Testing (continued):

SiSoftware Sandra Rendering:

The rendering benchmark from SiSoftware's Sandra analyzes three different scenarios, all with results in terms of megapixels rendered per second (Mpixels/s), where higher scores are better. In this test a single HD5850 was comparable to a CrossFireX configured pair of HD5750s, but when the HD5850s were put into CrossFire the results surge drastically.



Windows 7 Experience:

The latest version of the Windows operating system, Windows 7, includes a utility to analyze the performance of a few system components. We will consider the gaming graphics and desktop graphics scores, as they are the only ones that should change from one graphics card to the next. Higher is better for these results, and the highest possible score is 7.9. Windows seems unimpressed by CrossFire, as it gives the cards the same marks whether they work alone or as a team. That said, a 7.6 for the HD5850 is creeping right up on the maximum.