Battlefield 3 Multiplayer Performance and IQ Review @ [H]

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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Battlefield 3 Multiplayer Performance and IQ Review - Battlefield 3's Multiplayer has far surpassed what many gamers had been expecting. The graphics do a great job of tying the excellent gameplay together and creating a lifelike experience. In this article we'll be breaking down multiplayer gameplay performance and image quality and finding what settings are needed to give you the competitive edge.
 
I would love to hear yalls opinions on hyperthreading in BF3. I've read several people complaining about stutter on X58 platforms being resolved by disabling hyperthreading. I believe Brent commented that it made no difference in the singleplayer test comments. I personally don't notice any stutter on sandybridge regardless of hyperthreading being on/off. Are yall still planning on running some eyefinity benchmarks in the future?
 
"Obviously, we make every effort to not use CPU limited games for video card evaluations, but the i7-920 at 3.6GHz seems to put many peoples’ minds at ease when it comes to that subject."

Not sure if this is still true.

I'm aware the single player has no CPU scaling but I was under the impression the multiplayer (with a large amount of players) was different. Skyrim also seems to improve with newer CPUs (i7-3960X) although not with more cores.

New CPU for gaming reviews please.
 
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Simply awesome review. I need a pair of 580s as soon as I get a job :( ;)

I do have one question. If one has a 2560x1600 with a GTX580, should one lower the resolution to 1920x1200 since that is the highest playable setting, or should one keep the native resolution of the monitor and lower some other setting?

I am sure this has been talked about before but I cant find it. Any links would be great.

Again great article... been waiting for this one for a while.
 
Simply awesome review. I need a pair of 580s as soon as I get a job :( ;)

I do have one question. If one has a 2560x1600 with a GTX580, should one lower the resolution to 1920x1200 since that is the highest playable setting, or should one keep the native resolution of the monitor and lower some other setting?

I am sure this has been talked about before but I cant find it. Any links would be great.

Again great article... been waiting for this one for a while.

Lower the graphics and keep your native resolution. Even with lower settings, BF3 still looks pretty awesome. (Think of it as incentive to buy another graphics card:p).

All in all, DICE did a remarkable job, and it stands out from the pack.
 
Battlefield 3 is the most realistic first person shooter ever created. BF3 has raised the bar FAR BEYOND any of its competition, and it will likely stay on top for a good while. BF3 has single-handedly raised the expectation for the entire future of FPS games. You can never get enough of the multiplayer experience in Battlefield 3 and will keep coming back for more.

Well. I'd argue that ARMA is more realistic in the way of gameplay, just because its down to the dirty details like which radio to use, putting guns away before taking them out (instead of instant switch) etc. But then I'd just be going on semantics. Especially when I know you're talking about the graphics in this case :D

I totally agree its far beyond any competition, and that it has completely raised the expectation for games from a graphical standpoint. I was playing last night with a buddy, and just sitting there thinking that it is the most fun i have had in a while.

Love this game. CARPAL TUNNEL HERE I COME!

. The fact that the PC is also getting it's upcoming patch a few weeks before consoles too...

patch came out last night :p
 
I leave hyperthreading on and have zero of this supposed stutter, my gf's computer has an i5-2300 and after playing on it for a while I don't notice any difference between the two stutter wise (she has the same graphics card).

patch came out last night :p

Yes and from what I can tell they nerfed my sniper SCAR!
 
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thanks for the review, I've also noticed that lag with explosions etc on the 6970 cfx setup, however I didn't know it would be any better on NV, figured it was just an effect of the game.
 
Ok... what I'm about to say will not be popular but I feel it's an honest eval of BF3. It is a dumbed down version of BF2 with a graphics facelift.

The eye candy in this game is simply breath taking. However, the game itself is a console game ported to pc regardless what EA has told us that is how it plays. If you like console games and are a casual gamer then this game is up your alley. I was ranked 2nd in bf2 at one point in vehicles. I understand that unlocks make a game addictive and increase the lif of the game but missles, coax machine guns and fricken flares should never be considered unlocks... its just plain stupid.

along with the ridiculous unlock component, there is the fact that if you take a hit in a vehicle dont worry, youll heal automaticly just like halo. let not forget mobile aa can pretty much kill anything, and I mean anything.

To sum it up BF3 is like a hot plastic blonde at the beach... Really pretty to look at but lacking fundamentaly in substance. It might not be a console port, but it sure as hell plays like one and a beta with all the bugs I might add. I'm not sure how this game is getting all these great reviews for pc... for the console I'm sure it's ground breaking but for pc it is really Meh. I'm shocked HardOCP jumped on the bandwagon... I seriously question their judgement after this review... I hope EA simply didnt buy another good review on HardOCP.
 
Ok... what I'm about to say will not be popular but I feel it's an honest eval of BF3. It is a dumbed down version of BF2 with a graphics facelift.

The eye candy in this game is simply breath taking. However, the game itself is a console game ported to pc regardless what EA has told us that is how it plays. If you like console games and are a casual gamer then this game is up your alley. I was ranked 2nd in bf2 at one point in vehicles. I understand that unlocks make a game addictive and increase the lif of the game but missles, coax machine guns and fricken flares should never be considered unlocks... its just plain stupid.

along with the ridiculous unlock component, there is the fact that if you take a hit in a vehicle dont worry, youll heal automaticly just like halo. let not forget mobile aa can pretty much kill anything, and I mean anything.

To sum it up BF3 is like a hot plastic blonde at the beach... Really pretty to look at but lacking fundamentaly in substance. It might not be a console port, but it sure as hell plays like one and a beta with all the bugs I might add. I'm not sure how this game is getting all these great reviews for pc... for the console I'm sure it's ground breaking but for pc it is really Meh. I'm shocked HardOCP jumped on the bandwagon... I seriously question their judgement after this review... I hope EA simply didnt buy another good review on HardOCP.

This is your opinion, opinions are like butt holes, and just like a butt hole, your opinion stinks. Just because this isn't a rehash of BF2 does not mean it is a console port.
 
I'm shocked HardOCP jumped on the bandwagon... I seriously question their judgement after this review... I hope EA simply didnt buy another good review on HardOCP.

This review is focused on the graphics quality of the game, not the game play. While I agree with you to some extent (don't get me started on the helicopter flight models), no one can argue with how great it looks and how well it scales on modern hardware.
 
Great review,great game.Too bad that the stupid Punkbuster errors prevented me to install and play the game.
 
This review is focused on the graphics quality of the game, not the game play. While I agree with you to some extent (don't get me started on the helicopter flight models), no one can argue with how great it looks and how well it scales on modern hardware.

BF3 reminds me of when Halo came out. Everyone who had a pc was like "what the hell is so special about another average FPS?" while on consoles people were losing their minds like it was ground breaking.

The expectations are different for a pc vs. a console. and you hit the nail on the head with the helicopter flight models. I cant even explain how wrong it feels flying in the helos. It cracks me up that people get pissy when you critique a game like your insulting their mother.

Watch how many flame and name call when you critique this title...whats up with that?
 
Ummmmmmmmmmmm.....there is no mention of Image quality degradation at long distances using FXAA on high. If you intend on being able to successfully acquire targets at distance in this game, you're at a disadvantage using *any* post-process AA. You won't see this in any of the screenshots in the review here, as they are all shots of close objects/terrain.

I'm a bit disappointed at this more or less meaningless article.
 
So when is the freaking next gen Nvidia and AMD cards coming out?
 
Thanks for the review.

What program/tool do you guys use to get your FPS info and graphs? later this week I'm getting a 2nd 260 for SLI which is supposed to be comparable to the 560TI, according to various forums. I'd like to generate some unofficial numbers for the forum so we can see how close they actually are.
 
The FPS numbers for CFX 6970 was higher than I thought, but I can confirm the slight lag if moving too quickly, or sometimes during explosions. It isn't hugely noticeable or game breaking by any means, but of course I would like it gone. I also have motion blur on, but turned down quite a bit, which masks a lot of the lag when turning quickly.

BF3 reminds me of when Halo came out. Everyone who had a pc was like "what the hell is so special about another average FPS?" while on consoles people were losing their minds like it was ground breaking.

The expectations are different for a pc vs. a console. and you hit the nail on the head with the helicopter flight models. I cant even explain how wrong it feels flying in the helos. It cracks me up that people get pissy when you critique a game like your insulting their mother.

Watch how many flame and name call when you critique this title...whats up with that?


Not everyone gets pissy, some people just have the opposite opinion. And while PC gamers do have, rightfully, higher standards, some might say they're delusionally high. Dice has put out a very good FPS with the best graphics (for the genre) I've ever seen.
 
I was sad to see no tests for Eyfinity or NV Surround- a later article, perhaps? ;) I didn't even try Eyefinity for this game- 1920x1200 works just fine for me.

Grady- one more thing:

MW3 just does not stack up or compete with Battlefield 3 which goes above and beyond the call of duty.
Well punned, sir. Well punned.
 

- Adjusted the “stuttering” encountered on some PC configurations.

- Fixed multiple problems when using multiple monitors (Eyefinity / Surround).

- UI Changes (PC)

- Fixed visual corruption issues on certain Nvidia Cards

- Added console command “GameTime.MaxVariableFps” to limit max FPS

- Allow players to join empty Squads alone, thus having 1/4 squad members.

I wonder if that first note addresses the issues you all were seeing.
That second one is huge for me! Can't wait to jump in and give it a shot in triple wide.
I would still love to see 6-person squads. It's been challenging to get a group in the same squad when playing together online. Hopefully some of the squad changes alleviate this issue.
 
What program/tool do you guys use to get your FPS info and graphs?

You guys did an excellent job on page 2 detailing the hardware "System Configuration" and including driver information in the "Video Card Configuration." Couldn't ask for more on telling what software settings were used in Battlefield 3, too. However, I agree with Soggy, including what monitoring software was used would also be beneficial.

Although it wasn't what I wanted to hear about the lagging on AMD graphics products, I appreciate the review!

So, what's your FPS tool again? :confused:
 
This game is so good I'm already bored of it. I don't know why and I have not thought about it much yet, I'm just bored of it. Part of the reason is Origin, thinking about starting that up puts me off. All the stupid MW3 style unlocks as well.

I don't think it looked that great either. Many other games and even Bad Company 2 had me stopping and staring many times, not this one. The character models in BF3, they look a bit last gen to me. Facial animation/drawing seems off.

"Battlefield 3 is the most realistic first person shooter ever created"

I disagree on this one. I think ARMA 2 is the most realistic FPS created so far that I know of. BF3 is a fun FPS arcade game and that's all it is. Arguably it's a really good console port and a good sequel to Bad Company 2.
 
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"Obviously, we make every effort to not use CPU limited games for video card evaluations, but the i7-920 at 3.6GHz seems to put many peoples’ minds at ease when it comes to that subject."

Not sure if this is still true.

I'm aware the single player has no CPU scaling but I was under the impression the multiplayer (with a large amount of players) was different. Skyrim also seems to improve with newer CPUs (i7-3960X) although not with more cores.

New CPU for gaming reviews please.

bf3 is not a cpu limited game. as long as you have 2 or more cores you will be limited by the gpu.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/battlefield-3-graphics-performance,3063-13.html

this isnt skyrim.
 
Any chance you guys still have an MSI 3GB GTX 580 Lightning or something similar laying around so that you can test it with BF3. I know that when I ran the game at 1920 X 1200 (everything on ultra/everything turned on), before the patch, due to missing hud information using multiple monitors, card one would pull slightly over 1500MB while the second one would hover around 800+MB. Now that I'm running surround again, both cards easily pulls around 2800MB of vram with all setting on ultra (exceptions being blur-off; antialiasing defer-off; antialiasing post-high;texture filtering 16x; HBAO-on). I would like to see what your test would show.
 
"Battlefield 3 is the most realistic first person shooter ever created"

I disagree on this one. I think ARMA 2 is the most realistic FPS created so far that I know of. BF3 is a fun FPS arcade game and that's all it is. Arguably it's a really good console port and a good sequel to Bad Company 2.


Red Orchestra, ARMA, Day of Defeat, America's Army..................

Can't believe anyone would say bolded part with a straight face.

PS compelling writing in Skyrim :)
 
He said shooter, not simulator. 'sides, not much lives up to the OG OFP.



I feel sorry for the people who simply cannot play this in multi on anything less but the greatest detail, and not afford the computer necessary for it.

Signed,
A lego-mode Quake 3 kind of guy with a buddy who runs BF3 on a pair of 6990s
 
bf3 is not a cpu limited game. as long as you have 2 or more cores you will be limited by the gpu.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/battlefield-3-graphics-performance,3063-13.html

this isnt skyrim.

To be fair, it looks like they benched the single-player version and the poster you quoted was under the impression that the CPU would matter more in the multi-player version.

BF3 may be GPU limited but I have to agree with his comment about the 920 not necessarily putting people at ease anymore. Maybe it doesn't make too much difference in this particular game, but doesn't [H] have some updated hardware laying around? Why not use it?
 
BF3 may be GPU limited but I have to agree with his comment about the 920 not necessarily putting people at ease anymore. Maybe it doesn't make too much difference in this particular game, but doesn't [H] have some updated hardware laying around? Why not use it?

I do remember the thread a while back where Kyle built Brent the OC'ed 2600k machine, and after the review where 580 scaling in...quad-SLI(I think?)...actually improved, I thought the statement was made it was going to be the future platform for all GPU reviews. Not nit-picking here, just wondering why that transition hasn't occurred.
 
Thanks for the review! I want to see a CPU review though. Something I found out the hard way. BF3 Multiplayer struggles when it comes to Large maps and dual core processors.

I want to see someone actually measure how much of a difference is to be had when you switch to a quad core.
 
There were no instances that we found where any AMD card provided better gameplay performance than it's NVIDIA counterpart.
The best "budget" value card is the GeForce GTX 570 for $289.99 after MIR or a Radeon HD 6950 for $219.99 after MIR,
Why are you comparing the GTX 570 (32% more expensive) to the R6950?
AFAIK the GTX 560 Ti is also much more expensive than the R6870.
Same for GTX 580 and R6970.
 
Why are you comparing the GTX 570 (32% more expensive) to the R6950?
AFAIK the GTX 560 Ti is also much more expensive than the R6870.
Same for GTX 580 and R6970.

The price does play a factor, but they are each targeted at the same market segment, thus they get compared.
 
What am I looking for there? I don't see much of a difference between SSAO and HBAO.


For one... "Wrong" shadows on the wall behind the dumpster - invented by SSAO,
and the subtle job HBAO done with the same dumpster.

Also much better effect on the right wooden palette by HBAO
 
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