Gameplay Performance
We are going to focus on 1440p gameplay performance with the XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 7800 XT BLACK Edition Video Card. We will include DLSS and FSR performance on the same graph in the games that are supported. We will use DLSS on NVIDIA GPUs and FSR on AMD GPUs. Ray Tracing performance will be shown on a separate page.
When comparing video cards in this review, we are using an AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, Radeon RX 6800, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition. Keep in mind launch prices by MSRP for comparison, the Radeon RX 6800 XT launched at $649, the Radeon RX 6800 launched at $579, and the GeForce RTX 4070 FE launched at $599. The Radeon RX 7800 XT has a launch MSRP of $499. The XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 7800 XT BLACK Edition has an MSRP of $539.
Returnal
Returnal was launched on the PC in February of 2023 and is based on Unreal Engine 4. The game supports real-time ray tracing effects, particle systems, and volumetric rendering. We utilize the graphics preset to set EPIC graphics settings with an unlocked framerate, and everything is enabled. For ray tracing tests we have enabled Ray Traced Shadows and Reflections at EPIC settings. We use the built-in benchmark.
Comparing raster performance, we find the performance quite fast here. Upscaling is not needed to have smooth steady gameplay. The XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 7800 XT BLACK Edition is very fast here. The Radeon RX 6800 XT is very close behind, just 4% slower. The GeForce RTX 4070 FE is about 12% slower and the slowest upscaling performer using the highest quality upscaling modes. The XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 7800 XT BLACK Edition sees a whopping 42% boost from upscaling. This is one of the games where overclocking did improve the game by more than a frame or two. We see 4.7% more performance. The last generation is sticking around in this game, only 3% back and 15% slower in the case of the Radeon RX 6800.
Forspoken
Forspoken was released on January 24th, 2023, on the PC and uses the Luminous Engine. The game supports all upscaling methods and Ray Tracing. We are going to customize the settings and enable the highest graphics settings, including Ultra High Texture Memory. We use the built-in benchmark.
Forspoken shows very fast, smooth gameplay with the XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 7800 XT BLACK Edition. All the video cards are very playable, upscaling simply improves performance by about 9%. The gap to the last generation is 9% and 23%. Overclocking gets you 2%.
Callisto Protocol
The Callisto Protocol was released in December of 2022 on the PC and is based on Unreal Engine 4. We run the game in DX12 mode with unlimited framerate, and all graphics settings enabled and at the highest graphics settings. This game supports ray-traced shadows, reflections, and transmissions. We use the built-in benchmark.
Here we see fast results and minimal distance between all but one video card. Again upscaling isn’t needed for smooth, fast gameplay. Last generation 6800 XT comes out just slightly ahead, with the XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 7800 XT BLACK Edition and the RTX 4070 FE in a dead heat. Overclocking squeeked out 2% extra, but lost with upscaling by 3%.
Chernobylite Enhanced Edition
Chernobylite, based on Unreal Engine 4, was released on the PC in 2021, but the Enhanced Edition update for the game was released in April 2022. The Enhanced Edition provides a visual overhaul of the game with better textures, plus introduces tessellation and ray tracing features. It features raytraced reflections, raytraced translucency, raytraced caustics, and raytraced dynamic diffuse global illumination. It supports upscaling, and we use the highest quality. We use the built-in benchmark.
If it looks too easy….just wait until you turn the page. Fast, fast FPS here. The RTX 4070 FE is the card to beat here by 3% and 5%, but the frames are wildly fast to begin with. All the cards play smoothly and the game looks great. FSR is just frosting here. The lead over the last generation is 12% and 29%.
Dying Light 2
Dying Light 2 was released in February 2022 on the PC. It uses Techland’s C-Engine and supports Ray Tracing for various environmental effects including Ray Traced Soft Shadows, Ray Traced Ambient Occlusion, Ray Traced Global Illumination, and Ray Traced Reflections. It also supports both DLSS and FSR 2.0 upscaling technologies. We are using the game’s built-in benchmark. We use the game patched to 1.11.4p.
Once again, blistering-fast FPS in a very demanding game. We see a dead heat in performance between the XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 7800 XT BLACK Edition and the RX 6800 XT, and the same is true for upscaling performance. Performance bests the RTX 4070 FE by 9%. Overclocking gets a 1% boost.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 was released in December 2020 and uses the REDengine 4. We have the game patched to version 1.63 for our testing. We test using the built-in benchmark. Preset options for Ultra quality are used. Ray Tracing testing uses the “Ultra” presets. This game also supports DLSS and AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution FSR 2.1. We test FSR 2.1 Ultra Quality on AMD GPUs.
Outstanding frames and smooth play across the board in this most demanding game. A sizzling 99FPS from the XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 7800 XT BLACK Edition. 27% quicker than the RTX 4070 FE!! The last generation can’t keep up here, back 12 and 27%. Still, all cards are playable…..that’s pretty good right there. Upscaling isn’t really necessary, but it adds another layer of fast. We see 2% from our overclock.