Our testing methods
As ever, we did our best to deliver clean benchmark numbers. Tests were run at least twice, and the results were averaged.

Our test systems were configured like so:

Processor Intel Pentium 4 2.8GHz
Front-side bus 533MHz (133MHz quad-pumped)
Motherboard Asus P4T533C
Chipset Intel 850E
North bridge 82850E MCH
South bridge 82801BA ICH2
Chipset drivers Intel Application Accelerator 6.22
Memory size 512MB (4 RIMMs)
Memory type Samsung PC1066 Rambus DRAM
Sound Creative SoundBlaster Live!
Storage Maxtor DiamondMax Plus D740X 7200RPM ATA/100 hard drive
OS Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS updates None

The test systems' Windows desktops were set at 1024x768 in 32-bit color at an 85Hz screen refresh rate. Vertical refresh sync (vsync) was disabled for all tests.

We used the following graphics cards and driver revisions:

  • ATI Radeon 8500 128MB — 7.74
  • ATI Radeon 9700 Pro 128MB — 7.75 (first shipping drivers)
  • Matrox Parhelia 128MB — 1.00.04.231
  • PNY Verto GeForce4 Ti 4600 128MB — Detonator 40.41

We used the following versions of our test applications:

All the tests and methods we employed are publicly available and reproducible. If you have questions about our methods, hit our forums to talk with us about them.


The Radeon 9700 Pro's heatsink comes with a TIM pad