Did you know that Windows 8 can gobble as much as 25% of your graphics memory? That your graphics card slows down as it gets warmer? That you react quicker to PC sounds than images? That overclocking your card may not really work? Prepare to be surprised!
If you're an auto enthusiast, you've no doubt debated the performance of two sports cars with a friend at some point. One might have made more horsepower. Maybe it had a higher top speed, superior handling, or lighter weight. Typically, those conversations come down to comparing lap times on the Nürburgring and end when someone spoils the fun by reminding us that we can't afford any of the contenders anyway.
In many ways, high-end graphics cards can be quite similar. You have average frame rate, frame time variance, noise from the cooling solution, and a range of price points, which can incidentally double the cost of a current-gen gaming console. And if you needed any further convincing, some of the latest video cards have aluminum and magnesium alloy frames, just like race cars. Alas, some differences remain. Despite my best attempts at impressing my wife with the latest graphics processor, she remains impervious.
So, what is the lap time equivalent for a video card? What is the one measure that distinguishes winners from losers, cost being equal? It's clearly not just average frames per second, as demonstrated by all of the coverage we've given to frame time variance, tearing, stuttering, and fans that sound like jet engines. Then you get into the more technical specifications: texture fill rate, compute performance, memory bandwidth. What significance do all of those numbers hold? And, like a Formula 1 pit crew member, does your new card require headphones just to be tolerated? How do you account for the overclocking headroom of each card in an evaluation?
, can always do it again 