frame rates Archives

AppWizard

May 4, 2025

Xbox Game Pass Just Quietly Added The Most Chill Way To Play God In A Classic City Builder

Anno 1800 is a city-building game by Ubisoft set in a Victorian-inspired industrial era, recently launched on Xbox Game Pass. Players colonize resource-rich islands, managing production chains and trade networks while balancing the needs of a growing populace. The console version maintains the depth of the original PC experience with a redesigned user interface that features clean menus and a radial menu system for easier navigation. The game offers a rewarding loop of expansion, optimization, and strategic planning, encouraging immersive gameplay with vibrant visuals and smooth performance. It is designed for players willing to invest time in its complexities, with a campaign mode providing a structured introduction for newcomers.

AppWizard

May 4, 2025

Nvidia’s DLSS is a game-changer for PC gaming – here’s how it works

Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) was introduced in 2018 with the GeForce RTX 20-series graphics cards and has evolved into its fourth iteration, becoming a standard expectation for modern PC games. DLSS enhances gameplay by upscaling lower-resolution images, improving frame rates, and enabling advanced graphical effects without sacrificing performance. The latest version, DLSS 4, debuted with the GeForce RTX 50-series in 2025 and features a new transformer model to enhance image quality. DLSS includes Frame Generation, which creates additional frames to improve gameplay fluidity, and Multi-Frame Generation, which can produce up to three additional frames per real frame. DLSS significantly reduces the performance impact of ray tracing, allowing gamers to enjoy high-quality graphics without compromising frame rates. Over 500 games and applications currently support DLSS technology.

AppWizard

May 2, 2025

The best Oblivion Remastered mods

The modding community has become essential to the experience of Bethesda RPGs, particularly with the launch of Oblivion Remastered. Modders are updating existing mods and creating new ones, although the introduction of Unreal Engine 5 alongside Gamebryo may slow the maturation of the modding scene. Key mods include: - Oblivion Script Extender: A crucial tool expected to support complex customizations. - Ultimate Engine Tweaks: Helps alleviate performance issues by allowing players to disable certain visual effects. - Universal Achievement Unblocker: Prevents mods or console commands from blocking achievements. - Better HUD: Provides smaller compass options and minimalist designs for a more immersive experience. - No HUD No Effects: Toggles off UI elements and visual effects for distraction-free gameplay. - Unleveled Item Rewards: Ensures players receive optimal quest reward items. - Difficulty Slider Fixed: Balances difficulty settings for a consistent challenge. - Auto Local Map: Automatically opens the local map when entering an interior space. - First Person Horse: Allows first-person riding, despite some clipping issues. - Faster Sleep and Wait: Speeds up the waiting process for players.

AppWizard

April 26, 2025

Oblivion Remastered PC: impressive modernisation blighted by dire performance problems

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered utilizes an Unreal Engine 5 wrapper to enhance the original game, but it carries over some of the original's issues and suffers from significant performance challenges, including frequent stuttering. Digital Foundry analyzed the remaster against the original 2006 version, highlighting advancements in graphics but also noting that the remaster struggles with limited polygon budgets and basic effects. The remaster's performance is inconsistent, especially on mid-range CPUs, leading to poor experiences even on high-end hardware. Disabling hardware RT-based Lumen global illumination can improve performance by about 35%, but at the cost of visual quality. Lowering settings yields only marginal performance improvements, and the game fails to deliver an attractive experience compared to the original. A recent patch did not resolve the stuttering issues, indicating that fundamental CPU-related problems remain unaddressed.

AppWizard

April 18, 2025

I just spent $6 on this Steam app that compresses PC games — and it’s already saved me 100GB

The acquisition of the Steam application CompressorX allows gamers to compress game files, maximizing existing storage without needing hardware upgrades. Modern games like The Last of Us Part II Remastered (150GB), Monster Hunter Wilds (75GB), and Cyberpunk 2077 with its Phantom Liberty expansion (100GB) contribute to high storage demands. External SSDs and hard drives provide additional space, but CompressorX offers a quick solution for optimizing current storage. While it has some quirks, such as a confusing automation feature and variable compression times, it helps gamers maintain their game libraries without deleting titles.

AppWizard

April 8, 2025

I tried gaming on Linux — and it’s better (and worse) than you think

The gaming experience on Linux, particularly with Ubuntu, has been positive, with many single-player and co-op games performing well due to compatibility tools like Wine and Steam's Proton. While most Windows games can be played on Linux, limitations exist, particularly for MMORPGs and competitive multiplayer games that rely on kernel-level anti-cheat systems, rendering titles like Fortnite and Valorant unplayable. Some competitive games do offer Linux support, but this is not guaranteed. Additionally, accessory applications for gaming peripherals often lack support on Linux, although open-source alternatives exist. As of 2025, while Linux gaming has improved, significant gaps remain, particularly in compatibility with anti-cheat systems, making it less appealing than Windows for many gamers.

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.

Tech Optimizer

April 4, 2025

My takeaway when it comes to antivirus software and gaming

Antivirus software can slow down a PC during gaming, with performance dips ranging from negligible to about 20 percent during routine monitoring, and up to 57 percent during full or partial scans. Despite the potential for improved performance by disabling antivirus software, security experts advise against it due to ongoing threats like viruses and malware. Instances of malware in downloadable game files and phishing scams targeting gaming communities highlight the importance of maintaining antivirus protection. Gamers can consider antivirus solutions designed for gaming that minimize system impact, schedule scans for non-gaming times, and create exclusion lists for game files to enhance performance while ensuring security.

AppWizard

April 4, 2025

The Best PC Games to Play Right Now (Spring 2025)

PC gaming in 2025 features advanced GPUs enabling ray tracing and AI-enhanced upscaling, with tools like Unreal Engine 5 facilitating diverse game development. Platforms such as Steam and Epic Games Store host tens of thousands of titles, with over 13,000 new games launched on Steam in 2024. Notable games include Baldur’s Gate 3, Elden Ring, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, Cyberpunk 2077, Valorant, Overwatch 2, Dota 2, League of Legends, Warframe, and Apex Legends. Key trends include cross-platform compatibility, free-to-play models, and game subscription services. Optimal gaming setups typically require a mid-range processor, a GTX 1070 or better graphics card, and at least 16GB of RAM. Popular multiplayer games include Valorant and Apex Legends, while highly rated titles include Baldur’s Gate 3, Elden Ring, and Disco Elysium. Classics worth playing today include The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Portal 2.

Winsage

April 3, 2025

Is Windows 11 Finally Better Than Windows 10 For Gaming?

Windows 11 has introduced several gaming-focused enhancements that are not present in Windows 10, including: - DirectStorage: Optimized for Windows 11, this technology allows games to load data directly from an NVMe SSD to the GPU, reducing load times. - Auto HDR: Enhances older games by automatically applying high dynamic range lighting effects for users with HDR-capable monitors. - Improved Scheduling for Hybrid CPUs: Offers better task scheduling for Intel's 12th or 13th generation CPUs, resulting in smoother frame rates during CPU-intensive gaming sessions. Benchmark tests show minimal performance differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11, with slight FPS improvements in some titles on Windows 11, especially when using advanced hardware and DirectStorage. As of March 2025, over 55% of Windows users on Steam have transitioned to Windows 11, indicating growing confidence in the operating system among gamers. Windows 11 has addressed many early bugs and driver issues, providing robust stability on compatible systems. Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements than Windows 10, including the need for TPM 2.0 and UEFI secure boot. Windows 10 remains supported until October 2025, making it a viable option for users with older hardware. Windows 11 features a redesigned interface with a centered Start Menu and Taskbar, rounded corners, and expanded personalization options. It also simplifies the update process with annual feature updates and smaller, faster security updates. Windows 11 enhances integration with Microsoft services, supports Android apps through the Amazon Appstore, and introduces productivity tools like Snap Layouts and improved Task View. Security improvements include mandatory TPM 2.0, enhanced Windows Defender, and a redesigned privacy dashboard for better user control over app permissions. Despite its advancements, Windows 11 has limitations such as ongoing stability issues, driver compatibility concerns, and a simplified taskbar that lacks certain functionalities from Windows 10. Windows 11 is available as a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 devices through Windows Update.