Gigabyte GTX 950 Xtreme Graphics Card Review

Synthetic Benchmarks

3DMark Firestrike from Futuremark is a Semi-synthetic DirectX11 benchmark designed for high-performance gaming PCs. Firestrike performs advanced geometry, illumination and particle tests with its Graphics benchmark and performs physics simulations using the CPU. For our video card test, only the graphical score is taken.

Unigine Valley 1.0 and Heaven 4.0 are GPU intensive synthetic benchmarks that utilize tessellation, advanced lighting, dynamic environments and other DirectX11 graphical features. Both of these are excellent for video card stability and temperature testing and even supports Stereo3D and multi-monitor benchmarking.

Gaming Benchmarks

The first in our real-world gaming benchmarks involves the ultra-popular The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim which runs on Bethesda’s Creation Engine and utilizes a DirectX 9 API. Benchmarks were performed during the initial escape scene in the beginning at Helgen while Alduin the ancient dragon razes the hold to the ground.

Tomb Raider is a re-launch title of the decades old video game series utilizing a DirectX 11 Crystal Engine to render a 3rd-person action adventure game. It has a built-in benchmark used for cross-video card comparison.

Bioshock Infinite is the third title in the alternate-universe first-person shooter franchise utilizing Unreal Engine 3. The built-in benchmark was used for video card comparison.

Alien Isolation – In Alien Isolation is a first person horror game where you take on the role of Amanda Ripley searching for answers about her mother. During then game, you are transferred over to the space station Sevastopol and are tasked to find the flight recorder of the Nostromo and discover an Alien has ravaged the space station.

BattleField Hardline – Battlefield Hardline differs from the other games in the series as it is not military based. The game focuses more on crime. You play as Nick Mendoza, a young street detective in the city of Miami, which is battling a new drug war. The single player game plays more like episodes of Miami Vice and has a very T.V. feel.

Crysis 3 is labeled as the GPU killer. Just like the Original Crysis had the GPUs crying for their mother,  so does Crysis 3. Crysis 3 brings back Prophet to New York in 2047. Crysis 3 uses the latest Cryengine for stunning visuals. The level we chose was just after entering the tunnels. This features good visuals and a mixture of environments as well as a good firefight towards the end.

FarCry 4 – is an open world shooter where you take the reins as Ajay Ghale in the fictional Himalayan village of Kryat. The game features a different encounter each time its played. The NPCs spawn at random.

Grand Theft Auto V – is an open world action adventure that revolves around the criminal element. The player can fly planes and helicopters, participate in challenges, and just be an all around thug

Metro:Last Light is a post-apocalyptic first person shooter that combines stealth and horror elements that uses an improved A4 engine.

Shadows of Mordor takes place between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. After his wife and child are slaughtered by the Black hand, Talion’s revenge is at hand.

Witcher 3 closes the chapter on Geralt’s life. The game features a massive open world that the player can explore. Witcher 3 uses REDEngine developed independently by CD Projekt RED. The game engine features stunning visuals.