Home / Tech News / Featured Tech Reviews / XFX HD6850 CrossFireX review

XFX HD6850 CrossFireX review

This new GPU tool, called TessMark, is small synthetic graphics benchmark focused on one of the main features of Direct3D 11 and OpenGL 4 capable cards, focusing on GPU tessellation.

Like Unigine Heaven, TessMark allows to select the level of tessellation. The small difference is that TessMark offers four different levels

Geeks3D TessMark - Tessellation levels

  • moderate = tessellation factor of 8
  • normal = tessellation factor of 16
  • extreme = tessellation factor of 32
  • insane = tessellation factor of 64

Moderate and normal levels are levels we’ll find in real world applications like games. Extreme and insane levels are not really realistic ‘real world’ tests. We are using the normal settings today.

We were surprised to see such staggering performance from the reference and overclocked GTX460 hardware. We spoke with Jerome from Geeks3d.com who said that ‘TessMark is focused only on the tessellation engine of the DX11 graphics cards’.

AMD told us that this benchmark doesn’t mirror a ‘real game’ situation at all, but we felt it would be interesting to include, even if it isn’t a real world style benchmark.

Become a Patron!

Check Also

Intel Arc “Battlemage” B580 GPU leaks via shipping manifest

The next generation of Intel desktop graphics cards, codenamed Battlemage, is just around the corner. Units are being shipped around the world in preparation.

21 comments

  1. These look the nicest boards, love that cooler design. performance is great from the 6850. seems to be the better overclocker of the two series.

  2. Wow nvidia just got owned again. although the gtx460 is still competitive, I like these better, power consumption rocks.

  3. Excellent value for money, see it on Scan for 133.

  4. HD6850 seems the massively scalable of the two, those overclocks are fantastic.

  5. I ilke the way they have copied the look of the black edition 4GB 5970.

  6. These look beautiful. what a classy looking design.

  7. What a great price, less than two 5770s for 30% moer performance.

  8. Great cards, shame about the lack of OC tool, I wonder will sapphire make this available on their site for everyone to use?

  9. Great article, very informative

  10. this new range is impressive. good power consumption

  11. Looking forward to the high end cards if this is a sign !

  12. cant wait to see the 6970 next year

  13. the price is brilliant, crossfirex here I come. any ideas who has them to buy ?

  14. A nice card indeed. At the moment I have a HD4870, but I’m thinking of upgrading. The price of the GTX460 also lowered quit significantly to like 140 EUR, so I’m still in doubt. HD6850 is slightly above that price, but I have a Crosshair 4 Formula. It would be nice to run Crossfire like in the review.

    @ Zardon
    btw Zardon, is your first name ‘Allan’? Since I think I’ve seen you before on another website 😛

  15. XFX cards have been fixed with 1120 cores instead of 960 which is stated which means that these results are unacceptable and you wont get this perforamce out of the 6850s. WTF

  16. These are 960. GPUz screenshot in the review.

  17. oh yeah rofl sorry. that means the 6850 cf and 460 sli are in dead heat wow!

  18. Great review guys. The scalling is awesome.

  19. I did the calcutlations and the stock 460 sli beats the 6850 cf by 4.8% and metro and mafia which the 6850s beat the 460s support physx which makes it more complicated favorign teh 460s. The 460s are better performers but the 6850s are still very competetive and eats less power and new drivers would increase performance so…. its still a war. Great review

  20. not including 3dmark vantage bcse its not a game and it fluctautes

  21. sry 4.8 frames not 4.8 % lol