Fallout 3 Technical Benchmarks
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It is clear that the lowering of the level of detail doesn't affect the overall performance much even though we are using mainstream graphics cards. The instantaneous speed can be as high as 100fps or lower than 20fps irrespective of the level of detail, maximum or minimum. Both slumps in the diagrams correspond to the moments we exit the house and town, so you shouldn't bother about them seriously. It is only the transition from the Ultra to the High profile that provides a practical benefit as it improves the average frame rate in open scenes from 25-40 to 50-60fps. But considering that this game is not a first-person shooter, even it though provides for a similar playing style, you don't have to achieve the 60fps mark desired for the FPS genre. Practice suggests that you can shoot normally even at 30-40fps unless you are trying to shoot off mutants' heads from a distance without using the V.A.T.S.
As for image quality provided by the different levels of detail, the Low profile cannot be recommended for practical play because it uses a simplified lighting model without HDR effects and has low-detail textures as can be easily seen even in closed environments. The drawbacks are especially conspicuous in open scenes, particularly in the Wasteland. Distant landscapes lose their details, transforming into a series of bleak and uniform hills.
