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Test Results
In most of our tests, the PCI Express boards finished in a virtual tie with the AGP boards. For example, in our Halo test, conducted at a resolution of 1024 by 768, the ATI-based VisionTek AGP card reached 34 frames per second while ATI's PCI Express card notched 35 fps. The two NVidia-based cards were separated by just 1 fps (59 versus 58) as well. The same test run at 1600 by 1200 resolution netted precisely matched results from both cards. (For complete test results and information on how we test, see the chart below.)
The only significantly different results we saw came in our tests of the ATI cards using Splinter Cell: The AGP card notched 36 fps versus 41 fps for the PCI Express version at 1024 by 768 resolution; the same AGP card reached 23 fps and the PCI Express card hit 27 fps at 1600 by 1200 resolution. The higher-end NVidia produced generally higher frame rates throughout, with scores of 74 and 75 fps for the AGP and PCI Express versions, respectively, at 1024 by 768; it scored 9 fps lower on each at 1600 by 1200.
The AGP cards had a negligible advantage over their PCI Express counterparts in our Unreal Tournament 2004 test at the lower resolution. At the higher resolution, scores for the NVidia cards stayed exactly the same; but ATI's PCI Express card slowed dramatically to just 34 fps versus 46 fps for the AGP card. This result may be due to differences in memory capacity and chip sets, or to driver issues.
Skip PCI Express?
Our test results do not mean that you should plan to pass over PCI Express-based desktops and graphics cards, but there's clearly no need to rush out and buy a new PCI Express-based PC just for the graphics. Going forward, many systems will integrate PCI Express by default, which means you won't pay anything extra to get it. And once software begins to use the extra bandwidth, you'll likely be glad you have it.
In the meantime, making a choice between NVidia and ATI products--whether based on AGP or PCI Express--has become largely a matter of taste, as noted in our August review of AGP boards. If you're already on the PCI Express bandwagon, you won't be disappointed by either company's newest offerings.
PCI Express, AGP Boards Run Neck and Neck
Comparable graphics cards based on the next-generation interface offer about the same performance as similar AGP products in our PC games-based benchmarks.
