The demo version of the highly anticipated game DiRT 2 recently became available and I just got the chance to try it out. It. Is. Awesome.
I just spent some time running benchmarks and trying out the races, and so far I am not disappointed. It will become available in less than two weeks but if you just can't wait anymore, help yourself to a free copy of the DiRT 2 demo.
But before you do that, check out a few screenshots and the results of the benchmarks I ran at three different resolutions with the highest graphics settings and 8x MSAA. Continue reading for more.
Quick introduction
DiRT 2 is going to be one of the world's first DX11 games when it comes out less than two weeks from now. Coupons for free copies of this game are included with every purchase of AMD's new Radeon HD 5800 and 5700 series GPUs. This game was developed by the same people who made the game Race Driver: GRID, which some people I know swear was the basis for EA's Need For Speed: Shift--but that's another story.
Test System
- CPU: Intel Dual Core E5300 @ 3.4GHz
- Mobo: Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2C motherboard
- Memory: 2x2GB Kingston DDR2 800MHz RAM
- HDD: 500GB Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm hard drive
- PSU: HEC Cougar CM series 550w power supply
- GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 512MB
- Monitor: Dell E228WFP 22-inch monitor @ 1680x1050 60Hz
Game Settings (All details set to High, Skidmarks On)
Resolution/AA/VSync:
- 1280x720/8x MSAA/Off
- 1280x1024/8x MSAA/Off
- 1680x1050/8x MSAA/Off
Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 benchmark results
Above are the results taken from my benchmarks with the Radeon HD 4770 GPU. It turns out DiRT 2 is very playable even with a relatively old GPU such as the HD 4770.
At 1280x720, results are typical. Frame rate went as low as 35 FPS, as high as 51 FPS and averaged at 41.23 FPS.
At 1280x1024, FPS went as low as 34, as high as 54 and averaged at 44.82, intriguingly higher than the average at the lower resolution discussed previously.
At 1680x1050, DiRT 2 was still very playable, with an average frame rate of 39.07 FPS. And note that this is with all graphics detail settings set to High and 8x MSAA. Not bad for performance with a non-DX11 card, right?
Thoughts on Gameplay
DiRT 2 plays just like Race Driver: GRID, which is not surprising since as I mentioned at the beginning of this article, they were both developed by the same people (Codemasters). The menu is presented in the same fashion as GRID and the cars in DiRT 2 are massive. Perfect for off-road driving. The tracks are also excellent and the water puddles add a really nice touch to all the dirt racing you're going to be doing. I played this game with the Logitech Momo racing wheel and had quite a hard time getting accustomed to it. I have to say, this game is not for amateur racing sim players. And that's a good thing for enthusiasts.
Final Thoughts
Who said you needed to upgrade your graphics card just to play the newest games on your PC? As you can see with the above benchmarks, an "old" card will do just fine, provided you know which ones to find. The lower the resolution you play on, the less reason there is for you to even think about upgrading your GPU.
At this point I wonder just how well a DX11 card like those recently released by AMD will perform with this DX11 game, and how much of a difference in terms of eye-candy there will be when the new cards are used as opposed to old ones like my HD 4770. This Christmas, I'll work in finding out the answers to my questions, and hopefully yours as well. Check out a few more screenshots of DiRT 2 below.
Get your free copy of the DiRT 2 demo here at www.bigdownload.com.
