 |
| SPECviewperf Benchmarks |
Interestingly enough, the Geforce3 performed overall lower than both the Geforce2 Ultra and the GF2 MX. Interesting indeed, but this also to be taken with a few grains of salt. The SPECviewperf benchmarks tests a video cards professional abilities that is, in programs such as 3DstudioMax, Maya, Autocad, etc
-- and only marginally represents gaming performance (if at all). Since we already know that NVIDIA has taken the technological high road with the Geforce3 (by making it more efficient and greatly improving its functionality) rather than merely boasts its brute force capabilities, these results shouldnt be too surprising.
A common theme in the abilities of the Geforce3 is its especially superior performance in the 32-bit realm. In the past, the only reason not to run games is 32bit mode is to improve performance; the Geforce 3 has turned this situation around and now encourages one to run games in 32-bit mode as this actually improves performance (excellent
).
Conclusion
The one issue that always comes up with vastly new technology is the question of when to adopt it. Since the Geforce3 has been out for some time now, the price has come down somewhat, but is definitely still quite high.
So is the Geforce3 worth it? Well, it depends on your circumstances. If you are in the market for a high end, consumer-level gaming solution, then for sure, the Geforce3 is for you. With gaming performance near that of the Geforce2 Ultra (and much better than it at higher resolutions) the Geforce3 is an excellent choice. Better still is the fact that the Geforce3 also includes the features that we are going to see more and more of and depend more and more on in the near future. The OCZ Titan 3 also runs impressively cool, so if heat is an issue for you, than this too is something to consider.
If, on the other hand, you are in the market for a moderately priced, good (but not great) overall video card, the Geforce3 may not be for you (unless you have extra cash you need to get rid of). The Geforce2 MX is still the king of budget performance and its price/performance ratio is very tough to beat. If this is the case for you, you would be better off waiting until prices come down even further.
As far as the Titan 3 is concerned, OCZ has added a formidable opponent into the small pool of Geforce3 contenders.
OCZ has maximized the performance of the Geforce3 while simultaneously minimizing the production cost. This effort, along with its superior performance and stability, earns the OCZ Titan 3 the Neoseeker Editors Choice award.
Bottom Line
| Box Contents: | 85% |
| Features: | 90% |
| Stability: | 90% |
| Image Quality: | 86% |
| Performance: | 89% |
| Value: | 91% |
Overall Score: 90%
NOTE: For a limited time, Neoseeker has an exclusive deal with OCZ for $20 off the Price of a new Titan 3 Card. Come here to check it out.
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