Parhelia 8x in 3DMark03

[Jenix]

I just got a new Parhelia 8x 256MB and had some 3D tests..

I don't remember the exact version, anyway I performed tests twice in my 3DMark03 with default settings..

First test result : 1011

Second test result (with powerstrip-on(default settings)) : 1023


(Powerstrip showed me core speed as 251.4, memory speed as 360.

And my Windows has some errors now so I don't think the result above are

100% reliable..)


I wanted to notice the diference between 8x and 4x AGP, but unfortunately

I couldn't because I sold my old 4x card in a hurry so I forgot to check the score in 3DMark...

(as a result, no data to compare to)

If anyone gives me the score in 3DMark with 4x card, I'll really really appreciate..


At any rate, the score is somewhat close to FX5200 which is very very cheap card
I think...;;

[Mikko]

At any rate, the score is somewhat close to FX5200 which is very very cheap card
I think...;;

FX5200 supports DX9, Parhelia doesn't...
Parhelia can't run all tests and this is one of the reasons you'll get pretty low score in 3DMark03.

[Venturer]

Parhelia 4x 256MB (GPU CLOCK 200; VIDEO RAM CLOCK 250) here

on ATHLON XP 2600 266Mhz FSB
1 GB DDR RAM PC 2700
Matrox video drivers: 1.08.0.133
Video BIOS: 2.1-44


3dmark 2003 score: 753!



What is your CPU; and RAM configuration?

[PAugustin]

Scord 1318 with P8X at 320/350...

[Jenix]

First of all, thanx all of you guys


Venturer,

Windows XP is being reinstalled on my system for clean and the best condition now,

so I couldn't test on mine yet..

In fact, the system I tested above is my brother's.

('my windows' I mentioned above was just for your understanding..^^ )

that's why I had experienced some errors and thought the score wasn't by 100% power..


But, I think system doesn't affect 3d performance much..

u c, You must be surprised..


I'll let you know the pc system...


CPU : Intel Pentium4 423pin 2GHz (Willamet)

RAM : Samsung RD-RAM PC800 1GB

Mainboard : Asus P4T

Matrox video drivers: 1.09.xxxx <- I don't remember exact build... lastest driver anyway

Video Bios : I Have No Idea.. Latest Bios!!

DirectX : 9.0c

OS : Windows XP Professional SP2


That's it!

You can check bios and driver version of your own and may try another test I think..

Thanks very much anyway^^

[Jenix]

Scord 1318 with P8X at 320/350...

Jesus!

When I tried to overclock just a little, the monitor screen started to go odd so I gave up right away..

[PAugustin]

It may be heat related. I use a big Zalman cooler in my P8x and I remember that the stock cooler didn't allow much o/c.

[borat]

Jesus!

When I tried to overclock just a little, the monitor screen started to go odd so I gave up right away..

NO, its most likely fine, you can only use powerstrip to overclock the p8x, not matrox utility. Overclocking the GPU should not cause the screen to go garbled but overclocking the memory will.
There is some sort of problem with powerstrip and the parhelia, where it does not sync the current contents of the memory properly as you overclock it. Keep pushing the memory back and forth in powerstrip a few times and it seems to re - fill the memory and then its fine and ungarbled.

It can happen on mine when i overclock it as little as 320, but as soon as whatever peice of offending memory is cleared i can push on up to 298Mhz rock solid stable 24/7.

give it a try, its most unlikely you'll fry your card by doing it in small increments.

[Jenix]

Oh, no~!!!!

I tested on my system just before, the result made me shocked!!!

I can't believe it!!



My system specs -

CPU : Intel Pentium4 660 64bit 3.60GHz
RAM : Samsung DDR-3200 1GB x 2 = 2GB Dual channel
Mainboard : Asus P5P800
OS : Windows XP Professional SP1 and all the updates installed except for SP2
HDD : Maxtor SATA 300GB x 2 + WD PATA 320GB + Hitachi PATA 250GB
VGA : Parhelia 8x 256MB with lastest driver and bios
Power : Enermax 465
etc : fresh windows with all the lastest device drivers including Intel Chipset Patch

and

the score is

778..



the score in the system my brother's was 1020~30..

I tried about ten times, and the score never went under 1020 except first test..

The best one was 1031...

and when I tried on that system, the dualhead function was on,

but in my system, function off..(This is just because I'm still setting up a lot of applications after reinstalling windows now..)


I don't understand why...

I guess the big differences between those two systems are... RDRAM, SP2, 64bit cpu..or so..

Do they have something to do with 3DMark's score??

RDRAM does?? SP2??




ps. the score let me down but when I tried to play EA Underground2,

I felt a lot better than in my brother's system..

[Mikko]

Make sure you have disabled "anti-aliasing" and "VSync" in the PowerDesk during the tests.

[Venturer]

778 very strange.....................almost like my Parhelia 4x!
So i assume that there isn't much difference between Parhelia 4x and 8x in a low end system!

[UtwigMU]

Problem is 3DMark03 is very video card centered. P2 350 with R9700 will score better than P4 with lowend videocard. So with 3DMark03 you're mainly benchmarking your videocard.

[Kuriton]

I got 997 3DMarks in October 2004.

CPU:Intel Pentium4 3.2GHz @ 3.5GHz Northwood
M/B:ASUSTeK P4S800D-E Deluxe
MEM:PC3200 DDRSDRAM Winbond 512MB*2+Hynix 512MB*2
VGA:Matrox Parhelia-FR 128MB 4xAGP
Cooler:ZALMAN Reserator1

And.. I want a new Matrox GPU without Parhelia-512. :-)

[Jenix]

No no no no no~

Some misunderstandings here,

I tested in two different systems with the same card "Parhelia 256MB 8x".

I mean, Parhelia + Pentium4 2GHz vs Parhelia + pentium4 3.6GHz..

if the video card is the same and the systems are differant, the result must be better in the faster PC..(or at least be the same..)

however, the result was oposite..


Pentium4 2GHz with 1GB RAM was much(?) faster than Pentium 3.6GHz with 2GB RAM..

Why is that??


I'm going to check "anti-aliasing" and "VSync" options as Mikko said as soon as I get back home..thanks mikko

(office now)


I want Kuriton and Venturer to check them too if not bothering you..

[UtwigMU]

Read my post. With 3Dmark03 you're mainly benchmarking videocard. PII350 with Radeon 9700 would probably pwn Parhelia on 3.6 P4 in 3DMark03.

You can go read hardware site archives how they analyzed 3DMark03 as benchmark when it came out, I think particulary aceshardware posted a good analysis.

If you want more CPU centric benchmark try Wolfenstein Enemy Territory where comparable CPUs to mine with much faster videocard have comparable framerates to me.

To sum up 3D Mark 03 is mostly a meaningless benchmark which only measures how one computer runs 3D Mark and it's scores do not reflect in any real world gaming performance. Try Aquamark or better yet some actual games to judge gaming performance.