Activision has unveiled the latest installment in its renowned Call of Duty series, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. This iteration is powered by the cutting-edge IW Engine, prompting a thorough examination of its performance on PC platforms.
Performance Benchmarks
For our benchmarking process, we utilized an impressive array of hardware, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, paired with 32GB of DDR5 RAM running at 6000MHz. The graphics cards tested included AMD’s Radeon RX 6900XT, RX 7900XTX, and RX 9070XT, alongside NVIDIA’s RTX 2080Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090. The benchmarks were conducted on a Windows 10 64-bit system, utilizing the GeForce 581.80 and Radeon Adrenalin Edition 25.11.1 drivers.
Beenox has introduced over 300 customizable settings for PC gamers, allowing for extensive graphical adjustments. The game also supports Intel XeSS and AMD FSR 4.0, along with AMD FSR Redstone’s Ray Regeneration technology. Notably, a benchmark tool has been integrated, though it is exclusive to the Multiplayer mode, which may not accurately reflect the Campaign’s performance. Therefore, our benchmarks utilized the first level of the Campaign mode.
Graphical Enhancements
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 employs Ray Tracing to enhance reflections, although this feature is limited to Multiplayer and Zombies modes, leaving the Campaign without this enhancement. For those interested, benchmarks for DLSS 4 and Ray Tracing can be found in our detailed analysis.
All tested GPUs managed to deliver over 60 FPS at 1080p on maximum settings, with even the older NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti consistently achieving over 75 FPS. However, it is evident that the game leans favorably towards AMD hardware, as the AMD Radeon RX 9070XT outperforms the NVIDIA RTX 5080 and nearly matches the NVIDIA RTX 4090. The AMD Radeon RX 6900XT also shows a significant advantage over the NVIDIA RTX 3080.
At 1440p with maximum settings, most GPUs maintained a smooth gaming experience, with the exception of the NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti, which fell below the 60 FPS threshold. The NVIDIA RTX 3080 and AMD Radeon RX 6900XT proved more than capable of delivering 60 FPS gameplay.
When tested at Native 4K with maximum settings, the top five GPUs achieved framerates exceeding 60 FPS. Notably, the AMD Radeon RX 9070XT and RX 7900XTX surpassed the NVIDIA RTX 5080 even at 4K resolutions, while the NVIDIA RTX 4090 maintained a performance edge over them. The efficiency of AMD hardware in this game is indeed impressive.
Visual Quality and Issues
In terms of graphics, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 presents a visually appealing experience for a rasterized game, though it does not quite reach the heights of Battlefield 6. While the game is aesthetically pleasing, it is marred by notable pop-in issues, where grass blades and shadows appear abruptly in close proximity to the player. Additionally, certain areas suffer from inconsistent texture quality, with some high-quality textures juxtaposed against significantly lower-quality ones within the same environment.
Despite these graphical shortcomings, players will be relieved to find minimal stuttering throughout gameplay. My experience during the playthrough was smooth and responsive, with no significant stability or crashing issues. The mouse movement was particularly commendable, providing an enjoyable experience with keyboard and mouse controls.
Overall, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 demonstrates excellent performance across a wide range of PC configurations. However, its visual presentation may not meet the high expectations typically associated with the franchise. While the game does not push the graphical boundaries of rasterized PC games, its performance remains a strong point, offering a positive experience for players.
John, the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming, is a passionate advocate for PC gaming and the modding community. With a background in various gaming websites, he has a deep-rooted love for the 16-bit console era, particularly the SNES. His transition to PC gaming was influenced by the groundbreaking 3DFX Voodoo 2 graphics card, and he has even penned a thesis on the evolution of PC graphics cards.
Contact: Email
