17 - Performance Gaming F.E.A.R.

The Quad Core myth in gaming

We also will include some gaming benchmarks. Now I understand that some of you expect miracles in gaming when you purchase a new processor. It's just not the case, you are as limited as fast as your GPU (graphics card) can go. It's as simple as that.

All the quad-core love is fantastic, but the reality is it makes very little difference, unless you are on a very high-end SLI or Crossfire platform. Our tests will be conducted on the fastest single GPU on the globe though, the GeForce GTX 280.

Fact is, even a Core 2 Dual E8500 processor is fast enough for a GeForce GTX 280 in most situations, unless we focus on the lowest resolutions where the GPU is not limited and the CPU can provide more data. Next to that, only a few engines really support multi-threaded multi-core gaming. Even Crysis Warhead configured at Multi-CPU mode shows the limitation of today's software applications. For the past decade or so, all code and libraries are based on one core processors. It's slowly changing, but even with a title like Warhead, as you can see, multiple cores matter only a little.

Crysis Warhead being benchmarked. 1 One core 100% stressed, while others do chip in, but not a lot.

What am I trying to say here .. this is not the CPU's fault, the Nehalem ROCKS, it's the software applications that and GPU configurations what are still hindering all that multi-core lovin'. So if you say "waaaah, this processor is only 10-20% faster" in games then you are wrong .. it's the software application or GPU confoguration hindering optimal usage of the multiple CPUs available. Our synthetic benchmarks we have just shown you are perfect examples of how well the processor really scales.

Gaming: F.E.A.R.

As many of you will be aware, F.E.A.R (or First Encounter Assault & Recon in short) involves a rather mysterious looking girl in a red dress, a man with an unappetizing taste for human flesh and some rather flashy action set pieces aka The Matrix. All of this is brought together by one of the best game engines around.

F.E.A.R. makes its cinematic pretensions clear from the start. As soon as the credits roll, and the music starts, you are treated to the full works. The camera pans across scores of troops locked 'n' loaded and ready to hunt you down, all seemingly linked to 'Paxton Fettel', a strange kind of guy with extraordinary psychic power capable of controlling battalions of soldiers and a habit of feeding off any poor unfortunate innocents - presumably to aid his powers of concentration. It doesnt end there, after a short briefing at F.E.A.R. HQ you are sent off to hunt down Fettel equipped with reflexes that are 'off the chart'. These reflexes are put to excellent use, with a slow motion effects like that of Max Payne, or the before mentioned Matrix. But here, it is oooohhhh so much more satisfying thanks to the outstanding environmental effects. Sparks fly everywhere, as chunks of masonry are blasted from the walls and blood splatters from your latest victim. The physics are just great, with boxes sent flying, shelves tipped over, and objects hurtling towards your head. And the explosions, well, the explosions just have to be seen, and what's so great about this is you can witness it in all its glory in slow motion.

Let me confirm to you that based on this, F.E.A.R. will have you shaking on the edge of your seat, if not falling off it. The tension is brought to just the right level with key moments that will make your heart leap. Play the demo and you will see what I mean. The key to this, is the girl. Without revealing anything significant, lets just say that she could take on the whole of Mars for creepiness.

Image Quality setting:

• 4x Anti Aliasing
• 16x anisotropic filtering
• Soft Shadows Disabled

Here's a good example of a GPU bound ttle. When you look at scaling at 10x7 the difference is apparent. And sure the difference between 250 FPS and 224 is pretty okay .. but after that, the GPU is the bottleneck.

Fear is very GPU dependant. As you can see, virtually not a difference on any of the platforms. But what happens if we take an older title with a CPU limitation?