Is Ray Tracing Worth the FPS Hit? 36 Game Performance Investigation

Most PC gamers cognize that ray tracing is simply a very performance-intensive feature, and depending connected nan betterment to ocular quality, it whitethorn aliases whitethorn not beryllium worthy using. In an extended Hardware Unboxed video (watch below), we examined nan ocular benefits that ray tracing tin bring successful 37 different games. However, today's article solely focuses connected nan capacity effect of ray tracing.

Having analyzed visuals first, we tin supply acold much insights and discourse to nan capacity chat than ever before. We'll analyse nan wide capacity costs of ray tracing successful a ton of games, while besides narrowing our attraction to titles wherever ray tracing genuinely enhances ocular quality.

How galore FPS do you typically request to sacrifice earlier nan benefits of ray tracing go evident and transformative?

Here are 2 compilation tables of each nan games we visually tested and assessed whether ray tracing brought existent ocular value benefits successful gameplay, wherever it didn't, aliases worse off, wherever it wounded graphics quality.

Table 1: Games Where Ray Tracing is Not Worth It

Hurts Visuals No Improvement At All If You Look Closely, You'll See It Different Image, Unclear if Better

Resident Evil Village	Dead Space	Elden Ring (Low)	Deathloop
Gotham Knights	Dirt 5	Elden Ring (Max)	Forspoken
Atomic Heart (Performance)	Resident Evil 4	A Plague Tale: Requiem	Dragon's Dogma II
The Callisto Protocol (Medium)	Diablo IV (Low)	Far Cry 6	Diablo IV (Max)
		Battlefield 2042	Shadow of nan Tomb Raider (Ultra)
		F1 24 (Medium)	Hogwarts Legacy (Low)
		F1 24 (High)	Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
		Shadow of nan Tomb Raider (Medium)	Metro Exodus (High)
		Forza Motorsport (Car Reflections)	Metro Exodus (Ultra)
		Forza Motorsport (Max)
		Fortnite
		The Callisto Protocol (High)
		Dying Light 2 Stay Human (Low)
		Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Shadows Only)

Table 2: Games Where Ray Tracing Effects Are Good aliases Even Great

It's Better, Also More Artifacts It's Better, Some Surfaces Only It's Generally Better Overall Transforms Visuals Significantly

Atomic Heart (Quality)	Suicide Squad: Kill nan Justice League	Ghostwire: Tokyo (High)	Metro Exodus Enhanced (Normal & Hybrid)
Hogwarts Legacy (Ultra)	Doom Eternal	Watch Dogs: Legion (Medium)	Metro Exodus Enhanced (Ultra)
Ghostwire: Tokyo (Low)	The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Partial Performance)	Watch Dogs: Legion (High)	Alan Wake II
Hitman 3	Guardians of nan Galaxy (High)	The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Max)	Cyberpunk 2077 (Overdrive)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Medium)	Guardians of nan Galaxy (Ultra)	Control (Medium)
	Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Max)	Control (High)
	Black Myth: Wukong (Low)	Dying Light 2 Stay Human (High Quality)
		Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Max)
		Spider-Man
		Spider-Man (High)
		Spider-Man (Very High)
		Black Myth: Wukong (Very High)
		Alan Wake II (Low)
		Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra)

This besides gives america nan perfect opportunity to comparison nan ray tracing capabilities of Nvidia and AMD's GPU architectures without nan results being skewed by ineffective ray tracing implementations. Ultimately, we only attraction astir ray tracing capacity for games wherever you'd really see enabling it, and that's going to beryllium our accuracy for reviewing nan upcoming procreation of caller GPUs.

No dud games – conscionable nan titles that look awesome coming and supply a glimpse into nan early of top-tier, ray-traced gaming.

In this ray tracing capacity review, we'll spell done 36 games, comparing capacity pinch ray tracing enabled and disabled, utilizing nan aforesaid configurations seen successful nan ocular analysis.

We benchmarked each of these titles connected nan existent apical GPUs – nan GeForce RTX 4090 and nan Radeon RX 7900 XTX – to supply a clear image of wherever things stand. All testing was performed connected an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D pinch 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory.

Because these are high-end GPUs, today's testing focuses connected 4K gaming, though we whitethorn research different GPU tiers and resolutions successful early content. As discussed successful erstwhile articles, there's nary cleanable measurement to benchmark GPUs these days, but we've opted for "realistic" gaming configurations that personification enabling ray tracing would apt choose.

In games wherever some DLSS 2 and FSR 2 aliases newer are available, we've enabled upscaling successful Quality mode pinch a 4K output resolution. In games wherever 1 aliases some of these technologies aren't available, we've stuck to autochthonal rendering. No framework procreation has been used.

Performance Benchmarks

Resident Evil Village

We'll activity our measurement done nan worst ray tracing implementations to nan best, starting pinch Resident Evil Village. This is simply a crippled that really looks worse pinch ray tracing enabled; yet, connected nan RTX 4090, enabling ray tracing astatine nan highest settings leads to a 19% capacity drop.

On nan RX 7900 XTX, nan effect is moreover greater, pinch a 33% capacity drop, though some cards still present complete 120 FPS successful our trial area astatine autochthonal 4K.

Gotham Knights

In Gotham Knights, nan rumor lies pinch very low-resolution ray-traced reflections, making nan characteristic fundamentally pointless successful position of capacity impact.

A 35% capacity deed connected nan RTX 4090 and a 24% deed connected nan RX 7900 XTX are substantial, fixed nan mediocre value of nan reflections. It's difficult to warrant sacrificing this overmuch framework complaint erstwhile nan reflections are truthful blurry and lackluster.

Dead Space

Dead Space uses ray-traced ambient occlusion, which has a minimal ocular impact, reflected successful nan insignificant capacity hit. On nan RTX 4090, this effect has a negligible impact, only 3%, while connected nan RX 7900 XTX, it reduces nan mean framework complaint by 12%.

This is 1 of nan smaller impacts of enabling ray tracing, accordant pinch nan flimsy ocular difference.

Dirt 5

In Dirt 5, distinguishing whether ray tracing is enabled aliases not is challenging, arsenic nan crippled uses ray-traced conveyance shadows. This effect lowers nan framework complaint by 15% connected nan RTX 4090 and by 19% connected nan RX 7900 XTX, pinch akin capacity effect connected some cards.

Although framework rates stay precocious pinch aliases without ray tracing, reducing capacity seems unnecessary erstwhile nan benefits are practically invisible.

Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4 incorporates less ray-traced effects than Resident Evil Village, making nan effect little noticeable and nan capacity deed smaller. On nan RTX 4090, enabling ray tracing astatine nan highest settings results successful conscionable a 2% driblet successful mean framework rates, fundamentally maintaining nan aforesaid performance.

This crippled is besides favorable for nan RX 7900 XTX, pinch only a 6% capacity drop. These are nan types of games that tin skew ray tracing capacity averages unreasonably, arsenic nan mini framework complaint effect seems appealing, but nan ocular benefits are minimal. It's improbable anyone would put successful ray tracing for this title alone.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

A Plague Tale: Requiem uses ray-traced shadows that heighten visuals slightly, though only upon adjacent inspection. In this game, nan RTX 4090 sees an 18% deed to nan mean framework complaint pinch ray tracing enabled, while nan RX 7900 XTX experiences a overmuch greater 39% drop.

Consequently, while nan RTX 4090 is 31% faster pinch ray tracing disabled, its lead extends to an awesome 75% erstwhile ray tracing is enabled – though nan crippled looks fantabulous moreover without it.

Far Cry 6

Far Cry 6 makes minimal usage of ray tracing, contempt including ray-traced shadows and reflections. On nan RTX 4090, this leads to a humble 13% capacity drop, and a 19% driblet connected nan RX 7900 XTX. This does not notably change nan capacity comparison betwixt GeForce and Radeon, arsenic some cards still present comparatively adjacent capacity levels.

Battlefield 2042

Battlefield 2042 is simply a multiplayer title that features a ray-traced ambient occlusion implementation pinch small applicable benefit.

Enabling this mounting reduces framework rates by 17% connected nan RTX 4090 and by 27% connected nan RX 7900 XTX, severely affecting one-percent lows. There's small logic to alteration this setting, particularly arsenic it pushes nan 7900 XTX beneath 120 FPS astatine 4K.

F1 24

F1 24 incorporates much ray tracing effects than immoderate erstwhile F1 game, tested present pinch each ray tracing settings enabled astatine either mean aliases precocious quality. Medium value results successful a comparatively humble capacity deed of 24% connected nan RTX 4090 and 29% connected nan RX 7900 XTX.

High value increases this effect significantly, pinch a 41% driblet connected nan 4090 and a 51% driblet connected nan 7900 XTX, meaning nan framework complaint connected nan Radeon GPU is efficaciously halved astatine maximum in-game ray tracing settings. One-percent lows are moreover much impacted, making ray tracing difficult to urge for this game.

Interestingly, contempt nan extended effects used, nan crippled is reasonably well-optimized for some GPU brands. With ray tracing disabled, nan 4090 is 31% faster than nan 7900 XTX, a lead that extends to 39% pinch mean ray tracing and to 57% astatine precocious settings, indicating a somewhat larger spread astatine nan highest settings.

Forza Motorsport

While ray tracing successful Forza Motorsport whitethorn connection insignificant ocular improvements, enabling car reflections is thing worthy considering. On some nan RTX 4090 and RX 7900 XTX, this mounting has a minimal capacity impact, akin to galore rasterization settings.

However, enabling each ray tracing effects noticeably reduces framework rate, pinch a 24% deed connected nan RTX 4090 and a 34% deed connected nan 7900 XTX. Comparatively, nan 4090 is 37% faster pinch only car reflections enabled but becomes 55% faster erstwhile much extended ray tracing is applied.

Fortnite

Using hardware ray tracing successful Fortnite doesn't notably effect capacity aliases visuals. The RTX 4090 sees conscionable a 6% framework complaint simplification pinch hardware RT, while nan 7900 XTX experiences an 8% drop.

Overall, nan crippled tends to favour GeForce hardware erstwhile each effects are maximized and Lumen is enabled, whether done package aliases hardware paths.

The Callisto Protocol

In The Callisto Protocol, mean ray tracing settings detract from ocular quality, showing minimal gains moreover astatine nan highest settings. Medium ray tracing settings lead to astir a 35% capacity driblet connected some nan RTX 4090 and RX 7900 XTX.

When each settings are maxed out, some GPUs acquisition a 45% capacity loss. This is simply a uncommon lawsuit wherever ray tracing has a akin effect connected some Ada Lovelace and RDNA3 architectures, though nan ocular betterment remains minor, moreover astatine maximum settings.

Deathloop

Deathloop uses ray tracing chiefly for shadows, altering nan ocular position but not needfully improving it. The capacity effect connected nan RTX 4090 is minimal astatine conscionable 4%, but nan 7900 XTX suffers much significantly, pinch a 25% mean framework complaint drop.

This quality intends nan RTX 4090 is 45% faster pinch ray tracing disabled, expanding to 85% faster pinch ray tracing enabled – a important disparity fixed nan minimal ocular benefit.

Forspoken

In Forspoken, ray tracing capacity impacts are akin connected some GeForce and Radeon, averaging astir 15%. This crippled somewhat favors Radeon hardware overall, but it doesn't guidelines retired arsenic an illustration of ray tracing importantly enhancing ocular quality.

Dragon's Dogma II

Like Deathloop, Dragon's Dogma II alters its ocular position pinch ray tracing, though nan betterment isn't ever noticeable. Enabling ray tracing reduces framework complaint by 18% connected nan RTX 4090 and 16% connected nan RX 7900 XTX, making this different comparatively favorable result for Radeon. This was pinch DLSS and FSR enabled connected nan respective cards.

Diablo IV

In Diablo IV, ray tracing has a constricted ocular impact, but nan capacity deed is amazingly high. With each settings enabled but group to low, there's a 28% FPS simplification connected nan RTX 4090 and a 36% driblet connected nan RX 7900 XTX.

With settings maxed, nan effect increases to 37% connected nan 4090 and 44% connected nan 7900 XTX. While capacity pinch ray tracing enabled remains playable, it shifts nan 4090's advantage from 26% faster than nan 7900 XTX without ray tracing to 41% faster pinch ray tracing astatine maximum settings.

Shadow of nan Tomb Raider

Shadow of nan Tomb Raider is 1 of nan earlier ray tracing implementations, utilizing ray-traced shadows that are still highly taxing. On nan RTX 4090, enabling Ultra ray tracing results successful a 32% capacity drop, while nan 7900 XTX experiences a larger 44% reduction. Given nan humble ocular improvement, astir gamers are improbable to find this capacity trade-off worthwhile.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Star Wars Jedi Survivor besides fell into nan class of ray tracing changing nan measurement nan crippled looks without intelligibly improving visuals. Both nan RTX 4090 and RX 7900 XTX were impacted to a akin degree, pinch a 23% driblet connected nan 4090 and 21% driblet connected nan 7900 XTX.

This is different title wherever wide capacity is rather favorable to Radeon, pinch nan 4090 being little than 20% faster, whether ray tracing is enabled aliases disabled.

Atomic Heart

We don't deliberation nan developers of Atomic Heart tried very difficult to optimize nan capacity of ray tracing successful this game. Enabling moreover nan Performance settings, which look importantly worse arsenic they portion retired galore reflections, perfectly tanks performance, halving nan framework complaint moreover connected nan RTX 4090.

The capacity deed isn't that overmuch higher utilizing nan Quality mode, truthful evidently you would ne'er see utilizing nan Performance mode. With ray tracing disabled, nan RTX 4090 is 45% faster than nan 7900 XTX, and pinch maximum ray tracing, it's 51% faster, truthful not a immense discrepancy location contempt nan monolithic capacity cost.

Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy could person benefitted from higher solution reflections, though astatine times, ray tracing tin make nan crippled look much impressive. When looking astatine these capacity numbers, you tin spot why nan developers were a spot blimpish pinch ray tracing quality: nan Ultra mode caused a 45% capacity deed comparative to not utilizing ray tracing connected nan RTX 4090 and a 58% deed connected nan 7900 XTX.

Even connected nan overmuch little awesome Low configuration, pinch each ray traced effects enabled, nan capacity deed was still beautiful ample astatine 30% connected nan GeForce paper and 48% connected Radeon. Whether you usage ray tracing aliases not wholly changes nan margins betwixt these cards: a 16% capacity advantage for nan 4090 pinch RT disabled, but a whopping 52% lead erstwhile ray tracing is group to Ultra.

Hitman 3

We had mixed feelings astir nan ocular benefits of ray tracing successful Hitman 3, and unfortunately, nan capacity costs makes it difficult to warrant using.

This is 1 of nan astir performance-intensive implementations we've seen: turning connected max ray tracing saw a 65% deed to capacity connected nan RTX 4090, taking nan mean framework complaint from 234 FPS to conscionable 83 FPS astatine 4K utilizing DLSS Quality.

Performance is slaughtered connected nan RX 7900 XTX, a 73% simplification from 176 FPS to conscionable 48 FPS connected average. While nan RTX 4090 ends up 73% faster pinch ray tracing enabled, either way, you look astatine it, this is simply a immense effect that's difficult to recommend.

Suicide Squad: Kill nan Justice League

Suicide Squad Kill nan Justice League's implementation of ray traced reflections is beneficial connected immoderate surfaces, but this results successful a 38% capacity nonaccomplishment connected nan RTX 4090, and capacity is halved connected nan RX 7900 XTX. We wouldn't opportunity this is different for RT reflections, but it's surely a ample hit.

Doom Eternal

Doom Eternal is successful a akin position. In nan area we benchmarked, enabling ray tracing led to a 35% capacity nonaccomplishment connected nan RTX 4090 and a 48% nonaccomplishment connected nan 7900 XTX.

This isn't a devastating effect connected nan 4090 because nan framework complaint dropped from a immense 293 FPS to 189 FPS, which is still very playable, but connected nan 7900 XTX, nan ray tracing configuration delivered 127 FPS, making nan 4090 astir 49% faster.

This isn't a business wherever nan 7900 XTX is hopeless astatine ray tracing – again, still playable – but nan 4090 is rather a spot better.

Marvel's Guardians of nan Galaxy

Ray tracing successful Guardians of nan Galaxy is worthy enabling, moreover connected nan lowest configuration, which is pinch ray traced reflections group to High. In this mode, nan 4090 mislaid conscionable 14% of its performance, while nan 7900 XTX saw a 23% driblet – not a mini hit, but manageable for higher-quality reflections.

When cranking everything up, though, you're near pinch a 43% deed connected nan 4090 and a 56% deed connected nan 7900 XTX. This intends nan 4090 goes from being 35% faster than nan 7900 XTX pinch ray tracing off, to 49% faster connected nan lowest configuration, to 76% faster connected nan highest configuration. The much ray tracing you inquire a crippled to do, nan much this hurts nan position of Radeon vs GeForce.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

As acold arsenic ray tracing configurations go, we deliberation Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart is rather good optimized comparative to different implementations. With some nan reflection and protector effects enabled but group to their lowest level, nan RTX 4090 sees conscionable an 18% capacity hit, and 28% pinch everything cranked up to maximum.

The effect is larger connected nan RX 7900 XTX astatine 25% connected nan lowest level, and 45% connected nan highest level. But compared to a crippled for illustration Hogwarts Legacy aliases Hitman 3, we deliberation nan ray tracing successful Rift Apart looks amended astatine a little capacity cost, and particularly connected nan 4090, nan crippled is very playable pinch everything group to nan highest level.

However, comparing GeForce to Radeon, this is simply a title that powerfully favors nan RTX 4090. Even pinch ray tracing disabled, nan RTX 4090 was 47% faster, and this grew to a 61% lead pinch minimum level ray tracing, and capacity was astir double connected nan highest settings.

Ghostwire: Tokyo

Ghostwire Tokyo is 1 of nan earlier implementations of ray traced reflections, and successful this game, cranking everything up to a level we consciousness is worthy utilizing (so everything connected High) caused a 44% capacity deed connected nan RTX 4090 and a 58% deed connected nan 7900 XTX. Like successful Ratchet & Clank, this importantly extends an already ample capacity lead successful favour of squad green.

Watch Dogs: Legion

Watch Dogs Legion is simply a beautiful straightforward business of ray traced reflections. On nan mean mode, which is nan lowest ray traced settings, nan 4090 sees a 43% capacity deed and 47% utilizing nan highest Ultra settings, truthful you whitethorn arsenic good usage Ultra if you are going to alteration ray tracing.

The 7900 XTX sees capacity astatine slightest halved, aliases somewhat much than halved connected Ultra. Again, this takes a 25% lead for nan 4090 without ray tracing and boosts it to a 60% lead connected Ultra level ray tracing.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Retrofit pinch ray tracing 7 years aft release, The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is rather performance-intensive connected nan Ultra+ preset. Turning connected ray traced world illumination to nan capacity mode saw a 29% capacity deed connected nan RTX 4090 and a akin 27% deed connected nan 7900 XTX.

With everything cranked up to nan maximum settings, capacity halved aliases thereabouts connected some GPUs. Despite being an Nvidia-sponsored title, this isn't nan worst illustration of ray tracing capacity differences betwixt GeForce and Radeon, though successful general, this title performs amended than mean connected nan 4090.

Control

Another early illustration of ray tracing is Control. The RTX 4090 is really tin of 60 FPS astatine autochthonal 4K utilizing nan precocious ray tracing preset, though this is simply a 39% capacity nonaccomplishment comparative to disabling ray tracing. The effect is moreover larger connected nan 7900 XTX, wherever nan framework complaint is halved. This leads to nan RTX 4090 being astir 50% faster erstwhile immoderate shape of ray tracing is enabled.

Dying Light 2

It's mostly worthy utilizing ray tracing successful Dying Light 2 from a ocular standpoint, but only connected nan High Quality preset, arsenic nan modular "Raytracing" mode doesn't effect nan position that much.

And you tin spot that successful nan capacity costs connected nan RTX 4090, wherever everything maxed retired sees a 36% capacity hit, but conscionable an 11% deed erstwhile utilizing nan little value mode. Again, nan effect is larger connected nan 7900 XTX, wherever nan champion visuals will spot your capacity halved, resulting successful a 34% capacity lead to nan RTX 4090.

Spider-Man

Spider-Man is comparatively good optimized for some GPU brands, though enabling ray traced reflections does travel pinch a hefty capacity costs connected nan highest settings. Still, successful this title, nan RTX 4090 is only astir 12% faster than nan 7900 XTX moreover pinch ray tracing afloat enabled, truthful that's rather a favorable consequence for Radeon comparative to astir different results.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Spider-Man Miles Morales adds successful ray traced shadows, though again location isn't a monolithic discrepancy successful ray tracing capacity hits betwixt GeForce and Radeon. With everything group to nan highest level, we're still looking astatine capacity being halved comparative to different maximum settings; successful this instance, nan RTX 4090 is 24% faster pinch maximum ray tracing.

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus is simply a really absorbing illustration because we person some nan guidelines crippled and nan "Enhanced Edition." When looking purely astatine nan guidelines game, it's a elemental story: maximum ray tracing causes a 30% capacity deed connected nan RTX 4090 and a 42% deed connected nan RX 7900 XTX.

But there's small logic to usage that configuration if you want to play nan game, because nan Enhanced Edition really runs amended while featuring improved visuals, too. Just a 10% deed comparative to nan guidelines crippled without ray tracing to usage nan lowest level of Enhanced Edition RT settings connected nan 4090, and a 16% deed connected nan 7900 XTX. That's beautiful manageable.

Maximum settings spot conscionable a 24% deed connected nan 4090 and a 39% deed connected nan 7900 XTX, successful some instances performing amended than nan guidelines crippled connected ultra ray tracing.

Overall, nan crippled is rather favorable to GeForce hardware. Even nan guidelines crippled is 49% faster connected nan RTX 4090 vs. RX 7900 XTX, and this increases to 61% utilizing nan Enhanced Edition connected minimum ray tracing aliases 85% connected max ray tracing.

Black Myth: Wukong

Lastly, we get to nan 3 path-traced titles, which mostly person among nan biggest ocular improvements. Black Myth Wukong runs really good connected nan RTX 4090, truthful utilizing Very High Full Ray Tracing only causes a 41% capacity nonaccomplishment versus nan Cinematic preset.

That's not overly different from different ray-traced effects successful different titles. But connected nan RX 7900 XTX, this perfectly cripples performance, pinch a 64% capacity nonaccomplishment connected nan Low mode and 83% connected Very High, taking nan crippled into nan single-digit FPS range.

This makes Black Myth Wukong overmuch faster connected nan RTX 4090. It's already 53% faster than nan 7900 XTX without ray tracing, but enabling way tracing leads to nan 4090 being astatine slightest 3.5x faster: 59 FPS vs. 17 FPS. The level of hardware acceleration disposable connected nan 7900 XTX is conscionable not capable for this technique, though it was developed by Nvidia and optimized for their hardware.

Alan Wake 2

In Alan Wake 2, it's a akin story. The capacity costs of ray tracing is beautiful normal connected nan RTX 4090: a 38% deed connected Low settings and a 52% deed connected High settings. On nan 7900 XTX, this is simply a 50% deed connected Low settings and a whopping 82% deed connected High settings. While Low is possibly borderline usable pinch much upscaling involved, High cripples nan Radeon card.

Comparatively, we spot a 31% capacity summation for nan 4090 vs. 7900 XTX pinch ray tracing disabled, a 63% summation pinch ray tracing connected Low, and a monolithic 259% summation connected High ray tracing. Given Alan Wake 2 is 1 of nan best-looking games connected PC pinch way tracing enabled, this is 1 area AMD really needs to attraction connected pinch early architectures.

Cyberpunk 2077

Then there's Cyberpunk 2077, wherever nan Ultra and Overdrive settings are nan astir usable. The Ultra mounting is amazingly performant connected nan RTX 4090, starring to conscionable a 22% capacity loss. Path tracing runs reasonably well, too, considering nan ocular gains, halving performance, which is really a amended consequence than games for illustration Hitman 3 that don't usage way tracing.

The effect is overmuch higher connected nan RX 7900 XTX, wherever moreover Ultra ray tracing runs considerably worse than way tracing connected nan RTX 4090: a 61% framework complaint hit. The Overdrive preset leads to an 83% capacity nonaccomplishment and, again, cripples capacity entirely. Path tracing is conscionable not thing you tin do without a GeForce GPU astatine nan moment.

This takes a crippled that's mostly beautiful favorable to Radeon hardware erstwhile rasterization is utilized – nan 4090 is conscionable 18% faster – and turns it into a ascendant Nvidia triumph erstwhile visually suitable levels of ray tracing are enabled.

Again, nan ray tracing implementation successful this crippled was developed successful conjunction pinch Nvidia, truthful this is nary surprise, but if you're designing a GPU architecture to grip ray tracing, you'd want to make judge it does what Cyberpunk 2077 requires.

Ray Tracing Performance Cost connected GeForce

With each of nan games examined, let's return a look astatine nan mean capacity nonaccomplishment from enabling ray tracing, starting pinch nan RTX 4090. Across each 59 ray tracing configurations, connected average, compared to moving connected ultra aliases maximum rasterized settings astatine 4K, enabling ray tracing will origin a 29% simplification successful framework rate.

So, for a crippled moving astatine 100 FPS without ray tracing, connected average, enabling ray tracing will spot that crippled tally astatine 71 FPS. But of course, this is simply a simplification of each nan results, arsenic nan capacity effect tin scope anyplace from conscionable a mates of percent, for illustration successful Resident Evil, to complete a 50% capacity impact, for illustration successful Atomic Heart and Hitman 3.

It's nary astonishment that ray tracing is harder to tally connected higher settings. When we look astatine nan lowest examined ray tracing configurations for nan 36 games, nan capacity deed from enabling ray tracing was 22% connected average. In 12 games, you could alteration mean aliases low-type ray tracing pinch little than a 15% capacity hit; successful 15 games, nan effect was betwixt 15% and 30%, and successful 9 titles, you're facing astatine slightest a 30% hit.

When enabling maximum ray tracing successful each 36 games, nan mean capacity deed increases to 32%, and now successful 21 of nan 36 titles, nan capacity deed is complete 30%, pinch conscionable six games delivering little than a 15% hit.

Crucially, we tin analyse what nan capacity effect is for illustration successful games that we cognize person bully levels of ray tracing. In our first appraisal of ray tracing ocular quality, we recovered 24 crippled configurations wherever ray tracing was mostly beneficial, truthful present are nan results from those configurations.

On average, nan RTX 4090 sees a 35% capacity deed moving 1 of these configurations, pinch 21 retired of 24 configurations seeing astatine slightest a 20% impact. So it's beautiful safe to opportunity that successful astir circumstances, pinch nan champion ray tracing GPU connected nan market, to get a bully level of ray tracing, you're facing astatine slightest 20% little FPS than you were getting pinch ray tracing disabled.

In nan remaining 35 configurations we deemed mostly not worthy it, nan mean capacity effect was 24%. It's clear that nan amended implementations featuring much ray tracing are besides much performance-taxing.

In a number of games that had visually negligible ray tracing, nan capacity effect was very low, specified arsenic successful Dead Space, Deathloop, Resident Evil 4, and Cyberpunk 2077 connected nan Low preset. So, it seems those games person dialed backmost their ray tracing connected intent to limit nan capacity hit.

Ray Tracing Performance Cost connected Radeon

The Radeon RX 7900 XTX is impacted to a greater grade erstwhile ray tracing is enabled. Across nan 59 crippled configurations, nan mean capacity effect from enabling ray tracing was 39%. This includes immoderate tremendous capacity losses successful path-traced configurations; without those outliers, nan capacity effect was much for illustration 35% – still sizable and a larger nonaccomplishment than pinch nan RTX 4090.

The discrepancy betwixt debased and precocious ray-traced configurations is besides seen connected nan Radeon card. When nan 36 games are played connected a little ray-traced setting, capacity was reduced connected mean by 29%. But erstwhile utilizing nan highest ray-traced settings, that nonaccomplishment increases to 42%. That's 10 percent points greater than nan nonaccomplishment suffered by nan RTX 4090 successful these games.

The astir concerning facet for owners of cards for illustration nan RX 7900 XTX is nan discrepancy betwixt subjectively bully and bad ray tracing implementations. The mean capacity nonaccomplishment successful nan 24 configurations we thought were bully examples of ray tracing was 50%, meaning capacity halved connected mean erstwhile enabling ray tracing successful games we deliberation is worthy using. In comparison, nan deed to nan RTX 4090 was only 35% connected average.

And past for nan titles wherever ray tracing is mostly not worthy using, nan mean capacity effect was 31%, compared to 24% connected nan RTX 4090. The spread successful capacity effect is overmuch smaller erstwhile looking astatine these "worse" ray tracing examples, truthful it's clear nan 7900 XTX doesn't struggle arsenic overmuch pinch rendering ray-traced effects erstwhile either location conscionable aren't galore ray-traced effects enabled, aliases nan effect value is dialed back.

GeForce RTX 4090 vs Radeon RX 7900 XTX successful Ray Tracing

This creates an absorbing business erstwhile you comparison nan champion RTX 40 Ada Lovelace GPU to nan champion RX 7000 RNDA3 GPU. With ray tracing disabled, nan RTX 4090 is 29% faster successful our 36-game sample utilized for this article. That's a beautiful modular difference, very akin to what we've shown previously, and we cognize nan RTX 4090 is faster overall.

Rasterization Performance (No RT)

But erstwhile ray tracing is enabled, crossed 59 crippled configurations, nan RTX 4090 extends its lead to extremity up 66% faster connected average. This includes respective monolithic outliers wherever way tracing is enabled; nan RTX 4090 is really tin of utilizing those modes, whereas nan 7900 XTX is not. Excluding those results and looking astatine normal ray-traced examples, we're still near pinch a 50% capacity lead for nan RTX 4090.

Ray Tracing Performance

Restricting this comparison conscionable to games wherever ray tracing is worthy enabling, and it's not a beautiful comparison for nan RX 7900 XTX. The RTX 4090 is 97% faster connected average, though again this includes immoderate immense outliers. Removing nan 4 utmost path-traced examples, nan RTX 4090 still ended up 56% faster connected average, astir double nan lead it has complete nan 7900 XTX successful ultra rasterization.

The RTX 4090 is besides faster successful wide for nan "lesser" ray-traced configurations, 45% faster connected mean successful these examples, but it's clear nan lead extends successful games wherever ray tracing has much ocular impact. These games usage much ray-traced effects, nan effects are higher quality, starring to a amended position – but it besides makes nan games struggle much connected RDNA3.

Ray Tracing Performance ("RT Worthy" Games Only)

A batch of these examples wherever nan RX 7900 XTX doesn't look excessively bad – specified arsenic successful Dragon's Dogma II, Far Cry 6, and Resident Evil 4 – nan existent magnitude of ray tracing utilized is negligible aliases not very impactful. Those are nan games that nan Radeon GPU is champion astatine handling.

Now, nan evident talking constituent retired of this, arsenic we mentioned successful nan ocular analysis, is that astir of nan bully ray tracing examples are Nvidia-sponsored games, whereas AMD-sponsored games thin to usage little amounts of ray tracing and don't use arsenic overmuch visually. This plays retired successful nan capacity information arsenic good – Nvidia-sponsored ray-traced games thin to person nan largest capacity quality betwixt nan 4090 and 7900 XTX.

Some fanboys will instantly propose this is because Nvidia is deliberately going overboard connected ray tracing to put their cards successful an particularly favorable ray and doing nary optimization activity aliases moreover sabotaging ray tracing capacity connected AMD cards. But we don't deliberation there's grounds to opportunity that's nan case.

As things guidelines now, pinch nan games disposable connected nan market, nan conclusion we person to tie aft six years is that Nvidia GPU hardware is much precocious and amended for ray tracing than AMD GPUs. We haven't seen a inclination of nan spread closing arsenic newer games put successful much optimization work. Many group hoped that would happen, but it really seems to beryllium much of a hardware discrepancy than thing that tin beryllium addressed successful software.

Of course, this isn't going to beryllium news to a batch of people; we already knew GeForce cards are amended astatine ray tracing, but now we tin put immoderate facts and figures to that discussion. The information supports that RDNA GPUs will not get amended astatine ray tracing comparative to GeForce unless nan hardware itself is improved.

What we will say, though, is that games, successful general, are uncovering ways to adhd much ray tracing into nan operation complete clip without causing larger and larger capacity hits comparative to rasterized visuals. Part of this will beryllium nan modular of rasterized visuals besides improving, truthful nan baseline for comparison is getting amended and harder to run, but astatine slightest we're not seeing a runaway effect wherever nan "ray tracing tax" is getting larger and harder to justify.

Is nan Performance Hit Worth It?

The situation pinch a batch of these games is whether nan ocular use justifies nan capacity cost, and we deliberation that's going to dangle connected really overmuch worth you spot successful ocular quality.

If you're nan benignant of gamer that ever wants to tally connected ultra settings and wants nan champion graphics nan PC level tin offer, a 30% capacity deed from enabling ray tracing successful immoderate of these games is going to beryllium acceptable. But if you're conscionable good moving connected mean settings aliases if you for illustration to optimize each mounting for nan champion performance, a 30% capacity deed from ray tracing mightiness sound perfectly outrageous.

Whether aliases not ray tracing is worthy enabling will besides dangle connected really overmuch capacity headroom location is pinch your GPU. If a crippled is already moving astatine 150 FPS without ray tracing, a 30% deed from ray tracing still intends complete 100 FPS connected average, which, successful a batch of single-player titles, is very playable and provides a awesome experience. But if nan baseline is 60 FPS, a 30% deed drops it to a overmuch little enjoyable 42 FPS.

There's nary uncertainty that ray tracing is nan astir performance-intensive ocular mounting successful astir games and should beryllium enabled last. In immoderate titles, nan capacity deed tin beryllium difficult to justify, particularly for games wherever nan ocular benefits aren't arsenic strong, for illustration Hogwarts Legacy aliases Guardians of nan Galaxy. In different titles for illustration Cyberpunk 2077, Spider-Man, aliases Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, utilizing ray tracing outweighs nan capacity cost. It really depends connected nan game, your GPU, and wherever you autumn connected that visual-performance scale.

If we had to springiness a gut guidance to nan results, based connected our ain biases, we'd opportunity nan ray tracing capacity costs is still excessively ample successful general.

Based connected ocular analysis, we firmly judge way tracing is nan early of high-end PC visuals because it's nan astir apt to toggle shape really a crippled looks and springiness that next-generation consciousness – but connected an RTX 4090, each 3 path-traced games tally astatine beneath 50 FPS astatine 4K utilizing DLSS Quality upscaling. And that's a high-end, $1,600 graphics card. GPUs request to get a batch much powerful to grip nan champion effects, particularly successful nan mid-range and mainstream segments, for a ray-traced gaming early to go a reality.

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