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 Xtasy GeForce4 Ti 4200 against the NVIDIA and ATI 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.
At the Normal detail setting, the Xtasy GeForce4 Ti 4200 128-MB board falls a bit behind the reference GeForce4 Ti 4200 64-MB card, and doesn't make up the difference even when resolutions are increased. This is an expected result, as older games like Quake 3 benefit more from raw clock speed than additional card memory. It still puts in some very good Quake 3 scores, but once we hit 1600x1200, the faster GeForce4 Ti 4400 and 4600 models start to break away.
When we move to the High Quality setting it's essentially the same scenario, with the Xtasy GeForce4 Ti 4200 128-MB placing a bit behind the 64-MB version. The differences are quite small, but still present through all resolutions.
The Quake 3 MAX scores continue along this trend, and as we move up the resolutions, the break between the 128 and 64-MB GeForce4 Ti 4200 cards continues. Once again the GeForce4 Ti 4600 shows us who's the boss, but the two Ti 4200 boards do place quite well against the Ti 4400.
