Shadow of the Tomb Raider PC Performance Review
Low-end GPU testing – R9 380 VS GTX 960 – Is 2GB of VRAM enough?
Back on Page 9, we noted that both our R9 380 and GTX 960 graphics cards crashed while playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider when using the game’s Highest preset.
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, we found that the game crashed when VRAM ran out, which means that users of 2GB graphics cards will need to be careful to avoid similar crashing issues. Thankfully, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is playable using the game’s Highest preset when we lower the game’s texture detail, though the game remains below 30FPS with these settings.
With both the RX 380 and GTX 960 we recommend playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider using High Settings with a locked 30FPS framerate, as this offers a reasonably sharp image and a high level of graphical fidelity. Yes, 60+ FPS gameplay would be preferable, but that will come at the cost of lower resolutions/settings or the cost of a graphics card upgrade. Both the GTX 960 and R9 380 are frequently available for around £80 on eBay, so you really shouldn’t expect performance miracles from modern graphical showcases like Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Both of these graphics cards sit below Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s PC recommended system requirements.
