GeForce GTX 760 Conclusion

IMPORTANT: Although the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, be advised that every author perceives these factors differently. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer revisions that occur after publication which could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on this conclusion, as it represents our rating specifically for the product tested which may differ from future versions. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate.

My ratings begin with performance, where GeForce GTX 760 replaces the GTX 660 Ti and competes with AMD’s Radeon HD 7950 graphics card. In our DirectX 11 tests however, GeForce GTX 760 kept pace ahead of the Radeon HD 7970. Ultra-demanding DX11 games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum made good use of Kepler’s optimized architecture, helping to deliver 82 FPS and overstepping the Radeon HD 7970 by 27 FPS. Battlefield 3 also gave the GeForce GTX 760 a 18 FPS lead over the Radeon HD 7970, all while using Ultra quality settings to produce nearly 73 FPS. Lost Planet 2 played well on all graphics cards when set to high quality with 4x AA, allowing GTX 760 to maintain an impressive 66.8 frame rate and leads the 7970 by 4 FPS. In Aliens vs Predator the GeForce GTX 760 improved 10 FPS beyond the GTX 660 Ti before trailing the Radeon HD 7970 by just as much. Metro 2033 is another demanding game that requires high-end graphics to enjoy high quality visual settings, however this benchmark appears to favor AMD Radeon products more so than GeForce graphics cards.

Synthetic benchmark tools offer an unbiased read on graphics products, allowing video card manufacturers to display their performance without special game optimizations or driver influence. Futuremark’s 3DMark11 benchmark suite strained our high-end graphics cards with only mid-level settings displayed at 720p, yet GeForce GTX 760 produced frame rate results comparable to the more expensive AMD Radeon HD 7970. Unigine Heaven benchmark tests used maximum settings that tend to crush most products, yet GTX 760 still produced 10 FPS beyond the Radeon HD 6970.

Appearance is a much more subjective matter, especially since this particular rating doesn’t have quantitative benchmark scores to fall back on. NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX series has traditionally used a recognizable design over the past two years, and with the exception to more angular corners GeForce GTX 760 appears looks very similar to the GTX 660 series it replaces. Because GeForce GTX 760 operates so efficiently, and allows nearly all of the heated air to exhaust outside of the computer case, the reference design does an excellent job for function. While fashionable looks might mean a lot to some consumers, keep in mind that this product outperforms the competition while generating much less heat and producing very little noise.

Construction is the one area NVIDIA graphics cards continually shine, and thanks in part to extremely quiet operation paired with more efficient cores that consume less energy and emit less heat, it seems clear that GeForce GTX 760 continues to carry on this tradition. Requiring two 6-pin PCI-E power connections with reduced power supply requirements of 500W, which is considered mainstream. Additionally, consumers have a single-GPU solution capable of driving three monitors in 3D Vision Surround with the inclusion of two DL-DVI ports with supplementary HDMI and DisplayPort output.

As of launch day (25 June 2013), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 video card will sell for $249.99. This price is directly targeted at the AMD Radeon HD 7950 graphics card, but keeping in mind that hardware manufacturers and retailers are constantly adjusting prices expect this to change a few times between now and a few months later. There’s still plenty of value beyond basic frame rate performance, and the added NVIDIA Kepler features run it off the charts. Only NVIDIA Kepler video cards can offer automated GPU Boost technology, 3D Vision, Adaptive VSync, PhysX technology, FXAA, and now TXAA.

My conclusion: GeForce GTX 760 is a very capable replacement for the GTX 660 Ti, and a superior alternative to the Radeon HD 7950 series. NVIDIA’s Kepler-based GK104 GPU has already proven itself in the GTX 770, and does so again here in the GTX 760. The real key to success is GTX 760’s 2GB GDDR5 memory subsystem, which features a 256-bit interface that transports data at 6008 MHz. With Radeon HD 7970 often trailing behind in performance, gamers have a good reason to play their favorite titles using team green hardware. GeForce GTX 760 delivers performance beyond the competition, and delivers as much value as it does technology perks.

Pros:

+ Outperforms AMD Radeon HD 7970 in several tests
+ Great performance with DX11 video games
+ Supports NVIDIA GPU Boost 2.0 technology, Adaptive VSync, TXAA, 3D Vision and PhysX
+ Triple-display and 3D Vision Surround support
+ Cooling fan operates at very quiet acoustic levels
+ Features DisplayPort connectivity for future monitor technology
+ Very low power consumption at idle and heat output under load
+ Upgradable into dual- and triple SLI card sets

Cons:

– Expensive mainstream product
– Occasionally trailed GeForce GTX 660 Ti

COMMENT QUESTION: Do you prefer NVIDIA GeForce or AMD Radeon graphics cards?