Our testing methods
Because new AGP standards often present compatibility problems, we tested for both compatibility and performance. We tested the new GeForce4 chips with AGP 8X against their older, AGP 4X revisions, and we threw in some ATI products where appropriate. In our compatibility tests, we used an ATI Radeon 9700, which is currently ATI's only AGP 8X-capable card. We included a Radeon 9000 Pro in our performance tests as a foil for the GeForce4 MX 440. (ATI doesn't yet have a direct competitor for the GeForce4 Ti 4200, but the Radeon 9500 should be very close to release.)

We used two different core logic chipsets for compatibility tests: the SiS 648 and VIA's P4X400. These are the only two AGP 8X-capbable chipsets commercially available. We do have an nForce2 motherboard in house, but it's an engineering sample, and hardly a suitable candidate for compatibility tests.

To isolate AGP 8X as a variable, we tested the new GeForce4 cards at the same clock speeds as their predecessors. We also tested the new GF4 cards at their new stock clock speeds.

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:

We used the VIA P4PB 400-based system for the majority of our testing. The SiS 648 board was used only for testing compatibility.

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 CATALYST 7.76 drivers for the ATI cards and NVIDIA's Detonator 40.72 drivers for the NVIDIA cards.

We used the following versions of our test applications:

• MadOnion 3DMark 2001 SE Build 330
• Comanche 4 demo benchmark
• Serious Sam SE v1.07
• SPECviewperf 7.0
• Unreal Tournament 2003

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.