ECS G33T-M2 Motherboard Review

3D Performance: 3DMark2001 SE

To evaluate G33’s 3D performance we installed a very low-end video card on ECS G33T-M2: GeForce 6200 TurboCache with 64 MB and 64-bit interface (from XFX).

We also installed a high-end video card, an overclocked GeForce 8800 GTS from MSI, on it and compared its performance to a high-end motherboard with the same video card installed, MSI P35 Platinum. The goal here was to see if by installing a high-end video card the reviewed board achieved the same performance level of a high-end motherboard.

We ran several programs, as you will see in the next pages. The amount of RAM memory the chipset “steals” from the main RAM memory to be used as video memory was left on the motherboard default value, which was “auto” for the reviewed motherboard.

The first one, 3DMark2001 SE, measures 3D performance by making DirectX 8.1 simulations, and the results you can see below (we ran it using its default configuration). All the listed video cards were installed on ECS G33T-M2.

On 3DMark2001 SE the on-board video produced by ECS G33T-M2 achieved the same level of GeForce 6200 TurboCache with 64-bit memory interface and 64 MB. This is impressive: this was the first time we’ve seen an on-board video solution achieving the same performance level of a “real” video card. ECS G33T-M2 on-board video was also 346% faster than the one produced by SiS 672FX. This is really amazing.

When we installed our overclocked GeForce 8800 GTS on the reviewed board it achieved the same performance level of MSI P35 Platinum, what is great, as it means that you will achieve the same performance level of a P35-based motherboard by installing a “real” video card on this motherboard.