Notebookcheck

Battlefield 3

Editorial Team (translated by Vinay Pradhan), 11/02/2011

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

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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

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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
Pos      Model                                     Battlefield 3
 Battlefield 3 (2011)
low
1024x768
low
2xAF 		med.
1366x768
medium
4xAF 		high
1366x768
high
16xAF 		ultra
1920x1080
ultra
16xAF 4x MSAA
 42NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M SLI
130.9
124.2
83.6
 47AMD Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
135.82
127.552
94.22
 48NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M SLI
115.2
103.3
65.6
 49AMD Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire
141.2
131
67.9
 60NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680
138
122
113
56
 61AMD Radeon HD 7970
137.5
106.7
86.5
47.9
 73NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590
123
110
98
57
 77NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti
141.2
112.1
99.5
46.4
 79NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M
139.9
113.7
96
49.23
 81NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX
126
104
92
45.6
 85AMD Radeon HD 7870
124.2
98.1
78.8
38.6
 86NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M
133.8
112.1
43.8
 90AMD Radeon HD 8970M
106.3
91.9
61.22
38.12
 91NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580
142
108
89
45
 94NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M SLI
153.3
120
103.7
43
 96NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M
122.3
90
74.152
364
 99AMD Radeon HD 7970M
120.3
82.852
67.42
37.954
 106NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX SLI
103.5
90.6
81
41.9
 118NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M
124.822
92.162
78.482
32.62
Pos      Model                                     Battlefield 3
lowmed.highultra
 120NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M
153.2
105.9
85.3
35.8
 126NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX
73.2
58.8
28.6
 127NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M SLI
79.3
67.4
33.2
 132NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M
77.2
63.9
22
 138AMD Radeon HD 6870
106.52
80
68
28
 139NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470
103
75
613
303
 141NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M
109.1
78.552
615
22.95
 145NVIDIA Quadro K4000M
98
72
51
24
 148ATI Radeon HD 5850
109.2
78.2
60.4
24.3
 149NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M
96.474
68.024
53.254
24.184
 150NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
98.1
69.5
54.3
24
 151AMD Radeon HD 6990M
93.5
66.6
52.1
21.9
 155AMD Radeon HD 7770
93.3
64.6
49.3
20.9
 156NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
92.3
71
55
26.8
 160NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 768MB
93.1
67.9
55.6
18.3
 166NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX
95.6
71.9
51.62
20.752
 168NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M
69
56
 170NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M
86.052
59.32
47.55
19.84
 174AMD Radeon HD 6970M
84.3
58.8
45.7
19
 176AMD Radeon HD 8870M
50.72
40.72
38.52
19.352
Pos      Model                                     Battlefield 3
lowmed.highultra
 179NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570M
79.752
52.72
41.252
18.12
 189NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M
753
51.13
39.85
18.25
 191AMD Radeon HD 8850M
40.2
36.9
16.4
 193AMD Radeon R9 M265X
57.4
43.8
18.3
 196AMD Radeon HD 8790M
78
53
41
16
 203NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M
69.7
46.4
35.2
12.8
 218NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
64.43
42.84
33.65
15.25
 220NVIDIA GeForce 840M
53.6
37.5
30
 222NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
64.9
42.6
34
12.1
 224NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M
73.252
48.82
37.452
17.352
 227Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200
46.1
33.8
26.5
10
 229NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M
423
31.83
25.23
93
 239NVIDIA Quadro K2000M
51.3
35.2
28.7
11.6
 240NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
73
50
39
16
 242NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M
44.552
31.62
24.052
 246AMD FirePro M4000
57.4
41.1
33
14.2
 255AMD Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8750M Dual Graphics
27.5
20.9
 256NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M
58.452
40.652
32.82
12
 257NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M
56.6
38.2
29.2
11.7
 260AMD Radeon HD 8750M
43.4
32.2
25.5
10.3
Pos      Model                                     Battlefield 3
lowmed.highultra
 267NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M
485
345
265
115
 271AMD Radeon HD 7730M
47
32
25
10
 293AMD Radeon R7 M260
31.6
27.2
22.7
 306AMD Radeon HD 8670D
41.4
28.3
22.8
8
 307AMD Radeon HD 7690M XT
49
34
28
10
 308AMD FirePro M5950
29.5
23.1
 309NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE
39.552
26.32
21.152
8.9
 310AMD Radeon R6 (Kaveri)
21.1
15
11.9
 312AMD Radeon HD 8730M
38
32
27
 313AMD Radeon HD 6770M
38.352
27.352
21.552
 314NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M
45.8
28.9
20.8
 315NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M
49.2
32.3
24.5
9.8
 331AMD Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8670M Dual Graphics
37.6
30.6
27.2
 332AMD Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8570M Dual Graphics
15.6
14.2
13.9
10.9
 333AMD Radeon HD 7660G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
37.43
31.23
26.83
10.462
 334AMD Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8670M Dual Graphics
32.6
28.4
24.4
 337AMD Radeon HD 7660D
36.6
25.3
20.2
7.6
 338AMD Radeon HD 6750M
34.6
26.9
20.7
 349*AMD Radeon HD 6740G2
37.2
28.9
24.4
 355AMD Radeon HD 8650G
24.4
19.5
16.9
Pos      Model                                     Battlefield 3
lowmed.highultra
 358AMD Radeon HD 7520G + HD 7670M Dual Graphics
22
18.3
15.7
6.3
 359AMD Radeon HD 7670M
37.15
25.55
21.054
7.1
 360NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M
39.386
23.87
17.47
8.3
 361AMD Radeon HD 7560D
37
24.7
19.5
6.6
 369NVIDIA GeForce 820M
36.7
24
19
 372NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M
33.5
22.2
17.4
 381AMD Radeon HD 8450G + Radeon HD 8570M Dual Graphics
11.1
 385AMD Radeon HD 8550M
16.4
14.4
13.4
 387NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
35.752
23.352
17.82
 390AMD Radeon HD 6650M
35.1
24.7
18.8
7.3
 391Intel HD Graphics 4600
32.43
22.73
18.32
6.852
 401NVIDIA NVS 5400M
40
27
21
8
 403AMD Radeon HD 7660G
32
22
17
6
 413AMD Radeon HD 6630M
34.32
22.12
19.752
 414AMD Radeon HD 7650M
37.664
23.914
18.874
6.62
 416AMD Radeon HD 7570M
302
20.952
16.22
6
 419ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650
34.6
22.8
17.5
5.9
 425NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M
28.92
19.62
15.152
 429AMD Radeon HD 7610M
29.9
19
14.6
 439Intel HD Graphics 4400
17
11.7
9.7
Pos      Model                                     Battlefield 3
lowmed.highultra
 443AMD Radeon HD 7550M
24.9
16.4
12.4
 450AMD Radeon HD 7500G + HD 7550M Dual Graphics
15.46
12.83
11.4
 451AMD Radeon HD 7600G
11.5
8
 469Intel HD Graphics 5300
16.3
12.7
9.7
 478AMD Radeon HD 7480D
21.1
14.2
10.9
3.7
 479Intel HD Graphics 4000
14.819
12.214
10.29
5.254
 481AMD Radeon HD 6620G
24.7
16.8
12.7
 487AMD Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L)
20.8
14.4
11.3
 490Intel HD Graphics 4200
13.9
9.9
5.4
 492AMD Radeon HD 6450 GDDR5
24
 494*AMD Radeon HD 6520G + HD 7450M Dual Graphics
22
23.4
17.1
 497*AMD Radeon HD 6480G + HD 7450M Dual Graphics