Benchmark Results: F1 2010 (DX11)
F1 2010 is far more CPU-dependent than Metro 2033, a notoriously graphics-heavy game. In fact, even with the same GeForce GTX 580 installed through our run of 10 different platforms, the difference between first and last place is more than double!
Three Sandy Bridge-based CPUs take the top three spots at 1680x1050 and 1920x1080. Things get a lot closer at 2560x1600 though, where graphics take more of the load. Ignoring 1680x1050 (nobody with high-end graphics and a respectable processor is gaming on a 17” display, right?), the AMD processors get pounded. A $185 Core i5-2400 does 83.3 FPS at 1920x1080, while the $185 Phenom II X4 970 manages just under 50. You really have to crank the resolution up another notch to 2560x1600 (or dial up anti-aliasing) to get these CPUs on more equal footing.