The latest update of the GeForce FX adds a significant performance boost, and appears to approach the Radeon 9800, according to ZDNet Labs - though Nvidia has been accused of fiddling the tests Nvidia"s latest high-end graphics processor appears to have caught up to ATI"s latest Radeon chip in performance, even allowing for alleged dirty tricks in the way Nvidia"s drivers handle benchmarks, according to new tests from ZDNet Labs.
Nvidia and ATI are battling for the right to call their technology the fastest, a right which carries prestige with high-end gamers, even if it does not translate directly into sales in the more lucrative mass market. The new set of benchmarks pitted the new Nvidia GeForce FX 5900 Ultra against ATI"s latest, the Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB. Nvidia holds a substantial market share lead over ATI, but ATI has until now held a performance lead in the current generation of GPUs (graphics processing units).
ZDNet"s tests found that Nvidia"s improvements to its new chip have given it an edge over the Radeon in some areas, such as 3DMark03 benchmark tests. In other tests, such as parts of the Unreal Tournament 2003 test and the Tom Clancy"s Splinter Cell test, results were more mixed or the lead went to the Radeon.