FarCry is a hot first-person shooter that takes in-game graphics to the next level, although in a different direction than DOOM 3. Instead of darkness and confined spaces, FarCry can place you outdoors, on bright sandy beaches, jungles or even on the water itself. This game gives our video cards a different kind of a stress test, and rest assured that FarCry ranks up there with the very toughest 3D game benchmarks. FarCry is an interesting benchmark, as it combines old school performance requirements with hot new features such as support for SM 3.0. For this test, we are using the full retail version updated to version 1.4, along with a new custom demo file.
The updated patches enable SM3.0 support for FarCry, and this makes it an excellent test of current feature sets and performance. FarCry is a game that offers some level of graphics impact even at standard 1280x1024 detail settings, and can really put the screws to our reference cards at higher resolutions and detail levels. The initial FarCry benchmarking at standard details has the ASUS EAX1650XT 256MB where we expected it, powering ahead of the GeForce 6800 GS, while finishing a very close second to the GeForce 7600 GT.
When FarCry is upgraded to higher detail 4X AA and 8X AF settings, the situation changes quite a bit, and while the ASUS EAX1650XT 256MB takes a run at the GeForce 7600 GT at 1280x1024, it outpaces it at 1600x1200.
Prey is a serious first-person shooter from Human Head Studios and 3D Realms that uses a heavily modified version of the DOOM 3 engine. You take the role of Earth's savior in an all-out war against some very nasty alien invaders, all within a Matrix-like experience, and with some of the best computer game graphics you'll ever see. Our Prey benchmark is also very serious business, with a hardcore demo and shader details set to high.
Prey benchmarking continues the trend was saw in FarCry, and finds the ASUS EAX1650XT 256MB sitting right between the GeForce 6800 GS and GeForce 7600 GT mainstream cards. Again, this is exactly where we anticipated the overall performance of the Radeon X1650 XT to fall, and we seem to be sliding into a familiar pattern.
Once again, the addition of AA and AF details to the mix give the ASUS EAX1650XT 256MB some added kick, and now the ATI-based card performed virtually on par with the GeForce 7600 GT.
