The Last of Us Part I: PC Performance Benchmarks for Graphics Cards and Processors

BASIC INFORMATION ON THE GAME

We tested The Last of Us Part I at maximum graphics settings using video cards from the GEFORCE RTX and RADEON RX families. As a result of testing, the performance and quality of graphics on these video cards were evaluated.

NEW PRODUCTS FROM ASUS FOR TESTING

In our test this time, the new ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 OC video card is participating .  This video card is based on the RDNA 3 architecture, operates at a frequency of 3000 MHz and has 24 gigabytes of video memory. Test of this video card on our website.

In our review, we bring you the ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi Motherboard . ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi includes 4 DIMM DDR5 modules with a maximum capacity of up to 64 GB and a frequency of up to 6400 MHz. For the file subsystem, the motherboard supports 3x M.2 PCIe 5.0/4.0 x4 slots and 4x SATA 6Gb/s ports. You can get acquainted directly with the testing of this motherboard on our website.

    

This time, the top-end graphics card from ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 Ti OC participates in our test .  The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is based on the AD104 GPU and features 7680 CUDA cores and 12GB of GDDR6X memory. Test of this video card on our website.

NEW PROVIDED FOR TESTING BY GIGABYTE

In our review, we bring you the GIGABYTE Z790 GAMING X AX motherboards . These motherboards are used by us as stands for testing new generations of Intel processors .

NEW PRODUCTS FROM MSI FOR TESTING

 

The MSI GEFORCE RTX 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24 GB is now participating in our test .This video card is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, operates at a frequency of 2750 MHz, has 16384 stream processors and 24 gigabytes of video memory.

  

 In our review, we bring you the MSI MPG Z790 Edge WiFi Motherboard . You can get acquainted directly with the testing of this motherboard on our website.

NEW PRODUCTS PROVIDED FOR TESTS BY KINGSTON

 

  

In our review, we used RAM: 32 GB DDR4 3600 CL16 Kingston FURY Renegade , 32 GB DDR4 4000 CL18 Kingston FURY Renegade , 32 GB DDR5 6000 Kingston FURY Renegade . And for game tests, we use an external Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD 1 TB .

NEW PRODUCTS FOR TELEMART TESTS

 

In our test, this time the top-end video card from Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XTX Pulse participates. This video card is based on the RDNA 3 architecture, operates at a frequency of 3000 MHz and has 24 gigabytes of video memory. Test of this video card on our website.

THE GRAFICAL PART

In this subsection of our review, the main graphical aspects of this game are revealed. Particular attention is paid to the version of the graphics engine used, the version of the API used, graphics settings and the quality of the development of the main visual aspects.

SUPPORTED OC AND GRAPHICS API

The Last of Us Part I is supported by Windows 10/11.

 The priority and primary graphics API for The Last of Us Part I is DX 12 .

GAME ENGINE

The game is powered by Naughty Dog's own game engine called the Naughty Dog Game Engine (NDGE). NDGE is the engine that is used to create games on PlayStation consoles. It uses C++ and C# programming languages. The engine has powerful development tools that allow developers to create high-quality games with realistic graphics and physics.

For The Last of Us, Naughty Dog used a modified version of NDGE that was optimized for use on the PlayStation 3. The game engine supports the use of technologies such as higher levels of detail, dynamic lights, shadows, and realistic physics.

The game also uses a special animation system called Motion Matching, which allows on-screen characters to react to the environment and players. This technology allows you to achieve more natural and realistic character movements, which in turn increases the immersiveness of the game.

NDGE also includes a powerful artificial intelligence engine that allows on-screen NPC characters to react to the player's actions and the environment. This creates a more realistic and dynamic game world where the player's actions can influence the course of the game.

The Last of Us Par game engine also contains many tools for creating and managing game scenes, as well as creating and editing levels. This allows developers to create more complex and detailed worlds that have their own unique characteristics and elements.

The Last of Us Part I is a remake of the original The Last of Us with improved graphics, visual effects and improved gameplay. The game retains the main elements of the action-adventure genre, including shootouts, hand-to-hand combat and a cover system, as well as elements of survival horror and third-person stealth action.

In the game, players once again control Joel, who is the main character of the game, as they explore the world, fight opponents, and solve puzzles, while Ellie and the other characters are controlled by artificial intelligence. In the game, some changes have been made to the artificial intelligence of opponents and partners so that they behave more logically and realistically.

The remake also includes new playthrough modes, including a speedrun mode with a timer and a story campaign playthrough with only one life. The game also supports DualSense controller features such as deeper vibration and adaptive triggers.

One of the main improvements of the remake are graphical and visual improvements. Buildings in locations have received updated geometry and materials, shadows and lighting have become more realistic, and foliage has become more detailed. Character models have become more detailed and realistic, and movement animation has been worked out more subtly. Cutscenes in the game now run in real time on the game engine, which creates a more natural and unforgettable atmosphere.

One of the interesting improvements to the gameplay is the motion matching system, which allows you to create more natural and realistic character movements. This adds more realism and emotional attachment to the characters, which become more alive and tangible.

It is important to note that unlike previous versions of the game, the remake does not feature the "Factions" multiplayer mode that was available in the original game. This means that players will not be able to participate in online co-op or competitive game matches.

The PC version of The Last of Us: Part 1 is a highly anticipated release that brings many new features to players. Unlike the console version, the PC version is optimized for PC with PC-focused quality of life improvements and supports many features that make the game even more exciting.

One of the main features of the PC version is support for 4K resolution. Players can fully immerse themselves in beautiful and haunting environments with amazing detail and great graphics. From the gritty, oppressive streets of Boston's QZ zone to the overgrown and abandoned homes of Bill's Town, players can take a beautiful trip across the United States of America with support for 21:9 Ultrawide and 32:9 Super Ultrawide monitors.

One of the main features of the PC version of The Last of Us: Part 1 is support for AMD FSR 2.2 and Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution. These technologies improve the graphics and performance of the game, allowing players to enjoy the game in high definition and with smooth frames.

In addition, the PC version of The Last of Us: Part 1 also offers customizable texture quality, shadows, reflections, Ambient Occlusion and other features that allow players to customize the game to their needs and preferences. VSync options and frame rate caps allow gamers to get the best performance based on their PC configuration.

The Last of Us: Part 1 also features 3D audio support, allowing players to better hear ambient sounds such as leaves rustling, glass clinking, or enemy footsteps. This allows the players to be more involved in the game world and creates even more tension during the game.

GRAPHICS SETTINGS

The Last of Us Part I has a fairly wide range of graphic settings.

 

Below we have provided screenshots of the game at various graphics settings, where our readers can see the difference between the minimum and maximum graphics quality settings.

DIFFERENT QUALITY MODES

In the PC version of The Last of Us: Part 1, there is a significant difference between the minimum and maximum graphics quality settings. At minimum graphics settings, the game will look less detailed and have lower texture resolution. Some effects, such as shadows, reflections, and lighting, will also be less detailed and may have a lower resolution.

However, even at the lowest settings, the game will still look quite nice and interesting, and will not differ much from other games. This makes the game more accessible to those who have an older computer or don't have a powerful graphics card.

At maximum graphics settings, the game will look incredibly realistic and detailed. Texture resolution will be higher, allowing players to see details in the environment that they could not see at lower settings. The effects of lighting, shadows and reflections will be more realistic and high quality, which adds emotional depth to the game.

TEST PART

Test configuration
test stands	ROG Strix X570-E Gaming Z490 AORUS PRO AX        GIGABYTE Z590 VISION    GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G   GIGABYTE Z790 GAMING XAX MSI MPG Z790 Edge WiFi ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi
Sponsored Video Cards	Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24G MSI GEFORCE RTX 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24 GB   MSI GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti GAMING TRIO 12 GB MSI GEFORCE RTX 3080 SUPRIM X 12 GB    MSI GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti GAMING TRIO 8 GB  ASUS TUF Gaming GEFORCE RTX 4080OC ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 Ti OC
multimedia equipment	Monitor Philips 326M6VJRMB/00 Power Supply Seasonic PRIME TX-1000 32 GB DDR4 3600 CL16 Kingston FURY Renegade              32 GB DDR4 4000 CL18 Kingston FURY Renegade              32 GB DDR5 5600 CL40 KingstonFURY Beast                       32 GB DDR5 6000@6400 CL30 KingstonFURY Renegade Kingston FURY Renegade PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD            Case MPG CORELIQUID K240
Software configuration
operating system	Windows 10 21H2/ Windows 11(Alder Lake)
Graphics driver	Nvidia GeForce/ION Driver Release 531.41 WHQL AMD Radeon Adrenalin Edition 23.3.2
Monitoring programs	MSI Afterburner

 Our video cards were tested at resolutions of 1920x1080, 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 at maximum graphics quality settings.

GPU TEST

 

In the test of video cards, the default resolution is 1920x1080, other resolutions are added and removed manually. You can also remove and add any positions of video cards. You can also select any of our test processors from the list in the drop-down menu, comparing its performance with the given video card tests (by default, the most productive solution is selected). The test is carried out on the most productive CPU in this game and is scaled to other processors, taking into account their testing on NVIDIA and AMD video cards.

You can choose and buy a video card model or one close to it by clicking on the link from any position of our modular charts from our partner Telemart .

At a resolution of 1920x1080, an average FPS of 25 frames was shown by video cards of the Radeon RX 6600 or GeForce RTX 2060 level . A minimum FPS of at least 25 frames can be provided by video cards of the level Radeon RX 6600 or GeForce RTX 2060 . A comfortable average FPS of 60 frames can be provided by Radeon RX 6700 XT or GeForce RTX 3070 solutions .

At a resolution  of 2560x1440 , an average FPS of 25 frames was shown by video cards of the level Radeon RX 6600 XT or GeForce RTX 2060 .  A minimum FPS of at least 25 frames can be provided by video cards of the level Radeon RX 6600 XT or GeForce RTX 2080 . A comfortable average FPS of 60 frames can be provided by Radeon RX 6800 XT or GeForce RTX 3080 solutions .

At a resolution  of 3840x2160,  an average FPS of 25 frames was shown by video cards of the level Radeon RX 6750 XT or GeForce RTX 2080 Ti . A minimum FPS of at least 25 frames can be provided by video cards of the Radeon RX 6800 or GeForce RTX 3080 level . A comfortable average FPS of 60 frames can be provided by GeForce RTX 4080 solutions  .

VIDEO MEMORY CONSUMPTION

Testing of the video memory consumed by the game was carried out by the  MSI Afterburner program. The results on video cards from AMD and NVIDIA at resolutions of  1920x1080, 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 with various anti-aliasing settings were taken as the indicator. By default, the graph displays the most up-to-date solutions. Other graphics cards are added and removed from the chart at the reader's request.

At a resolution of  1920x1080  , the consumption of video memory for video cards with 8 gigabytes is 8 gigabytes , with 12 gigabytes 10 gigabytes , with 16 gigabytes 11 gigabytes with 24 gigabytes 11 gigabytes .

At a resolution of 2560x1440 , the consumption of video memory for video cards with 8 gigabytes is 8 gigabytes, with 12 gigabytes 11 gigabytes , with 16 gigabytes 12 gigabytes with 24 gigabytes 12 gigabytes .

At a resolution of 3840x2160 , the consumption of video memory for video cards with 8 gigabytes is 8 gigabytes, with 12 gigabytes 12 gigabytes , with 16 gigabytes 14 gigabytes with 24 gigabytes 14 gigabytes .

CPU TEST

 

Testing was carried out at a resolution of 1920x1080. In the processor test, you can remove and add any positions of the processors. You can also select any tested video card from the list in the drop-down menu, comparing its performance with the results of processor tests  (by default, the most productive solution from NVIDIA is selected). Testing takes place on the most productive NVIDIA and AMD video cards and scales up to lower models.

You can choose and buy a processor model or one close to it by clicking on the link from any position of our modular charts from our partner Telemart .

When using NVIDIA video cards, Ryzen 3 3100 or Core i 3 10100 processors showed an acceptable rate of at least 25 frames per second  , and Ryzen 7 3800 or Core i 5 10600 solutions can provide an FPS rate of at least 60 frames per second . 

When using AM D video cards, Ryzen 3 3100 or Core i 3 10100 processors showed an acceptable rate of at least 25 frames per second  , and Ryzen 7 3800 or Core i 5 10600 solutions can provide an FPS rate of at least 60 frames per second . 

The game can download up to 24 threads. The game uses 16 threads as efficiently as possible.

RAM TEST

The test was conducted on the base configuration Core i 9 13900K with 32 GB DDR5 6400 MHz pre-installed memory. All used RAM was taken as an indicator. The RAM test on the entire system was carried out on various video cards without running extraneous applications (browsers, etc.). In the graphics, you can add and remove any resolutions and video cards as desired.

At a resolution of  1920x1080 ,  the consumption of RAM for video cards with 8 gigabytes is 23 gigabytes , with 12 gigabytes 15 gigabytes , with 16 gigabytes 18 gigabytes, with 24 gigabytes 17 gigabytes .

At a resolution of  2560x1440  , the consumption of RAM for video cards with 8 gigabytes is 23 gigabytes , with 12 gigabytes 16 gigabytes , with 16 gigabytes 18 gigabytes with 24 gigabytes 17 gigabytes .

At a resolution of  3840x2160  , the consumption of RAM for video cards with 8 gigabytes is 26 gigabytes , with 12 gigabytes 17 gigabytes , with 16 gigabytes 18 gigabytes with 24 gigabytes 17 gigabytes .

CONCLUSION

After testing The Last of Us Part I on PC, we can't ignore the many technical issues that come up while playing. Despite the fact that the graphics are quite beautiful, the requirements for the video system, processor and video memory are simply off scale. In addition, the game often crashes with various errors, which greatly spoils the impression of the game.

One of the most problematic moments is the process of compiling shaders before each launch of the game on a new video card. Depending on the power of the processor, this can take from 10 minutes to half an hour, and on AMD video cards, the process can be several times longer. In addition, the system is under tremendous stress, which can lead to computer failure, especially if there are already some flaws in the system.

To solve these problems, it is recommended to set the minimum graphics quality and screen resolution when compiling shaders in order to reduce the load on the system and make the process safer and more gentle on your PC. Also, the developers, apparently, are aware of the problems of the PC version, as they have provided a proposal to start a safe mode after an unexpected shutdown of the game. However, this does not guarantee a solution to the problems.

In general, testing The Last of Us Part I on PC left us with a very negative impression of the technical state of the game. We hope that the developers will fix these issues as soon as possible so that players can enjoy the game without unnecessary problems.