CPU scaling with modern video cards

[Skurge]

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/cpus-and-games-2010_4.html#sect0

I know this a CPU article, but the scaling between nV and AMD cards is really interesting.
The GTX400 series keeps its minimum framerate advantage as is commonly known, but when paired with a less capable CPU it takes a much larger hit. probably drivers, but its worth discussing.

 

[Scali]

Could just be inherent to the Fermi architecture.
It's a very complex chip, so there are a lot of states to manage for the driver.
It has various things that a Radeon doesn't, such as the parallel tessellation stage, and the capability to run different shader kernels side-by-side.
It could just require more CPU power to manage it. Ofcourse it could also be that they just haven't had time to optimize for the new architecture yet, and they may be able to close the gap with previous generation GPUs in terms of CPU overhead.

 

[Lonyo]

Maybe some people will stop trying to argue that the GTX480 and GTX470 minimums are the same? We can only hope.
The GTX480 keeps its minimum FPS advantage. The GTX470 never really had one.

Shame that there are no HD5870 numbers and no numbers from any AMD CPUs (since the i7 seems to be strongest at minimum frame rates, with Core 2 and AMD processors being significantly weaker).

 

[Keysplayr]

Maybe some people will stop trying to argue that the GTX480 and GTX470 minimums are the same? We can only hope.
The GTX480 keeps its minimum FPS advantage. The GTX470 never really had one.

Shame that there are no HD5870 numbers and no numbers from any AMD CPUs (since the i7 seems to be strongest at minimum frame rates, with Core 2 and AMD processors being significantly weaker).

Not the same, no. GTX480 is a more powerful GPU, but the 470 does still hold it's own in the minimum framerate department, often catching up to the 5870's minimum framerate in many situations.

Here is the HC 470 review. http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...s/30321-nvidia-geforce-gtx-470-review-13.html

Take a look at the minimums across all the benchmarks at all resolutions, and pay attention when greater amounts of AA is used also. (not only. ALSO)

I know you're not going to see it, but I know others will. Just throwing this out there for you to dispute.
Skurge and Scali seem to be on the right track IMHO.

 

[Lonyo]

Not the same, no. GTX480 is a more powerful GPU, but the 470 does still hold it's own in the minimum framerate department, often catching up to the 5870's minimum framerate in many situations.

Here is the HC 470 review. http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...s/30321-nvidia-geforce-gtx-470-review-13.html

Take a look at the minimums across all the benchmarks at all resolutions, and pay attention when greater amounts of AA is used also. (not only. ALSO)

I know you're not going to see it, but I know others will. Just throwing this out there for you to dispute.
Skurge and Scali seem to be on the right track IMHO.

So basically the GTX470 minimums are pretty much right where they should be given its price and average performance?

 

[Skurge]

Not the same, no. GTX480 is a more powerful GPU, but the 470 does still hold it's own in the minimum framerate department, often catching up to the 5870's minimum framerate in many situations.

Here is the HC 470 review. http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...s/30321-nvidia-geforce-gtx-470-review-13.html

Take a look at the minimums across all the benchmarks at all resolutions, and pay attention when greater amounts of AA is used also. (not only. ALSO)

I know you're not going to see it, but I know others will. Just throwing this out there for you to dispute.
Skurge and Scali seem to be on the right track IMHO.

Just read that review, seems like the higher up you go, the gtx470s minimum starts falling off the 5870s tail and get closer to 5850

 

[Keysplayr]

So basically the GTX470 minimums are pretty much right where they should be given its price and average performance?

Just read that review, seems like the higher up you go, the gtx470s minimum starts falling off the 5870s tail and get closer to 5850

Like I said. "I know you're not going to see it, but I know others will."
Proabably as you're reading the graphs, you're going, "Hmmm. crap. Oh wait, nah, not that one. If I stick to 2560x16 without AA then that's where my argument would be strongest"

And you'd be right. So stick to it.

 

[Skurge]

Like I said. "I know you're not going to see it, but I know others will."
Proabably as you're reading the graphs, you're going, "Hmmm. crap. Oh wait, nah, not that one. If I stick to 2560x16 without AA then that's where my argument would be strongest"

And you'd be right. So stick to it.

Very cynical aren't you.

 

[Keysplayr]

Very cynical aren't you.

It may be a bit cynical, but frighteningly accurate.

 

[RussianSensation]

Good find. I posted the same article in the CPU forum here: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2075299