Benchmark Results: Crysis And Just Cause 2
Crysis
Even overclocked to 3.8 GHz, the quad-core Phenom II is unable to match the Core i3-2100's raw performance, as is evident at the CPU-limited lower resolutions.
However, our current PC does take a lead at 1680x1050, once both the processor and Radeon HD 6870 graphics card are overclocked. In the end, at high detail settings, all of these configurations are playable through the maximum tested 1920x1080 resolution.
The big story related to Crysis emerges once we step up to the most detailed settings. Finally, for the first time, our $500 system is fitted with a powerful enough graphics card to remain playable through all tested resolutions!
Just Cause 2
Once again, as seen in Crysis, the Hyper-Threaded dual-core Intel offering serves up more raw performance than the 3.8 GHz, quad-core Phenom II. While CPU limitations are far more evident in our current PC, they begin disappearing at 1680x1050 and above, when the graphics hardware is able to mask the processor's embarrassing rout.
At the highest details, 8x AA proves a bit much for the Radeon HD 6850, limiting the June PC to our lower two resolutions. The current system now leads at all resolutions, though it still requires scaled back anti-aliasing to be a viable choice at 1920x1080.
