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 Radeon 9700 Pro against the NVIDIA and ATI cards using version 1.30 and the included demo Four. Quake 3 benchmarks were run with the default High Quality setting, 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 High Quality setting, we see all the cards bunching up at the lower resolutions, but once we move past 1024x768, the Radeon 9700 Pro starts to really stretch its legs. At 1280x1024 it is well ahead of the GeForce4 Ti 4600 and puts in an incredible 223 fps mark at 1600x1200.
In Quake 3 MAX benchmarking, the above scenario really doesn't change much, but the Radeon 9700 Pro takes its lead a bit earlier on. It is in a class by itself at 1280x1024 and above, and still manages to break the 200 fps mark at the more demanding MAX settings. These framerates may seem excessive for Quake 3 the game, but the results are far more useful in demonstrating the full raw power of the Radeon 9700 Pro.
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter is a great sequel in the popular franchise and the benchmark portion is even better than the original. This new game not only puts the pressure on new 3D cards (especially at higher resolutions) but provides some excellent in-game demos in wide open spaces with tons of enemies. For our specific tests, we have used the Elephant Atrium demo to determine potential framerates, using the 32-bit mode.
The Serious Sam 2 32-bit scores are a bit different than the Quake 3 marks shown above, and here it takes the Radeon 9700 Pro until 1600x1200 to really start showing its form.
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