I’m thinking about buying a GPU specifically to be able to play D2R at 1440p 165hz. It would be combined with AMD Ryzen 5700G and 2x16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM, both of which I already have. There is no external GPU installed in the system right now. The PSU is Super Flower LEADEX III Gold 650W.
I’d like to ask which GPU you would consider the minimum to achieve this task. It can be either from AMD or NVIDIA. I don’t plan to play any other (newer) games with it, so the GPU is basically required for D2R only. If achievable, I can pay more for a GPU that performs similarly while taking significantly less power.
The main point is that I would like to be able to play at 1440p 165hz on at least high graphics settings. The FPS also has to be stable at 165hz with no drops.
D2R isn’t optimised and it strongly depends on your wishes. Can you live with sliders not on ultra? Is 60 fps enough for you? How much do you want to spend? Are you sensitive to noise? Do you have good cooling?
It would be nice to have everything maxed out but it’s not absolutely necessary as long as the game looks decent.
Yeah, so to be precise, it needs to be able to run at stable 165 fps or more.
Possibly up to 1000$, but the goal is to spend only as much as needed to run the game smoothly. I don’t want to overpay for this.
I actually am but if the card gets a bit noisy only during playing the game, it’s not that much of a big deal, as long as it’s quiet when not gaming. The CPU cooler is be quiet! Dark Rock 4 (the non-Pro version). This may also be important but the case is Fractal Design Core 500. It’s ventilated well for what it is and currently the build runs very cool and is dead silent, but this is probably expected with no external GPU, I guess.
I have my 6800xt limited to 100 fps on 3440x1440 and it drops sometimes due to D2R not being optimised and my gpu is running “hot” like I would run hitman 2/3.
I am undervolting my card because I like it silent and don’t want to waste a lot of energy for minor increases in fps.
So I would recommend you something like the 4070 ti super. Still expensive but probably the best compromise for performance/price/your expectations.
Do you have any specific reasons for exactly 165 fps? You know that you always profit from high refresh rates, even with lower fps like 80/100/120?
That’s not good to hear then, as this means the game actually requires quite a beefy GPU to be able to run at high FPS. Just for clarification, by 1440p in my case I mean “just” 2560x1440.
Thank you! I will definitely consider the card .
I just enjoy the extra smoothness. Back in the day, I would play StarCraft: Brood War competitively at 120hz with unlocked FPS, so I’ve been used to higher refresh rates for a long time. Realistically, I don’t think I can actually feel any difference once the refresh rate hits ~140hz, but if the monitor is capable of 165hz, I’d still like to utilise it fully.
I currently play D2:LoD with D2DX at 165hz (with FreeSync enabled and FPS locked to 162), and the game feels and looks extra smooth with these settings. I’d like to have the same experience with D2R.
This is super useful. Thank you very much!
Edit:
Just a quick question, what do you think about Radeon RX 7900 XT? Where I live, it’s significantly cheaper than 4070 Ti SUPER. The two seem similar in benchmarks, although I can’t find any that compare their performance in D2R specifically.
To this day I am still blown away at how hot my PC runs while playing D2R. This game is not optimized well, and I’d be surprised if you can run it flawlessly at 165fps. It feels like the modern day Crysis.
The 7900XT is a very fine card and will be just as good as the 4070ti super. You might want to compare a few details like power consumption in your daily situation but if you get a good deal on it, there is nothing wrong with it.
You always profit from the refresh rate, but yeah more fps makes it even smoother.
The 6800xt is powerful enough to get more frames, but d2r is just buggy and doesn’t allow consistent fps at all times
IMO, there is no real point/benefit in running D2:R, or any isometric game for that matter any higher than 60 FPS. If your computer doesn’t break a sweat running higher FPS, that’s one thing, but if it’s struggling, then consider locking the FPS down in D2:R, your hardware will last longer.
One of the biggest GPU heaters in D2:R is grass.
First person shooters on the other hand, yeah, need lots of FPS. The smoother the better.
Loading screens in d2r are influenced by frames in d2r… that alone are reason enough to have at least 80-100 fps… and a smoother picture will put less strain on your eyes… I rather stretch the life of my body than my hardware
Thank you for all the answers! I will be looking for potential deals on the cards and then probably buy the better priced one .
Personally, let alone smoother mouse movement, I can’t play at low FPS due to motion blur (e.g. https://testufo.com). When it comes to D2 specifically, this is very visible for me when it comes to item titles on the ground, which at high FPS paired with high refresh rate are stable even when moving around very fast, while otherwise the text appears blurry and difficult to read.
I promise to write back if I manage to buy the card and let everyone know what kind of FPS I can actually get on this hardware .
I’m reviving this topic as I’ve now done a bit more research, and there is one problem. My case can only fit 2-slot cards up to 310mm. The length isn’t that big of a problem but the thickness is, as all new Radeon cards seem to be thicker than that.
When it comes to GeForce though, there are these that would fit:
Inno3D Twin X2 GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16 GB (2-fan version)
Inno3D X3 GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16 GB (3-fan version)
Both cost around 1000$ here. There is also 4070 SUPER (non-Ti) from the same family for just 700$, and here comes the question.
Do you think that 4070 Ti SUPER is absolutely required to achieve the goal or would 4070 SUPER be enough? Basically, is it worth it to pay 300$ more the Ti SUPER version?
Another possible alternative is to buy Radeon 7900 XT for 870$ and upgrade the case at the same time which should also cost around 1000$ together. There is also Radeon 7900 XTX for 1070$ if I wanted to go all-in, but it would require a case upgrade as well.
I suggest you to upgrade the case for future purposes.
If you really only start windows and D2R, you might not need the extra VRAM, but you should think about it if you plan on higher resolutions or other programs
Get a new cooler. Mine doesn’t typically go over 50C. I’m running a DeepCool AK400. Don’t use the wax thermal pad. Clean it off with isopropyl alcohol then apply Artic Silver thermal paste. Also, make sure you have plenty of case fans. Ones in the front should be set to intake and the ones in the rear should be set to exhaust.
I do a lot of multitasking, however most of it don’t really use VRAM at all. I’ve checked my average VRAM usage and it seems to be only about 2 GB with all my typical applications open and running in the background. I also do like my current case very much, however, especially considering the prices, it honestly does seem to make more sense to buy 7900 XT and a new case for the same amount as “just” the 4070 Ti SUPER (unless I manage to find a good deal for the latter).
Also, as I mentioned before, the price difference between 4070 Ti SUPER and 7900 XTX is just 70$, so if I’m to spend this much money for the card, I may as well get the 7900 XTX. Even with a new case for about 100$ more, it’s probably worth it…
Yes, there is a huge difference, at least for me, both visually and also when it comes to mouse movement. Of course, you do need a high refresh rate monitor to really feel it. Please keep in mind though that I come from a competitive gaming background, and there running games at absurd FPS is normal.
Fair enough I suppose. Personally though, I cap most games at 30, even ones such as Elden Ring or Armored Core 6, simply because a smooth 30 is not only good enough, but looks better to me than a higher fps that might jump around.
Both are fine considering raw power and vram, I only have a hard time recommending the 4070 super due to lower vram, but if you don’t need the extra vram for other graphical applications or games, then it’s fine too
More important than fps is the refresh rate of the monitor itself. 30fps is quite low and I would recommend at least 60, but as long as they are stable, it looks fine enough.
Don’t waste your money. Whatever graphics card you get the game will lag as long as there is a mosaic assassin on your screen and there are mosaic assassins everywhere
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