Results: 3D Games
I chose 1280x720 for game testing because that resolution puts relatively little demand on our on-die GPUs and because it upscales nicely on 1920x1080 displays. I then increased the detail levels I was using to maximize my enjoyment of each title.
Faster memory boosts the Core i7-4770K's HD Graphics 4600 engine by around 11% in Battlefield 3; the Core i7--4770R's average FPS only rises by 3.2%. The big difference can be seen in minimum FPS, which picks up by 10%.
Far Cry 3 doesn’t need super-fast RAM, but it also doesn’t like DDR3-1333 on the weaker Core i7-4770K.
Would you believe it? A demanding title like Metro: Last Light actually runs on platforms with integrated graphics. Don’t let the Low quality preset fool you; the game still looks gorgeous. Faster memory helps where it matters most: the minimum frame rate figures.
We've often found F1 2012 to be limited by either CPU or DRAM performance. Of course, when you're relying on integrated graphics, that can hold you back, too. The HD Graphics 4600 engine's performance is crippled by anti-aliasing in this title. Unfortunately, the game looks pretty terrible at low resolutions with AA disabled. DDR3-1333 kneecaps the LGA 1150-based platform, while the Core i7-4770R with Iris Pro graphics 5200 cruises through as if it were a completely different technology.
