NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 Graphic Card Test
Introduction
Life is not easy every day; the world of graphics cards is often cruel. Remember last summer, while triumphantly NVIDIA launched its GeForce graphics chips in the 200 series, the more powerful chips, but also the most complex ever produced, the success was of short duration. AMD has indeed left little time for NVIDIA to savor his victory. It must be said that with more than 1.4 billion transistors, the GeForce GTX 280 is certainly powerful, but also incredibly difficult to produce when it costs ... expensive, too expensive.
With a completely different logic, and led primarily by a desire for efficiency, AMD offered with its Radeon 4800 series of chips is less powerful but much more economical. Failing to have the graphics chip is the most powerful, AMD won the top hand on the ground of price / performance ratio. And while NVIDIA still retained the advantage on strict terms of performance, AMD drove the point with the release of Radeon HD 4870 X2, a card with graphics chips Radeon HD 4870 and providing performance far superior to the last champion NVIDIA.
Dethroned, shaky, and had been robbed of the crown performance by AMD, NVIDIA will have more than six months to respond. Today, while opening the CES in Las Vegas, NVIDIA announces the GeForce GTX 295 graphics card with two GeForce chips of the 200 series. A new monster power?
It is in the old pots ...
... That makes the best soup! NVIDIA indeed inspired the famous adage to concoct its GeForce GTX 295, which despite the name, is actually a type GX2. Like the venerable GeForce 7950 GX2 and GeForce 9800 GX2, the card loads into effect two bullets, in this case, GeForce chips the 200 series. But be careful ... Believing that the GeForce GTX 295 comes down to two GeForce GTX 280 met in a single card is incorrect. Indeed, with GeForce chips for the 200 series where the number of transistors is higher than the billion - 1.4 billion to be precise - NVIDIA engineers have to make some concessions, the parameters related to power consumption and the heat dissipation of chips sits uneasily with the concept of dual-processor card graphics.
In fact, the GeForce GTX 295 is an opportunity for NVIDIA to migrate, finally, its chips to a new manufacturing process. While the chip is currently equipping the GeForce GTX 260 and 280 are engraved in 65 nm, the two chips leading the GeForce GTX 295 are engraved in 55 nm. Thus, the chips should be less voracious energy while heating significantly less. Besides, NVIDIA plans to switch in the coming days ot its high-end cards like the GeForce GTX 280 to 55 nm with the introduction of the GeForce GTX 285. Beyond the fine engraving, the basic technical characteristics of the GeForce GTX 200 are retained as the new GeForce GTX 295 enjoys the same architecture and support for DirectX 10.
Little, however subtle, while the GeForce GTX 295 has 480 well stream processors or 240 units per chip calculation, as the GeForce GTX 280, the memory bus is the cost of some savings. Remember ... the GeForce GTX 280 models are distinguished by their 260 bus memory interface to 512 bits. Contrary to what one might expect, the GeForce GTX 295 is unfortunately just a memory bus of 448 bits per chip, thus identical to the GeForce GTX 260 and 260 +. This has a direct impact on the amount of video memory fitted to the card, the GeForce GTX 295 carrying 1 792 MB of memory or 896 MB per chip and 2 GB as we could hope again. Let us not forget that the competition, the Radeon HD 4870 X2 claims for its 2 GB of video memory ... Other economic stress, the surprising reduction in the number of ROP. While a chip GeForce GTX 280 is normally 32 ROP units, units which are responsible for recent memory operations pixels, fleas leading GeForce GTX 295 will have 28 units with ROP.
For the rest, the GeForce GTX 295 has a PCI Express second generation, it is logical, and always use a bridge. This is a smart manager 48 channels dedicated PCI-Express, whose role is to refer the complaints among the leading graphics chip GeForce GTX 295.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 Graphic Card Technical Specifications
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295: Soft touch!
As so often when it comes to graphics card with two processors, the GeForce GTX 295 is quite massive. Measuring about 27 centimeters, the card will occupy two slots in your case. Unlike AMD, which includes the two graphics chips of its Radeon HD 4870 X2 on the same PCB, NVIDIA continues to opt for a dual-PCB design. Thus, the cooling system has come between the two graphics chips and their respective PCBs. This consists of a large aluminum radiator with copper base rests on each side, both the graphics chip and memory chips. A large fan-type squirrel cage blast on the set to expel the hot air outside the system. The cooling solution used for the new GeForce can dispel almost 289 Watts, an improvement of 46% against the solution used with the GeForce 9800 GX2. More efficient ... the solution is also more noisy. While for some time NVIDIA graphics cards offers fully faired the back of the GeForce GTX 295 is naked. Note finally, and it is anecdotal, that the GeForce GTX 295 is the first graphics card ... soft to the touch! Indeed, the cover is coated with a soft-touch materials.
With a PCI-Express 16x, the card has a single SLI connector so it will draw its power for two PCI-Express: one six-pin, the other eight pins. NVIDIA engineers do not reproduce the error of the GeForce 9800 GX2 as the connectors are widely available here. Output, the card is equipped with two connectors Dual-Link DVI and HDMI connector. NVIDIA has not forgotten the SPDIF connector to retrieve the audio signal from the motherboard and put on the HDMI interface.
Finally technical side, each chip operates at 576 MHz while units shaders running at 1242 MHz GDDR3 memory at 1000 MHz: here we find the exact frequencies of GeForce GTX 260 ... The comparison with the GeForce GTX 280 is therefore out of operating frequencies lower for the GeForce GTX 295, as shown in the table below:
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 Graphic Card Perfomance
To test the performance of the latest graphics cards and especially the GeForce GTX 295 we used a recent platform, details of which appear below:
Motherboard Asus Rampage II Extreme (BIOS 0804),
Intel Core i7 920 2.66 GHz
6 GB DDR3-1066 - Corsair XMS3-1600,
RAID 0 - 2x Hard Drive Western Digital Raptor 300 GB
Our system operates on Windows Vista Ultimate Edition with Service Pack 1. It was the 64-bit operating system, since we recently migrated our test configurations to this new platform. On this machine we will test the ancestor of the GeForce GTX 295, the GeForce 9800 GX2 but the GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX SLI to 280 including the Radeon HD 4870 X2.
Drivers
Side drivers, we used the GeForce 181.20 provided by NVIDIA ... at the last minute and a new version of CATALYST 8.12 stamped 8.561.3. Indeed, the graphics division of AMD is expected to propose in the coming days with new drivers for major new accelerated multi-threaded applications with DirectX 10, the idea being to spread the workload on configurations equipped of multi-core processors. Note that the pilots did not always correct the appearance of a black screen at the end of the installation, forcing the user to reset his machine ...
Some concerns for NVIDIA drivers ...
Clearly, the holiday season have not been good for the team drivers as NVIDIA drivers that came with the GeForce GTX 295 still need a little work. So the 181.20 drivers cause crashes irregular Unreal Tournament III, while the launch of a part of Fallout 3 resulted in a systematic return to the Windows desktop. To test this last game we had to install drivers GeForce 180.87, otherwise the game was not working.
3DMark Vantage
We start this series of tests with good old 3DMark. SLI to GeForce GTX 280 is here first, followed closely by the GeForce GTX 295. The Radeon HD 4870 X2 finished third, the GeForce GTX 295 is 15% faster. Faced with the GeForce 9800 GX2, the new GeForce GTX 295 is up 89% faster in 2560x1600.
Crysis Warhead - DirectX 10 - Enthusiastic Mode
Crysis Warhead for the extension to the famous Crysis, the most powerful rest of the SLI GeForce GTX 280. And unlike 3DMark Vantage, the gap is quite significant for the SLI GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX 295. In 1920x1200, the GeForce GTX SLI of 280 is 9% faster than the GeForce GTX 295 while the gap increases to 19% in 2560x1600. And if the GeForce GTX 295 is 36% faster than the Radeon HD 4870 X2 in 1920x1200, it is tied for 2560x1600! But facing the GeForce 9800 GX2, GeForce GTX 295 is much better, especially in solving the most extreme where the GeForce 9800 GX2 is simply unusable.
Far Cry 2
The last hit Ubisoft features, like all his peers, for SLI GeForce GTX 280. The GeForce GTX 295 can not outperform the GeForce GTX duo while the Radeon HD 4870 X2, it is widely distanced in 1680x1050 and 1920x1200, claiming second place in 2560x1600. In 1680x1050, the GeForce GTX 295 is 33% more efficient than the Radeon HD 4870 X2, but at 2560x1600, the Radeon HD 4870 X2 exceeds 1.5% GeForce GTX 295. It should be noted from the poor performance of GeForce 9800 GX2, especially in 2560x1600. In 1920x1200 finally, of SLI GeForce GTX 280 displays performance 6% higher than the GeForce GTX 295.
Left 4 Dead
Surprise of the end of 2008, Left 4 Dead is based on the graphic engine of Half-Life 2. The game appears to be limited by our processor 1680x1050 and 1920x1200. In contrast, 2560x1600 SLI GeForce GTX 280 to take the lead. The Radeon HD 4870 X2 finished second with a short head to the GeForce GTX 295. But facing the new GeForce GTX 295, GeForce GTX SLI of 5 is 280% more efficient. The comparison with the GeForce 9800 GX2 revealed 21% higher performance for the newest NVIDIA in 2560x1600.
Fallout 3 - 4x AA 16x AF
For Fallout 3, we use FRAPS to measure performance. The performances here are limited in 1680x1050 and 1920x1200. It must consider the results 2560x1600 begin to observe a certain hierarchy. SLI GeForce GTX 280 to lead once again dance in front of a Radeon HD 4870 X2, which ranks second. The AMD card is 2% faster than the latest GeForce GTX 295 NVIDIA. As for the comparison with the GeForce 9800 GX2 it hurts very badly. The GeForce GTX 295 is actually three times faster in 2560x1600!
Power Consumption
On the power consumption, here measured with a clamp-meter amps, we see that the SLI GeForce GTX 280 to devour more than 400 Watts at full load! For its part, the new GeForce GTX 295 is less greedy with consumption increased by 258 Watts. It's still a little less than the Radeon HD 4870 X2 which consumes close to 297 Watts.
Re: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 Graphic Card Test
Conclusion
NVIDIA starts the year 2009 on the ground wheel, the new GeForce GTX 295 allows the firm to recover the chameleon performance crown, the title has eluded them for several months now and the release of Radeon HD 4870 X2. However, one should not be fooled and GeForce GTX 295 is a kind of trompe l'oeil that conceals badly inadequate strategy NVIDIA GPU with current realities. In designing a chip huge that the GeForce 200, NVIDIA has forgotten the rules of common sense ... And it was kind of AMD his hat its Radeon HD 4850 and 4870 for the evidence to be the performance of Architecture GeForce 200 is not unusual when the chips are extremely complex to produce. For proof, NVIDIA has not declined its architecture on the GeForce 200 mid-range segment.
Indeed, the firm has the chameleon to reduce the characteristics of the chips used in the GeForce GTX 295 and to comply with the budget of 300 Watts maximum allowed for the power of a graphics card. Therefore, despite the welcome shift to a higher fine engraving, the chips on the GeForce GTX 295 are by their technical characteristics midway between GeForceGTX 260 and GeForce GTX 280. Furthermore, we can only regret the amount of video memory, which is lower than that proposed on a Radeon HD 4870 X2. Note however that the GeForce GTX 295 offers performance close to an SLI GeForce GTX 280 for power consumption than twice, while the card enables the owners of non-platform compatible SLI to benefit from this level performance.
Meanwhile, back with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 on the scene ... but at what price and for how long? Expected around 500 euros (it is question of a starting price of 469 euros), the card is of course expensive, while its life seems frankly reduced ... 2009 promises to be the year of DirectX 11 GPU, not GPU DirectX 10! The opportunity to recall that when AMD offers DirectX 10.1 GPU, NVIDIA is confined strictly to support DirectX 10 ...
