Multi-GPU scaling on Lynnfield
For this series of tests I took the same gaming tests used on the previous page but compared them to results using a pair of GTX 285 graphics cards in SLI mode as well. For simplicity, I am only comparing the Lynnfield and Nehalem processors here to see if there is any difference in scaling performance either from the third memory channel of Nehalem or the integrated PCIe of Lynnfield.3DMark Vantage
A reliable and popular benchmark, 3DMark Vantage can provide a good insight into overall gaming performance of a system.
Nothing too dramatic here – SLI scaling is pretty solid across the board here.
World in Conflict
Most RTS games are more CPU intense that other titles and World in Conflict is no exception.
With World in Conflict the only outlier I see is with the Core i7-975 – SLI scales slightly better with it at 1920×1200 and 2560×1600.
Left 4 Dead
Developed by a new team of Valve’s, Left 4 Dead is a single or multi-player game that encompasses the most automatic story for a shooter: zombie apocalypse. The team aspect of the title, based on Valve’s Source engine, really makes this a unique gaming experience that I think all PC gamers should be required to play.
While at 1920×1200 the CPUs can make a bit of different in SLI performance scaling, at 2560×1600 the results are completely flat once again.
Far Cry 2
Far Cry 2 pairs impressive visuals with a truly interactive and destructible environment.
Finally, in Far Cry 2, the results are just about the same. Yes, the Core i7-975 does offer a bit of an advantage in terms of SLI headroom but not enough to warrant a noticeable difference or the cost increase over any of the other testing CPUs.
What these results indicate to us, in a general sense, is that the GPU is still the primary bottleneck when it comes to PC gaming and that ANY of these Lynnfield or Nehalem CPUs will be great for single GPU or multi-GPU gaming configurations.
