New 3DMark patch out, Nvidia still cheating in newest drivers

[Skid]

Hi,

Why not use a decent benchmark program like AquaMark 3.

Good idea:

http://www.elitebastards.com/page.php?pageid=2397&head=1&comments=1

To quote:

From the images here, it is clear that there are differences between the way
ATi and nVidia cards are rendering images in certain scenarios. However,
without a reference image it is unfair to label one image as 'right' and one
as 'wrong'. One of the AquaMark images seems to be simply a case of one card
having a brighter or higher gamma image than the other, which is in no way
going to improve performance. This may also be the case in the second
AquaMark image, but from the evaluation here it looks as if there may indeed
be more to it than a simple gamma issue.

As for the Unreal Tournament issue, this does indeed appear to be a problem
with ATi's drivers. To say it is a deliberate ploy to inflate performance
seems very harsh, as the issue appears to affect so few textures, but it is
something which has been present in ATi drivers for some time, and is
hopefully something that ATi will look into with renewed vigour now it has
been called into question. Finally, the judges are still very much out on
any potential issues with Halo until more information is presented.

Of course, there is a certain irony in nVidia using AquaMark 3 and Unreal
Tournament 2003 to show up issues with ATi drivers, seeing as both these
titles have suffered (and still appear to be suffering in the 52.16 drivers)
from incorrect rendering with nVidia drivers - Not using true trilinear
filtering in UT2003 and missing explosions, lightsources and shadows in
AquaMark. In a business that's becoming ever more cut-throat, it seems that
the trend of IHVs 'telling tales' on one another will only continue to
become more prominent over time, but as this whole exercise may have helped
to prove, maybe these companies should concentrate on getting their own
houses in order and working harder on their own drivers, rather than
micro-analysing those of the competition?

And from the follow-up article:

 

[John Lewis]

Been there and seen that, from what I could tell most bought the card with
the best looking artwork on the box

BINGO !!!!

John Lewis

 

[somnambulist]

BINGO !!!!

As opposed to buying a whitebox jobbie direct from Crucial for less than
most off the shelf suppliers charge?

 

[PB]

As opposed to buying a whitebox jobbie direct from Crucial for less than
most off the shelf suppliers charge?

Yep, most people are smarter than to buy a video card from crucial.

 

[Ben Pope]

Yep, most people are smarter than to buy a video card from crucial.

Why?

Ben

 

[somnambulist]

Yep, most people are smarter than to buy a video card from crucial.

Oh dear, smarting from a bad experience are we?

 

[somnambulist]

Why?

I've got no complaints at all personally. Best video card buy I've ever
made, was cheaper than the competition by far at the time and has been
the absolute best VFM card for me ever. Their excellent warranty
service is somewhat pointless now I've put a Zalman on the card, but as
long as they're still selling them, they'll be my next port of call for
an ATI video card.

 

[Ben Pope]

I've got no complaints at all personally. Best video card buy I've
ever made, was cheaper than the competition by far at the time and
has been the absolute best VFM card for me ever. Their excellent
warranty service is somewhat pointless now I've put a Zalman on the
card, but as long as they're still selling them, they'll be my next
port of call for an ATI video card.

In exactly the same boat myself. The card is excellent.

Ben

 

[somnambulist]

In exactly the same boat myself. The card is excellent.

PB says in an earlier post that he/she's bought a Sapphire 9600 Pro....
also made an earlier post about people buying "off brand" video cards
when there are so many reputable brands about. Now if I peel the
Crucial sticker off my 9700 Pro fan, it says Sapphire underneath and the
card is also identifed in the BIOS as a Sapphire card. And as we all
know, Sapphire make cards for ATI.

Draw your own conclusions as to the rest.

 

[Nada]

Ever been a passive observer of video-card purchasers at Fry's ?

Nope. I'm not a passive MTV generation observer. I don't even know
if Europe has Fry's.

I have spent a very amusing spare hour or so doing so.

Quite instructive. Come out of your ivory tower and try it
yourself.

John Lewis

I don't do that during my free-time. I'm standing on the top of my
XBox, not ivory tower, and play the games. I base my opionion on what
I've heard from my relatives and friends when they buy PC components.