System Builder Marathon: TH's $2000 Hand-Picked Build

Benchmark Results: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat

The Call of Pripyat benchmark is graphics-heavy, yet it still requires a powerful processor for optimal performance.

Given its split personality, CPU bottlenecks normally look like a shallow curve (rather than a flat line) across the range of test settings, while GPU bottlenecks appear as a broader curve.

A fast processor makes the alternative $2000 build look great across our lowest three test settings, while the former $2000 build takes the stage at 2560x1600. Increasing the settings on our second chart makes this an all-AMD/GeForce GTX 480 affair.