GTX285 vs GTX260+ vs 4850 Performance Test

OpenGL (4xAA & 8xAA)

I’m done with Direct3D, so it’s time to move to OpenGL and bring the Radeon back into the equation.

All titles were tested at 8xAA but since Quake Wars isn’t really playable with 8xAA at my top resolution, I’ve also included 4xAA scores to make it more relevant.

These OpenGL games love the 285 when using 8xAA (especially Doom 3), and we see an average performance gain of 27.35% over the 260+, even higher than the 8xS Direct3D tests.

What’s also interesting is that the 4850 substantially outruns the 260+ in Doom 3, Prey and Quake 4, and is basically tied in Quake Wars (8xAA) and Riddick. Even more amazing is the 4850 offering around 98% the performance of the 285 in Quake 4!

Remember, the 4850 is a performance class below the 260+ and two classes below the 285, so nVidia’s overall 8xMSAA performance in these titles is simply abysmal, despite the 285’s excellent performance gains over the 260+. The 4850 is a little single-slot 512 MB card with around half the bandwidth (and memory size) of the two nVidia monsters.