Performance in Semi-Synthetic Benchmarks

Aquamark 3

A simple test, with just a pinch of version 2.0 pixel shaders, Aquamark 3 has never been a home turf for the RADEON X1000 architecture, yet the ability to effectively remove invisible surfaces and the 8 vertex processors help the Sapphire RADEON X1800 XL pass this test with dignity. The GeForce 7800 GT is just a few fps ahead in the “pure speed” mode, and the gap vanishes altogether at the “eye candy” settings.

Final Fantasy XI Official Benchmark 3

The Sapphire RADEON X1800 XL can’t win this test because it is predisposed to graphics cards with the highest fill rate. The test might be also using fixed T&L functions which are not too well emulated by the RADEON X1000 architecture.