as good as a 7800GTX. In the past we have seen that top of the line cards normaly are twice as better then the card before them. Well I guessing we are going to have to wait till the quad SLi is benched so we can see exactly how powerful the 7900GTX can be.

Neoki · 16th Mar 2006, 15:10

Wait until the g80's to come then we shall shine

perplekks45 · 16th Mar 2006, 17:05

Yea and then you'll say like "wait for G90..."

Naw, I'm kinda disappointed by the performance as the gap between G70 and G71 ain't as big as I hoped for. It's an outstanding card don't get me wrong but for me as nVidia fan boy it 'hurts' to admit that ATI got the better cards out at the moment.

And I just got reminded how much I love Germany... Sparkle the only one available... What about BFG, XFX, eVGA? Not even a delivery date? Sure... what if I actually had the money? I'd be pwned by non-availability as always.

And Biggels I do like the way you test.

EK-MDi · 16th Mar 2006, 17:18

It's a shame that long-awaited 7900s still can't do HDR and Anti-Aliasing at the same time

. Now I have to wait more for the perfect SLi setup. Oh well. Even though I could just opt for the Crossfire side of things, let's just put it as: I hate the damn thing and I think it's a stupid idea.

Tim S · 16th Mar 2006, 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by EK-MDi

It's a shame that long-awaited 7900s still can't do HDR and Anti-Aliasing at the same time

.

As I said, I don't think that's the biggest issue - there are other ways to get HDR+AA to work and I'm sure NVIDIA is encouraging developers to work towards doing that. Filtering quality isn't as good as it could be, though.

ozstrike · 16th Mar 2006, 17:46

Good review, it's a bit annoying that the image quality isn't as good as it could be, but do you actually notice when you're moving?
I need a new card, as an x800xt just isn't coping anymore. I'm still trying to decide.

Tim S · 16th Mar 2006, 17:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozstriker

Good review, it's a bit annoying that the image quality isn't as good as it could be, but do you actually notice when you're moving?
I need a new card, as an x800xt just isn't coping anymore. I'm still trying to decide.

If you notice it, you'll always notice it... it's one of those things. It's only really noticeable with pebble/small stone type textures.

ozstrike · 16th Mar 2006, 17:58

The thing is, noise is quite a big factor with me, too as my PC is in my bedroom.
Also, the Nvidia Linux drivers are important, though I could work with ATI.
If you have any free time, and you don't mind (I know you've been very busy) is there any chance of some more examples of the image quality?

Tim S · 16th Mar 2006, 18:00

I'll try and get some more examples... it's quite hard with games like BF2, but I'll grab some FEAR shots if I get chance later. I'm benchmarking mid-range cards all day today.

BF2 is another one that is really bad though, so I'll try my best to get something for that game.

16th Mar 2006, 09:11	#1
Tim S Pewlius Caesar bit-tech Staff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ascot, Berks Posts: 18,021	GeForce 7900 GTX Roundup http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...roundup/1.html __________________ Tim on Twitter \| Tim's Blog \| Tim's Flickr The bit-tech Blog \| bit-tech on Twitter \| Join the bit-tech & Custom PC folding team (#35947)

16th Mar 2006, 10:54	#3
Ab$olut Supermodder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: mansfield notts Posts: 584	very good artical better than others ive read and just look at the dod:source results can't wait till I get my hands on one of these babies. __________________ http://www.dameet.co.uk 3000+ 64 venice : XFX 6800gs 256mb : 2gb cosair value ram : 120Gb maxtor : 400w silver power psu

16th Mar 2006, 12:23	#4
Dr. Strangelove Supermodder Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dundee Posts: 306	I read this rather quickly, so I might have missed it. But did you do all of these benchmarks in SLI/Crossfire or none of them? __________________ If it isn’t broken, fix it. If it is broken, mod it till it looks like it's meant to be broken.

16th Mar 2006, 12:29	#5
BioSniper I Mod, Therefore I Own Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Somewhere in the south Posts: 3,460	Well, looks like Nvidia are still failing to pull back their crown, considering the ATI is cheaper and about the same performance (1-5fps doesnt make too much of a difference) I know which I'd rather have (plus X1900 XTX sounds cooler) __________________ My Flickr :: Bit-tech Flickr Wii: 1792 1527 2926 7945 :: Xbox Live: BioSnipr :: PSN: Biosnipr

16th Mar 2006, 14:27	#11
Tim S Pewlius Caesar bit-tech Staff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ascot, Berks Posts: 18,021	We do have something a little 'different' in the pipeline - look out for the next review which will change things a little. It's not quite apples to apples, but it's limiting some more factors and hopefully simplifying things a little more. I do appreciate your feedback, but most of the information we've referred to in this article has been covered before. __________________ Tim on Twitter \| Tim's Blog \| Tim's Flickr The bit-tech Blog \| bit-tech on Twitter \| Join the bit-tech & Custom PC folding team (#35947)

16th Mar 2006, 10:46	#2
Petor Minimodder Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ballarat, Australia Posts: 21	nice article pity my moniter only likes 1024x786, gets fuzzy abouve that, so for now im happy with my 6600gt OC

16th Mar 2006, 12:30	#6
sadffffff Hypermodder Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: sadffffff Posts: 676	im sorry, but you really dont provide me with much of a comparison here... i actually laughed when i started seeing "PAAA" and "QAAA" "16xHQPQXAA" i dont know what these mean and i dont know which one is better over another. try running your cards at the same resolution and settings so i can know which one is better than the other its unrealistic to try to show me what settings i can run a game at, because then i would have to have your exact system. which most people dont. so i would like to know what card is faster than another card. off to anandtech again.. edit: although i must say, i love the indepth architectural explanations! and archi differences. dont see that at other sites

16th Mar 2006, 12:52	#7
Hamish I Mod, Therefore I Own Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: London Posts: 3,587	try reading the comments underneath the pretty pictures... fps-wise they seem to be very similar but the ATi cards are able to run at higher image quality settings for the most part (except in opengl games)

16th Mar 2006, 14:57	#12
Marquee Supermodder Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto Canada Posts: 404	I still dont know why people are going crazy over the 7900GTX. I cant even sell my 7800GTX no more. I understand the 7900s are better but I was hoping twice as good as a 7800GTX. In the past we have seen that top of the line cards normaly are twice as better then the card before them. Well I guessing we are going to have to wait till the quad SLi is benched so we can see exactly how powerful the 7900GTX can be. __________________ Project Log: Knight Rider CWC

16th Mar 2006, 15:10	#13
Neoki Hypermodder Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Lincoln Posts: 869	Wait until the g80's to come then we shall shine

16th Mar 2006, 17:05	#14
perplekks45 BSc... finally Join Date: May 2004 Location: Vienna, Austria Posts: 3,350	Yea and then you'll say like "wait for G90..." Naw, I'm kinda disappointed by the performance as the gap between G70 and G71 ain't as big as I hoped for. It's an outstanding card don't get me wrong but for me as nVidia fan boy it 'hurts' to admit that ATI got the better cards out at the moment. And I just got reminded how much I love Germany... Sparkle the only one available... What about BFG, XFX, eVGA? Not even a delivery date? Sure... what if I actually had the money? I'd be pwned by non-availability as always. And Biggels I do like the way you test. __________________ "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far." Blame it on Cheaps! [now a social group]

16th Mar 2006, 17:18	#15
EK-MDi Multimodder Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 210	It's a shame that long-awaited 7900s still can't do HDR and Anti-Aliasing at the same time . Now I have to wait more for the perfect SLi setup. Oh well. Even though I could just opt for the Crossfire side of things, let's just put it as: I hate the damn thing and I think it's a stupid idea.

16th Mar 2006, 17:46	#17
ozstrike yip yip yip yip Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Lake District, UK Posts: 2,922	Good review, it's a bit annoying that the image quality isn't as good as it could be, but do you actually notice when you're moving? I need a new card, as an x800xt just isn't coping anymore. I'm still trying to decide. __________________ Last.FM \| Flickr \| Enter the POTM! \| Blog

16th Mar 2006, 17:58	#19
ozstrike yip yip yip yip Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Lake District, UK Posts: 2,922	The thing is, noise is quite a big factor with me, too as my PC is in my bedroom. Also, the Nvidia Linux drivers are important, though I could work with ATI. If you have any free time, and you don't mind (I know you've been very busy) is there any chance of some more examples of the image quality? __________________ Last.FM \| Flickr \| Enter the POTM! \| Blog

16th Mar 2006, 18:00	#20
Tim S Pewlius Caesar bit-tech Staff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ascot, Berks Posts: 18,021	I'll try and get some more examples... it's quite hard with games like BF2, but I'll grab some FEAR shots if I get chance later. I'm benchmarking mid-range cards all day today. BF2 is another one that is really bad though, so I'll try my best to get something for that game. __________________ Tim on Twitter \| Tim's Blog \| Tim's Flickr The bit-tech Blog \| bit-tech on Twitter \| Join the bit-tech & Custom PC folding team (#35947)