Inno3D GeForce 8500 GT and 8600 GT Comparison - Page 4 of 7
Review by Kyle Kerley - June 1, 2007
HALF-LIFE 2: LOST COAST VIDEO STRESS TEST RESULTS
Unlike the Counter-Strike: Source video stress test, the Half-Life 2: Lost Coast video stress test actually uses the entire game level to test performance. Apart from actual combat and the amount of time it takes to run through, there is no difference between running the stress test and playing through the level. The chart below details the settings used for benchmarking and all are indentical to those selected in the Counter-Strike: Source testing.
Source Engine Settings
This allows for a score more indicative of actual gameplay and also ensures each card gets the exact same experience, unlike playing through a certain point repeatedly where anything can and does happen resulting in scores that come from varying gameplay experiences.
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast Results
Relative to the Counter-Strike: Source benchmarks, performance was way down across the board, but the 8600 GT still performed admirably all the the up to 2560x1600 with 2x MSAA applied. Even the 8500 GT put up some impressive numbers staying in the double digits (barely) all the way up 2560x1600 with 2x MSAA.
