Starfield GPU Benchmark: Analyzing Performance Across 32 GPUs
Bethesda's RPG "Starfield" has finally arrived, bringing with it a mix of space opera elements and an expansive world filled with mineral mining and stunning visuals. While gameplay reviews are favorable, our focus here is on assessing the game's GPU performance. We've tested 32 GPUs across different quality presets and resolutions, providing a comprehensive look at how various hardware stacks up in this much-anticipated title.
Testing Methodology: Navigating Starfield's Demanding Environments
Choosing the Optimal Location for Accurate Benchmarks
To effectively benchmark "Starfield," we selected the forests of Jemison as the most demanding game section. This choice explains why our performance figures might be lower than other tests, as these forests present a significant challenge for GPUs. The results provide a baseline for minimum performance expectations in the game's most intense scenarios.
GPU Performance: Exploring Different Quality Presets
Understanding How Various GPUs Handle Starfield's Settings
Our tests included the Medium, High, and Ultra presets. Notably, all these presets enable FSR 2, but we've disabled upscaling for most tests to present native performance metrics. We also share some results with FSR 2 enabled.
- Ultra Performance: At 1080p Ultra (without FSR), the AMD 7900 XTX leads, followed closely by the Nvidia RTX 4090. The performance is decent, but surprisingly lower for the 4090 given its capabilities.
- High Performance: Reducing the preset to High improves performance notably. The AMD 7900 XTX shows a 16% improvement, while Nvidia's GPUs see up to 40% increases, especially in foliage-heavy areas.
- Medium Performance: On the Medium preset, the 7900 XTX dominates at 1080p, significantly outperforming the RTX 4090. The RTX 4080 matches the 6950 XT, while the 4070 Ti struggles against the 6800 XT.
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FSR Performance: Evaluating Upscaling Benefits
How FSR 2 Influences Frame Rates
FSR performance analysis reveals varying uplifts across different GPUs. While higher-end cards like the 6800 XT see modest gains, lower-end GPUs like the 6500 XT benefit significantly, though their baseline performance is already low.
Conclusion: Starfield's Demanding Nature on PC Hardware
Summarizing the Game's GPU Requirements
"Starfield" proves to be a demanding game for PC hardware, particularly in GPU performance. While it's living up to the hype gameplay-wise, the hardware requirements can be extreme, depending on the in-game location. Our benchmarks, focusing on one of the most demanding game sections, suggest that optimization may be needed for better performance across various GPUs.
