Mafia II GPU and CPU Performance In-depth

Mafia II is a third-person action shooter that combines Grand Theft Auto-like gameplay mechanics with a world heavily inspired by the classic films Godfather and Goodfellas. Developed by the same team as the original (2K Czech, formerly Illusion Softworks), Mafia II was released for the Windows platform last August 24th. The game also received simultaneous launches for the PS3 and Xbox 360, but in spite of this the visual quality of the PC version does not suffer from the "crappy console port" syndrome. Rather Mafia II looks to be one of the best games of 2010 to show off the capabilities of current generation high-end GPUs.

So with a new full version copy of Mafia II loaded onto our test system and two dozen graphics cards lined up ready to test, we set about to deliver another GPU & CPU performance article. Not only have we tested a huge range of graphics cards, but we will also look at the impact PhysX has on performance with and without a dedicated card. As usual, we'll also take a quick look at CPU scaling performance for those concerned if they have the necessary guts on that front as well.

ASRock does their thing as they bring another motherboard to market with one of the latest chipsets in the 880G Extreme3 motherboard. With features features like USB 3.0, SATA3 (6 Gb/s), eSATA3 ports, onboard AMD Radeon HD 4250 graphics and CPU core unlocking technology, how does this stack up to the competition? We intend to find out as we place it against the ECS A890GXM-A motherboard!

The performance of the ASRock 880G Extreme3 was just as we expected. It performs very well and gives you a great platform for your upgrade dollars. As a bonus, UCC was able to unlock the fourth core, which not all boards (like the ECS board we tested against) are able to do. You will not be disappointed with the way this board handles at all...

The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX5 is a 10.2-megapixel digital camera that is small enough to fit inside a pocket, but gives you excellent image quality, 1080p video recording, and an excellent user interface. There are also a few added features, like a GPS and compass for geotagging and a large, 3-inch LCD.

With the X58A-UD7 Gigabyte has a very well equipped motherboards in its portfolio which is based on Intels powerful X58 chipset. The board also comes with SATA III and USB 3.0 as standard and is therefore ready to support the latest storage technologies.

Enermax have decided to revisit the Revolution 85+ series with two new models, the ERV920EWT/ ERV1020EWT (920,1020 watt respectively). What is most interesting however is that Enermax have dropped the prices with a new compact PCB design taking centerstage. The old 950W model for instance retailed at 295 euros and the new 920W is selling for 260 euros.

The model we are looking at today is the 1020W which is set to replace the 1050W model in the previous range. The only unit to survive the ‘changeover’ will be the 1250W high end model. All of the new models have also received a fan change, with one of the new Twister fans replacing the old ball bearing units.

Lian Li are a stalwart case manufacturer amongst enthusiasts the world over, they have stood out from the surrounding brands by offering exceptionally hand-crafted cases typically - aluminium as the chosen material.

I've never had any experience of owning a Lian Li case myself, but know of many who have had the luxury of owning one. They speak highly of their vast product range and so today it is with anticipation that I look to taking a close look at the PC-A77F, a case which launched back in March 2010. The PC-A77F is an update to the PC-A77 bringing in some interesting features such as USB3.0, full tool-less design, support for multiple graphics cards and so on.