Evaluation of old graphics card GTS250： Looking at the progress of 65／40／28 nm

　　[PConline evaluation]Recently, the graphics card industry is full of news about GTX780, which is fascinating, but it is not something that ordinary users can consider. Let’s look back at the actual products. A series of old graphics card tests, we have been reflected by many netizens, this time we should test GTS250 at the request of netizens.

　　The graphics card is called "GTS250", and familiar netizens know that this is the "mysterious" power of NVIDIA, which has changed from 9800GTX+. The specifications and parameters are just like 9800GTX+, and there is a significant change in memory. At that time, the core of NVIDIA G92 was old.

　　After years of baptism, the high-end old cards many years ago are no different from the performance of general mainstream graphics cards. This time, we use another test method to see the performance differences of GTS250, GTS450 and GTX650. These three graphics cards use three different architectures and three different technologies, which also represent three different eras.

Comparison of three products with "5":

　　Although it also had a "5", GTS250 was launched in the mid-to high-end market of 999 yuan at that time, pushing HD4850. Similarly, GTS450 is also used as the mid-end market of 899 yuan, and HD6770/6750 is suppressed within 1,000 yuan. By GTX650, the market it faces has become the mainstream level, and this "5" has been devalued more and more.

　　GTS250 uses the "G92" core which has entered dusk at that time (it has been used for three generations). Although the technology is a little old, its performance is still a bit worth seeing. When it comes to GTS450, using the mature Fermi architecture, the most brilliant period is not that it can suppress HD6750, but that the GTX650 introduced later is expensive, which makes GTS450 have a short spring. GTX650 is currently using NVIDIA’s most advanced Kepler architecture, with excellent energy consumption ratio, but the price is still slightly higher.

　　If you want to know the positioning of the graphics card at that time, then it is most direct to look at the memory width. Due to the high cost of GDDR5 at that time, GTS250 still used GDDR3 video memory, with 256bit width and 64 texture units, which could not hide its high positioning at that time. As for the current GTX650, except for more stream processors, other parameters are relatively simple.

Ming Xin Shi Jie feng GTX650Ti-1GBD5 brilliant edition　　picture　　evaluating　　forum　　quote　　Net purchase price　　

　　This time, we received three graphics cards from Mingxin, which were used to test the performance and power consumption differences of these three graphics cards: GTS250, GTS450 and GTX650. These three graphics cards use the three-generation architecture of Trass, Fermi and Kepler respectively, and the three processes of 65 nm, 40 nm and 28 nm are also models with the word "5" in the middle. What will happen? We’ll leave right away.

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Introduction of test platform and description of test method

　　In order to unify the performance of the platform, we use the high-end 3770K platform to ensure that it does not cause system bottleneck, which is more convenient for the performance of the graphics card. We use the latest driver 310.14 beta at present, and add a new game "Subway: The Last Dawn". Of course, the games all choose DX9 or DX10 running mode.

Theoretical test scores:

　　Because some graphics cards don’t support DX11, we tested 3DMark Vantage and the new 3DMark, and the results are for reference only.

　　Test summary:Judging from the test results, the progress of the three graphics cards is relatively balanced. The score displayed by 3DMark Vantage, GTS450 is twice as high as GTS250, regardless of its accuracy, at least the detected result mainly depends on the graphics card. As for the Cloud Gate scenario of the new 3DMark, it is more about the performance of the platform.

Test software settings

software set up
《3DMark　 Vantage》 Extreme mode
New 3DMark Cloud Gate scene

● Popular game masterpiece test

　　In order to make it easier for everyone to read, we have simplified the description of the game and compiled a variety of games into a big chart to make the comparison of the results more intuitive.

On the Significance of Game Frame Number (FPS)

　　The number of game frames is a standard to reflect whether the game runs smoothly, which can be classified in most cases.No playability:The number of frames is less than 30FPS；;Acceptable:30-50 frames;Smooth operation:50-60 frames;Perfect operation:The number of frames is greater than or equal to 60. That is to say, under normal circumstances, the number of frames is greater than 60, which is of little significance. At this time, you can increase the quality of the game to get more visual effects.

　　Now many new games use DX11 interface, and we adjust most of them to DX9 or DX10 mode. From the test of the game, GTS250 is not as bad as 3DMark Vantage shows. At least GTS450 is not twice ahead of GTS250, and the performance of the three in the game is more like the performance of the new 3DMark.

　　In addition, we also see that it is not impossible for GTS250 to play mainstream games in full HD resolution, but there is basically no enjoyment in image quality special effects.

　　To sum up the achievements of the three graphics cards, the performance improvement of each generation is about 20%. We can guess that GTX750 may be 120% of GTX650, and perhaps GTX750 is a GTX650Ti vest (see GTX770 vest GTX680).

Settings and measurement methods of tested games

game Game settings test method
Batman: The City of Forrest Gump Turn off DX11 detail option, 1920×1080, 4A antialiasing. Bring your own Benchmark for testing.
Glorious mission Select DX9 configuration to enter Benchmark, start high mapping mode, start post-processing, dynamic blur, 4MSAA. Benchmark tests.
Marx Payne 3

DX10, the game quality is all normal, 1920×1080.

Using Fraps records, in the second quarter of the second level, the protagonist jumps off the bar and fights.
Battlefield 3 Global picture quality middle, 1920×1080 Using Fraps, the "Hunting Action" level starts from boarding the plane.
Subway: The Last Dawn Select low, DX10 mode, AF4AA, 1920×1080 for global image quality. Self-contained benchmark test
Tomb Raider 9 1920×1080　Global image quality middle 　Bring your own Benchmark for testing.
Lost planet 2

1920×1080　Global picture quality middle, 4mxaa

Using Fraps, record the first scene of bechmark.

Platform power consumption test:

　　Before the test, it should be noted that since the independent power consumption of the graphics card cannot be tested, all the power consumption scores in this round of test are the power consumption of the whole machine, and the power consumption tester is used for testing during the test. During the test, we run Tomb Raider 9 benchmark to test the average power consumption of the platform.

　　Test summary:The technology is more and more sophisticated, the architecture is more and more advanced, and the power consumption is lower and lower. In the previous GTS250, the power consumption of the platform was 238W, while the GTS450 with stronger performance was 225 W. In Kepler’s generation, the power consumption was as low as 158W W.

　　Compared with GTS250, GTS450′ s energy consumption progress is mainly achieved through the improvement of technology, and GTX650′ s performance is like this. In addition to the improvement of technology, streamlining general-purpose computing is also one of the means.

Summary of PConline evaluation room:

●GTS250 ladder diagram position guide

　　PConline ladder diagram description:From the test, it can be seen that the performance difference between GeFoece GTS250 and GTS450 is about 20%, which is smaller than that of GTS450 and GT640. We define that GTS250 has better performance than GT640, as shown above in the ladder diagram.

● What is the value of ●GTS250?

　　Looking back at GTS250, the listing price at that time was $149, which was close to 1,000 yuan at that time. What now? Although there are no new graphics cards, let’s go to the second-hand forum to see the current market.

The picture is intercepted in this forum (the value is also the best in 200 yuan)

　　At present, GTS250 is probably worth 250 yuan. In four years, the value has shrunk to 1/4 of that at that time. Once again, we must feel the fall in price speed of IT products. With the performance of GTS250, you can still enjoy the game now. The price in 200 yuan is better than buying a GT630.

●GTS250 upgrade or purchase suggestion.

　　At that time, with the GTS250 graphics card, most platforms used Xiaolong quad-core, Kourou E8400, or Kourou quad-core platforms. Compared with the current CPU performance, it is not bad, probably reaching the level of X4 740, and the performance can also be exerted with the current mid-range graphics card.

　　　For those friends who are about to retire from GTS250, we suggest to consider GTX650Ti, whose performance is far superior to that of GTS250, and its power consumption is lower than that of GTS250, and its energy consumption ratio is good. As for the friends who want to change to a new platform, according to the consumption level, they should buy the I5 grade at present, and of course they will match the GTX660Ti.

　　The improvement of GPU technology and the update of architecture can improve the performance and power consumption of graphics cards, which will be reduced to 1/4 in four years. After four years, is HD7990 worth 2K? In the next issue, we will test the previous God cards, such as GTX295 and HD4870x2, and now the performance is equivalent to what price of graphics cards.