Published: June 14, 2023 | Source: OC3D Internal Testing | Author: Mark Campbell

Diablo IV PC Performance Review and Optimisation Guide

Introduction

Diablo IV is now available on PC, and to say that the game is highly anticipated is an understatement. Diablo III was released back in 2012, spanning the last two console generations while remaining popular for over a decade. With Diablo IV, Blizzard had a lot to live up to, and the good news for Diablo fans is that Diablo IV is a excellent game.

Visually, Diablo IV is a lot more advanced than its predecessor, making the World of Sanctuary a lot more detailed than before. Diablo III’s pre-rendered cutscenes have been replaced by in-game ones, something that is possible thanks to the game’s increased graphical fidelity. This gives Diablo IV a more consistent look, and highlights all of the detail that has been poured into Diablo IV.

Diablo IV is designed to run well across a wide range of hardware, with the game supporting both last generation and current generation consoles while also supporting a variety of performance enhancing technologies on PC that include Intel’s XeSS upscaler, AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution Tech, and Nvidia’s DLSS Super Resolution and Frame Generation techniques. The good news for PC gamers is that most systems should be able to achieve acceptable levels of performance on PC without much fuss, assuming that they have a relatively modern system.

Today we will be looking at Diablo IV’s PC version, analyse the game’s performance across a wide range of systems, and give gamers some optimisation tips that will help you achieve higher framerates within this game with a minimal loss in image quality.

Review Contents

– CPU Performance

– Preset Scaling – low, Medium, High, and Ultra

– Settings Optimisation Tips

– 1080pÂ Performance and Benchmarks

– 1440pÂ Performance and Benchmarks

– 4K Performance and Benchmarks

– 8K Performance and Benchmarks

– DLSS, DLAA, and Frame Generation

– Conclusion

GPU Drivers

When testing Diablo IV, we utilised the newest Nvidia and AMD GPU drivers that were available to us at the time of the game’s launch. These drivers were Radeon’s AMD Software Adrenalin Edition version 23.5.2 drivers, and Nvidia’s GeForce 535.98 WHQL drivers for Windows 10/11.

Test Setup – New Test Rig

Last month, OC3D will be conducting new game testing and GPU reviews on a new test system. Thanks to Corsair, Intel, and ASUS, we have created a new testing system that will allow us to properly test new graphics cards and the newest PC releases. This system features Intel’s i9-13900K processor and a ROG Strix Z790-F Gaming motherboard, with all other components coming from Corsair.

Our new test system is powered, cooled, and operated using Corsair components. The OS we will be using is Windows 11, and the case we will be using is Corsair’s airflow-optimised iCUE 5000T. We will be diving deeper into the hardware selection for this new gaming system with a future article, and you can expect to see this system in all of our future GPU and game reviews.

System Specs

Below are the full specifications of our new GPU/Games testing system, as well as links to all of the components that we used.

OC3D GPU/Games Test System Specifications (Affiliate Links below)

CPU – Intel i9-13900K
Cooling – Corsair iCUE H150i Elite CAPELLIX XT
Motherboard – ASUS ROG Strix Z790-F Gaming WiFi
Memory – Corsair Vengeance 2x16GB (32GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory
Storage – Corsair MP600 PRO NH 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Case – Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB
Power Supply – Corsair HX1500i
OS – Windows 11

Nvidia GPUs Tested

When testing new games, we like to utilise a large number of graphics cards to see how well titles run on both old and new PC hardware configurations. To do this, we utilise a large selection of both AMD and Nvidia graphics cards, including newly release graphics cards from Nvidia’s RTX 40 series to older pre-RTX GeForce graphics cards like Nvidia’s GTX 1060.

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Founders Edition
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Gaming
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 10GB Founders Edition
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Eagle
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Eagle
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB Founders Edition
ASUS ROG Strix GTX 1060 6GB

AMD GPUs Tested

On the Radeon side of the GPU spectrum we are currently able to test some of AMD’s RX 7000, RX 6000, RX 5000 graphics cards. For good measure, we have also thrown in AMD’s Radeon RX 480, a pre-RDNA Radeon graphics card that remains popular to this day amongst budget PC gamers.