Benchmark Results: Advanced Details
The Advanced detail option significantly improves visual quality compared to the Gamer detail setting with much better lighting and depth. Water modeling is also more realistic. The question is: will this preset demand far more graphics power?
At 1280x1024, the answer seems to be no—the frame rates are comparable to the Gamer setting. The GeForce GTS 450 and Radeon HD 5770 are still able to deliver a minimum of 30 FPS. This is good news! We do notice that the average frame rates achieved by high-end cards are no longer above 100 FPS, though. But with such high performance, this makes no perceivable difference in actual game play.
As the resolution increases, we see some of the more expensive cards brought down to lower FPS levels. But the GeForce GTX 550 Ti, GeForce GTX 460, and Radeon HD 6850 manage to keep a minimum frame rate above 30 FPS. Even the Radeon HD 5770, GeForce GTS 450, and Radeon HD 5750 are playable, with minimum frame rates above 25 FPS.
With Advanced detail enabled at 1080p, we separate the men from the boys. Nothing below the GeForce GTX 460 and Radeon HD 6870 can handle this setting. Even the powerful Radeon HD 6850 struggles to achieve a minimum of 28 FPS. The Radeon HD 5770 (and everything below it) is simply unplayable.