HD Graphics 4600: Battlefield 3
At least for now, the highest-end graphics implementation available on an LGA 1150-based desktop processor is HD Graphics 4600. In Battlefield 3, we were able to benchmark it against AMD’s A10-5800K and Intel’s Core i7-2700K at 1280x720. The Core i7-3770K and its latest drivers crashed upon launching the game, and the -2700K output a garbled picture at 1920x1080.
At least based on the averages, you can actually play this game at fairly mainstream resolutions using the Low quality preset. AMD maintains a small advantage over Intel’s latest-generation effort, though we’re curious to see how consecutive frame latency plays out.
Although it tracks pretty closely to AMD’s Radeon HD 7660D, Intel’s HD Graphics 4600 engine dips under 30 FPS several times during our run at the one resolution we consider playable.
It doesn’t matter as much that Core i7-4770K falls to lower minimums at 1080p—both processors are too slow at this resolution anyway.
You’re not used to seeing AMD in this position, but at 720p, it averages a scant 1.3 ms of variance from one frame to the next—its pacing isn’t all that bad, actually. Meanwhile, Intel has some serious work to do with its driver. On average, variance sits around 8.5 ms. Using our 95th percentile results, though, it's as bad as 33 ms.
This only gets worse at 1080p, though the terrible frame rates keep either processor from playable performance.
