CPU-Dependent 3D Gaming

Benchmark Reviews continually evaluates the various tests and benchmarks we use, and we have switched from Ubisoft's Far Cry 2 benchmark to CAPCOM's Street Fighter IV benchmark. Street Fighter IV uses a new, built-from-scratch graphics engine that enables CAPCOM to tune the visuals and performance to fit the needs of the game, as well as run well on lower-end hardware. Although the engine is based on DX9 capabilities, it does add soft shadows, High Dynamic Range lighting, depth of field effects, and motion blur to enhance the game experience.

The game is multi-threaded, with rendering, audio, and file I/O all running in different threads. The development team has also worked to maintain a relatively constant CPU load in all parts of the game so that on-screen performance does not change dramatically in different game scenarios.

I ran the Street Fighter IV benchmark at its lowest resolution (640x480) with all graphical features turned down to the minimum possible settings. This makes the video card much less of a factor in the results, biasing towards processor performance. This is another win for Intel, with a frame rate almost 25% higher than the FX-8150.

<< Previous Page - Next Page >>