Benchmark Results: DiRT 2 And S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat
DiRT 2
With our $400 PC, we were forced to either drop to lower resolutions or use the DirectX 9 code path (rather than DirectX 11). Our $500 PC delivers smooth frame rates, though, appearing mostly CPU-limited at all tested resolutions.
What a blowout. The less expensive rig stands no chance at maximizing visuals, while the December PC has the graphics muscle needed through 1080p.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat benchmark gives us another look at DX11 performance. While the demanding “Sun Shafts” test limited the overclocked $400 PC to just 720p resolution, the current rig remains playable through 1080p.
Similar to Crysis at Very High detail settings, Ultra quality with 4x MSAA was a completely unreasonable expectation for the $400 budget box. The December PC, however, does surprisingly well, averaging 30 FPS at 1080p in the Sun Shafts test at stock clocks, and 36 FPS once it's overclocked.