benchmarking Archives

AppWizard

April 6, 2025

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered PC Performance Analysis

Sony has released The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered for PC, utilizing Naughty Dog’s proprietary engine. Performance analysis was conducted using an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and various graphics cards including AMD Radeon RX 6900XT, RX 7900XTX, RX 9070XT, and NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090 on a Windows 10 64-bit system. The game features customizable graphics settings and supports technologies like Intel XeSS, NVIDIA DLSS 3, and AMD FSR 3.1. Benchmark tests showed all GPUs maintained frame rates above 60FPS at 1080p and 1440p resolutions with Max Settings, with the NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti achieving 60FPS. The AMD Radeon RX 9070XT outperformed the RX 7900XTX, while the RX 6900XT lagged behind the NVIDIA RTX 3080. For 4K gaming at Max Settings, the AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX and NVIDIA RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090 were necessary for 60FPS. The game requires a minimum of six CPU cores/threads for optimal performance, with dual-core and quad-core systems experiencing severe stuttering. An eight-core processor improved frame rates above 70FPS. The game features impressive pre-baked lighting but has some traversal stutters and asynchronous shader compilation that may affect performance on CPUs with fewer cores. Keyboard and mouse controls function well from the start.

Winsage

March 31, 2025

CrystalMark Retro 2.0.0 brings retro benchmarking to systems from Windows 95 to Windows 11

Crystal Dew World has released version 2.0.0 of its benchmarking tool, CrystalMark Retro, which now supports Windows 95, 98, and Me systems, in addition to Windows XP and later versions. The update was developed in response to user feedback and includes a new benchmark score comparison site, crystalmarkdb.com/retro. Users can benchmark a variety of systems, from vintage Windows versions to modern ones, including Windows 11 and various server editions. Windows NT 3.51 and its successors are also supported with a necessary patch.

AppWizard

March 21, 2025

A high schooler built a website that lets you challenge AI models to a Minecraft build-off

Developers are exploring new methods to benchmark generative AI models, with one initiative being the Minecraft Benchmark (MC-Bench), a platform for head-to-head competitions among AI models that generate unique Minecraft creations. Users vote on the performances without knowing which AI created each entry. The project, created by 12th-grade student Adi Singh, leverages Minecraft's universal recognition to evaluate AI capabilities. MC-Bench currently has eight volunteer contributors and has received support from major AI companies like Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and Alibaba. The focus is on simple builds, with plans to scale to more complex tasks. MC-Bench requires models to write code for requested builds, making it easier for users to assess the quality of creations visually. Singh believes the scores from MC-Bench provide meaningful insights into AI performance compared to traditional text-based benchmarks.

AppWizard

March 18, 2025

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows PC Performance Analysis

Ubisoft has removed the review embargo for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, which is powered by the AnvilNext Engine. Performance benchmarks were conducted using an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor and 32GB of DDR5 RAM, testing various graphics cards including AMD Radeon RX 6900XT, RX 7900XTX, RX 9070XT, and NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090. The game includes a built-in benchmark tool and offers a range of graphics settings, supporting technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 3 and 4, AMD FSR 3, and Intel XeSS, as well as Ray Tracing without requiring an RT GPU. To achieve 60FPS at 1080p with Ultra High Settings and no RT, players need an AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX, NVIDIA RTX 4090, or RTX 5090. At 1440p with Ultra High Settings and no RT, both the RX 7900XTX and RTX 4090 provide smooth performance, while the RTX 5090 is necessary for 60FPS. No GPU managed satisfactory performance at Native 4K with Ultra High Settings and no RT, with the RTX 5090 struggling to maintain frame rates above 50FPS. Lowering graphics settings did not yield significant performance improvements, raising questions about potential CPU bottlenecks. The game is visually appealing but lacks RTGI effects, making it appear flat at times compared to Unreal Engine 5 titles.

AppWizard

March 8, 2025

GTA 5 Enhanced performance analysis: Forget max settings, my advice is to enable Very High RT and enjoy the show

GTA 5's Enhanced PC version was launched on March 4, featuring modern graphical enhancements such as ray-traced shadows and reflections, upgraded ambient occlusion, global illumination, and support for DLSS 3 and FSR 3 upscaling. Performance testing was conducted using the RTX 4070 and RX 7800 XT graphics cards. With ray tracing enabled, performance dropped below 30 fps, while setting it to Very High without ray tracing resulted in frame rates between 40 to 70 fps. The RTX 4070 averaged 100-110 fps at Maximum RT, but switching to Very High RT provided a 35 fps improvement. The RX 7800 XT eliminated sub-60 fps drops with this adjustment. Performance testing revealed frame drops in certain areas, such as Franklin's backyard, likely due to dense vegetation. Very High RT settings offered a smoother experience and slightly better image quality than Maximum settings.

AppWizard

February 23, 2025

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down PC Performance Analysis

TiMi Studio Group has released the Black Hawk Down campaign for Delta Force for free, utilizing Unreal Engine 5. Benchmarking was conducted on a setup with an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and various high-end GPUs. The game lacks a built-in benchmarking tool, so performance was assessed using an in-engine cutscene. Achieving over 60FPS at 1080p on Extreme Settings requires at least six CPU cores, but the game experiences significant stuttering and struggles to utilize more than eight CPU cores. At 1080p, high-end GPUs like the NVIDIA RTX 3080 and AMD Radeon RX 6900XT average over 65FPS, while the RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090 face CPU bottlenecking. At 1440p, the AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX is the minimum requirement for over 60FPS. At Native 4K with Extreme Settings, only the NVIDIA RTX 5090 can consistently maintain 60FPS. The game also features Ultimate Settings, which push the RTX 5090 to its limits, yielding lower framerates. Players may encounter stuttering and texture streaming issues, and the campaign is designed as a Co-Op Online Campaign, lacking difficulty adjustments for solo play and checkpoints. The game showcases impressive graphics but suffers from performance challenges and inefficient CPU usage.

AppWizard

February 22, 2025

10 Of The Most GPU-Intensive Games On The Market Today

Nvidia's RTX 50 series graphics cards, including the RTX 5090 and 5080, provide significant performance enhancements, capable of handling nearly all current PC games at exceptional frame rates, even at 4K resolution. However, many game developers have not optimized their titles to match this surge in power, leading to performance issues for some gamers. A notable number of gamers still use older GPUs, making it difficult to enjoy GPU-intensive titles. "Alan Wake 2" has demanding hardware requirements, with a minimum recommended graphics card of GTX 1070 or RX 5600 XT, which may struggle on lower-end setups like the GTX 1650. Even high-end cards like the RTX 5090 can struggle to maintain frame rates at maximum settings without DLSS. "Black Myth: Wukong" features a free benchmarking tool on Steam, allowing players to test their system's compatibility. While its requirements are less stringent than "Alan Wake 2," it still poses challenges, as even high-end GPUs like the RTX 5090 may struggle to achieve smooth gameplay at 4K resolution.

Winsage

February 17, 2025

About darn time: Microsoft says it has fixed the annoying lag in Windows Explorer when working with cloud-based files

The recent beta update from Microsoft, identified as KB5052094, aims to improve the sluggish performance of Windows Explorer when managing OneDrive files. This update is currently available only to users in the Review Release Channel of Windows 11. Users on the standard public release have not yet tested these performance claims. The update is anticipated to address the lag experienced during context menu operations, such as right-clicking on cloud files. The delays in these operations have been a source of frustration for users, impacting workflow. There are speculations regarding the delay in addressing this issue, which may involve necessary adjustments to Azure's infrastructure.

AppWizard

February 15, 2025

Monster Hunter lead producer agrees PC gaming is key for Japanese games: “There are more players than ever playing on PC, including in Japan”

Japanese developers, particularly Capcom, are increasingly recognizing the potential of the PC platform, as evidenced by their commitment to simultaneous PC releases for the Monster Hunter series, specifically with the upcoming launch of Monster Hunter Wilds. Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto noted the growing significance of PC gaming, highlighting the opportunity to attract new players. The beta for Monster Hunter Wilds achieved a peak of 463,798 players, surpassing the numbers of Helldivers 2 and exceeding the launch peak of Monster Hunter World at 334,684 players. Capcom has made adjustments for PC gamers, including lowering system requirements and introducing a benchmarking tool. The director of Monster Hunter Wilds participated in beta testing anonymously, engaging with players without revealing his identity.

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

Performance quirks, both good and bad, make Avowed a real trickster on PC hardware

Avowed is a high-quality RPG with the following minimum and recommended PC specifications: Minimum PC Specs: - OS: Windows 10/11 with updates - CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 / Intel Core i5-8400 - RAM: 16GB - GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700 / Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / Intel Arc A580 - DirectX: Version 12 - Storage: 75GB available space Recommended PC Specs: - OS: Windows 10/11 with updates - CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X / Intel Core i7-10700K - RAM: 16GB - GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT / Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 - DirectX: Version 12 - Storage: 75GB available space Benchmark tests show the GTX 1070 achieving 37fps at Low settings on native 1080p, and 50fps with Quality-level FSR 3. The RTX 3070 reached 48fps at 1080p with the Epic preset, and 67fps with DLSS activated in Quality mode. The RTX 4060 averaged 39fps on Epic and 61fps on High at native 1080p. Lower-end systems, like an MSI GF63 Thin laptop with 8GB of RAM and an RTX 4050, may struggle to exceed 30fps. The Steam Deck requires significant compromises to maintain playability. Performance-enhancing tools like DLSS, FSR, and Unreal Engine 5’s built-in TSR can enhance gameplay. Recommended settings for optimal performance include: - Motion blur: 0% - Upscaling: Nvidia DLSS 3 on Quality / TSR on 67% - Shadow quality: Medium - Global illumination quality: Medium - Everything else: Epic preset equivalent These settings allowed the RTX 4060 to reach 82fps. Avowed supports DLSS 3 frame generation on RTX 40 series GPUs, increasing average performance from 75fps to 111fps, though minor issues with dialogue boxes were noted. The game has a storage requirement of 75GB and does not require an SSD.