nVidia GTX 260m put to the test with Sager NP8662 - comparision Core 2 Duo vs Quad

yeah i was also surprised by the result after seeing yours, i don't have GTA IV i really don't like the series, maybe that could be one for htwingnut hes got so many games im sure he will either have it r be getting it soon enough......

 

im currently downloading the benchmark demos for resident evil 5 so laptopnut maybe if you have the time it would be worth downloading as well?

 

The problem with the Resident Evil 5 demo benchmark is that you need to install completely different 3D GPU drivers as well as another separate 3D driver which as far as I know, are only suitable for Desktops. Maybe I will give that one a try, let me know how it goes.

As for GTA IV, I think Htwingnut has a copy so I think he will be able to test that one.

 

oh i didnt know that, ummm i think ill cancel the download, i have a terrible connection and id rather take the time to download something i know will work and be helpful.
if you have any suggestions please feel free to ask and ill start downloading.

 

Do you have Supreme Commander to test? Preferably patched to the latest version, they even removed the Secure rom CD check in one of the official patches which is very cool.

In Supreme Commander you edit the game icon shortcut link and add a /perf at the end of it to make it run the built in benchmark. That is a serious test and goes through different zoom levels, simulates 4 players with huge numbers of units, scripted events, battle, everything you could imagine down to super weapons and nuclear explosions, it is almost like playing it yourself but without playing it.

Don't forget to change everything to the required settings and resolution in game before running the benchmark. To get the results from the fps, you will need to open the log file that would have been created in the directory.

 

I don't see a demo with The Last Remnant either. I downloaded the demo. It looks like there's a separate benchmark tool that is a couple hundred MB in size. Plus, I realized with Last Remnant, I can't even use the mouse with the menus.

 

how old is the game it might be worth me buying it if it isn't too old, Ive been a little spoilt with this machine and find it harder and harder to drop down in graphics........i can get it cheap but only if its really worth it...if not im sure htwingnut has it

yeah i ran the benchmark for it and updated my benchmark post feel free to add my results to your post, the game is definately 100% better if playing with a controller i use the windows 360 and its much simpler.

 

Supreme Commander must be really old since I purchased it for £5 lol, it is like that old RTS game Total Annihilation but with more up to date graphics. I don't play the game that much, I just like using it as a benchmark really since it is so intensive but some people love the game. IGN claims the game is 2007, they also rated it 8.9.

I will play it more some time to see what I think of it.

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thanks for the link it does look like a great idea.......maybe they will release a new one soon
i really like my RTS games and am actually hoping for a more modern one to be released soon, (ive got a bench of them still unplayed ie: Dawn of War trilogy) something by Relic that uses modern warfare a little more, no quite as future as say C&C but more like generals with all the bells, but its a dream.........
anyway bottom line is.....don't get your hopes up of me posting any supreme commander benchmarks any time soon......

 

I've finally made up my mind about it. Even though Q9000 is a great CPU, P9700 will give you 30-45 minutes more battery life while watching a movie, browsing, or typing, according to the guys from Xotic PC. 25W vs 45W power consumption results in a pretty drastic increase, about 25-40%, which was a selling point for me. So for all the people reading this thread, you'd have to also make a decision between battery life vs better performance in quad optimized games. Keep up the good work!

 

Very good point. I guess I should point that out. This thread is strictly for performance comparison, but if battery life is more important then P9700 is the way to go. We could probably come up with a battery life test too. The problem with that is LaptopNut's battery is older than mine which might compromise the life by a little bit. But I guess it'd be worth investigating.

I also went with the P9700 for power reasons. I know the quad core doesn't consume the full 45W all the time (if ever), but the max of the P9700 is 25W which is pretty darn good.

 

i have a Q9000 and a 280's sli what would you like me to test?

 

Battery time is definitely a big consideration but for me, I never need much battery time so it was never an issue. One could always undervolt, downclock and use RMClock to prolong battery life if they really wanted to though. They could also downclock the GPU.

I think that after watching a 45 minute movie on medium volume with high screen brightness I have about 60% battery time left but I have taken absolutely no steps to optimise battery life at all, I am only concerned with gaming performance.

In the near future, this wont be an issue though, especially with i7 and other intelligent multicore technology.

 

I should be receiving Supreme Commander Gold via UPS any day now. I know people who love it, so I finally got around to the purchase.

Plus, we'll get to see how my T9800 holds up versus the Q9000. Don't I need to install some kind of core optimizer, or is that only for C2Q users?

 

The Core Optimiser was designed only for Quad because Supreme Commander didn't distribute the load as well as it could have done. I found it didn't make any difference in the benchmark though.

I would expect your CPU to get better results in this one, don't forget to patch up to the latest.

 

For anyone interested in doing a more consistent benchmarking of Microsoft Fsx than just simply flying around randomly, you should check out this site here

http://www.flightsimworld.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=140426

Neil from Kobalt Computers UK just informed me about this method.

They use fraps along with a file called fsxmark07.zip extracted into the My Documents" "Flight Simulator X Files'' directory. The benchmark uses autopilot and unlimited frame rate settings too.

 

Feel free to benchmark what ever you want but this topic is more of a comparison between the higher clocked C2D (P9700) and the Q9000 quad in combination with the single GTX260m.
Im sure people will be interested in your results, but maybe no need to post in this topic.
@ htwingnut ive had my machine around the same time as laptopnut if you want us to do a battery comparison let me know.

 

That would be great. The problem is that he's Windows 7 and you're Vista. Unless you have access to a Windows 7 RC download and key. I might have an extra one lying around here somewhere.

 

Oh, and by the way, sorry guys, probably no benchmarking tonight. I'm quite tired and have an all day job fair tomorrow followed by four hours of school classes. It's gonna be a 16 hour day, so need to get some shuteye.

 

No worries, I only had quite a lot of time to benchmark because I have a little time of from work at the moment, otherwise I wouldn't have got half as much done. Will be gone all next week though.

 

No problems mate, i dont have a windows7 download around, sorry about that, i just missed out when i got my system.

Ive got a week of in around 10days so ill be able to bench abit more then...hmmm in saying that deadspace arrived yesterday and unreal tournament III is due friday

 

ok added mass effect and Fallout3 as per Pavel961's request, there isn't a benchmark for them so i noted fps after 20 mins of gaming.

 

Arma2 is badly optimized, however you need a really good GPU for the game, a GTX 260m just don´t cut it. I run the game on my desktop and this with a Core2Duo at 3.33 GHz and my GTX 260 and runs the game with 40 fps average at Very High settings.

 

It is still playable at 1680 X 1050 at a mixture of low and normal settings. In some areas I was getting up to 45 fps and usually a steady 30 fps. Of course, for much higher eye candy settings you will need a much better GPU

 

Just added The Last Remnant and ArmA 2 benchmarks. I need to find a way to get ahold of GTA IV, Supreme Commander, and Street Fighter IV. I don't own those. I'll see if I can borrow from someone for a trial run.

 

I notice you got a higher score than me by more than 1 fps

i wonder if its down to windows7 or a newer machine.

 

Hmmm, good catch. I just ran it again for sanities sake, I must have made a typo. I got 57.61 second time around. Must have been 58.06. I think +/- 0.5fps is about margin of error anyhow.

 

I ran it three times first time 57.87, second time 57.92 and the third time 57.99 so i gave the middle one as my bench, the actual game runs smoother than that though.

 

I'd love to see RE5 and DMC4 demo benchmarks, since I can run those to compare with the 4850. X3:Terran Conflict is a less common one, but still a free demo benchmark.

So far I have GTA4, WIC, and Crysis comparisons, although Crysis is from the demo, and I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

Htwingnut, we may be able to work out a temporary trade of GTA4 for FarCry so we can benchmark each one.

 

Not a bad idea. I'd be glad to. Check your PM.

 

I will be away for a week or two so won't be posting up any more benchmarks for a while. Keep up the good work though!

 

thanks mate for your hard work, im also on holiday soon, not sure how much time i have depends if i travel or not.......

 

Yeah thanks to LaptopNut and mtness for all your devotion!

 

Added Resident Evil 5 benchmark. Quite impressive ~ 45-50fps avg at native resolution 1680x1050 all high settings.

 

Whow thats very impressive, did u need to do anything spwcial to run the benchmark tool?

 

Nope, just download and install. Free download. Just google Resident Evil 5 Benchmark.

 

Yeah i had started downloading but someone said you needed desktop drivers to run it so i cancelled the download.....ill start it again tonight. Cheers

 

I average ~63-64 with my GPU @ 600/1500/900, no Motion Blur.

 

Is that for the static and/or variable benchmarks? Or actual game play? I hear that actual game play fares better than the benchmark for the most part.

 

That's my performance for the variable benchmark. I just ran DX10 and DX9 again, and they were 63 and 62 fps, respectively.

If the actual game runs better, that's great news. My minimum fps in the benchmark appears to be around 45fps.

 

So you're overclocked then?

 

Yes sir I am indeed. Just the basic G92 OC.

 

Oh yeah sorry. I'm reading and typing from my smartphone right now, miss a few things. What software are you using to OC? I think I have some headroom since my CPU is max 62C and GPU max 72C especially if I undervolt the CPU.

 

Just install Nvidia System Tools 6.05, and it runs from the Nvidia Control Panel.

 

Thanks. Just wanted to know what was working for you. Some people use the system tools, riva tuner, atitool, with varied results. I'll start with that. Although so far it devours everything I've thrown at it.

Plus, your clocks say 600/1500/900 but I thought the stock was 550/1375/950. Assuming you had to drop your memory speed to achieve higher GPU and shader clocks?

My past experience has been faster memory offered a better benefit than faster GPU, given that your memory WILL overclock.

I'll have to toy with it later and see how well it does.

 

Only the MXM 3.0 version of the 260M is stock 950MHz, while ours (MXM 2.1) is just at 800MHz.

YMMV, but my memory maxes at 925MHz, and overall my GPU is a mediocre overclocker, so I just stick with the standard OC.

 

Hey guys anyone mind telling me what they get with Max settings and AAx4 in world of warcraft?

 

Personally dont see any need to overclock the gpu, it handles everything ive thrown at it, also i get slightly higher temps with my gpu than you do htwingnut i get a max of 81 after my gaming sessions..usually two+ hours.......

 

Almost done with the 4850/GTX260 comparison. I'm pretty much just waiting on Far Cry 2, which is in the mail now. It is really amazing how equally these two cards stack up when run at stock speeds with similar processors.

 

Thats interesting, there was some talk that the HD4850 was closer to the GTX280m in performance..looking forward to seeing your comparisions.