Lost Planet DX9 and DX10
People may not like Vista, but DX10 sure can make jaws drop. Originally released on the Xbox360, Lost Planet is a treat to look at even in DX9 mode, but it is all the extra effects in the next-next-gen mode that truly make it shine. To give you guys a chance to compare the results with the ones we got we decided to use the two demos released on Steam instead of a retail copy of the game, even though we are aware that the final version of the code performs better due to some additional optimizations.
Unlike the Call of Juarez DX10 test, where ATI was in a clear lead, things are reversed this time around. The performance of the HD2400 in DX10 mode is simply terrible; there is no other word for it. The issue is probably caused by a driver bug or the fact that the DX10 code in Lost Planet was written with nVidia in mind. The two nVidia cards on the other hand did an outstanding job, considering their price range.
In the DX9 test the results are more leveled and the ATI card once again took a slight lead. In the snow benchmark the ATI card did a slightly better job and offered a more fluid experience, but overall the performance difference between the two cards wasn’t as big as it might seem on the graphs. The Zotac card yet again remained slightly behind which is not surprising, considering that Lost Planet relies heavily on pixel shader effects like motion blur and all the reflections on the skins of the aliens.
