Spartan II vs Spartan III, which is better?

We all know that in 1v1, a spartan II would easily defeat a spartan III, but all in all, which is the better program; a smaller, expensive, but also more powerful group of spartans, or a larger, cheaper, but weaker group of spartans?

Don't really think this is a valid versus but obviously II

oh well i was interested, there really was no better place to put it