"I just bought a Radeon 6870 and that low 37.3 benchmark score makes me think I should take it back and get something else." Look at the benchmark. 2560x1600 with max settings and 4xAA. If you're going to run that resolution with max settings then yes you will want a new card. If you're running 1920x1080 or 1600x900 you'll probably be ok. Also, some of the settings are redundant at higher resolutions. The higher the resolution, the less AA you need. The difference in 8x AA and no AA at 2560x1600 is much less noticeable than the same comparison at 1440x900.

I'm surprised this post came out specifically for BF3. At 1080p I ran the game on Ultra and had no problem with 60FPS even on Caspian with a ton of crap going on. My setup is (all timings are stock, no o.c.): i7 2600k Radeon 6950 16GB pc1600 Resolution is set at 1920x1080. I think for most people SLI/Xfire for BF3 alone would not be needed. This should only be necessary if you're running a crazy resolution...say 2560 x 1600. If you look at the latest Steam survey, less than 1% have better than 1900 resolution.

In college I lived about a mile away from my classes so I used rollerblades. I'd blade to the building and then throw on a cheap pair of flip flops around class. Pros: Portable. Much faster than walking. Cons: Need a paved path. Falling in front of your friends. I was a few generations too late for the attachable skates to your shoes deal but I wonder if that wouldn't be a good idea to bring back. Like a slipper that you can just throw over your shoes to turn them into skates or blades; something a little more stable than Heelys.

This is great advice not just for the technical field but for life in general. Practice skills until perfected. Practice in rough conditions, while handicapped, or both. When required to perform (during concerts, sporting events, survival situations, or in this case on the internet) you will be adequately prepared.