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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
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680
138
122
113
56
AMD Radeon HD 7970
137.5
106.7
86.5
47.9
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti
141.2
112.1
99.5
46.4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M
139.9
113.7
96
49.2n3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX
126
104
92
45.6
AMD Radeon HD 7870
124.2
98.1
78.8
38.6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M
133.8
112.1
43.8
AMD Radeon HD 8970M
106.3
91.9
61.2n2
38.1n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580
142
108
89
45
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M
122.3
90
74.15n2
36n4
AMD Radeon HD 7970M
120.3
82.85n2
67.4n2
37.95n4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M
124.8n2
92.15n2
78.5n2
32.6n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M
153.2
105.9
85.3
35.8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX
73.2
58.8
28.6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M
77.2
63.9
22
AMD Radeon HD 6870
106.5n2
80
68
28
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470
103
75
61n3
30n3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M
109.1
78.55n2
61n5
22.9n5
ATI Radeon HD 5850
109.2
78.2
60.4
24.3
PosModel< PrevNext >Battlefield 3
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M
96.45n4
68n4
53.25n4
24.18n4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
98.1
69.5
54.3
24
AMD Radeon HD 6990M
93.5
66.6
52.1
21.9
AMD Radeon HD 7770
93.3
64.6
49.3
20.9
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
92.3
71
55
26.8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 768MB
93.1
67.9
55.6
18.3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX
95.6
71.9
51.6n2
20.75n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M
69
56
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M
86.05n2
59.3n2
47.5n5
19.8n4
AMD Radeon HD 6970M
84.3
58.8
45.7
19
AMD Radeon HD 8870M
50.7n2
40.7n2
38.5n2
19.35n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570M
79.75n2
52.7n2
41.25n2
18.1n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M
75n3
51.1n3
39.8n5
18.2n5
AMD Radeon HD 8850M
40.2
36.9
16.4
AMD Radeon R9 M265X
57.4
43.8
18.3
AMD Radeon HD 8790M
78
53
41
16
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M
69.7
46.4
35.2
12.8
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
64.4n3
42.8n4
33.6n5
15.2n5
NVIDIA GeForce 840M
53.6
37.5
30
NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
64.9
42.6
34
12.1
PosModel< PrevNext >Battlefield 3
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M
73.25n2
48.8n2
37.45n2
17.35n2
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200
46.1
33.8
26.5
10
NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M
42n3
31.8n3
25.2n3
9n3
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
73
50
39
16
NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M
44.55n2
31.6n2
24.05n2
NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M
58.45n2
40.65n2
32.8n2
12
NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M
56.6
38.2
29.2
11.7
AMD Radeon HD 8750M
43.4
32.2
25.5
10.3
NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M
48n5
34n5
26n5
11n5
AMD Radeon HD 7730M
47
32
25
10
AMD Radeon R7 M260
31.6
27.2
22.7
AMD Radeon HD 8670D
41.4
28.3
22.8
8
AMD Radeon HD 7690M XT
49
34
28
10
NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE
39.55n2
26.3n2
21.15n2
8.9
AMD Radeon R6 (Kaveri)
21.1
15
11.9
AMD Radeon HD 8730M
38
32
27
AMD Radeon HD 6770M
38.35n2
27.35n2
21.55n2
NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M
45.8
28.9
20.8
NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M
49.2
32.3
24.5
9.8
AMD Radeon HD 7660D
36.6
25.3
20.2
7.6
PosModel< PrevNext >Battlefield 3
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon HD 6750M
34.6
26.9
20.7
AMD Radeon HD 8650G
24.4
19.5
16.9
AMD Radeon HD 7670M
37.1n5
25.5n5
21.05n4
7.1
NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M
39.38n6
23.8n7
17.4n7
8.3
AMD Radeon HD 7560D
37
24.7
19.5
6.6
NVIDIA GeForce 820M
36.7
24
19
NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M
33.5
22.2
17.4
AMD Radeon HD 8550M
16.4
14.4
13.4
NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
35.75n2
23.35n2
17.8n2
AMD Radeon HD 6650M
35.1
24.7
18.8
7.3
Intel HD Graphics 4600
32.4n3
22.7n3
18.3n2
6.85n2
AMD Radeon HD 7660G
32
22
17
6
AMD Radeon HD 6630M
34.3n2
22.1n2
19.75n2
AMD Radeon HD 7650M
37.66n4
23.91n4
18.87n4
6.6n2
AMD Radeon HD 7570M
30n2
20.95n2
16.2n2
6
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650
34.6
22.8
17.5
5.9
NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M
28.9n2
19.6n2
15.15n2
AMD Radeon HD 7610M
29.9
19
14.6
Intel HD Graphics 4400
17
11.7
9.7
AMD Radeon HD 7550M
24.9
16.4
12.4
PosModel< PrevNext >Battlefield 3
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon HD 7600G
11.5
8
Intel HD Graphics 5300
16.3
12.7
9.7
AMD Radeon HD 7480D
21.1
14.2
10.9
3.7
Intel HD Graphics 4000
14.8n19
12.2n14
10.2n9
5.25n4
AMD Radeon HD 6620G
24.7
16.8
12.7
AMD Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L)
20.8
14.4
11.3
AMD Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema)
16.2
12.2
9.1
Intel HD Graphics 4200
13.9
9.9
5.4
AMD Radeon HD 6450 GDDR5
24
AMD Radeon HD 8450G
12.2
AMD Radeon HD 7470M
18.4
11.9
9.1
NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX
11.8
10.5
AMD Radeon HD 7520G
17.2
14
11.3
AMD Radeon HD 8330
15
9.8
8
AMD Radeon HD 7450M
19.65n2
14.35n2
11.2
NVIDIA GeForce 610M
19
12.5
NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M
20.5n2
12.75n2
9.8n2
AMD Radeon HD 7420G
16
11
7
AMD Radeon HD 8250
10.3
7.8
6
Intel HD Graphics 3000
10.4n4
PosModel< PrevNext >Battlefield 3
low med. high ultra
Intel HD Graphics 2500
16.8
11
Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)
9.1n3
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail)
8
4.8
AMD Radeon HD 7340
9.6n2
7.3
AMD Radeon HD 7310
7.75n2
6.4
(-) * 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.
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