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Can Your GPU Survive The Apocalypse of Metro Exodus?
If you’re a PC gamer who likes post-apocalyptic first-person shooters, you might have heard of Metro Exodus. This highly anticipated game, released in February 2019, takes place in a grim and dangerous world where radiation, mutants, and hostile factions threaten your survival. To explore this world and fight for your life, you need a powerful gaming rig with a capable graphics processing unit (GPU). But can your GPU handle the demands of Metro Exodus?
To answer that question, we need to look at the system requirements of the game, the graphics settings available, and the actual performance of various GPUs in Metro Exodus. We also need to consider the potential impact of ray tracing technology, which adds realistic lighting and shadows but requires more computational power. Let’s dive in and see if your GPU is ready for the end of the world.
System Requirements
The official minimum and recommended system requirements for Metro Exodus, according to the game’s website, are as follows:
Minimum:
– OS: Windows 7/8/10
– CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 or equivalent
– RAM: 8 GB
– GPU: GeForce GTX 670 / GeForce GTX 1050 / AMD Radeon HD 7870
– VRAM: 2 GB
– DirectX: 11/12
Recommended:
– OS: Windows 10
– CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K or equivalent
– RAM: 8 GB
– GPU: GeForce GTX 1070 / GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD RX Vega 56
– VRAM: 8 GB
– DirectX: 12
As you can see, Metro Exodus is a fairly demanding game, especially in terms of GPU power. The minimum requirement includes GPUs that are several years old and not very powerful, but they may struggle to run the game smoothly at higher graphics settings or resolutions. The recommended requirement suggests more modern and potent GPUs that should allow for a better experience, but even they might not be enough to max out all the settings without some compromises.
Graphics Settings
Metro Exodus offers a range of graphics settings that you can adjust to balance performance and quality. These include:
– Resolution: the number of pixels on your screen, ranging from low (720p) to ultra (4K).
– Texture Quality: the level of detail and sharpness in textures, ranging from low to ultra.
– SSAA: super-sampling anti-aliasing, which smooths jagged edges but can be taxing on GPUs.
– Motion Blur: blurs the image when objects move quickly, which can simulate a more cinematic effect or be turned off for clarity.
– Tessellation: increases the complexity of some surfaces like walls, floors, and rocks, which can add detail but also increase GPU load.
– HairWorks: a technology developed by Nvidia that adds realistic hair simulations to some characters and creatures, but can also reduce performance.
– Advanced PhysX: a technology developed by Nvidia that enhances the physics engine of the game, allowing for more realistic interactions between objects and materials, but can also decrease FPS.
In addition to these settings, Metro Exodus also includes a few sliders that control global illumination, which is the way light bounces off surfaces and affects the overall ambiance of the scene. This is where ray tracing comes in, as Metro Exodus is one of the first games to support real-time ray tracing on Nvidia’s RTX GPUs. Ray tracing can significantly enhance the visual fidelity of the game, but also requires more computational resources, especially at higher resolutions and quality levels.
GPU Performance
To test the performance of various GPUs in Metro Exodus, we can turn to reviews and benchmarks from reputable sources such as TechSpot, Tom’s Hardware, and PC Gamer. Here are a few examples:
TechSpot tested the game in six different GPUs at 1080p ultra settings and found that:
– The GTX 1060 6GB averaged 54 FPS, but suffered from frequent drops below 30 FPS.
– The GTX 1070 8GB averaged 68 FPS and rarely dipped below 50 FPS.
– The GTX 1080 Ti 11GB averaged 95 FPS and kept above 60 FPS even in heavy scenes.
Tom’s Hardware tested the game in eight different GPUs at 1440p ultra settings and found that:
– The GTX 1060 6GB averaged 39 FPS and dropped below 30 FPS in intense scenes.
– The GTX 1070 Ti 8GB averaged 61 FPS and stayed above 45 FPS even in tough areas.
– The RTX 2080 Ti 11GB averaged 89 FPS and never dropped below 60 FPS.
PC Gamer tested the game with ray tracing enabled and found that:
– The RTX 2060 6GB averaged 45 FPS at 1080p with ray tracing on low, but only 27 FPS with ray tracing on high.
– The RTX 2080 Ti 11GB averaged 74 FPS at 1080p with ray tracing on high, but only 51 FPS at 1440p and 23 FPS at 4K.
These results suggest that Metro Exodus can be playable and enjoyable on a wide range of GPUs, but also that some GPUs might struggle or require compromises in certain areas. The GTX 1060, for example, seems to be the minimum GPU that can handle the game at 1080p, but it may not provide a smooth experience with high-quality settings. The GTX 1070, on the other hand, appears to be a sweet spot for 1080p or 1440p gaming, while the RTX 2080 Ti is a powerhouse that can drive the game at high frame rates and ray tracing on.
Overall, your GPU’s ability to survive the apocalypse of Metro Exodus depends on its power, age, and features. If you have a mid-range to high-end GPU from the past few years, you should be able to enjoy the game at decent settings and resolutions, with or without ray tracing. If you have an older or lower-end GPU, you may have to lower some settings or accept lower frame rates. If you have an RTX GPU, you can experience the cutting-edge visual fidelity of ray tracing, but also be prepared to sacrifice some FPS and resolution.
Conclusion
Metro Exodus is a demanding and atmospheric game that can push your GPU to its limits. To determine if your GPU can survive the apocalypse of Metro Exodus, you need to consider its system requirements, the graphics settings available, and the actual performance of various GPUs in the game. You also need to weigh the potential benefits and costs of using ray tracing technology, which can enhance the realism and immersion of the game, but also require more computational power.
By analyzing the data and reviews available, we can conclude that Metro Exodus can be played on a wide range of GPUs, but some GPUs may struggle or require compromises. If you want to optimize your GPU’s performance and experience in Metro Exodus, you should do some research, tweak some settings, and be prepared for some intense and thrilling action in a world that’s both beautiful and deadly.
So, can your GPU survive the apocalypse of Metro Exodus? It depends on your GPU, your skills, and your luck. Good luck out there, stalker.
Image Credit: Pexels