The Results
Half-Life 2: Episode 1




We really see the ATI card shine when using max detail. While at lower resolutions the 7950GT seems to have the advantage. When we up the detail at both resolutions the X1950PRO comes out on top. This could be a testament to ATI’s better Anti-Aliasing implementation. Clearly, if you like your eye candy and high details, this card can handle it in the Source engine. It should also be noted that the X1950PRO has a solid performance jump on the increase in detail and at 1600x1200. The Diamond cards goes from having a two percent advantage to a near 25 percent advantage.

Counter Strike: Source




Its interesting to note the difference between Source and Episode 1 even though they are based on the same engine. While the 7950GT was faster in low resolutions in Episode 1, the X1950PRO is faster across the board at both resolutions and with higher details on. It should also be noted that the CS:S max detail benchmark was not done on a HDR map whereas the Episode 1 level did feature HDR. The Source engine code always seems to run a bit better on ATI hardware and that continues here. This leads us to conclude that the X1950PRO is the better choice for Counter-Strike: Source and the Source engine in general.