Baldur's Gate III: PC Performance Benchmarks for Graphics Cards and Processors 2023

BASIC GAME INFORMATION

As part of our annual graphics card performance testing in 2023, we will focus on analyzing gaming performance using the highest available graphics quality for each game. This year, Core VRAM and RAM tests, as well as upscales, will not be taken into account. Our goal is to identify the most powerful graphics cards and determine their hierarchical positions in the context of games in 2023. This will be a comprehensive gaming benchmark focused on assessing real-world performance under the most demanding gaming conditions.

We continue our annual review cycle, which will culminate in the final determination of the fastest and most optimal gaming solutions among video cards for games released in 2023. In this review we focus on testing Baldur's Gate III.

NEW PRODUCTS PROVIDED FOR TESTS BY MSI

 

Our test now includes the MSI GEFORCE RTX 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24 GB .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.

NEW PRODUCTS PROVIDED FOR TESTS BY ASUS

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

In our review, we present you ASUS Z790-A GAMING DDR4 motherboards . We use this motherboard as a test bench for testing new generations of Intel processors .

 

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

This time our test involves the company's top-end video card ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XT OC Edition 20 GB . . This video card is based on the RDNA 3 architecture, operates at a frequency of 2500 MHz and has 20 gigabytes of video memory.

 

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

NEW PRODUCTS PROVIDED FOR TESTS BY DEEPCOOL

   

This time we're testing the case from DeepCool CH510 WH - it's an elegant and minimalistic mid-tower case with excellent component compatibility and wide cooling power support for a truly versatile build.

 

Also participating in our test this time is the premium-class DeepCool LS720 WH for processors. DeepCool LS720 WH provides maximum cooling efficiency and low noise levels, as well as a sophisticated design.

NEW PRODUCTS PROVIDED FOR TESTS BY GIGABYTE

In our review, we present to you the GIGABYTE Z790 GAMING X AX motherboards . We use this motherboard as a test bench for testing new generations of Intel processors .

This time our test involves the company's top-end video card Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GAMING OC . Its testing on our website.

This time our test involves the company's top-end video card, AORUS Radeon RX 7900 XTX ELITE 24G. This video card is based on the RDNA 3 architecture, operates at a frequency of 3000 MHz and has 24 gigabytes of video memory. Its testing 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, 16 GB DDR4 4600 CL19 Kingston FURY Renegade  and 32 GB DDR5 720 0 Kingston FURY Renegade . And for gaming tests we use an external Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD 1 TB ..

THE GRAFICAL PART

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

SUPPORTED OS AND GRAPHICS API

Baldur's Gate 3 is supported on Windows 10/11.

 

The preferred and primary graphics API for Baldur's Gate 3 is DX11/Vulkan .

GAME ENGINE

Origin and influence

Computer role-playing games (CRPGs) have been an important part of the gaming industry since its inception. However, until the advent of Baldur's Gate in 1998, many CRPGs were limited by technology and could not fully capture the depth and complexity of tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).

Baldur's Gate changed all that by presenting players with a deeply fleshed out world where their actions and decisions had weight and consequences. It was the epitome of what makes D&D special, and the game was praised by players and critics alike.

Baldur's Gate II and its legacy

The success of Baldur's Gate led to the release of a sequel, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, in 2000. It was one of the most anticipated sequels in gaming history, and it lived up to those expectations by offering an even deeper world and more complex characters.

Moreover, Baldur's Gate II demonstrated that CRPGs can be more than just games, but also a means of storytelling. Some of the plot twists and characters of Baldur's Gate II are still cited as best examples in the gaming industry.

Break in the series

After the release of Baldur's Gate II and its expansion, Throne of Bhaal, in 2001, BioWare moved on to other projects, including the Mass Effect series and Dragon Age. There have been several attempts to revive the series, but none have achieved the success of the original games.

Baldur's Gate 3 and Larian Studios

Eventually, in 2019, it was revealed that Larian Studios had begun work on Baldur's Gate 3. The studio had already established itself in the CRPG genre with its games Divinity: Original Sin and Divinity: Original Sin II, which were praised for their innovation and attention to detail.

With Baldur's Gate 3, Larian promised to return the series to its roots while introducing new ideas and mechanics. This announcement generated a lot of interest and high expectations among fans of the original games.

Development and early access

In 2020, Baldur's Gate 3 was released into early access, which allowed Larian to receive feedback from players and refine the game before its full release. During this period, the developers actively collaborated with the community, making fixes and improvements based on player feedback.

Technical features

Baldur's Gate 3 was created on the Divinity 4.0 game engine. This engine is an enhanced version of the Divinity: Original Sin II engine and supports detailed world interaction, multiple playthrough options, freedom of choice and decision for players, and unique elements based on the rules of D&D.

Divinity Engine 4.0 is a strong and flexible engine that supports a large number of different features, such as:

1. Graphics: Baldur's Gate 3 uses 3D graphics that look very nice and detailed.

2. Physics: The engine supports physics, which allows players to interact with the environment, move objects, create various structures, and use the environment in battle.

3. Artificial Intelligence: The engine has a developed artificial intelligence system that controls the behavior of enemies and allies. The game features various races and classes, each with unique abilities and playstyles.

4. Multiplayer: The engine allows you to play Baldur's Gate 3 in a co-op mode, which means you can play with friends and collaborate on challenges, fight monsters, and explore the world.

5. Modding: The engine supports modding, which means players can create their own modifications of the game by adding new items, characters, locations, etc.

Overall, Divinity Engine 4.0 provides players with rich ways to interact with the game world and each other, creating a unique Baldur's Gate 3 experience.

TEST PART

Test configuration
Test benches	ROG Strix X570-E Gaming Z490 AORUS PRO AX        GIGABYTE Z590 VISION    GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G   GIGABYTE Z790 GAMING X AX MSI MPG Z790 Edge WiFi ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi
Sponsored video cards	ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 Ti OC ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XT 20G Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GAMING OC
Multimedia equipment	Monitor Philips 326M6VJRMB/00 Seasonic PRIME TX-1000 power supply 16 GB DDR4 4600 CL19 Kingston FURY Renegade 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 32 GB DDR5 7200@7600 CL36 KingstonFURY Renegade Kingston FURY Renegade PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD            MPG CORELIQUID K240 housing  Case DeepCool CH510 WH  SVO DeepCool LS720 WH
Software configuration
operating system	Windows 10 21H2/ Windows 11(Alder Lake)
Graphics driver	Nvidia GeForce/ION Driver Release 546.33 WHQL AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 23.12.1
Monitoring programs	MSI Afterburner

GPU TEST

In the video card test, 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 powerful CPU in this game and is scaled to other processors, taking into account their testing on NVIDIA and AMD video cards.

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 Radeon RX 6600 or GeForce RTX 2060 level . A comfortable average FPS of 60 frames can be provided by the adeon RX 6600 or GeForce RTX 2060 solutions .

At a resolution  of 2560x1440,  an average FPS of 25 frames was shown by video cards of the adeon RX 6600 or GeForce RTX 2060 level . A minimum FPS of at least 25 frames can be provided by video cards of the adeon RX 6600 or GeForce RTX 2060 level . A comfortable average FPS of 60 frames can be provided by Radeon RX 6700 or GeForce RTX 2080 solutions.

At a resolution  of 3840x2160,  an average FPS of 25 frames was shown by video cards of the Radeon RX 6600 XT or GeForce RTX 2060 level . A minimum FPS of at least 25 frames can be provided by video cards of the Radeon RX 6700 XT or GeForce RTX 2070 level . A comfortable average FPS of 60 frames can be provided by Radeon RX 6900 XT or GeForce RTX 3080 solutions.

CPU TEST

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

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 solutions at the Ryzen 3 3100 or Core i 3 10100 level 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 solutions at the Ryzen 3 3100 or Core i 3 10100 level can provide an FPS rate of at least 60 frames per second . 

SPONSORS TESTS