Game Test Methodology
We tested using our GPU test bench, detailed in the table below. Our thanks to supporting hardware vendors for supplying some of the test components.
AMD 16.8.1 drivers were used for the RX 470 & 460 graphics cards. 16.7.2 were used for testing GTA V & DOOM (incl. Vulkan patch) on the RX 480. Drivers 16.6.2 were used for all other devices or games. NVidia's 372.54 drivers were used for game (FPS) testing on the GTX 1080 and 1060. The 368.69 drivers were used for other devices. Game settings were manually controlled for the DUT. All games were run at presets defined in their respective charts. We disable brand-supported technologies in games, like The Witcher 3's HairWorks and HBAO. All other game settings are defined in respective game benchmarks, which we publish separately from GPU reviews. Our test courses, in the event manual testing is executed, are also uploaded within that content. This allows others to replicate our results by studying our bench courses. In AMD Radeon Settings, we disable all AMD "optimization" of graphics settings, e.g. filtration, tessellation, and AA techniques. This is to ensure that games are compared as "apples to apples" graphics output. We leave the application in control of its graphics, rather than the IHV. In NVIDIA's control panel, we disable G-Sync for testing (and disable FreeSync for AMD).
Windows 10-64 build 10586 was used for testing.
Each game was tested for 30 seconds in an identical scenario, then repeated three times for parity.
Average FPS, 1% low, and 0.1% low times are measured. We do not measure maximum or minimum FPS results as we consider these numbers to be pure outliers. Instead, we take an average of the lowest 1% of results (1% low) to show real-world, noticeable dips; we then take an average of the lowest 0.1% of results for severe spikes.
| GN Test Bench 2015 | Name | Courtesy Of | Cost |
| Video Card | This is what we're testing! | - | - |
| CPU | Intel i7-5930K CPU | iBUYPOWER |
$580 |
| Memory | Corsair Dominator 32GB 3200MHz | Corsair | $210 |
| Motherboard | EVGA X99 Classified | GamersNexus | $365 |
| Power Supply | NZXT 1200W HALE90 V2 | NZXT | $300 |
| SSD | HyperX Savage SSD | Kingston Tech. | $130 |
| Case | Top Deck Tech Station | GamersNexus | $250 |
| CPU Cooler | NZXT Kraken X41 CLC | NZXT | $110 |
For Dx12 and Vulkan API testing, we use built-in benchmark tools and rely upon log generation for our metrics. That data is reported at the engine level.
Video Cards Tested
- Corsair Hydro GFX GTX 1080 ($750)
- Sapphire RX 470 Platinum (~$180?)
- MSI RX 480 Gaming X
- MSI GTX 1060 Gaming X ($290)
- NVIDIA GTX 1060 FE ($300)
- AMD RX 480 8GB ($240)
- NVIDIA GTX 1080 Founders Edition ($700)
- NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti Reference ($650)
- NVIDIA GTX 980 Reference ($460)
- NVIDIA GTX 980 2x SLI Reference ($920)
- AMD R9 Fury X 4GB HBM ($630)
- AMD MSI R9 390X 8GB ($460)
- And more
Continue to Page 3 for the Dx12 & Vulkan / OpenGL tests, or Page 4 for DirectX 11.
