Game Testing – General
To test general game performance of the Sound Blaster X-Fi, we’re using the newly released game F.E.A.R.
This game uses a lot of different ambient noises and background music to set a suspenseful (scary? 🙂 atmosphere. The following chart displays the results of multiple FEAR performance tests for various sound solutions.
|
Average FPS |
Lowest FPS |
Highest FPS | |
| X-Fi |
50 |
32 |
92 |
|
X-Fi – No EAX |
49 |
29 |
88 |
|
Audigy 2 ZS |
52 |
28 |
90 |
|
Audigy 2 ZS – No EAX |
49 |
28 |
90 |
|
Intel HD Audio |
51 |
31 |
96 |
|
Intel HD Audio – No EAX |
52 |
30 |
98 |
|
VIA Envy 24-PT |
49 |
28 |
92 |
Basing a conclusion on just average frame rates alone does not give you the complete picture and may even lead you to an incorrect opinion.
The above chart displays the distribution of FEAR frame rates as it ran multiple iterations of the performance test. While the average frame rate (in the top-most table) lead you to believe that all sound cards performed the same, the reality is far from it. The Sound Blaster X-Fi and the Audigy 2 ZS are very closely matched with a slight edge given to the Audigy 2. This difference could be explained by more mature drivers on the Audigy 2, but honestly the differences mean very little in reality. The Envy 24-PT scored the worst with a largest proportion of frame rates in the 25-40 FPS range. The game is still playable, but expect performance to drop even more when you start adding more details.
