How can my friend get such good framerate with a cheap card?

[dbruce1990]

Was talking to my buddy about video cards while we were playing diablo III.

I got to looking at differences in cards and looking at passmark ratings on videocardbenchmark.net and his card is rated at 1232 ranked 149 while mine is rated in at 3097 ranked 54...

I get 60 fps on average, with maxed out settings. While he is getting between 70-90 fps...

How come I have over twice the rating he has and get lower fps? What could he maybe have over mine?

I'm not sure on his full build, but mine is:
amd phenom II x4 945
16 gb ddr3 1600 9-9-9-24
ssd drive
32" hdtv 120hz 1080p
evga gtx 560 2gb gddr5

edit: forgot to mention he has a radeon HD 4870 X2. payed $99 for it.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Do you have VSync turned on? That caps the framerate at 60fps.

He may also be using a different resolution or slightly different settings.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Just spotted your edit. The 4870X2 is a (slightly) faster card than the 560; you may have been comparing it to the 4870.

 

[coolcole01]

the 4870x2 is a better card

 

[dbruce1990]

so is videocardbenchmark.net a bad website to get a general idea about video cards? cause looking at that place my card should run circles around him...

edit: if so, then what is a good website to find accurate benchmarkings?

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Anandtech usually.

I suspect you're comparing the 4870, not the 4870x2. I'll have a look.

EDIT: Passmark can't handle multiple GPUs on one card, which is what the 4870x2 is. It only tests one GPU, and thus gets around half the score it should. It's also usually not very representative of actual performance.

 

[dbruce1990]

Ah, is there a better website to look at benchmarks or?

No I made sure it was the " x 2"


Also, I just turned off vsync (didn't know it capped fps) and i shot up to about 115fps in diablo and about 80 or so in WoW, but only a little 5 minute test in diablo 3, and then a quick run around the world of warcraft city, i'll dip all the way to like 40 fps...?

I am just curious cause I am in the process of buying first a new monitor and then hopefully a new video card if i can afford both together....

Edit: Heres the cards i'm comparing
his card: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+4870+X2&id=98

my card: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=GeForce+GTX+560&id=71

 

[Someone Somewhere]

The fact that the 4870 scores more should tell you something's wrong: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+4870

 

[dbruce1990]

Ah, makes sense. So how do I know how to watch out for dual gpu? do nvidia/amd always mark them as "x 2"?

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Usually x2, but there's lots of other ways. No real nomenclature.

There's few enough that you can usually remember them. Examples:

AMD: HD5970, HD6990, HD7990, R9 295X2.
Nvidia: 590, 690, Titan Z.