We recently conducted a poll on “What resolution do you game at?” for PC gamers on iLLGaming. The majority (51%) said they game at a 1650 x 1080 resolution, which is the de-facto universal resolution for a 22″ monitor. This also signifies that a big chunk of PC gamers own 22″ monitors. It is the mainstream size for PC gaming. Since so many gamers game at this resolution, we thought why not run a test across various GPUs to see how they perform at 1650 x 1080 pixels.
Marketing gimmicks done by hardware manufacturers tend to mislead a buyer into getting something they don’t really require. The GeForce GTX Titan and the Radeon HD 7990 are superpowerful GPUs, but they’re almost redundant at a 1650 x 1080 resolution. You’ll be utilizing a maximum of 60% of the GPUs power, even at the highest graphics settings and full anti-aliasing (there are exceptions, obviously).
Test Setup
Intel Core i5 2500K OC’d at 3.6 Ghz
Asus P8-Z68 GEN3 motherboard
Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 RAMViewSonic VA2216 22″ 1650 x 1080 Monitor
GPUs Tested
Reference GeForce GTX 650Ti Boost
Gigabyte Windforce GeForce GTX 660Ti OC Edition
Sapphire ATI HD 7870
Palit NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670
Sapphire ATI HD 7950
Zotac GeForce GTX 680
Sapphire ATI HD 7970
As you can see, we’re testing cards from three different price segments, Rs. 10-15k, Rs. 20-25k and >Rs. 25k. Performance of games with Anti-aliasing turned on is a big factor of the price range you want to go with.
Games Tested
Tomb Raider
Metro: Last Night
Crysis 3
Far Cry 3
Testing methodology and Objective
We use Fraps as our main FPS tracking tool, and we record the average FPS over a gameplay time of 5 minutes. Our objective of this test is recommend a graphics card that can allow you to play games with the highest possible settings. This includes your Anti-aliasing set to a minimum of 2X FXAA.
You might have noticed, there is no ATI HD 7790. This was a the go-to card offering the best price/performance ratio, but the coming of the GTX 650Ti Boost, the 7790 has been made pretty much redundant. The GTX 650Ti Boost is our new Rs. 12k price bracket winner.
Results
We ran the tests, the outcomes we had are interesting, and expected.
The GTX 650Ti Boost is a no-go if you want the best at this resolution. Anti-aliasing is far fetched, the card wont even be able to handle other demanding features such a dynamic shadows and tessellation set to full. The 650Ti Boost is a perfect mid-range card. That’s where NVIDIA placed it in the market, and that’s what it exactly is.
The ATI HD 7870 is a good card, giving you an excellent price/performance ratio i.e. more bang for the buck. You will be able to play most games at full settings with this card, but with no Anti-aliasing. Maybe in some games you can use 2x FXAA anti-aliasing, but you’ll probably have to sacrifice on other settings.
The GTX 660Ti hits the sweet spot. It handles anti-aliasing a little better than the 7870, as it does handle Far Cry 3 reasonably well with Anti-aliasing on. The 660Ti should be the card you want if your budget is ~ Rs. 20,000 – Rs. 25,000.
Now, entering the next price segment i.e. > Rs. 30k. The GPUs in this segment will deliver you the best gaming experience at 1650 x 1080 with anti-aliasing on and ultra settings. OK, not the best, but definitely playable. We find it hard to recommend the GTX 670. It is priced high but you’ll be better off getting the ATI HD 7950, which offers similar performance for a cheaper price. If you’re willing to a dish out a few extra from your odd 20k rupees, you should get the 7950, and discard the GTX 660 Ti.
The GTX 680 is the undeniably the most practical GPU in the market right now if you want flawless no-compromise gaming experience on the 1080p resolution. The 7970 is also an option but is a little bit of a compromise.
CONCLUSION
Price range: Rs. 20,000 – Rs. 30,000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti: This GPU is the most balanced choice for this resolution, and is priced just right. Although we have give the HD 7950 an honourable mention. It is theoretically faster than the GTX 660 Ti, and that shows in its performance in certain game. It doesn’t handle anti-aliasing that well though.
Price range: >Rs. 30,000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680. Flawless handling of anti-aliasing. You can also crank up AA to 4x in some games (Far Cry 3) at playable framerates. The 680 also has the benefit of a 55 W-lower thermal ceiling, meaning a smaller form factor and more efficient power handling.
Do you game on a 1650 x 1080 resolution? What GPU do you use and what performance do you get?
