Ok, everyone asks the question will this PC be good enought to play games. Honesltly the way you will find out is if you are to look at a real time benchmark using a game that relys on CPU and GPU to get good performance. Here I will post a link to a Half Life 2 benchmarking program. Please Post your PC specs, and what settings you ran the bench at. What you need to do first is download the hardwareOC half life 2 benchmarking program. You can get that HERE

Next install the program to your desired location.

I prefer to not use the application, so we are going to extract the timedemos from the program. Go where you installed the program IE "E:\Program Files\HardwareOC BenchTools\HL2 Bench\Demos" Copy all 5 demos and place them in the HL2 folder under "Valve\Steam\SteamApps\your name\half-life 2\hl2"

Now you are ready to benchmark using the half life 2 console. The console has to be enabled. If it is not enabled go to your game options, choose keyboard, click the advanced button and checkmark "enable developers console"

Now make sure the console is up and type "timedemo " (do not type " ") so it will go like this type timedemo then after the "o" hit space and the timedemos will show up. Choose the one one you would like to use and hit enter. Once it is it done benching it will give you an average FPS in the console. Note that score.

When you are done post your settings and what you scored on each demo.

Hope this may clear up some unanswered questions.

All benches were ran at these settings.

Resolution: 1920x1200
Model Detail: High
Texture Detail: High
Water Detail: Simple Reflections
Shadow Detail: High
Antialaising Mode: None
Filtering Mode: Anistropic 8x
Shader Detail: High
Wait for Vertical Sync: Disabled

d3_c17_1

Average FPS 41.42

Guru3D_Demo4

Average FPS 78.98

Guru3D_Demo5

Average FPS 59.71

Guru3D_Demo6

Average FPS 48.25

Hoc_Coast1

Average FPS 74.88

Now the same benches will be ran at 4x Antialiasing.

d3_c17_1

Average FPS 22.77

Guru3D_Demo4

Average FPS 58.80

Guru3D_Demo5

Average FPS 42.95

Guru3D_Demo6

Average FPS 42.99

Hoc_Coast1

Average FPS 54.90


6800 Ultra clocked at 485/1250, Under my scores are zippoman’s 380/770 6800go OC. I believe zippo ran his stock benches at high performance, my stock benches were at quality.

d3_c17_1

XPS @ Stock Average FPS 41.42
XPS 485/1250Average FPS 57.1
9300 @ Stock Average FPS 39.00
9300 380/770 Average FPS 48.67

Guru3D_Demo4

XPS @ Stock Average FPS 78.98
XPS 485/1250 Average FPS 111.03
9300 @ Stock Average FPS 78.99
9300 380/770 Average FPS 96.60

Guru3D_Demo5

XPS @ Stock Average FPS 59.71
XPS 485/1250 Average FPS 94.52
9300 @ Stock Average FPS 55.96
9300 380/770 Average FPS 74.64

Guru3D_Demo6

XPS @ Stock Average FPS 48.25
XPS 485/1250 Average FPS 92.59
9300 @ Stock Average FPS 49.45
9300 380/770 Average FPS 75.76

Hoc_Coast1

XPS @ Stock Average FPS 74.88
XPS 485/1250 Average FPS 85.7
9300 @ Stock Average FPS 61.85
9300 380/770 Average FPS 74.27


I hope this will give you a better view of how the game affects the PC.

Post your results. My specs are in my sig. Be sure you post yours if it is not in your sig.

The timedemo feature is built into HalfLife 2 but it is easier to use the the utility. In addition to the fps number shown in the console the buillt in benchmarking feature writes a CSV file with a boat load of statistics that can be really handy in seeing where problems occur. BTW-you can also record your own timedemo and use it.

Bob

PS there are a numbers of articles on the net about benchmarking various games. The current biggies are FaryCry, HalfLife2, Chronicles of Riddick, and Splinter Cell Chaos Theory.

I just like to do it through the console...

maybe i´m allowed to ask why not to use the cs:s built-in benchmark ???
(btw,
Resolution: 1920x1200
Model Detail: High
Texture Detail: High
Water Detail: Reflect All
Shadow Detail: High
Antialaising Mode: None
Filtering Mode: Anistropic 8x
Shader Detail: High
Wait for Vertical Sync: Disabled
=92,52 FPS )

It's not the same, and how are you getting 15fps more then me? I used to get your score before when at the beginning it said ERROR, Since it's fixed, no more.

whups, sorry, should have said that i used the builtin-bench...

I think I did my test with 2xAA turn on (using the CS benchmark) and got around 70 fps. Either way it's gorgeous and smooth.

Yeah, although I do think 95 like the guy said he got was a little over the top.

Inspiron 9300

All benches were ran at these settings.

Resolution: 1920x1200
Model Detail: High
Texture Detail: High
Water Detail: Simple Reflections
Shadow Detail: High
Antialaising Mode: None
Filtering Mode: Anistropic 8x
Shader Detail: High
Wait for Vertical Sync: Disabled

d3_c17_1
Average FPS 39.00

Guru3D_Demo4
Average FPS 78.99

Guru3D_Demo5
Average FPS 55.96

Guru3D_Demo6
Average FPS 49.45

Hoc_Coast1
Average FPS 61.85

Now the same benches will be ran at 4x Antialiasing.

d3_c17_1
Average FPS 25.26

Guru3D_Demo4
Average FPS 50.87

Guru3D_Demo5
Average FPS 40.46

Guru3D_Demo6
Average FPS 37.15

Hoc_Coast1
Average FPS 42.95

Now the same benches with a moderate overclock of 380/770 WITHOUT AA and with 16x AF.

d3_c17_1
Average FPS 48.67

Guru3D_Demo4
Average FPS 96.60

Guru3D_Demo5
Average FPS 74.64

Guru3D_Demo6
Average FPS 75.76

Hoc_Coast1
Average FPS 74.27

This is at stock 6800GO speed and I only have 1GB of ram. Double the performance, eh? These results actually surprised me, especially considering my amount of RAM, I imagine 1GB with HIGH Textures doesn't help the frame rate.

Going by Shoman's scores, the overclocked 6800 Ultra is 19% faster than an overclocked 6800GO. At stock speeds the 6800 Ultra is 13% faster in Half-Life 2 with 4x AA, and 6% faster without AA. However, a 9300 of equal CPU speed would make for a more accurate 6800GO vs 6800 Ultra test.

Here is a screenshot of my console.

Yeah the results are pretty good

Run the benches at 4x AA

btw I have 1gig of ram.

Done.

Zippo run your benches at your OC now.

My driver is set to high performance now. Orignal benches were at quality, don't know if you had ran yours at HP.....?

All benches were ran at these settings.

Resolution: 1920x1200
Model Detail: High
Texture Detail: High
Water Detail: Simple Reflections
Shadow Detail: High
Antialaising Mode: None
Filtering Mode: Anistropic 16x
Shader Detail: High
Wait for Vertical Sync: Disabled

Stock scores will be posted on the right of new scores. Driver is set to high performance vs quality at stock settings.


6800 Ultra clocked at 485/1250

d3_c17_1

Average FPS 57.1 Average FPS 41.42

Guru3D_Demo4

Average FPS 111.03 Average FPS 78.98

Guru3D_Demo5

Average FPS 94.52 Average FPS 59.71

Guru3D_Demo6

Average FPS 92.59 Average FPS 48.25

Hoc_Coast1

Average FPS 85.7 Average FPS 74.88

Quite the leap

...and that's what I mean about it being hard to get good numbers.

BTW, I see on there someone has the new 24" screen...how you like that bad boy?

Got a thread here , explaining my computer buying decisions over the next few months, and I definately want that screen!

Think the coupon for the 9100 with the 24" poofed on me today though...hope they bring it back soon, or give me a 40% off desktop one!

Done.

The OC I did was pretty conservative, I stuck with the "Detect Optimal Frequencies".

All benches were with "High Performance". So with both cards overclocked the Ultra is 19% faster, if neither are overclocked the Ultra is probably about 14% faster.

Keep in mind I am also running a 1.73Ghz P-M - although I'm not sure how much that would effect the HL2 benches compared to a 2GHz P-M.

Added your scores to orignal thread.