i3 2100 for BF3 enough?

[skipsneeky2]

So, running things at 1680x1050 on an i3-2100 3.1ghz and HD6850 @ 825/1150, my framerates are:


Medium Settings:
Min: 48
Max: 62
Avg: 58


High Settings:
Min: 41
Max: 60
Avg: 47


GPU usage: 99% the entire time. Methinks I am GPU limited

Was that online and that is very good news which means if that's online you don't need more then a i3 2100.

 

[Gikaseixas]

@Op
yes i3 2100 is enough for that game. It is more GPU limited than anything else.

 

[Termie]

So, running things at 1680x1050 on an i3-2100 3.1ghz and HD6850 @ 825/1150, my framerates are:


Medium Settings:
Min: 48
Max: 62
Avg: 58


High Settings:
Min: 41
Max: 60
Avg: 47


GPU usage: 99% the entire time. Methinks I am GPU limited

Was that online and that is very good news which means if that's online you don't need more then a i3 2100.

OP - looks like you have your answer - thanks to GoStumpy from coming through with some numbers.

Wow, that 2100 is an awesome chip. Intel really outdid itself with that thing.

 

[jacktesterson]

You will be fine with the 2100.

Personally, I'd go with the 965 X4 for true 4 cores and O/C to 4.0GHz.

If you don't O/C, then the 2100 will be faster stock in most games.

 

[Rhezuss]

My last setup was with my Phenom II X4 955 Oced to 3.7GHz coupled with a GTX 560 Ti 1gb. Now, didn't tried BF3 with this setup though but I played Crysis 2, Witcher 2 and many other demanding games.

They all ran smoothly with this quad. It's a non-expansive beast that overclocks quite well and run cool (mine idle at 29 and load is up to 48-53).

As far as getting the 965 over the 955 I guess is you won't overclock? If so, get the 965 or higher depending on your budget. If you want to overclock, get the 955, add a nice hSF like the Cooler Master 212+ or the Corsair A50/A70 on it and bump the 955 from 3.2GHz to 3.6/3.7GHz in seconds. You'll have a nice CPU which will serve you well for many months to come.

Concerning the Kombustor using under 100% GPU, I have the same issue with my new 6950 and it's due partly to the drivers, specifically AMD Overdrive which I have to set the Power control to +20% (i'd like to be more specific but even myself don't completely understand the relation between the 2).

All in all i'd recommend the quad-core. The GTX 560 will run as fast as she can even more so if you overclock that quad to 3.5GHz+.

Hope it helped you a bit!

 

[blckgrffn]

My last setup was with my Phenom II X4 955 Oced to 3.7GHz coupled with a GTX 560 Ti 1gb. Now, didn't tried BF3 with this setup though but I played Crysis 2, Witcher 2 and many other demanding games.

They all ran smoothly with this quad. It's a non-expansive beast that overclocks quite well and run cool (mine idle at 29 and load is up to 48-53).

As far as getting the 965 over the 955 I guess is you won't overclock? If so, get the 965 or higher depending on your budget. If you want to overclock, get the 955, add a nice hSF like the Cooler Master 212+ or the Corsair A50/A70 on it and bump the 955 from 3.2GHz to 3.6/3.7GHz in seconds. You'll have a nice CPU which will serve you well for many months to come.

Concerning the Kombustor using under 100% GPU, I have the same issue with my new 6950 and it's due partly to the drivers, specifically AMD Overdrive which I have to set the Power control to +20% (i'd like to be more specific but even myself don't completely understand the relation between the 2).

All in all i'd recommend the quad-core. The GTX 560 will run as fast as she can even more so if you overclock that quad to 3.5GHz+.

Hope it helped you a bit!

HA, TLR FTW!

Seriously, thank you for the numbers, OP. Did you happen to capture the same set of numbers previously? It would be interesting to see how that compares directly. Thanks

 

[skipsneeky2]

HA, TLR FTW!

Seriously, thank you for the numbers, OP. Did you happen to capture the same set of numbers previously? It would be interesting to see how that compares directly. Thanks

If you mean what kinda fps i'm experiencing it depends...

When my fps dropped under 41 which is the minimum according to toms hardware for this gtx560 gpu usage would drop suggesting a huge bottleneck but the min and average numbers seem spot on from the review.

Running this e8200 at stock dropped performance big time and oced it helps alot wish this stupid mobo would clock this cpu to 3.6ghzs i think it would eliminate alot of the bottleneck...just refuses to post and boot when i try and get over 400fsb...

 

[skipsneeky2]

Thanks Gostumpy for posting those results that is good news cause as much as i wanted a i5 2400 i wasn't gonna buy one if it wasn't needed.

Got this build in a antec 300 3 fans in all on medium and the hottest thing in this case is my gtx560 at 55% fanspeed hitting a max 53tdp....the e8200 refuses to hit over 51cel with this cheap mini tower cooler so perhaps the i3 2100 with its lower power consumption will be lower.

What temps do you pull on your i3 2100 at load and on what cooler if not stock or on the stock cooler?

 

[GoStumpy]

I have an Antec 300 case as well, and my cooling system is complete overkill.

I have all fan mounts full of fans, 2x120mm front, 1x120mm side, 1x120mm rear, and 1x140mm top. Stock CPU cooler

CPU
Idle: 28-30C
Load: 45-47C

GPU
Idle: 30-32C
Load: 55-57C

 

[Termie]

I have an Antec 300 case as well, and my cooling system is complete overkill.

I have all fan mounts full of fans, 2x120mm front, 1x120mm side, 1x120mm rear, and 1x140mm top. Stock CPU cooler

CPU
Idle: 28-30C
Load: 45-47C

GPU
Idle: 30-32C
Load: 55-57C

Nice temps! You might consider pulling that side fan out. In my experience, it doesn't improve airflow very much, since it's in the perpindicular direction. Also, your GPU apparently doesn't need any additional cooling that the side fan might provide...

 

[Vesku]

I agree, side ventilation only makes sense if your GPU happens to blow hot air into the rest of the case. Otherwise you want to ensure there is good front to back airflow.

 

[apoppin]

i am benching an i3-2105 right now against Phenom II 965 X-4. i'll try to include BF3 results. i should have them published on Monday.

i don't believe the i3 will overclock except to raise the base clock a few percent. Phenom X4 should O/C close to 4GHz and will do better in games that make use of more than two cores.

 

[skipsneeky2]

I have an Antec 300 case as well, and my cooling system is complete overkill.

I have all fan mounts full of fans, 2x120mm front, 1x120mm side, 1x120mm rear, and 1x140mm top. Stock CPU cooler

CPU
Idle: 28-30C
Load: 45-47C

GPU
Idle: 30-32C
Load: 55-57C

Those temps are incredible for the cpu on a stock cooler.

i got a rear 120mm pwm fan being controlled by the bios the upper 140mm fan on medium and the rear trispeed antec fan at medium in the front of the case on the top position .

My e8200 oced is at stock voltage at 3.2ghz cooled by a mini tower resembling a cm hyper 101 but way better quality no name on it and all fans on low speed in your case?

Incredible that the stock cooler is able to get those temps that makes the purchase of hyper 212 for me basically pointless

Also i'm using artic silver 5 on my cpu cooler and i guess your using the stock paste with the cooler?

 

[GoStumpy]

Stock cooler and the thermal paste that came on it, yes.

The 3 fans on the case are all Coolermaster 69.69cfm models (loved the CFM ). The tower is basically a wind-tunnel, and for the fact that they're apparently 20db fans, they're pretty loud...but I think the noise is just the air moving, not really the fans so much.

I'll take the side fan out tonight and see if the temps change at all!

 

[skipsneeky2]

Stock cooler and the thermal paste that came on it, yes.

The 3 fans on the case are all Coolermaster 69.69cfm models (loved the CFM ). The tower is basically a wind-tunnel, and for the fact that they're apparently 20db fans, they're pretty loud...but I think the noise is just the air moving, not really the fans so much.

I'll take the side fan out tonight and see if the temps change at all!

What motherboard and how much memory and what speed are you using?

Assuming a h61/h67 and 8gb ddr3 1333mhzs?

 

[Blastman]

Can't find any CPU benches for BF3 with a i3-2100, but one German site did some testing for BF3 MP with a few CPU's. The online translation reads as follows …

pcgameshardware.de …

Battlefield 3 can - use if you let it because (say in the CPU limit) - certainly more than six cores or integer cluster to achieve higher FPS. … … However, there are definitely places in the single-player, which is the FPS CPU-side halve compared to "Thunder Run", which is why our recommendation for good 40 fps (regardless of the video card and ultra details) is a quad core with approximately 3.0 GHz. So you are well prepared also multiplayer, with a widespread dual-core (core 2 Duo or Phenom II X 2) you have to expect stellenweisen violent burglaries. Slightly differently, which looks at a core i3 with SMT from (2 core/4 threads), a processor levers a brand i3-2100 (Sandy Bridge) the action as well as small non-SMT quad to 3 GHz.

That last sentence translation appears to indicate that an i3-2100 will be as good as last generation quad cores without HT (hyperthreading) at 3.0Ghz. The MP is much more CPU demanding than the SP game, although they found that even on the SP that there are places where a dual core frame rates are half that of a quad core. A Swedish tested some CPU's on one of the MP 64 player large maps and the dual core Phenom II X2 560 yielded half the frame rates of a Phenom II X4 980 (33 vs 68). What was even worse was the minimum frame rate dip -- the dual core dipped to 9 compared to 49 for the X4 -- over 5x as fast.

It looks like the ability to process 4 threads on the i3-2100 makes a huge difference in BF3. I know in BF-BC2 HT gave a huge boost in frame rates (50-60%) on the i3's.

 

[edplayer]

The 3 fans on the case are all Coolermaster 69.69cfm models (loved the CFM ). The tower is basically a wind-tunnel, and for the fact that they're apparently 20db fans, they're pretty loud...but I think the noise is just the air moving, not really the fans so much.

I get the feeling that Coolermaster's claims on cfm or dB (maybe even both) is mostly lies.

 

[GoStumpy]

Played some BF3 this morning, and CPU usage was between 65-75% on a full 64 man server with lots going on. GPU was 95-100% the entire time.

CPU got to a maximum 44C, GPU 53C.

Motherboard is a Biostar TH67+, and 8bb G.Skill 1333mhz ram

 

[skipsneeky2]

Played some BF3 this morning, and CPU usage was between 65-75% on a full 64 man server with lots going on. GPU was 95-100% the entire time.

CPU got to a maximum 44C, GPU 53C.

Motherboard is a Biostar TH67+, and 8bb G.Skill 1333mhz ram

Not that bad for a budget build the gpu usage isn't exactly 100% but perhaps that's when you die or something it goes that low for a fraction of a minute.

When my gpu usage dips under 90 that's when there's trouble for me cause the cpu bogs down it can't feed the gpu.

Nice numbers on cpu usage seems like a perfect match for some single gpu 1680x1050 action .:biggrin:

 

[Termie]

Played some BF3 this morning, and CPU usage was between 65-75% on a full 64 man server with lots going on. GPU was 95-100% the entire time.

CPU got to a maximum 44C, GPU 53C.

Motherboard is a Biostar TH67+, and 8bb G.Skill 1333mhz ram

Sounds like this system is working perfectly - I'll eat my words - the 2100 can run BF3! (I'd still love to see an Afterburner screenshot, if you can figure out how to post one!)

OP - I think the truth is that either the 2100 or a 955/965 will run this game with a 560. Probably just up to you whether you want the cooler, more efficient CPU or the one that potentially may run quad-optimized games better.

 

[skipsneeky2]

Sounds like this system is working perfectly - I'll eat my words - the 2100 can run BF3! (I'd still love to see an Afterburner screenshot, if you can figure out how to post one!)

OP - I think the truth is that either the 2100 or a 955/965 will run this game with a 560. Probably just up to you whether you want the cooler, more efficient CPU or the one that potentially may run quad-optimized games better.

Gonna go for the i3 2120 since its the fastest coolest dual core .

Been happy with how cool my e8200 is and a i3 2120 will suite me just fine

Used to have a antec 1200 all case fans on high to cool off a i7 950 and a gtx295...now i can build something that can run cooler with 3 fans on medium in a budget case that can still hold up in BF3 :biggrin:

Doubt we will see any 65 watt quad cores any time soon and since BF3 is the only thing bending my e8200 at 3.6ghzs over the i3 2120 will do just fine .

 

[GoStumpy]

(I'd still love to see an Afterburner screenshot, if you can figure out how to post one!)

Ask and ye shall receive! This was taken in a full 64 player high action conquest... Just played long enough to get a full usage screenshot, once I died I took the screen shot, that's why the last few seconds are low.

GPU Usage:

CPU Usage:

I feel like the i3-2100 and the 6850 are a perfect pair, perhaps a 6870 would be able to max out the CPU before the GPU, but it would be very close! As it sits, I am 110% happy with my sub $600 computer

 

[ream_uk1]

Thanks for this thread its helped me choose what cpu to get, i3-2100 here i come.

Funny that none of the reviewers on the tech sites want to try the i3 in multiplayer, maybe EA and intel has them over a barrel.

 

[skipsneeky2]

Ask and ye shall receive! This was taken in a full 64 player high action conquest... Just played long enough to get a full usage screenshot, once I died I took the screen shot, that's why the last few seconds are low.

GPU Usage:

CPU Usage:

I feel like the i3-2100 and the 6850 are a perfect pair, perhaps a 6870 would be able to max out the CPU before the GPU, but it would be very close! As it sits, I am 110% happy with my sub $600 computer

My i3 2100 has very similiar loading on the cores but regarding the gpu chart my 6790 with a 920/1200 oc happens to flatline on full gpu usage it doesn't dip as often as your 6850 does.

I will post photobucket links to some images shortly for comparison and for others who may read this thread

 

[skipsneeky2]

Here is the image of my cpu usage and 6790 msi afterburner usage.

Hope it posted correctly first time attempting to post a image in a forum post.

Was on a Caspian Border map and i set task manager to low update speed i minimized the game for a second screenshot it and i saved it.