Quake 3: Arena Performance

Quake 3 is the de facto 3D game benchmark here at Sharky Extreme, and due to its highly repeatable results, it is still one of the most popular methods of comparing different video cards. In this test suite we match up the video cards using version 1.30 and the included demo Four. Quake 3 benchmarks were run with the default High Quality video options and the in-game detail levels ramped to maximum in our MAX setting.

Quake 3 may be an older game, but it still scales extremely well, and is an excellent judge of raw, old-school 3D performance. The Verto GeForce 6800 Ultra finds itself in tight with the higher-end NVIDIA and ATI cards at 1280x1024, but begins to pull ahead at 1600x1200. Quake 3 also clearly separates the newer video cards from the higher-end last-generation models, especially at higher resolutions.

Quake 3: Arena AA and AF Performance

Once we move into 4X AA and 8X AF territory, the overall performance rankings don't really change that much, with the exception of the GeForce 6 Series taking a stranglehold over the ATI Radeon X800 XT. The GeForce 6800 GT also holds tight with the Verto GeForce 6800 Ultra at 1280x1024, before dropping back a bit at 1600x1200.

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory Performance

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory has made a few revisions to the basic RtCW design, as well as solidifying the features support. The benchmark setup is the same as Quake 3, with High Quality defaults and in-game detail settings at maximum. We have used a custom demo taken from the Railgun game area, along with plenty of MP participants. This is one tough demo test, so expect the framerates to sink below those of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and give our video cards a much tougher workload.

The basic Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory results show some definite system limitations, and the higher-end models max out at the same score for both 1280x1024 and 1600x1200. We'll have to move up to higher detail settings to break out the overall performance.

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory AA and AF Performance

With 4X AA and 8X AF settings enabled, we're starting to see a bit more separation, but the framerates still remain pretty close. The Verto GeForce 6800 Ultra is the fastest performer, but now it's the Radeon X800 XT that slips into second place ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT.