System Builder Marathon: Performance And Value Compared

Results: Battlefield 3

A 200 FPS limit in Battlefield 3 hurts value for both the $2550 and $1300 boxes, since their performance is capped in any price-to-performance analysis. The results become more interesting when graphics detail levels push GPU performance below the cap, but that doesn’t happen consistently for the $2550 machine until we reach 4800x900.

The $650 PC only gets tested up to 4800x900, and even then survives that high mark at Ultra quality details when Paul overclocks it.

Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.