Civ 5 GPU performance

[Sir Og]

Anandtech has added Civ 5 to their benchmarking suite. This means that graphic card reviews will make tests with Civ5 as well in the future.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3987/amds-radeon-6870-6850-renewing-competition-in-the-midrange-market/11

Civ is still more dependent on CPU but you can read interesting things regarding GPU performance.
So far Nvidia's GTX460 1GB seems to provide most bang for the buck when it comes to civ5, because of civ5 unique use of dx11 and that card's compute power. (If you play other games too, there might be better options)

It also seems that they like civ at Anandtech:

It’s also one of the few games banned at AnandTech, as “one more turn” and article deadlines are rarely compatible.

[Fidel]

interesting...
no test with 5650 or comparable mobile gpus?

[Asher]

They're only running it for tests going forward.

[ElDonReal]

Sorry, I thought I have a 5650, but it's a Radeon 5670.

[Fidel]

i know it is a gpu thread, but my task manager shows that civ5 is making a decent use of 4 cores...

[Sir Og]

If your GPU is fairly weak, there will be more load on the CPU (theoretically)

[cpekerkan]

If your GPU is fairly weak, there will be more load on the CPU (theoretically)

Not really... GTX 275 and a C2D 3.0Ghz with 8GB here. GPU barely does any work, fans won't even go into screaming mode. While CPU is clocking about 60-85% easy, on both cores...

This is what happens with Python.
It isn't working hard to do game calculations. It is working hard to translate Phyton (aka. script kiddie language of console generation) to a usable machine code.
No, Civ isn't done in C+

[Zoetstofzoetje]

those script kiddies are cheaper programmers though. it's a business decision which places the burden on the customer

[Asher]

Not really... GTX 275 and a C2D 3.0Ghz with 8GB here. GPU barely does any work, fans won't even go into screaming mode. While CPU is clocking about 60-85% easy, on both cores...

This is what happens with Python.
It isn't working hard to do game calculations. It is working hard to translate Phyton (aka. script kiddie language of console generation) to a usable machine code.
No, Civ isn't done in C+

Yeah, it's not C++ at all. That's why it comes with a C++ runtime and boost libraries.

Your GPU is doing a lot of work, especially on a GTX 275. You just don't know what you're doing to look into that sort of thing.

I've a 5850 and it's maxed out while playing Civ 5.

Your observations are patently false. `

[cpekerkan]

Yeah, it's not C++ at all. That's why it comes with a C++ runtime and boost libraries.

Your GPU is doing a lot of work, especially on a GTX 275. You just don't know what you're doing to look into that sort of thing.

I've a 5850 and it's maxed out while playing Civ 5.

Your observations are patently false. `

Just LOL...

Civ 5 Executable is C++, and the engine. not the game... Also components like mod browser that talk with steam, windows etc...

As for the load on the GPU, it never goes above 40%. That isn't much at all... I am playing with all details on a 1920x1200 screen. With a secondary screen active but running off GTX260

What you should have said was:
I do not agree with your observations...

Doesn't matter how much we nitpick anyway. We are all a collective bunch of suckers who paid for an inferior product just going by the brand name.

[Asher]

Just LOL...

Civ 5 Executable is C++, and the engine. not the game... Also components like mod browser that talk with steam, windows etc...

What kind of idiot thinks the engine is not a critical component of the game, and the #1 performance driver?

As for the load on the GPU, it never goes above 40%. That isn't much at all... I am playing with all details on a 1920x1200 screen. With a secondary screen active but running off GTX260

What you should have said was:
I do not agree with your observations...

It's not that I don't agree, it's that your observations are simply not correct. You either have faulty monitoring methods, or you're lying.

How exactly did you measure the GPU usage? Which tool?

If it only used 40% of a GTX 260, how the hell do benchmarks clearly demonstrate that the game scales VERY VERY well with faster GPUs?

Why does my Radeon 5850 (which is far faster than your GTX 260) show FAR higher GPU usage numbers?

I DO NOT AGREE WITH YOUR OBSERVATIONS because you are a liar.

This isn't the IGN or Neogaf forums, there are people here who know their ****. Don't test them.

[Asher]

I just loaded Civ5, loaded a saved game I had that was fairly early in the game still (150 turns in or so).

It clearly hits WELL above 40%...and this is on a far more capable GPU than yours.

[cpekerkan]

@Asher:
Why bother... You absolutely and irrefutably know the best. Rest, lead by me is an absolute bunch of hacks who can't tell the difference between a slab of wood and a computer. Whatever you deem appropriate is the absolute truth.
Also, whatever hardware and software you have is the best of the best, everyone else who uses something else is well...

Incidentally, people like you are the reason I usually lurk on the forums instead of posting.
Bite yourself. I am afraid of catching something from you.

[Sir Og]

Alternatively you could have proven Asher wrong with a simple screenshot and a couple of sentences....

Unless, you actually can't

Also civ5 uses LUA which is supposedly faster than Python.

[Asher]

He can't post a screenshot because he's lying. He probably doesn't even know how to measure GPU utilization.