Quake 3: Arena Performance

Quake 3 remains the de facto 3D game benchmark here at SE, and due to its highly repeatable results, it is still one of the best methods of comparing different video cards. In this test suite we match up the MSI G4Ti4600-VTD against the other NVIDIA cards using version 1.30 and the included demo Four. Quake 3 benchmarks were run with the default Normal (16-bit) and High Quality settings, as well as ramping up the detail levels to maximum in our special MAX setting.

As with all game benchmarks, we're really not testing Quake 3 performance here, but using the benchmark as a consistent measuring stick between different video cards. So keep an eye on the relative performance of the tested cards, in addition to the basic framerate scores.

The Quake 3 Normal detail setting shows the cards bunching up at the lower resolutions, with true separation occurring only at 1280x1024 and 1600x1200. The difference between the GeForce4 Ti and GeForce3 start to become very apparent at the highest resolution.

The High Quality setting continues the above trend, with a faster split between the cards, and although actual fps differences are lower, the relative space between cards remains very consistent.

At Quake 3 MAX it is much the same story, with the MSI G4Ti4600-VTD taking it to the lower-speed models and providing some incredibly high framerates at 1600x1200. Due to the increased framerate stagger, this chart is easier to read and use to differentiate between the various cards.

3DMark 2001SE Pro 32-bit Performance

MadOnion's 3DMark 2001SE Pro is a popular 3D benchmark tool, and one that many gamers use to compare performance results. All benchmark testing was performed in 32-bit mode, with Pure Hardware T&L/DirectX support.

You may not be able to play 3DMark 2001SE, but it is a great benchmark to demonstrate the performance levels of various 3D cards. The individual scores are highly indicative of game benchmark performance and you can see a tight delineation between each of the boards. As expected, the MSI G4Ti4600-VTD posts some very impressive 3DMarks.