2560×1600: GeForce GTX 780 Ti vs Radeon R9 290X

By Olin Coles

It’s no secret that PC gamers who seek realistic graphics prefer their desktop platform over the 1080p-limited console counterparts. Discrete graphics cards, the hardware added onto motherboards built for high performance, support enthusiast video resolutions as large as 2560×1600. More pixels means more power needed to produce them, so I decided to test some of the most recent graphics cards from NVIDIA and AMD on our massive 30″ monitor. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests frame rate performance for the AMD Radeon R9 290X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti at their maximum supported resolution.

GeForce GTX 780 Ti and Radeon R9 290X are the two latest product offerings on graphics market. Each video card occupies its own price point, so while the manufacturer’s might have launched their product to compete against another, market factors have pushed them into their own unique space. Additionally, some of the previously released graphics solutions still compete for shelf space:

• Radeon R9 270X: starting at $199.99 (Amazon | Newegg)
• Radeon HD 7950: starting at $249.99 (Amazon | Newegg)
• GeForce GTX 770: starting at $329.99 (Amazon | Newegg)
• Radeon HD 7970: starting at $329.99 (Amazon | Newegg)
• GeForce GTX 780: starting at $499.99 (Amazon | Newegg)
• Radeon R9 290X: starting at $579.99 (Amazon | Newegg)
• GeForce GTX 780 Ti: starting at $699.99 (Amazon | Newegg)

Video Card Testing Methodology

The Microsoft DirectX-11 graphics API is native to the Microsoft Windows 7 Operating System, and will be the primary O/S for our test platform. DX11 is also available as a Microsoft Update for the Windows Vista O/S, so our test results apply to both versions of the Operating System.

In each benchmark test there is one ‘cache run’ that is conducted, followed by five recorded test runs. Results are collected at each setting with the highest and lowest results discarded. The remaining three results are averaged, and displayed in the performance charts on the following pages.

A combination of synthetic and video game benchmark tests have been used in this article to illustrate relative performance among graphics solutions. Our benchmark frame rate results are not intended to represent real-world graphics performance, as this experience would change based on supporting hardware and the perception of individuals playing the video game.

Intel X79 Express Test System

• Motherboard: ASUS P9X79 Deluxe (Intel X79 Express)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition (six cores/3300 MHz)
• System Memory: 32GB G.SKILL Ripjaws-Z DDR3-1600 RAM
• Monitor: Lenovo ThinkVision LT3053p IPS LED-Backlit LCD 30″ Monitor

DirectX-11 Benchmark Applications

• Battlefield 3
  • Settings: 2560×1600 Resolution, Ultra Graphics Quality, FOV 90, 180-second Fraps Scene
• Metro 2033 Benchmark
  • Settings: 2560×1600 Resolution, Very-High Quality, 4x AA, 16x AF, Tessellation, PhysX Disabled
• Unigine Heaven Benchmark 3.0
  • Settings: 2560×1600 Resolution, DirectX 11, High Quality, Extreme Tessellation, 16x AF, 4x AA
• Battlefield 4
  • Settings: 2560×1600 Resolution, Ultra Graphics Quality, FOV 70, 180-second Fraps Scene

PCI-Express Graphics Cards

• Sapphire Radeon R9 270X (1050 MHz GPU/1100 MHz Boost/1450 MHz vRAM – AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta v8)

• AMD Radeon HD 7950 (850 MHz GPU/1250 MHz vRAM – AMD Catalyst 13.9)
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 (1046 MHz GPU/1085 MHz Boost/1753 MHz vRAM – Forceware 320.18)
• AMD Radeon HD 7970 (925 MHz GPU/1375 MHz vRAM – AMD Catalyst Catalyst 13.11 Beta v8)
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 (869 MHz GPU/902 MHz Boost/1502 MHz vRAM – Forceware 331.70)
• MSI Radeon R9 290X (1000 MHz GPU/1250 MHz vRAM – AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta v8)
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (875 MHz GPU/928 MHz Boost/1750 MHz vRAM – Forceware 331.70)