Crysis

Publisher: Electronic Arts

We patch Crysis to v1.21 and run it in DirectX 10 mode with High detail settings. We use 1,280 x 1,024 with 2x AA and no AF to give a reasonably real-world test without the risk that the graphics card will be a limiting factor to CPU performance.

We load a save game in the Relic level and play the game for roughly three minutes, following a strictly defined sequence of actions and movements. We repeat this test three times, or until a reliable set of results is achieved. The consistent results are then averaged to give the figures below.

This is the best way to test how a CPU affects game performance, as the game will be generating AI and physics and game rules for the CPU to perform. A timedemo addresses a CPU in a noticeably different way.

X3:Terran Conflict

Publisher: EgoSoft

X3: Terran Conflict is the latest space-based trading and fighting game in the X3 series. It uses masses of polygons and geometry to create the complex ships and so is a very stressful test for a CPU.

Remember that it's the CPU that constructs the wire-frame models of game objects, before a GPU can apply texture and lighting.

To run the benchmark, first download the rolling demo and set the graphics options as below. Then remember to tick the 'Run as benchmark' box and hit go. We average the results of the four component tests to give a single minimum and average frame rate.



The performance of the overclocked Intel E5200 still tops the tables here, although the Athlon II still puts up a good fight and comes in a close second just a few FPS behind. At their stock clocks, the Athlon II's clock advantage has the upper hand, but both are mostly still faster than the other AMD CPUs that have gone before, even when overclocked.