Intel Q9450 vs Phenom 9850 - ATI HD3870 X2

[JumpingJack]

JumpingJack: So you think that there isn’t any interest among readers to know how video cards perform using AMD processors?
One thing that you can be certain of next time nVidia or ATI is going to release a new card is that there will be at least 10+ reviews using intel processor to test the card. Good imagination among reviewers don't you think?

No, there are plenty of people who would like to see it no doubt, me being one of them.

But the reviewers are reviewing video cards, not processors. If they used a Phenom, most likely at best it would show the 4870 X2's tied with the nVidia 280 and 260 since the games will all bunch up to the limit of the CPU.

They use the Intel CPU not to advertise Intel CPUs, the use the fastest available platform so that the cards will demonstrate the performance differences without any CPU bottlenecking. Even with Intel CPUs, there is some bottlenecks being shown through the reviews.

Many sites have to use over-clocked Intel quads to make sure that the CPU does not rail to the same value. Even the nVidia 280 GTX can open up some bottlenecks.

I have two 4870 X2s on the way, I will provide you examples of this. At the same resolutions, settings, etc. The phenom paired with the 4870 X2s will most likely produce lower scores in some (likely most, if not all) the test runs compared to the Intel CPUs.

It isn't about imagination, it is about doing the right thing and reviewing the cards correctly. Just like before the C2D was launched, all the reviewers used AMD processors to review video cards, not because they liked AMD or wanted to promote AMD, but because the Athlon 64 just B!tch-slapped the Pentium 4 up, down and sidways at gaming... why would you use a P4 to run a high end game with a high end video card. It would be pointless... it is just that today, that role is reversed.