X-bit labs

There Will Be Speed: The Clash of Modern Multi-GPU Technologies (page 20)

Category: Video

by Alexey Stepin , Yaroslav Lyssenko, Anton Shilov

[ 03/24/2008 | 05:01 PM ]

Conclusion

Having benchmarked all modern top-performance multi-chip consumer-level solutions, we have to make a disappointing conclusion: the current state of multi-GPU technologies is still far from ideal.

Multi-chip graphics systems do not ensure maximum performance even in our selection of tests whereas there are much more gaming titles available in the market these days. In other words, you can invest over $1000 to get the highest speed possible in a particular game, but there is a big chance that the speed will be no higher than with your older graphics subsystem. It may even drop. Moreover, the graphics card Nvidia positions as a replacement to the old GeForce 8800 Ultra sometimes failed to outperform the much cheaper GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB or was just insignificantly faster. The same is true for the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2, though. We can certainly call Nvidia GeForce 9800 GX2 a formal leader, but it is not 100% superior to the previous 3D flagship product.

So what can a gaming enthusiast expect from modern multi-GPU platforms offered by ATI and Nvidia? Unfortunately, it is much easier to say what he or she shouldn’t expect. And you shouldn’t expect stable and flawless operation at least with the currently available drivers. When you decide on getting yourself a pair of GeForce 9800 GX2 or ATI Radeon HD 3870/3870 X2 graphics cards, you have to keep in mind that you will not only inevitably see no performance boost in some cases, but also will have to combat system instability, freezing, visual artifacts and system overheating.

A single graphics accelerator will be a better buy in most cases, even though it may have two GPUs onboard, at least if your monitor doesn’t support resolutions beyond 1920x1200. The decision to go with ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 or Nvidia GeForce 9800 GX2 depends totally on the type of games you intend to play and on the available developer support. I would like to specifically point out Call of Juarez - Nvidia GeForce 9800 GX2 turned out the first single graphics accelerator to ensure acceptable level of gaming performance in this title with maximum level of detail settings. However, GeForce 9800 GX2 is much more expensive than ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2: $599/$649 vs. $449. It also features worse acoustic characteristics, consumes more power and dissipates more heat. However, we should also say that Nvidia’s dual-GPU product boasts broader compatibility due to Nvidia’s actively promoted “The Way It’s Meant To Be Played” initiative among computer game developers, which in the end may become a determinative factor for the consumer.

If, however, you have a 30-inch monitor that supports 2560x1600 resolution, then your choice is clear: ATI 4-way CrossFireX outperforms the similar solution from Nvidia or runs at comparable speed offering acceptable gaming performance in such titles as Battlefield 2142, BioShock, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Сompany of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. Nvidia GeForce 9800 GX2 Quad SLI platform, however, leads in Call of Duty 4, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and Tomb Raider: Legend. In other games, both quad-GPU configurations either work incorrectly or cannot provide acceptable performance in 2560x1600 resolution. So, the total score would be 5:3 in favor of AMD/ATI that offer better compatibility, scalability and fewer technical issues for the users.

All in all, the situation in the multi-GPU market didn’t really change much since the introduction of Nvidia SLI. Of course, there have been significant improvements since then but they are all of local type. From the global standpoint, all issues typical of homogeneous multi-GPU remained untouched and we tend to believe that things will hardly change dramatically in the near future, since new games requiring software optimizations will continue to come out. In other words, multi-GPU systems cannot fully mature with the current architecture.

As for Nvidia GeForce 9800 GX2, it retained all the advantages and drawbacks of Nvidia GeForce 7950 GX2 taking into account the new technologies, of course. Some of them are there because of the peculiarities of contemporary multi-GPU implementation, and some will be fixed in the future. For example, they will implement multi-monitor configurations support in SLI mode. For a gamer that has over $600 at his disposal, it is a good choice: in the worst case the card will perform at the level of a GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB, which is pretty good, and with proper driver optimizations it can even demonstrate unattainable performance. Nevertheless, those who already own a GeForce 8800 Ultra shouldn’t really hurry to computer stores just yet.

Gainward Bliss 9800 GX2 1024MB Summary

Gainward Bliss 9800 GX2 1024MB is the first 9800 GX2 graphics cards we got our hands on. It differs from the competitor solutions on the same chips only by the cooler sticker, because all these products are manufactured under Nvidia’s strict supervision on one large contract fab. On the one hand, it means that Bliss 9800 GX2 1024MB is as good as analogous solutions from other vendors, but on the other we have to state that it has no unique features that could help distinguish it among others.

Although Gainward Bliss 9800 GX2 1024MB made an overall good impression, we have to point out its very scarce accessories bundle: although GeForce 9800 GX2 boasts very high-quality HD video post-processor, the manufacturer included no software HD player, not even an HDMI cable for connection to a TV. All in all, Gainward Bliss 9800 GX2 1024MB is an excellent graphics card from the high price range, but don’t expect to get the whole bunch of goodies for your buck: a free Tomb Raider game and a pair of adapters is all you can count on.

Highs:

• Better gaming performance with software optimizations;
• Wide range of supported FSAA modes;
• Excellent quality of anisotropic filtering;
• Hardware HD video decoding support;
• Audio over HDMI support;
• PCI Express 2.0 support;
• Pretty good overclocking potential.

Lows:

• Performs at the level of Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB without software SLI support;
• Suffers from all the issues typical of contemporary multi-GPU platforms;
• Doesn’t support multi-monitor configurations in SLI mode;
• High power consumption;
• High heat dissipation;
• High level of generated noise;
• Large size;
• Heavy weight;
• Pretty scanty accessories bundle;
• High price.