Testing (continued):

Half Life 2: Episode 2:

The 256MB HIS IceQ Radeon HD2600 Pro Turbo used in this review included a copy of "The Black Box" and I have found myself playing a few of the games in there. One worth considering during the review is Half Life 2: Episode 2.

The chart above shows that the ASUS EAH3850 really opens things up, and game play became far more enjoyable. With the average FPS value surging by about 50 frames, the minimal value also increased, making everything smoother and more lifelike.

F.E.A.R. Extraction Point:

Next up was F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) Extraction Point. This game was run at 1280x1024 with the settings turned up pretty high, but not quite to the maximum. As the chart below reveals, the average frame rates are great on the ASUS card, but there were a few instances where I could see/feel them drop down as the action got a little choppy. Turning the settings to medium may have helped, but overall I liked how things looked and left them alone.

Day of Defeat: Source:

Day of Defeat: Source is another game included in "The Black Box", and I decided to play a few rounds on the Avalanche map to test things out.

As you can see in the chart above, the game didn't really pose much of a challenge to any of the cards, but the EAH3850 performed so well that even the minimum frame rates during heavy action shouldn't come close to concerning you.