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OpenGL Continued with Quake3...
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Anisotropic
Testing Concluded |
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64-Tap
Anisotropic:
As we bring the
benchmarks to a close, we have one more round of scores for
you. This time we set Anisotropic filtering to 8X,
otherwise know as 64-Tap by nVidia's standards, and gave the
two cards one last at bat.
Both cards
maintained triple digit scores at both 1024x768 and
1280x1024, showing that they have no problem increasing
overall image quality in Quake 3. We'll give it one more shot at
1600x1200 to see if there are any surprises.
Even though we
effectively doubled the degree of anisotropic filtering,
neither card's scores dropped more than a few FPS when
compared to the 32-Tap results on the previous page. In
the end, both cards rolled through the benchmarks unscathed,
proving the Siluro Ti4200 OTES is the real deal.
As we wrap up the review of the
Siluro GeForce4 Ti4200 OTES, we are left feeling a
little empty. While the Siluro GeForce4 Ti4200 OTES
really got our attention right out of the box, once we began
our testing, our elation began to fade. Don't get us
wrong, when you take a look at the performance of the Siluro
GeForce4 Ti4200 OTES versus a Ti4600, this card was very
impressive. Throughout the benchmarks this card
posted impressive scores at both default and overclocked
speeds. It's the OTES cooling system that left us
feeling a little unfulfilled.
Clearly Abit has put a lot of
effort into designing a unique cooling package for the
Siluro GeForce4 Ti4200 OTES. While
heat-pipe systems have been widely used for quite some time,
the OTES cooling system yielded little
advantage over stock cooling with the current GeForce4 GPU. When we compared the overclocking scores of the Siluro GeForce4 Ti4200 OTES
to a standard Siluro GeForce4 Ti4200, we walked away
with a mere 5MHz edge. Now factor in the 7200 RPM fan
that make the Siluro GeForce4 Ti4200 OTES sound like
a leaf blower, and we are left wondering what the advantage
of the OTES system really was. While it does
help keep the GPU running cool under normal conditions, we
believe the benefits of the
OTES are wasted on the current GeForce4 GPU. We
are mostlikely seeing the limits of air cooling on this GPU
and feel that OTES may be more beneficial for future
GPUs. With that said, it's difficult to
recommend this card over the standard Siluro Ti4200.
With the use of Coolbits, the original Siluro Ti4200 will offer the similar gains
to the Siluro GeForce4 Ti4200 OTES with
a lower price tag and a lot less noise.
We found the
performance of the Siluro GeForce4 Ti4200
OTES to be terrific. However,
the inclusion of antiquated software and the minimal effects
the OTES cooling system had on the card's
overclocking potential makes it difficult for us to
recommend. We'd also prefer to see a 128MB version of
the card, allowing the card to level the playing field with
the Ti4600. At this stage of the game, we recommend
sticking with a standard Siluro Ti4200 and use Coolbits or
Powerstrip to overclock it. But don't give up on the
OTES cooling system, we have a feeling that this is going to
be more impressive as future GPUs are released.
We give the Abit Siluro GeForce4
Ti4200 OTES a Hot Hardware Heat Meter Rating
of an 7.5.
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