Notebookcheck Logo

Battlefield 3

Battlefield 3 sets new standards with large multi-player battles and detailed graphics. To find out the hardware requirements of this game, read on.

How We Test

We measured the frames per second of the second level of the single-player campaign with Fraps. The recording started as soon as the doors of the vehicle opened and ended when the protagonist reaches the commanding officer at the cards table. This scene put a big strain on the hardware (even in comparison to the average multiplayer battle). We used the following graphics settings for our tests.

1024x768; Low; Radeon HD 5850
1024x768; Low; Radeon HD 5850
1366x768; Medium; Radeon HD 5850
1366x768; Medium; Radeon HD 5850
1366x768; High; Radeon HD 5850
1366x768; High; Radeon HD 5850
1920x1080; Ultra; Radeon HD 5850
1920x1080; Ultra; Radeon HD 5850

Analysis of the Benchmarks

Battlefield 3 requires a strong middle-class graphics card, such as the GeForce GT 540M to run with minimum details on notebooks. Thankfully, this graphic card is affordable for most buyers. Middle and high details require high-end graphic cards. Ultra graphics are only possible with high-end graphic cards on desktop PCs.

An overview of the games we have tested can be found here.

Show Restrictions
PosModel< PrevNext >Battlefield 3
 Battlefield 3 (2011)
low
1024x768
low
2xAF
med.
1366x768
medium
4xAF
high
1366x768
high
16xAF
ultra
1920x1080
ultra
16xAF 4x MSAA
(-) * Smaller values are better. / n123 Number of benchmarks for this median value / * Approximate position

 

Legend
5Stutters – This game is very likely to stutter and have poor frame rates. Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, average frame rates are expected to fall below 25fps
May Stutter – This graphics card has not been explicitly tested on this game. Based on interpolated information from surrounding graphics cards of similar performance levels, stutters and poor frame rates are expected.
30Fluent – Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, this game should run at or above 25fps
40Fluent – Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, this game should run at or above 35fps
60Fluent – Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, this game should run at or above 58fps
May Run Fluently – This graphics card has not been explicitly tested on this game. Based on interpolated information from surrounding graphics cards of similar performance levels, fluent frame rates are expected.
?Uncertain – This graphics card experienced unexpected performance issues during testing for this game. A slower card may be able to achieve better and more consistent frame rates than this particular GPU running the same benchmark scene.
Uncertain – This graphics card has not been explicitly tested on this game and no reliable interpolation can be made based on the performances of surrounding cards of the same class or family.
The value in the fields displays the average frame rate of all values in the database. Move your cursor over the value to see individual results.
Google LogoAdd as a preferred source on Google
Mail Logo
Editorial Team, 2011-11- 2 (Update: 2012-07-18)