|
 | | 3DMark 2003 and Quake 3 Arena | | DirectX and OpenGL Gaming Performance | | In the first 3DMark 2003 test, we ran the benchmark's default setting of 1024X768 resolution at 32 bit color. Our test-bed Radeon 9800 Pro has an easy time with this test but still remains to be much of the bottleneck and influence on this test. As a result, we'll also break out the CPU scores for you here as well. Again, while the motherboards here are tightly grouped performance wise, we can observe an edge exhibited by the Abit board, due to its Game Accelerator feature. Regardless, the margin of victory is slim. In the CPUMark test, things are a bit more prominent, with the IC7-MAX3 falling slightly behind at stock setting. However, at its "F1" setting in the BIOS, the IC7-MAX3 takes back those points and then some, with a 2% lead over the DFI reference board. Consistent with what we observed in the 3DMark 03 tests, the IC7-MAX3 takes another 2% lead in Quake 3 testing, while at Game Accelerator "F1" settings, at stock 3GHz speeds. We should note that aggressive Game Accelerator settings such as "F1", can limit your stability with high overclocks that stress the memory bus. If you are already running your DDR DRAM out of spec, turning on Game Accelerator optimizations may cause instability. If you're a heavy overclocker, we recommend leaving it set to "auto", since it will sense the best timings for you current setup and clock speeds. AquaMark3 and The Rating |
