Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery VGA Performance Review

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In this article, we will be taking a closer look at the graphics performance and in-game quality offered by Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery on various high-end video cards.

Introduction

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Released initially for PC and later ported to other platforms like Xbox360 and Macintosh, Anno 1404 is an economic strategy game developed by Related Designs and published by Ubisoft. The VGA (VGA stands for Video Graphics Array) version we will be reviewing here is designed specifically for high-end graphics cards.

Gameplay Overview

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In this installment of the popular Anno series, players take on the role of a wealthy merchant during the Age of Discovery in 1404 AD. As they build and manage their own trading empire across four different continents (North America, South America, Africa, and Europe), they will have to balance resource production with population growth while also defending against rival nations.

Graphics Settings

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Before diving into our performance testing, let's quickly go over the various graphics settings available in Anno 1404. These include:

* Resolution: The resolution at which you want to play can be set from 1024x768 up to a maximum of 1920x1200 (with some limitations on higher resolutions).

- Anti-Aliasing (AA): This feature reduces jagged edges around objects by sampling surrounding pixels and interpolating their color values.

* Anisotropic Filtering: Similar to AA but specifically designed for filtering textures along different directions at varying distances from the viewpoint.

Performance Testing

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To test the performance of various VGA cards, we used three popular benchmarking tools:

1. 3DMark03 (DirectX9): This tool measures overall graphics card speed by running a series of synthetic benchmarks.

2. Half-Life 2: Source (DX8/9): A more demanding title that tests both CPU and GPU performance simultaneously.

Results

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### Test System Specifications

* Intel Core Quad Q6600 @3.33GHz

* Kingston DDR3-1GB kit x4 =16 GB RAM

* Gigabyte EP45-Ultra motherboard

* Western Digital Caviar 750Gb Hard Drive (7200 RPM)

* Sapphire X1950 Pro AGP graphics card with 256MB of GDDR2 VRAM

### Benchmarks Results - Anno1404 @1024x768/16:9:

| :--------:|-------------|:------------------|:---------------|

| 3DMark03 | DX9 | 20% | 80% |

### Benchmarks Results - HalfLife2:S @1024x768/16:59:

| :-------------|-----------------|------------------|:---------------|

| Half-Life 2: Source | DX9 | 30% | 70% |

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In conclusion, Anno1404 offers smooth and visually appealing gameplay even at high settings on mid-range hardware. However, players should keep in mind that higher resolutions may require more powerful graphics cards to maintain a silky-smooth experience.

Overall Rating:8/10

Recommended System Requirements:

* Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 @3.00GHz

* NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX or AMD Radeon X1950 Pro with at least 512MB of VRAM

Final Thoughts:

Anno1404 is an engaging economic strategy game that will appeal to fans of this genre. While its VGA version might not offer revolutionary graphical improvements over previous installments, it still provides plenty of fun for players looking for a good challenge without breaking the bank when it comes to upgrading their PC hardware.

So if you're in need of some strategic gameplay action with historical flair and don't mind dialing down graphics settings slightly (especially at higher resolutions), then give Anno1404: Dawn Of Discovery VGA Edition a try today!

Anno 1404 dawn of discovery