AMD Radeon 22.7.1. OpenGL Optimisations Tested – Huge Gains!

DOOM (2016)

DOOM’s 2016 reboot was one of the first games to feature with both an OpenGL and a Vulkan codepath, and even at launch the game’s Vulkan version delivered smoother framerates and a stronger gameplay experience for most PC gamers. That said, DOOM is now one of the most recent AAA games to release with an OpenGL codepath, making it an ideal game to benchmark AMD’s latest OpenGL optimisations. 

To say the least, our test system did not run DOOM Eternal well when using AMD’s older 22.6.1 drivers when using OpenGL. In this configuration the game stuttered frequently and delivered performance levels that were simply not playable. To play DOOM optimally, you need a smooth framerate. Thankfully, AMD’s new OpenGL drivers can give us that, though I would recommend using the game’s Vulkan codepath when using any modern graphics card. 

At 1080p and 1440p, DOOM 2016 ran with average framerates of over 150 FPS with AMD’s 22.7.1 drivers. That said, the game’s minimum framerates 1st percentile framerates remained held back at all resolutions at a similar level with AMD’s latest drivers. This implies that the game’s performance is being limited by CPU/memory performance.

When playing the game at 4K, AMD’s latest drivers moved DOOM 2016’s OpenGL mode from an unplayable mess to smooth gameplay. 1st and 5th percentile framerates became stable, and the game’s average framerate increased by 71.4% from 71.2 FPS to 122.1 FPS.