NHL 2004

We downloaded the NHL demo from EA, and allowed the computer to play through one period of Anaheim vs New Jersey. Fraps was used to capture the framerates of the action.

The graphics are quite impressive, though not too straining on many of today's more powerful video cards. Still, good framerates will matter as it could mean the difference from deking out an opponent, or stumbling into the boards. 1024x768 seems to be the sweetspot here, as 1280x1024 did get choppy when the action got more intense around the net.

Max Payne 2

Max is back, and he's still pissed. We'll be using Max Payne 2 for our DX9 testing. With an improved physics model, near photorealistic graphics, and great looking lighting, fire, and mirrored effects, this should be quite a test for the current, and upcoming crop of cards.

We used Fraps again, and ran in a repeatable route around the level, firing our gun at designated areas, and using bullet time to go through a couple of doors. Our game settings were at maximum quality, using hardware D3D acceleration.

Max Payne 2 @ 1024x768

At 4xAA/8xAF, the game was actually quite playable. It didn't feel choppy, and the experience was just as smooth as no AA when using the ATI cards. The FX5600 Ultra played quite well also, but there were some dips in framerate when there was some serious gun fire.

Max Payne 2 @ 1280x1024

Things were different at 1280x1024. Both ATI cards were playable, but things got noticably choppy in the more intense fights (especially when fire was involved). The FX5600 Ultra was near unplayable, and at 4xAA/8xAF, even a simple task such as running in a straight line didn't feel right.

Splinter Cell

For some Direct X 8.1 testing, we'll be using UbiSoft's 3rd person action game, Splinter Cell. We used the , and ran the cards through the gamut. There are problems with AA, so we'll only be presenting no AA results.

Preferably, you'll want to play at 1024x768, as you lose about 20fps when moving up to 1280x1024. There isn't quite as much of a drop moving to 1600x1200, but don't expect much of a playable experience.