Deathloop PC performance report - Graphics card benchmarks
By Chad Norton on September 15th, 2021 at 02:58pm - original article from game-debate

Arkane's latest time looping mystery is finally here, taking us on a groundhog day-style adventure in their classic immersive sim formula. The official PC system requirements seemed quite demanding at first, but how well does Deathloop actually perform? And what kind of hardware is needed to run Deathloop at its best? We take a look at the PC performance benchmarks for Deathloop...

First of all, in this PC performance benchmark article for Deathloop, we benchmark a range of graphics cards going from the higher-end RTX 3070, which is close to the recommended GPU for 4K 60fps performance on Ultra settings; as well as the RTX 2060 which is the recommended GPU for 1080p 60fps performance on High settings; to the mid-range GTX 1060 which is the minimum required GPU for running at 1080p 60fps on Low graphics settings; and finally the lower-end R9 380.

Then we go through the FPS test results of each graphics card running at 1080p, 1440p and 4K screen resolutions. From there we can see the performance of the minimum and recommended system requirement graphics cards and consider how well optimized Deathloop really is.

Deathloop unfortunately does not include an in-game benchmarking tool, so for these results listed below we started in one of the early open areas of the game, running around and killing some bad guys. Since most of your time in Deathloop will take place in large open environments with lots of combat encounter opportunities, we felt this run to be pretty representative of the majority of your gameplay experience in Deathloop

With that in mind, let's jump into the PC performance benchmarks for Deathloop...

Deathloop PC Graphics Settings

Check your PC can run Deathloop system requirements

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Deathloop minimum system requirements - 1080p / 30fps / Low settings

  • OS: 64 bit Windows 10 version 1909 or higher
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
  • RAM: 12GB
  • GPU RAM: 6GB
  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580
  • DX: 12
  • Storage: 30GB (HDD)

Deathloop recommended system requirements - 1080p / 60fps / High settings

  • OS: 64 bit Windows 10 version 1909 or higher
  • CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
  • RAM: 16GB
  • GPU RAM: 6GB
  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700
  • DX: 12
  • Storage: 30GB (SSD)

Deathloop Ultra system requirements - 4K / 60fps / Ultra settings

  • OS: 64 bit Windows 10 version 1909 or higher
  • CPU: Intel Core i9-10900K or AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
  • RAM: 16GB
  • GPU RAM: 10GB
  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
  • DX: 12
  • Storage: 30GB (SSD)

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Deathloop RTX 3070 benchmarks and frames per second analysis performed on Nvidia Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Aorus Master | Intel i7-5820K | 16GB

Average FPS for Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 in Deathloop @ 1080p

Deathloop Very Low Low Medium High Very High Ultra
Average FPS 101.4 98.4 95.5 92.8 83.4 78.8
Min FPS 89.7 85.4 80 81.6 75.3 69.6
Max FPS 117.1 114.2 110.8 112.8 107.9 104.7
1% Low FPS 82.8 77.5 75.1 74.1 65.4 20.6
0.1% Low FPS 78.1 60.4 68.3 63.4 57.9 17.7

The FPS performance of the RTX 3070 in Deathloop at 1080p resolution is pretty good, achieving well over 60fps even on Ultra graphics settings. However, as many have pointed out, there is some stuttering present, represented by the 0.1% Low FPS value above on the Ultra settings. Nevertheless, the RTX 3070 is perfectly suitable for playing Deathloop at 1080p resolution on Ultra graphics settings.

Average FPS for Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 in Deathloop @ 1440p

Deathloop Very Low Low Medium High Very High Ultra
Average FPS 96.5 94.3 90.2 86.4 76.4 74.3
Min FPS 87.3 80.7 80.1 73.8 64.2 63.3
Max FPS 116.3 114.9 108.1 100.4 100.6 91.9
1% Low FPS 21.3 52.6 17.3 15.9 17.4 14.2
0.1% Low FPS 17.3 17 13.9 12.6 14.1 13.5

At 1440p, the FPS performance of the RTX 3070 in Deathloop is still really good, delivering more than 60fps performance even on Ultra graphics settings. This makes the RTX 3070 perfectly suitable for playing Deathloop at 1440p on Ultra settings.

Average FPS for Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 in Deathloop @ 4K

Deathloop Very Low Low Medium High Very High Ultra
Average FPS 75.4 67.9 60.6 52 48.8 46.7
Min FPS 63.4 58.5 51.1 44.9 41.8 38.7
Max FPS 87.1 79.4 73 58.9 55.5 56.1
1% Low FPS 15.5 14.6 14.8 13.9 13.1 13.1
0.1% Low FPS 14.3 12.4 14 13.2 11.6 12.2

Finally at 4K resolution, the RTX 3070's FPS performance in Deathloop is okay, achieving more than 60fps up to Medium graphics settings, then after going as low as 46.7fps on Ultra graphics settings. Although it doesn't quite reach 60fps on Max settings, this was still playable and comfortable, so the RTX 3070 is perfectly suitable for playing Deathloop at 4K on Ultra graphics settings, or Medium if you prefer to get a more stable 60fps performance.

Overall, looking at the results above, the RTX 3070 is perfect for playing Deathloop at 1080p, 1440p, and even 4K on Ultra graphics settings. Though if you want a more stable 60fps performance at 4K, you will need to lower down to Medium settings in order to do so.

Deathloop RTX 2060 benchmarks and frames per second analysis performed on Nvidia PNY GeForce RTX 2060 | Intel i7-5820K | 16GB

Average FPS for Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 in Deathloop @ 1080p

Deathloop Very Low Low Medium High Very High Ultra
Average FPS 99 96.8 92.7 78.7 77.6 74.8
Min FPS 87.3 77.7 79.6 64.7 63.3 60.7
Max FPS 116.8 119.9 119.7 104 105.7 102.9
1% Low FPS 79.8 76.3 74.4 59.9 58.9 58
0.1% Low FPS 67.3 61.3 59 33.8 33.8 33.2

The FPS performance of the RTX 2060 at 1080p in Deathloop is pretty good, achieving well above 60fps performance even on Ultra settings. This means the RTX 2060 is perfectly suitable for playing Deathloop at 1080p on Ultra graphics settings. This is also the recommended GPU for 1080p 60fps performance on High graphics settings, and judging by the results above that was a little exaggerated as the RTX 2060 soars well past 60fps on High settings at 1080p. 

Average FPS for Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 in Deathloop @ 1440p

Deathloop Very Low Low Medium High Very High Ultra
Average FPS 85.6 76 66.1 54.7 53 51.5
Min FPS 69.2 60.1 51.1 43.8 44.8 43.3
Max FPS 116.7 104.1 86.6 69.6 68.4 67.9
1% Low FPS 15 14.4 14 42.3 43.5 41.9
0.1% Low FPS 13.9 11.9 12.7 13.2 41.2 27.2

The FPS performance on the RTX 2060 in Deathloop at 1440p is still pretty good, though drops below 60fps on High settings and upwards. However, even on Ultra settings the game was still playable and comfortable, so the RTX 2060 is perfectly suitable for playing Deathloop at 1440p on Ultra graphics settings, or Medium if you prefer a more solid 60fps experience.

Average FPS for Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 in Deathloop @ 4K

Deathloop Very Low Low Medium High Very High Ultra
Average FPS 41.5 36.3 31.5 27 25.9 24.8
Min FPS 32.9 28.8 25.4 21.8 22 20.8
Max FPS 55.5 50.1 42.2 35.3 34.3 34
1% Low FPS 32.7 28 24.5 21.4 21.4 20.4
0.1% Low FPS 24.1 21.7 20.1 20.2 19.6 19

The RTX 2060's FPS performance at 4K in Deathloop is okay, dropping below 30fps on High settings and above which to us became almost unplayable and uncomfortable to play. Therefore, the RTX 2060 is fine for playing Deathloop at 4K resolution up to Medium graphics settings or lower.

Overall, the RTX 2060 is perfect for playing Deathloop at 1080p and 1440p on Ultra graphics settings, though in the case of 1440p might need to be turned down to Medium to enjoy a more solid 60fps experience. At 4K, the RTX 2060 struggles but is still playable up to Medium or lower graphics settings.

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Deathloop GTX 1060 benchmarks and frames per second analysis performed on Nvidia MSI GeForce GTX 1060 | Intel i7-5820K | 16GB

Average FPS for Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 in Deathloop @ 1080p

Deathloop Very Low Low Medium High Very High Ultra
Average FPS 74.1 66 56.2 46.3 43.2 42.7
Min FPS 56.9 50.8 43.8 36.8 35.1 33.9
Max FPS 105.4 91.5 72.6 56.9 56.8 56.2
1% Low FPS 55.9 49.3 43 36.2 33.6 33.3
0.1% Low FPS 37.7 21.1 20 20.5 17.9 17.9

The FPS performance of the GTX 1060 at 1080p in Deathloop is pretty good. This is the minimum required GPU for 1080p 30fps performance on Low graphics settings, and judging by the results above this is once again a little exaggerated. Not only does the GTX 1060 manage to achieve more than 60fps on Low settings, but it also manages to deliver more than 30fps even on Ultra graphics settings. So the GTX 1060 is perfectly suitable for playing Deathloop at 1080p resolution on Ultra settings, or on Low settings more a more stable 60fps experience.

Average FPS for Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 in Deathloop @ 1440p

Deathloop Very Low Low Medium High Very High Ultra
Average FPS 49.1 44.1 37.7 31.1 30.2 28.3
Min FPS 38.6 33.8 28.9 26.4 24.9 23.4
Max FPS 65.5 57.4 47.6 41.3 37 37
1% Low FPS 14.8 16.7 15.3 25.6 24.7 22.8
0.1% Low FPS 13.6 14.1 13.3 14 15 14.7

At 1440p the GTX 1060's FPS performance in Deathloop is okay, achieving more than 30fps performance up to Very High graphics settings. On Ultra, the game was quite uncomfortable to play and was less than ideal in terms of enjoyment. It wasn't unplayable, but you might want to stick to lower graphics settings like Low or Medium at 1440p with the GTX 1060 for a more stable experience.

Average FPS for Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 in Deathloop @ 4K

Deathloop Very Low Low Medium High Very High Ultra
Average FPS 26.7 23.1 20 16.3 15 14.7
Min FPS 21.4 18.7 16.2 14.4 12.9 12.6
Max FPS 32.6 28.4 24.4 18.3 17.6 18.2
1% Low FPS 21.2 18.6 16.1 14.1 12.8 12.4
0.1% Low FPS 19 14.2 13.1 11 10.1 10.1

The GTX 1060's FPS performance in Deathloop at 4K is not great. At Very Low and even Low settings the game was still just barely playable but not at all enjoyable, and on Medium settings and above it became so unplayable we could barely even complete the benchmark. At this point, your personal performance in-game is significantly affected and you'll be missing shots constantly and dying more frequently. As such, the GTX 1060 is not recommended for playing Deathloop at 4K resolution.

Looking at the results above, the GTX 1060 is perfect for playing Deathloop at 1080p resolution even on Ultra graphics settings, or on Low settings for a more stable experience. At 1440p this GPU starts to struggle but is still playable up to Medium settings, and was completely unusable at 4K resolution regardless of the graphics setting chosen.

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Deathloop R9 380 benchmarks and frames per second analysis performed on AMD MSI Radeon R9 380 | Intel i7-5820K | 16GB

Average FPS for AMD Radeon R9 380 in Deathloop @ 1080p

Deathloop Very Low Low Medium High Very High Ultra
Average FPS 33.1 31.9 26.5 22.7 21.5 21.1
Min FPS 26.3 24.4 19.7 16.7 16.2 15.8
Max FPS 53 50.4 41.4 34.1 33 32.1
1% Low FPS 22.9 22.6 13 11.2 10.9 11.4
0.1% Low FPS 11 10.5 10 7.9 7.3 7.9

At 1080p, the FPS performance of the R9 380 in Deathloop is not great, but still playable at Very Low or even Low graphics settings. At Medium graphics settings or above the game became very uncomfortable and difficult to play due to sub-30fps performance. As such, the R9 380 is certainly suitable for playing Deathloop at 1080p on Very Low or Low graphics settings, but any higher is not recommended.

Unfortunately we couldn't even benchmark the R9 380 at 1440p resolution because the performance was so low even on Very Low graphics settings, to the point where we couldn't finish the benchmark run because we were missing so many shots and dying so often to enemies. As such, the R9 380 is perfect for playing Deathloop at 1080p resolution on Very Low or Low graphics settings, but is completely unplayable at higher resolutions than 1080p.

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Conclusion

Overall, looking at the benchmark results above, Deathloop is clearly a very demanding game even on modern high-end hardware, but not quite as demanding as the official PC system requirements initially suggested. For instance, the GTX 1060 is able to get well above its projected performance at 1080p, and the RTX 2060 is very much the same (though not as significant).

If you want to play Deathloop at its very best though, at 4K resolution with Ultra graphics settings and even ray tracing enabled, it's clear that you will certainly need some modern high-end hardware to do so like the recommended RTX 3080 GPU. However, Deathloop also includes support for AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) which can help increase performance quite significantly depending on what quality option you choose, but you will still need a recent GPU in order to get adequate performance on higher graphics settings.

For lower-end hardware though, Deathloop is very demanding, although not entirely unplayable. For the R9 380 we were able to get playable performance on Very Low graphics settings, and boosting that up to Low can improve image quality a little but the performance hit will drop below 30fps in more demanding areas, so you're probably better off sticking to the lowest settings you can go to get the best performance you can.

In the end, Deathloop is a pretty demanding game even on modern hardware, but you will definitely be able to squeeze out enough fps to play it comfortably. We'll have to wait and see exactly which settings cause the biggest performance hit when our graphics optimization guide comes out, so we can further customize our PC performance in Deathloop to get the right balance of graphical quality and FPS performance.

As always, we welcome any and all feedback from you guys as well with your experience of hardware configurations and FPS performance/quality settings. That way we can all better gauge how well our systems will be able to run Diablo 2 Resurrected.