Methodology: performance tests
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Methodology: performance tests
The largest sample of tests is from games. This is quite natural given that GeForce and Radeons, i.e. cards primarily intended for gaming use, will mostly be tested.
We chose the test games primarily to ensure the balance between the titles better optimized for the GPU of one manufacturer (AMD) or the other one (Nvidia). But we also took into account the popularity of the titles so that you could find your own results in the charts. Emphasis was also placed on genre diversity. Games such as RTS, FPS, TPS, car racing as well as a flight simulator, traditional RPG and sports games are represented by the most played football game. You can find a list of test games in the library of chapters (9–33), with each game having its own chapter, sometimes even two (chapters) for the best possible clarity, but this has its good reason, which we will share with you in the following text.
Before we start the gaming tests, each graphics card will pass the tests in 3D Mark to warm up to operating temperature. That’s good synthetics to start with.
We’re testing performance in games across three resolutions with an aspect ratio of 16:9 – FHD (1920 × 1080 px), QHD (2560 × 1440 px) and UHD (3840 × 2160 px) and always with the highest graphic settings, which can be set the same on all current GeForce and Radeon graphics cards. We turned off proprietary settings for the objectivity of the conclusions, and the settings with ray-tracing graphics are tested separately, as lower class GPUs do not support them. You will find their results in the complementary chapters. In addition to native ray-tracing, also after deploying Nvidia DLSS (2.0) and AMD FidelityFX CAS.
If the game has a built-in benchmark, we use that one (the only exception is Forza Horizon 4, where due to its instability – it used to crash here and there – we drive on our track), in other cases the measurements take place on the games’ own scenes. From those we capture the times of consecutive frames in tables (CSV) via OCAT, which FLAT interprets into intelligible fps speech. Both of these applications are from the workshop of colleagues from the gpureport.cz magazine. In addition to the average frame rate, we also write the minimum in the graphs. That contributes significantly to the overall gaming experience. For the highest possible accuracy, all measurements are repeated three times and the final results form their average value.
Tests with active AMD Smart Access Memory will not be part of the standard methodology yet. Of course, we will focus on SAM, but for better orientation, we will include these tests in a separate article. But we’re doing this just temporarily, until GeForce graphics supports it as well. Then we switch to the opposite model and all cards will be tested with SAM turned on. Until then, however, SAM will be turned off in standard tests, and we will publish the performance increase under its influence separately. No one will be cut short by anything (neither those who have pure AMDs in their cases, nor the owners of Intel platforms) and the clarity of the results will be nicely preserved. Still, putting multiple modes of one card into the same chart (or having 500 charts per article instead of 300) would no longer do any good.
We plan to do one more thing – once a quarter to measure the impact of various updates (drivers, OS, games, BIOS) on performance. This will result in percentage increases or drops in performance that you can work with when studying older tests. It’s a bit of a compromise, but it’s definitely a better option than releasing new tests with out-of-date software. Of course, it would be ideal to test all previous cards before doing every new test, but this is unrealistic. But we believe that you will also appreciate the continuous measurement with one GeForce graphics card and one Radeon and the inclusion of the appropriate coefficient in the criteria of interactive graphs.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Methodology: how we measure power draw
We have been tuning the method of measuring power draw for quite a long time and we will also be tuning it for some time. But we already have gimmicks that we can work with happily.
To get the exact value of the total power draw of the graphics card, it is necessary to map the internal power draw on the PCI Express slot and the external one on the additional power supply. For the analysis of the PCIe slot, it was necessary to construct an in-between card on which the power draw measurement takes place. Its basis is resistors calibrated to the exact value (0.1 Ω) and according to the amount of their voltage drop we can calculate the current. We then substitute it into the formula for the corresponding value of the output voltage ~ 12 V and ~ 3.3 V. The voltage drop is so low that it doesn’t make the VRM of the graphics card unstable and the output is still more than 12/3.3 V.
We are also working on a similar device for external power supply. However, significantly higher currents are achieved there, longer cabling and more passages between connectors are necessary, which means that the voltage drop will have to be read on an even smaller resistance of 0.01 Ω, the current state (with 0.1 Ω) is unstable for now. Until we fine-tune it, we will use Prova 15 current clamp for cable measurements, which also measures with good accuracy, they just have a range of up to 30 A. But that is also enough for the OC version of the RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio. If a card is over the range, it is always possible to split the consumption measurement (first into one half and then into the other half of the 12 V conductors).
And why bother with such devices at all when Nvidia has a PCAT power draw analyzer? For complete control over the measurements. While our devices are transparent, the Nvidia’s tool uses the processor that can (but of course does not have to) affect the measurements. After testing the AMD graphics card on the Nvidia’s tool, we probably wouldn’t sleep well.
To read and record measurements, we use a properly calibrated multimeter UNI-T UT71E, which exports samples to XLS. From it we obtain the average value and by substituting into the formula with the exact value of the sub-circuit output voltages we obtain the data for the graphs.
We will analyze the line graphs with the waveforms for each part of the power supply separately. Although the 3.3 V value is usually negligible, it needs to be monitored. It is difficult to say what exactly this branch powers, but usually the consumption on it is constant and when it changes only with regard to whether a static or dynamic image is rendered. We will measure the consumption in this article in a demanding game (Shadow of the Tomb Raider) and less demanding (CS:GO) with the highest graphic settings and UHD resolution (3840 × 2560 px) and out of load on the idle Windows 10 desktop. But measurements from work environment, which is well presented by LuxMark, will also be added, and in less power-thirsty 4K@60 fps video (Jellyfish) decoding modes with a data rate of 60 Mbps in online format VP9 (Google Chrome) and HEVC (VLC). And you might also be interested in how much the power draw will increase when you connect a second high-resolution monitor? 🙂
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Noise measurement…
Noise, as well as other operating characteristics, which we will focus on, we’re measuring in the same modes as consumption, so that the individual values overlap nicely. In addition to the level of noise produced, we also record the frequency characteristics of the sound, the course of the GPU frequencies and its heating.
In this part of the methodology description, we will present something about the method of noise measurement. We use a Reed R8080 sound level meter, which we continuously calibrate with a calibrated Voltcraft SLC-100 meter. A small addition to the sound level meter is a parabola-shaped collar, which has two functions. Increases the sensitivity to distinguish the sound produced even at very low speeds. It is thus possible to better compare even very quiet cards with the largest possible ratio difference. Otherwise (without this adjustment) it could simply happen that we measured the same noise level across several graphics cards, even though would actually be a little different. This parabolic shield also makes sense because, from the outer convex side (from the back), it reflects all the parasitic sounds that everyone who really aims for accuracy of the measurements struggles with during the test. These are various cracks of the body or objects in the room during normal human activity.
To ensure the same conditions when measuring the noise level (and later also the sound), we use acoustic panels with a foam surface around the bench-wall. This is so that the sound is always reflected to the sound level meter sensor in the same way, regardless of the current situation of the objects in the test room. These panels are from three sides (top, right and left) and their purpose is to soundproof the space in which we measure the noise of graphics cards. Soundproofing means preventing different reflections of sound and oscillations of waves between flat walls. Don’t confuse it with sound-absorbing, we’ve had that solved well in the test lab for a long time.
During the measurements, the sound level meter sensor is always placed on a tripod at the same angle and at the same distance (35 cm) from the PCI Express slot in which the graphics card is installed. Of course, it’s always closer to the card itself, depending on its depth. The indicated reference point and the sensor angles are fixed. In addition to the “aerodynamic noise” of the coolers, we also measure the noise level of whining coils. Then we stop the fans for a moment. And for the sake of completeness, it should be added that during sound measurements, we also switch off the power supply fan as well as the CPU cooler fan. Thus, purely the graphics card is always measured without any distortion by other components.
… and the frequency response of the sound
From the same place, we also measure the frequency of the sound produced. One thing is the noise level (or sound pressure level in decibels) and the other thing is its frequency response, coloration.
According to the data on the noise level, you can quickly find out whether the graphics card is quieter or noisier, or where it is on the scale, but it is still a mix of different frequencies. Thus, it does not say whether the sound produced is more booming (with a lower frequency) or squeaking (with a high frequency). The same 35 dBA can be pleasant but also unpleasant for you under certain circumstances – it depends on each individual how they perceive different frequencies. For this reason, we will also measure the frequency response of the sound graphics card in addition to the noise level, via the TrueRTA application. The results will be interpreted in the form of a spectrograph with a resolution of 1/24 octave and for better comparison with other graphics cards we will include the dominant frequency of lower (20 – 200 Hz), medium (201 – 2000 Hz) and higher (2001 – 20 000 Hz) sound spectrum into standard bar graphs. For measurements, we’re using a calibrated miniDSP UMIK-1 microphone, which accurately copies the position of the sound level meter, but also has a collar, even with the same focal length.
At the end of this chapter, it should be noted that measurements of noise and frequency response of sound will be performed on most cards only in load tests, as out of load and at lower load (including video decoding) operation is usually passive with fans turned off. On the other hand, we must also be prepared for exceptions with active operation in idle or graphics cards with dual BIOS setup, from which the more powerful one never turns off the fans and they run at least at minimum speed. Finally, as with measuring the noise level in one of the tests, we also record the frequency response of whining coils. But don’t expect any dramatic differences here. It will usually be one frequency, and the goal is rather to detect any potential anomalies. The sound of the whining coils is of course variable, depending on the scene, but we always measure in the same scene (in CS:GO@1080p).
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Methodology: heat tests
We will also bring you heat tests, too. You are at HWCooling after all. However, in order to make it sensible at all to monitor temperatures on critical components not only of the graphics card, but anything in the computer, it is important to simulate a real computer case environment with healthy air circulation. The overall behavior of the graphics card as such then follows from this. In many cases, an open bench-table is inappropriate and results can be distorted. Therefore, during all, not only heat tests, but also measurement of consumption or course of graphics core frequencies, we use a wind tunnel with equilibrium flow.
Two Noctua NF-S12A fans are at the inlet and the same number is on the exhaust. When testing different system cooling configurations, this proved to be the most effective solution. The fans are always set to 5 V and the speed corresponds to approx. 550 rpm. The stability of the inlet air is properly controlled during the tests, the temperature being between 21 and 21.3 °C at a humidity of ±40%.
We read the heat from the internal sensors via GPU-Z. This small, single-purpose application also allows you to record samples from sensors in a table. From the table, it is then easy to create line graphs with waveforms or the average value into bar graphs. We will not use the thermal camera very much here, as most graphics cards have a backplate, which makes it impossible to measure the PCB heating. The key for the heating graphs will be the temperature reading by internal sensors, according to which, after all, the GPU frequency control also takes place. It will always be the heating of the graphics core, and if the sensors are also on VRAM and VRM, we will extract these values into the article as well.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Test rig
| Test configuration | |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 5900X |
| CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-U14S@12 V s NT-H2 |
| Motherboard | MSI MEG X570 Ace |
| Memory (RAM) | Patriot Blackout, 4× 8 GB, 3600 MHz/CL18 |
| SSD | 2× Patriot Viper VPN100 (512 GB + 2 TB) |
| PSU | BeQuiet! Dark Power Pro 12 (1200 W) |
Note.: At the time of testing, graphics drivers Nvidia GeForce Game Ready 461.09 and AMD Adrenalin 20.12.2 are used, and the OS Windows 10 Enterprise build is 19042.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
3DMark
For tests we use 3DMark Professional and the Night Raid (DirectX 12) is suitable for comparing weaker GPUs, for more powerful ones there is Fire Strike (DirectX 11) and Time Spy (DirectX 12).
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Age of Empires II: DE
Test platform benchmark, API DirectX 11; graphics settings preset Ultra; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Test platform benchmark; API DirectX 12; graphics settings preset Ultra High; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Battlefield V
Test platform custom scene (War stories/Under no flag); API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Ultra; TAA high; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Battlefield V with DXR
Test platform custom scene (War stories/Under no flag); API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Ultra; TAA high; extra settings DXR.
Note: This game also supports DLSS, but considering it is an older title and there are already more than enough tests, we will no longer test this setting. But we can test it if you ask for it.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Borderlands 3
Test platform benchmark; API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Ultra; TAA; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Control
Test platform custom scene (chapter Polaris); API DirectX 11, graphics settings preset High; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Control with DXR
Test platform custom scene (chapter Polaris); API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset High; extra settings DXR and DXR with DLSS (performance).
DXR (native)
DLSS (performance)
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Counter Strike: GO
Test platform benchmark (Dust 2 map tour); API DirectX 9, graphics settings preset High; 4× MSAA; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Cyberpunk 2077
Test platform custom scene (Little China); API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Ultra; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Cyberpunk 2077 with FidelityFX CAS
Test platform custom scene (Little China); API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Ultra; extra settings FidelityFX CAS.
FidelityFX CAS
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
DOOM Eternal
Test platform custom scene; API Vulkan, graphics settings preset Ultra Nightmare; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
F1 2020
Test platform benchmark (Australia, Clear/Dry, Cycle); API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Ultra High; TAA; extra settings Skidmarks blending off*.
*on GeForce graphics cards, the Skidmarks blending option is disabled. This option is missing on AMD graphics cards. However, the overall quality of Skidmarks is otherwise set to High on both GeForce and AMD.
Note: The game also supports DLSS 2.0 and FidelityFX for upscaling and sharpening, but due to the relatively low hardware requirements in the native settings, we will not address them in standard tests. However, some measurement on request is possible if you ask for it.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
FIFA 21
Test platform custom scene (Autumn/Fall, Overcast, 9pm, Old Trafford); API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Ultra; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Forza Horizon 4
Test platform custom scene; API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Ultra; 2× MSAA; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Mafia: DE
Test platform custom scene (from the Salieri’s Bar parking lot to the elevated railway gate); API DirectX 11, graphics settings preset High; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Metro Exodus
Test platform benchmark; API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Extreme; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Metro Exodus with DXR
Test platform benchmark; API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Ultra; extra settings DXR and DXR with DLSS.
DXR (native)
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Test platform custom scene; API DirectX 11, graphics settings preset Ultra; TAA; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Vulkan)
Test platform custom scene; API Vulkan, graphics settings preset Favor Quality; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Dx12)
Test platform custom scene; API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Favor Quality; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Test platform custom scene; API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Highest; TAA; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider with DXR
Test platform benchmark; API DirectX 12, graphics settings preset Highest; extra settings DXR.
Note: This game also supports DLSS and FidelityFX CAS, but since this is an older title and there are more than enough tests, we will not address this setting in standard tests. However, some testing on request is possible if you ask for it.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Total War Saga: Troy
Test platform benchmark; API DirectX 11, graphics settings preset Ultra; 4× AA, no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Wasteland 3
Test platform custom scene; API DirectX 11, graphics settings preset Ultra; no extra settings.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Overall gaming performance
Výkon za euro
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
GPU clock speed
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Heating of the GPU
Heating of the VRAM
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Net graphics power draw
Performance per watt
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Analysis of 12 V sub-circuit power supply
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Analysis of 3.3 V sub-circuit power supply
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Noise level
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Frequency response of sound
Measurements are performed in the TrueRTA application, which records sound in a range of 240 frequencies in the recorded range of 20–20 000 Hz. For the possibility of comparison across articles, we export the dominant frequency from the low (20–200 Hz), medium (201–2000 Hz) and high (2001–20 000 Hz) range to standard bar graphs. However, for an even more detailed analysis of the sound expression, it is important to perceive the overall shape of the graph and the intensity of all frequencies/tones.
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time.
Conclusion
In the vast majority of games, active SAM means a performance increase. We measured the highest in undemanding games such as Age of Empires II: Definite Edition (+44% in 1080p), where the game finally reaches significantly higher fps even compared to the RTX 3080. With Smart Access Memory, Radeon catches up to GeForce also in CS:GO, where it otherwise has a large performance shortage. From the point of view of more demanding and demanding games, the RX 6800 XT benefits from SAM also in Forza Horizon 4 (+6–15%), Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (+9–17%) or in Borderlands 3 (+4–10%). There is also a significant increase in performance in Cyberpunk 2077, which is unlike previous games that are said to be better optimized for GeForce. SAM, however, under certain circumstances (with FidelityFX CAS) boosts the RX 6800 XT really well. The game runs 10–18% faster.
Then there are games where the boost fits up to 5%, which is also the value of the average increase in performance across all games in all resolutions. These typically include Battlefield V, F1 2020, Mafia: DE, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War Saga: Troy, Wasteland 3 or Red Dead Redempion 2 with Vulkan API. With DirectX 12 no improvement in average fps can be observed, but active SAM decreases minimal fps with more significant drops. This also brings us to the shady side. Somewhere the improvement is relevant, elsewhere none (like in Metro Exodus or in DOOM Eternal) and there are occasionally titles where, on the contrary, there are decreases in performance. These include, for example Control (-2–6 %) and Microsoft Flight Simulator. Although only partially, and overall SAM behaves strangely in this game. While in QHD (1440p) it consumes 5%, in UHD (2160p) it adds up to 24%. And that’s a nice portion considering that we’re talking about differences of 24 and 30 fps.
You already know that for some games, SAM is worth it more and for others less. As performance increases, so does consumption, which is a matter of course. More interestingly, however, at the same power draw, lower noise is achieved with SAM, despite higher GPU temperature, which scales directly with higher power consumption. The fan control thus obviously responds not only to the temperatures of the graphics core, but probably also to the temperatures of the memory (or VRM), which is likely less heated. Unfortunately, we do not know much about the temperature used by GDDR6 for the absence of thermal sensors, but it is certainly not cold. In any case, even where SAM does not have such an impact on gaming performance, the noise of the graphics card is clearly reduced. It’s easy to see in F1 2020 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
We noticed a noise increase only in the undemanding game CS:GO, where, however, the percentage increase in performance was many times higher (and thus, the consumption of the graphics card was also higher) than in the above-mentioned titles. Well, it looks like we’re going to be including this in the pros as part of standard Radeon tests. So hopefully Nvidia will add PCIe Resizable BAR support soon, it was already anounced.
Thank you to Spacebar for providing us with games for our tests
- Contents
- Methodology: performance tests
- Methodology: how we measure power draw
- Methodology: noise and sound measurement
- Methodology: heat tests
- Test rig
- 3DMark
- Age of Empires II: DE
- Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
- Battlefield V
- Battlefield V with DXR
- Borderlands 3
- Control
- Control with DXR and DLSS
- Counter Strike: GO
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Cyberpunk 2077 with FidelityFX CAS
- DOOM Eternal
- F1 2020
- FIFA 21
- Forza Horizon 4
- Mafia: DE
- Metro Exodus
- Metro Exodus with DXR
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (Vulkan)
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (Dx12)
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider s DXR
- Total War Saga: Troy
- Wasteland 3
- Overall gaming performance and performance per euro
- GPU clock speed
- Heating of the GPU and VRAM
- Net graphics power draw and performance per watt
- Analysis of 12 V sub-circuit power supply
- Analysis of 3.3 V sub-circuit power supply
- Noise level
- Frequency response of sound
- Conclusion