Performance
3DMark Vantage
3DMark 2011
Unigine Heaven Demo
We’ve got the same standings in the two versions of 3DMark and in Unigine. Nvidia-based solutions and, particularly, the ASUS GeForce GTX 680 DirectCU II TOP are overall faster. The Radeon HD 7970 falls behind by 3 to 27% (the biggest gap is in Unigine with antialiasing turned off). On the other hand, semi-synthetic benchmarks do not always agree with real-life
applications. So, let’s check out our graphics cards in a few games.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
The cards from ASUS and MSI deliver the same
performance in this game, both at the default and overclocked frequencies. None of them has an advantage here.
Left 4 Dead 2
The top-end
graphics cards can only be benchmarked in
Left 4 Dead 2 at the highest settings, and the MSI R7970 Lightning is somewhat faster then.
Metro 2033: The Last Refuge
in
Metro 2033: The Last Refuge, but the game is only playable at 1920x1080 unless you lower its graphics quality settings.
Total War: Shogun 2
The MSI R7970 Lightning is
faster in
Total War: Shogun 2, enjoying a 32% advantage over its opponent.
Crysis 2
The MSI R7970 Lightning is somewhat faster in
Crysis 2, yet the ASUS GeForce GTX 680 DirectCU II TOP is a mere 5-7% behind.
Hard Reset Demo
The ASUS is faster than the MSI in
Hard Reset, Batman: Arkham City and
Battlefield 3.
Batman: Arkham City
Battlefield 3
DiRT Showdown
Power Consumption
We measured the power consumption of
computer systems with different graphics cards using a multifunctional panel Zalman ZM-MFC3 which can report how much power a computer (the monitor not included) draws from a wall socket. There were two test modes: 2D. Here are the results:
The MSI R7970 Lightning configuration consumes just as much power as expected. The system with ASUS GeForce GTX 680 DirectCU II TOP is more interesting because it equals the power consumption of the system with a reference GeForce GTX 680, although the ASUS card is pre-overclocked to 1137/6008 MHz. When the ASUS is overclocked further to 1212/7168 MHz, its system only needs 20 watts more power. ASUS engineers seem to have developed a highly efficient PCB (they claim a 15% increase in energy
efficiency, by the way). And, as we already know from our earlier tests, systems with GeForce GTX 680s have lower power consumption compared to systems with Radeon HD 7970s.
Conclusion
Which graphics card is better, ASUS GeForce GTX 680 DirectCU II TOP or MSI R7970 Lightning? Well, we guess it’s up to you to decide, basing on your personal preferences and requirements. But each of them is going to deliver outstanding
performance which is the product of cutting-edge technologies, high-quality materials and ingenious engineering solutions.
The ASUS GeForce GTX 680 DirectCU II TOP can be rebuked for its scanty accessories and bulky triple-slot form-factor whereas the MSI R7970 Lightning is rather too noisy and has single-link DVI outputs, yet these are but minor shortcomings compared to such advantages as the amazing efficiency and low noise level of ASUS’s DirectCU II cooler and the broad functionality and gold-plated chokes of MSI’s 17-phase power system. Each of these graphics cards certainly has much more highs than lows. We only have to wait for them to start selling and make our shopping choice.by sergey lepilov
