PC-Test Stalker 2: CPU/GPU Benchmarks

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Post on Nov 21, 2024

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PC-Test Stalker 2: CPU/GPU Benchmarks - My Rig Almost Melted!

Hey gamers, so I finally got my mitts on Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and let me tell you, it's a beast. I mean, seriously, the graphics are insane. But before I jump into my actual gameplay experience, let’s talk benchmarks – because getting this thing running smoothly was a whole other adventure.

My Setup and Initial Expectations

My system's pretty decent, I think. I've got an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor, an RTX 3080 graphics card, and 32GB of RAM. I figured I'd be good to go, right? Wrong. Stalker 2 is hungry. I expected some performance hits, but...wow.

I initially ran the game at 1440p with ray tracing set to medium. That was a mistake. I'm not even kidding; my fans were screaming like banshees. My CPU usage was pegged at 100%, and the GPU wasn't far behind. Frame rates? Let's just say they were less than stellar. I was getting dips into the low 30s, sometimes even lower. It was a mess. Total disaster.

The Optimization Nightmare (and my fixes!)

This is where the real learning curve began. My first instinct was to just crank everything down to low settings. That helped a bit, but it also made the game look…well, kinda crappy. So, I started experimenting. I learned the hard way that you need to find the sweet spot.

Here's what worked for me:

• DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling): This was a game changer. Using DLSS Quality mode at 1440p gave me a significant performance boost with minimal visual impact. I was able to maintain a mostly steady 60 FPS which is a big jump from my initial experience.
• Ray Tracing Tweaks: I didn't ditch ray tracing entirely; I just toned it down. Setting it to "Medium" instead of "High" made a huge difference. Sometimes subtle changes create major improvements.
• Resolution Adjustments: Dropping to 1080p is something I really didn't want to do, but I'm sure glad I did. It improved my frame rates a lot. The difference is noticeable, sure, but playable.

Important Note: Your mileage may vary depending on your specific hardware, of course. Experimentation is key. You really have to find the balance between visual fidelity and performance.

Benchmark Results (Finally!)

After several hours of tweaking and testing – I even considered a CPU upgrade! – I managed to get some pretty solid benchmarks. Here's what I ended up with at 1080p with DLSS Quality:

• Average FPS: 60-70 FPS (A significant improvement!)
• Minimum FPS: 45 FPS (Still some dips, but manageable)
• CPU Usage: 70-80% (Much better than 100%!)
• GPU Usage: 90-95% (Running hot, but not melting!)

Conclusion: Stalker 2 is a Resource Hog!

Stalker 2 is demanding. You absolutely need a powerful rig to experience it at its best. Even then, you're going to need to do some serious tweaking. My experience taught me that a little bit of patience and experimentation go a long way. Don’t be afraid to lower some settings; a playable game at 60fps is better than an unplayable game at 120fps.

Remember to monitor your CPU and GPU temperatures – you don't want to fry anything! And let me know your benchmark results in the comments! I'd love to hear your experiences and tips. Let's help each other out. Happy gaming!