3DMark06 Advanced is the latest version in this popular 3DMark series of gaming benchmarks from Futuremark, and is the first to showcase new HDR/SM3.0 and SM2.0 graphics tests, as well as offering dual core tailored CPU tests. The Feature tests have also been enhanced for the newest 3D support, and to provide reliable measurements for game hardware of today, and tomorrow. This is one very serious game test, which punishes cards that do not support HDR/SM3.0 or SM2.0, and really puts video hardware to the next-generation test.
3DMark06 Advanced is a mix of high-end performance and features testing, and the Gigabyte GeForce 7600 GT 256MB excels at both. The Gigabyte card showed exceptional performance levels compared to the other mainstream and high-end cards, and placed well ahead of the GeForce 6800 Ultra at both 1280x1024 and 1600x1200 resolutions. The Gigabyte GeForce 7600 GT also did extremely well against the Radeon X1800 XL and GeForce 7800 GT, and actually pushed these two cards more than we expected.
* Please note that due to its inability to complete testing at these higher resolutions, the GeForce 6600GT 128MB card has been replaced with the GeForce 6800 256MB for the two 3DMark06 Advanced benchmarks only.
We anticipated a performance drop-off once the higher-end AA/AF detail options were enabled, but the Gigabyte GeForce 7600 GT 256MB card actually extended its lead over the GeForce 6800 Ultra, and closed the gap with the Radeon X1800 XL to virtually a dead heat.
The second part of our 3DMark06 Advanced testing (at standard 1280x1024) utilizes the Feature Test portion of the benchmark, which concentrates on the Fill Rate and Vertex and Pixel Shader performance. The first chart shows the cards ranked by Fill Rate performance, with the number displayed representing MTexels/second, while the second chart has the cards ranked by Vertex and Pixel Shader performance, with the number displayed representing MVertices/second.
The Fill Rate benchmark tests have Gigabyte GeForce 7600 GT 256MB card outperforming its nemesis, the GeForce 6800 Ultra, in the Multi-Texture testing, but falling back noticeably in the Single-Texture Fill Rate benchmark.
The 3DMark06 Advanced Pixel and Vertex Shader benchmark results (displayed as MVertices/second) the same trends, with the Gigabyte GeForce 7600 GT 256MB outpacing the GeForce 6800 Ultra in Pixel Shader benchmarking, but not quite being able to turn the same trick in Vertex Shader: Complex testing.
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