At 1280x1024, the high-end rigs are able to outpace our budget systems, particularly when equipped with the GeForce 8800 GTX: our 4000+ system trails the mega high-end Core 2 Extreme/GeForce 8800 GTX rig by over 30% at 1280x1024! But as you increase the screen resolution, the performance burden shifts from the CPU to the GPU, and the performance margin between the high-end and budget rigs closes quickly. At 1600x1200 the 4000+ system is now only behind by 15%! At this point the Core 2 Extreme system only performs faster because of its GeForce 8800 GTX GPU, when the Core 2 system is equipped with a GeForce 8800 GT, the 4000+ runs just as fast.