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StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Benchmarked

An add-on for the queen. Fans have had to wait a whole three years for the expansion of the real-time strategy hit StarCraft 2. Heart of the Swarm tells the sci-fi story from the point of view of the Zerg aliens. Find out here whether the game meets the towering expectations and how high its (mobile) hardware requirements are.
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Logo

Description

For the original German review, see here.

From the beginning, the developers make it very clear the kind of quality they demand from themselves. The high-quality render intro, typical of Blizzard, is an excellent opener for the game. After a bombastic air battle, a plethora of Zergs and Terrans prepare for battle on the ground of a grayish-brown planet. The editing, sound and movement are comparable to that of a genuine animated movie. The intro is crowned by the appearance of the main character. In Heart of the Swarm, we take the role of a Zerg - the role of their (former) queen, to be precise.

Those who have played the main program will be able to use the add-on without any trouble. At the end of Wings of Liberty (the uninformed should skip this sentence), after Sarah Kerrigan is rescued by Jim Raynor and transformed back into her normal self, she has to prove her loyalty and abilities in a prison of sorts. The corresponding prolog simultaneously functions as a tutorial. Thanks to the great introduction that explains numerous gameplay elements, both beginners and those who love the series but have not played in a while will quickly learn how to get around with the Zerg.

As expected, the pre-rendered intro is first-rate.
As expected, the pre-rendered intro is first-rate.
The developers definitely have what it takes to make their own film.
The developers definitely have what it takes to make their own film.
You see a battle between the Zerg...
You see a battle between the Zerg...
...and the Terrans, reminiscent of Warhammer.
...and the Terrans, reminiscent of Warhammer.
The Queen of Blades takes the main role.
The Queen of Blades takes the main role.
She's driven by hate and wrath.
She's driven by hate and wrath.

In order not to overwhelm the player, Blizzard chose to make the first level very linear. The combination of cinematic staging and a high level of action create an awesome atmosphere. The excellent (English) speakers and the - partly orchestral - background music add to the ambiance. The first one or two hours of Heart of the Swarm do not quite feel like a purebred strategy game, but more like a modern action-mix.

But never fear: Later the levels open up, and you get the classic RTS feeling with base construction, production of raw materials, etc. Like in Wings of Liberty, Blizzard breaks up the main events of the game with all sorts of side missions and surprises. For example, there is an ice planet whose storms briefly freeze the Protoss opponents and make them easy targets. Often the player is pressed for time. On the aforementioned ice planet we have to stop another mission of Protoss ships from reaching various portals.

In a word: The developers took care to alternate the tempo and add variety. There is no idleness in this game. Depending on the level of difficulty, the operations prove to be more or less tricky.

Can you trust Kerrigan?
Can you trust Kerrigan?
Jim Raynor was the main character in Wings of Liberty.
Jim Raynor was the main character in Wings of Liberty.
We soon dispute the tutorial with the dreadlock woman.
We soon dispute the tutorial with the dreadlock woman.
Here the player learns the most important basics of the game.
Here the player learns the most important basics of the game.
The first levels are rather linear.
The first levels are rather linear.
Blizzard continuously sprinkles cool ideas throughout the game.
Blizzard continuously sprinkles cool ideas throughout the game.

As is generally true of Blizzard productions, the units and the level of difficulty coordinate well. Even as a layperson you're not mercilessly overtaxed. Heart of the Swarm carefully introduces the player to the basic mechanics of the game. Within the missions, the story is told through tracking shots and animated 3D portraits. The latter are a bit outmoded, but they fulfill their purpose.

Speaking of the story: Although Blizzard tries to push a little too hard on the emotions during the video sequences that link the different missions, we really liked the storytelling. As opposed to the (intentionally humorous) video clips from command and conquer games, the videos here are somewhat believable. Kerrigan's motives (above all hate and wrath) are always comprehensible. After one particular event, which we will not explain for spoiler reasons, the beautiful woman wants to regain military command from the Zerg.

The graphics quality of the in-game videos are just as good as videos in an ego-shooter.
The graphics quality of the in-game videos are just as good as videos in an ego-shooter.
The film snippets have perfect musical accompaniment.
The film snippets have perfect musical accompaniment.
We meet numerous acquaintances.
We meet numerous acquaintances.
The Protoss are also there, of course.
The Protoss are also there, of course.
Secondary tasks raise the level of difficulty and add some variety.
Secondary tasks raise the level of difficulty and add some variety.
Sometimes you're pressed for time.
Sometimes you're pressed for time.

So that the individualization and role-playing aspects of the game do not seem lacking, Blizzard once again integrated a base camp for us to enter in between missions. While the evolution chambers serve to improve the units (you can choose one of several upgrades for each) and keep special missions at the ready, we can optimize the protagonist in the "Kerrigan" menu.

At certain ranks (we raise little by little in each level) the game unlocks new abilities. The range reaches from passive bonuses like more life to active skills like a kinetic blast. Through the talent tree, Kerrigan gains profile and individuality. The packet is topped off by optional conversations.

Every once in a while there some intermediate enemies.
Every once in a while there are some intermediate enemies.
The Zergs primarily count on their mass.
The Zergs primarily count on their mass.
Sometimes we can choose the next mission ourselves.
Sometimes we can choose the next mission ourselves.

Benchmark

As with Wings of Liberty, we performed the speed measurements using a challenge. Because of their constant flow, intro videos are ideal for comparing the ability of various GPUs to handle the in-game graphics. Instead of "For the Swarm", we used the challenge "Opening Gambit", which -- depending on the settings -- can sometimes be more demanding, sometimes less.

Since the display refresh rate drops by 50% or more during battles with lots of effects and dozens of units, in the around 30-second passage (see video) you'll need at least 40 or even 50 fps.

Settings

Despite the unexciting polygon count and texture quality, the graphics leave behind a relatively good impression. Blizzard understands how to give the graphics a charming comic touch that covers up minor weaknesses well.

Super: All the settings can be changed directly within the game. Changes between "Medium", "High" and "Ultra" or "Extreme" are adopted just like that. Only a change from or to the level "Low" requires the game to be restarted. Anyone who has the necessary hardware power should definitely turn on anti-aliasing in the options menu. We turned off the vertical synchronization for our tests.

Low Settings
Low Settings
Medium Settings
Medium Settings
High Settings
High Settings
Ultra Settings
Ultra Settings
Low Settings
Low Settings
Medium Settings
Medium Settings
High Settings
High Settings
Ultra Settings
Ultra Settings

Additionally, in the graphics menu you can alter the resolution, the picture mode (fullscreen or window), the refresh rate and the gamma value. Advanced users can run riot with detail settings. Our screenshots clearly show that the graphics quality varies greatly based on the settings. We see striking differences in picture quality and performance, especially between "Low" and "Medium". On the other hand, the pros of the "Ultra" setting are barely noticeable without a magnifying glass.

Our headquarters are a giant flying alien.
Our headquarters are a giant flying alien.
Between missions we manage the troops.
Between missions we manage the troops.
Izsha is our adviser.
Izsha is our adviser.
Optional conversations add depth to the story.
Optional conversations add depth to the story.
In the evolution chambers we can improve our units.
In the evolution chambers we can improve our units.
Only one upgrade can be active at a time.
Only one upgrade can be active at a time.

Results

Those who own weaker notebooks can take a deep breath: The hardware hunger is limited and very similar to that of the main program. Anyone who could play Wings of Liberty without much trouble should also be able to run Heart of the Swarm easily.

In general: Even with a slow processor GPU, the title can be convinced to run at a respectable refresh rate. While the HD Graphics 3000 can only manage a minimal level of detail, with an HD Graphics 4000 you can already play at normal level -- even if not super fluidly. For high settings you should have at least a GeForce GT 640M (1366x768) or a GeForce GT 650M (1600x900), i.e. a model from the upper middle class. Anyone who wants to play the add-on at 1920x1080 pixels and with all the controls turned on is advised to look at a potent high-end GPU (GeForce GTX 675M or better).

All in all, we would call the hardware demands moderate. We cannot judge the influence of the processor at the moment, since most of our measurements were taken with a quad-core from Intel's Ivy Bridge generation. However, low settings do point to a certain CPU bias.

Benchmark table: StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

Verdict

For fans of the real-time strategy genre, Heart of the Swarm is definitely a must-buy. Blizzard kept their eyes on their old strengths and delivers a high-carat product that gleams with ingenuity, variety and gaming quality. When it comes to staging and presentation, other developers have an example to follow. The only downer remains the controversial Battle.net platform, which will deter some potential buyers.

At the end of the mission a rough fight report awaits.
At the end of the mission a rough fight report awaits.
A talent system in a strategy game? Heart of the Swarm says yes.
A talent system in a strategy game? Heart of the Swarm says yes.
Practical: In the archives you can play back operations and videos.
Practical: In the archives you can play back operations and videos.

Test Systems

Most of the results were taken from devices provided by the company Schenker Notebooks (mysn.de):

  • XMG P502 (Core i7-3610QM, GeForce GTX 660M, GTX 670M, GTX 675M(X), GTX 680M, Radeon HD 7970M & HD Graphics 4000)
  • XMG A502 (Core i5-3360M, GeForce GT 650M)
  • Xesia M501 (Core i7-2630QM, GeForce GT 630M & HD Graphics 3000)
  • Each with 8 GByte DDR3-RAM (2x 4096 MByte @ 1600 MHz), 160 GByte SSD (Intel 320 Series)  & Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

GPU drivers: Nvidia 314.14 Beta, AMD 13.2 Beta 7 & Intel 9.17.10.2932.

from left to right: Schenker XMG A502, Xesia M501 & XMG P502
from left to right: Schenker XMG A502, Xesia M501 & XMG P502

Overview

Show Restrictions
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
 StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (2013)
low
1024x768
Low
med.
1366x768
Medium
high
1366x768
High
onAA
ultra
1920x1080
Ultra / Extreme
onAA
AMD Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL
254
146
134.1
71.4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
141.7n2
127.8n5
55.1n5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
127.4n3
101.5n3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M
248
138
123
63.2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
127
117.3n6
83.55n6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M
110
74
AMD Radeon HD 7970M
267.6
118
107.9
46.5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M
123
100
102.8n2
63.55n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M
252.2
139.05n2
102.1n2
36.75n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX
260.3
113.7
100.8
44
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M
254.1
113.3
99.4
41.3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M
142
97n3
52n3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M
125
92
35
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M
253.9
112.8
91.5
34.4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M
113
91.5n2
48.5n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M
264.4
102.95n2
90.2n2
60.4n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M
87.8
36.1
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX
238.2
102.1
84.6
34.5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M
110
98
79
38
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M
246.9
112.6
78.5
29
NVIDIA Maxwell GPU Surface Book
258
141.2
74.2
37.5
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580
380.6
127.1
73.6
36.2
AMD Radeon HD 8870M
194
88.85n2
71.8n2
26.05n2
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
69.9
33.2
NVIDIA GeForce MX130
289
123.2
69.7
34.7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M
74.3n2
68.9n3
35n3
AMD Radeon R9 M265X
104.6
65.7
24.1
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
207.3
88.7
65.2
25
AMD Radeon HD 8850M
89.2
64.5
21.3
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
339.65n2
99.5n2
63.2n2
30.6
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200
306
92
61
22.2
NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
100.2
59.6
21.9
NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M
177
75
50
18.6
NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M
207.6
69.6
47.7
17.7
NVIDIA GeForce 940M
199.4
88.6
45
17.6
AMD Radeon R7 M265
156.9
77.6
44.2
15
NVIDIA GeForce 830M
148.05n2
67.85n2
43.65n2
15.25n2
Intel UHD Graphics 620
69.5
43.6
20.2
AMD Radeon HD 8750M
184.2n2
75.4n2
43.4n2
15.3
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M
223.7
82.1
42.7
15.3
NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M
216.5n3
83n3
42.7n3
15.2n3
NVIDIA GeForce 825M
79.7
41.8
14.4
AMD Radeon R7 M270
208
72
41.6
15.6
NVIDIA GeForce 840M
170.8n3
75.1n3
41.3n3
17.3n2
NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M
67.5
41.2
14.1
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
60.5
40.5
18.9
NVIDIA GeForce 920M
157.45n2
73.8n2
36.55n2
13.65n2
NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M
229.8n2
64.7n2
36.35n2
12.6n2
AMD Radeon R7 M340
61
35.5
21.5
AMD Radeon 530
71.5
43.4
35.2
21.9
Intel HD Graphics 520
171.9n5
58n5
33.3n5
17.6n5
AMD Radeon R5 M255
207.2
70.5
33.2
12.4
Intel HD Graphics 4600
253
52
33
11
AMD Radeon HD 8550G
54
33
11.7
Intel HD Graphics 530
58.7
32.3
11.7
NVIDIA GeForce 820M
68.9
32
AMD Radeon HD 7660G
127
50
31.5
11.1
NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M
159.1
61.3
30.8
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
247.2
29.9
29.8
16.5
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce 710M
197.3
58.2
28.8
AMD Radeon R5 M240
90
41.3
28.1
AMD Radeon R7 M260
184.1
54.8
28.1
10.9
AMD Radeon R7 (Kaveri)
94.8
39
27.9
AMD Radeon HD 8650G
141.9n2
53.45n2
26.05n2
12.4
AMD Radeon R5 M430
43.9
25.9
10
AMD Radeon HD 8670M
166.1
47.8
25.7
AMD Radeon R5 M230
107.3n2
37.85n2
23.7n2
7.2
Intel HD Graphics 5500
122.1n4
41.5n4
22.4n4
8.3n3
Intel Iris Graphics 5100
118.15n2
38.6n2
22.4n2
Intel HD Graphics 4200
102.1n2
34.9n2
21.35n2
7
AMD Radeon HD 7500G
78
30.4
21.1
AMD Radeon HD 7550M
189.6
39.3
19.8
AMD Radeon R6 (Kaveri)
89.8
30.9
19.6
6.5
Intel HD Graphics 5300
121.45n2
32n2
19.25n2
6.5
AMD Radeon R5 (Kaveri)
75.3
28.3
17.6
AMD Radeon HD 8610G
117.3
24.7
16.9
AMD Radeon HD 8570M
150.7
29.7
16.9
6.1
AMD Radeon HD 8450G
102.7
32.3
16.3
Intel HD Graphics 4400
117.7n4
31.55n4
16.05n4
2
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
Intel HD Graphics 4000
108.05n8
28.1n8
15.45n8
7.6
AMD Radeon R4 (Beema)
64.6
26.4
15.4
Intel HD Graphics (Haswell)
96.5
28.3
15
AMD Radeon HD 7420G
91.5
28.2
14.9
AMD Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema)
71.6n2
24.55n2
14.9
Intel HD Graphics 515
80.8
24.9
14.6
Intel HD Graphics 2500
145
26
13.7
4.3
AMD Radeon HD 8330
64.35n2
26.75n2
13.55n2
6.3
AMD Radeon HD 8400
72.8n2
27.8n2
13.55n2
7
Intel HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge)
96.4n2
21.65n2
12.9n2
4
NVIDIA GeForce G210M
78
25
12.4
AMD Radeon HD 8280
50.3
22.1
12.3
AMD Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L)
91.4
26.2
12.2
3.1
Intel HD Graphics 3000
107n3
20n3
11.2n2
4.2
Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)
100
16.9
9.5
2.8
AMD Radeon HD 8210
39.2
15.4
9.3
AMD Radeon HD 7340
43
15
9
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450
AMD Radeon HD 8350G
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (G) / ION (LE)
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4830
NVIDIA GeForce GT 625M
AMD Radeon HD 6770M
Intel UHD Graphics 615
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
AMD Radeon RX 550 (Laptop)
AMD Radeon HD 6550M
NVIDIA GeForce 7150M
NVIDIA ION 2
NVIDIA GeForce GT 320M
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
AMD Radeon HD 8830M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4350
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 150M
Intel Extreme Graphics 2
Intel Arc A530M
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470M
NVIDIA GeForce 8400M G
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 3650
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 3150
AMD Radeon R7 M440
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3670
AMD Radeon HD 6950M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
AMD Radeon Pro 5500M
NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS
AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
AMD Radeon 625
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Mobile
NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTX
NVIDIA GeForce GT 435M
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645
NVIDIA GeForce 410M
NVIDIA GeForce 920MX
AMD Radeon R9 M390
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Max-Q
AMD Radeon RX 6550M
NVIDIA GeForce G 107M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon R7 (Carrizo)
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600
AMD Radeon RX 570 (Laptop)
AMD Radeon R9 M370X
Apple M1 8-Core GPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite Adreno GPU
AMD Radeon RX 6700S
ATI Mobility Radeon 9600
NVIDIA GeForce MX450
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 600
ATI Mobility Radeon 9200
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7800
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
ATI Mobility Radeon X2500
AMD Radeon HD 8240
46
18.5
AMD Radeon RX Vega 2
VIA S3G UniChrome Pro
NVIDIA GeForce MX250
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M GeForceBoost
NVIDIA GeForce 315M
AMD Radeon HD 7590M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2400
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
ATI Radeon Xpress X1250
AMD Radeon HD 7510M
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200
Apple M1 Max 32-Core GPU
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
NVIDIA GeForce MX150
66
AMD Radeon RX 6800M
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 260M
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce 845M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon RX 490M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400
NVIDIA GeForce 9500M GS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870
AMD Radeon HD 6990M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 565v
AMD Radeon R6 (Carrizo)
AMD Radeon R9 M385
Apple M2 Pro 19-Core GPU
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6400
Apple M2 Max 38-Core GPU
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 900
NVIDIA GeForce 4 488 Go
Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU
NVIDIA GeForce MX350
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell)
Intel UHD Graphics 617
AMD Radeon 520
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
Intel UHD Graphics P630
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
ATI Mobility Radeon 9800
Intel UHD Graphics (Jasper Lake 16 EU)
ATI Mobility 128 M3
NVIDIA GeForce MX570
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU
ATI Mobility Radeon X1350
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
NVIDIA GeForce 930M
AMD Radeon HD 8510G
AMD Radeon Pro 555X
NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX
AMD Radeon Pro 555
Intel HD Graphics 610
AMD Radeon HD 8250
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop)
175.4
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655
ATI Mobility Radeon 7500
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400
AMD Radeon HD 6380G
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop)
ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 IGP
AMD Radeon R7 M460
NVIDIA GeForce G 102M
AMD Radeon R9 M385X
Intel Arc A570M
AMD Radeon HD 7450M
NVIDIA GeForce 8200M G
AMD Radeon HD 6370M
AMD Radeon R9 M390X
Intel HD Graphics 500
Intel UHD Graphics Xe 32EUs (Tiger Lake-H)
AMD Radeon HD 7870M
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce 910M
NVIDIA GeForce FX Go 5700
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 3600
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA Quadro NVS 320M
AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT
NVIDIA GeForce 9300M G
Intel Arc A310
Qualcomm Adreno 685
NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GTX
AMD Radeon RX 480 (Laptop)
AMD Radeon HD 7650M
AMD Radeon HD 6490M
NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M
Qualcomm Adreno 630
NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M
AMD Radeon 630
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
SIS Mirage M661FX
AMD Radeon RX 550X (Laptop)
AMD Radeon R7 M380
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6100
AMD Radeon HD 7690M XT
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon HD 6750M
ATI Mobility Radeon X1800XT
ATI Radeon HD 3100
AMD Radeon HD 8550M
AMD Radeon HD 8770M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 530v
AMD Radeon R4 (Stoney Ridge)
AMD Radeon HD 7600G
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
Intel UHD Graphics G4 (Lakefield GT1 48 EU)
ATI Mobility Radeon 7000 IGP
Intel HD Graphics 510
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GT 415M
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
ATI Radeon HD 4250
Apple M1 Pro 14-Core GPU
AMD Radeon HD 7530M
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
AMD Radeon R5 M320
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX
NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS
AMD Radeon R9 M365X
AMD Radeon RX 5500M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 550v
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS
AMD Radeon HD 8730M
AMD Radeon R6 (Mullins)
Intel UHD Graphics 630
AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT
NVIDIA GeForce G 103M
ATI Mobility Radeon X1700
NVIDIA GeForce 320M
AMD Radeon RX 470 (Laptop)
SIS Mirage 3 671MX
AMD Radeon HD 6310
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 160M
Apple M2 8-Core GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
AMD Radeon RX 6600M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT
AMD Radeon HD 6290
NVIDIA T500 Laptop GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100
NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2700
AMD Radeon 620
NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
VIA Castle Rock
AMD Radeon RX 580X (Laptop)
AMD Radeon RX 5600M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 350M
AMD Radeon Pro 560
Apple M1 Pro 16-Core GPU
ATI Radeon Xpress X1270
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
AMD Radeon RX Vega 9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
Intel UHD Graphics 610
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GS
AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M
NVIDIA GeForce 3 Go
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650
AMD Radeon RX 6600S
AMD Radeon HD 6450M
AMD Radeon 660M
Intel UHD Graphics (Elkhart Lake 16 EU)
AMD Radeon R9 M380
Apple M3 Pro 18-Core GPU
ATI Mobility Radeon X300
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650
Intel UHD Graphics G7 (Lakefield GT2 64 EU)
Apple M3 Max 40-Core GPU
NVIDIA GeForce 4 460 Go
NVIDIA Quadro T1000 (Laptop)
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD
28.7
4.5
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell)
Intel HD Graphics P630
AMD Radeon HD 6650M
Intel UHD Graphics 24EUs (Alder Lake-N)
NVIDIA RTX A4000 Laptop GPU
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6600
AMD Radeon R4 (Kaveri)
Silicon Motion SM502
AMD Radeon HD 7620G
AMD Radeon RX 6300M
Intel HD Graphics 620
AMD Radeon HD 8790M
AMD Radeon R5 (Carrizo)
AMD Radeon HD 6530M
Intel Iris Graphics 6100
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M
Intel Graphics 4-Cores iGPU (Arc)
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU
AMD Radeon HD 7350M
Intel HD Graphics 615
NVIDIA GeForce G 105M
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5770
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470
ATI Mobility Radeon M7
Intel Arc A550M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5430
AMD Radeon HD 7470M
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500M
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4700MHD
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail)
56.2n3
12.8n3
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon 540X
AMD Radeon R9 M395
Apple M2 10-Core GPU
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 560v
Apple M1 Max 24-Core GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
106n3
NVIDIA GeForce MX550
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GS
AMD Radeon RX 6800S
AMD Radeon R9 M375
Qualcomm Adreno 680
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2400 XT
AMD Radeon HD 6730M
NVIDIA GeForce 945M
Apple M3 Max 30-Core GPU
NVIDIA GeForce G 110M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3850
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
VIA S3G UniChrome Pro II
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670
AMD Radeon R9 M470X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
ATI Mobility Radeon X1300
AMD Radeon HD 8410G
AMD Radeon HD 6520G
AMD Radeon HD 6620G
NVIDIA GeForce 7000M
AMD Radeon HD 6850M
ATI Mobility Radeon X1800
NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M
AMD Radeon HD 7750M
NVIDIA GeForce 305M
NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M
AMD Radeon HD 6630M
Intel Arc A370M
AMD Radeon R5 M315
ATI Radeon IGP 340M
AMD Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge)
Intel HD Graphics 5600
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon RX 6550S
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
AMD Radeon R2 (Mullins/Beema/Carrizo-L)
Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs
AMD Radeon HD 7850M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile
AMD Radeon 610M
AMD Radeon HD 7310
Apple M3 10-Core GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M
ATI Radeon HD 4225
NVIDIA GeForce 9500M G
ATI Radeon Xpress X1200
AMD Radeon HD 7290
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
AMD Radeon HD 8690M
AMD Radeon HD 8650M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5165
Intel HD Graphics 5000
AMD Radeon HD 6480G
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650
AMD Radeon RX 5700M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU
NVIDIA GeForce 9500M GE
NVIDIA Quadro T1000 Max-Q
ATI Radeon Xpress 1100
NVIDIA GeForce MX110
AMD Radeon R9 M280X
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M
AMD Radeon R5 M330
Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570
AMD Radeon RX 6650M
ATI Mobility Radeon 9550
NVIDIA GeForce 9650M GT
AMD Radeon RX 6700M
NVIDIA GeForce FX Go 5200
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 545v
NVIDIA T600 Laptop GPU
AMD Radeon HD 7370M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M
NVIDIA GeForce 9100M G
Intel UHD Graphics (Jasper Lake 24 EU)
ATI Mobility Radeon X800
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5750
SIS Mirage 2 M760
AMD Radeon RX 6450M
Intel Arc A730M
Intel HD Graphics (Broadwell)
ATI Radeon HD 4270
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M
AMD Radeon HD 7630M
ATI Mobility Radeon X1900
Apple M2 Pro 16-Core GPU
NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GT
Apple M2 Max 30-Core GPU
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH
ATI Mobility Radeon X2300
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 Mobile
ATI Mobility Radeon X800XT
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon R7 M370
NVIDIA GeForce GT 550M
AMD Radeon HD 6830M
NVIDIA GeForce 2 Go (200 / 100)
Intel HD Graphics 405 (Braswell)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850
AMD Radeon Pro 460
NVIDIA GeForce MX230
AMD Radeon R9 M395X
AMD Radeon RX 540
AMD Radeon 760M
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M
Intel UHD Graphics Xe 750 32EUs (Rocket Lake)
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6250
AMD Radeon R7 M360
AMD Radeon 680M
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 GTX
NVIDIA GeForce 4 440 Go
AMD Radeon HD 8180
25.6
10.1
NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA T1200 Laptop GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 485M
AMD Radeon Pro 450
Intel HD Graphics P530
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Laptop)
175.3
48.7
AMD Radeon RX 7700S
ATI Mobility Radeon X1450
AMD Radeon RX 640
AMD Radeon Pro 5300M
ATI Radeon HD 4100
AMD Radeon RX 560 (Laptop)
NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS
Intel HD Graphics 505
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M
AMD Radeon HD 7570M
AMD Radeon RX 540X
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2300
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
Intel HD Graphics (Skylake)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16
AMD Radeon HD 6970M
NVIDIA GeForce 7190M
AMD Radeon HD 8310G
NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GT
SIS Mirage 3+ 672MX
AMD Radeon HD 6870M
AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT
AMD Radeon HD 6350M
NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M
AMD Radeon HD 6570M
AMD Radeon RX 7900M
ATI Mobility Radeon M6
AMD Radeon HD 6250
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
Intel UHD Graphics (Jasper Lake 32 EU)
106
15.3
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
Intel HD Graphics 630
Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics
Intel UHD Graphics (Elkhart Lake 32 EU)
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7700
ATI Radeon Xpress 1150
Apple M3 8-Core GPU
Intel HD Graphics 6000
AMD Radeon 740M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430
NVIDIA GeForce FX Go 5600 / 5650
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 Hybrid X2
Intel Iris Graphics 540
NVIDIA GeForce 705M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
124.4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q
AMD Radeon HD 7430M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4860
NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE
AMD Radeon HD 7670M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon RX 7600M
AMD Radeon RX 6500M
AMD Radeon HD 6330M
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600
AMD Radeon R7 M260X
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
AMD Radeon RX 570X (Laptop)
VIA Chrome9 HC
NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
AMD Radeon HD 7950M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
NVIDIA GeForce4 4200 Go
Qualcomm Adreno 690
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 Ultra
AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
AMD Radeon R5 M420
ATI Radeon IGP 320M
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480M
NVIDIA GeForce MX330
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
VIA Chrome9HD
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730
AMD Radeon HD 8970M
NVIDIA GeForce GT 130M
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 GT
ATI Radeon Xpress 1250
AMD Radeon HD 7490M
AMD Radeon RX Vega 5
AMD Radeon HD 7690M
AMD Radeon R7 M465
AMD Radeon RX 7600S
NVIDIA GeForce 9200M GS
AMD Radeon R5 M335
AMD Radeon 780M
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
Intel UHD Graphics 64EUs (Alder Lake 12th Gen)
AMD Radeon RX 5300M
NVIDIA GeForce 405M
AMD Radeon HD 8590M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
AMD Radeon R5 (Stoney Ridge)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce G 205M
Intel UHD Graphics 600
78.8
16.3
Intel Arc 7-Cores iGPU
ATI Radeon Xpress 200M
AMD Radeon HD 6320
AMD Radeon HD 7610M
NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS
ATI Radeon HD 3200
NVIDIA GeForce 9650M GS
AMD Radeon R9 M470
ATI Mobility Radeon X1400
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7200
AMD Radeon HD 7770M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
ATI Mobility Radeon 9000
Intel Arc A350M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5145
AMD Radeon 610
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870
VIA S3 Graphics ProSavage8
Intel HD Graphics (Cherry Trail)
AMD Radeon R7 M445
Intel HD Graphics 2000
AMD Radeon RX Vega Mobile
NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M
ATI Radeon HD 4200
NVIDIA GeForce GT 445M
AMD Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
ATI Mobility Radeon X600
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT
Apple M3 Pro 14-Core GPU
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300
NVIDIA GeForce GT 420M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4530
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
AMD Radeon Pro 455
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
AMD Radeon HD 6430M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5830
Apple M1 7-Core GPU
ATI Mobility Radeon 9100 IGP
AMD Radeon Pro 5600M
NVIDIA GeForce 310M
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 540v
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
274.5
46.7
Intel Iris Graphics 550
AMD Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge)
AMD Radeon R9 M295X
AMD Radeon R9 M485X
NVIDIA GeForce 610M
AMD Radeon R9 M275
AMD Radeon HD 6470M
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
Intel UHD Graphics 770
AMD Radeon R9 M290X
AMD Radeon R9 M270
Intel Arc A770M
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6200
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
Intel UHD Graphics Xe 16EUs (Tiger Lake-H)
AMD Radeon HD 7640G
NVIDIA GeForce GT 220M
NVIDIA GeForce 4 420 Go
AMD Radeon HD 7520G
AMD Radeon HD 7730M
AMD Radeon HD 7400G
AMD Radeon Pro 560X
NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS
AMD Radeon R5 (Bristol Ridge)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 500
Intel UHD Graphics 605
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q
ATI Mobility Radeon X700
PosModel< PrevNext >StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
low med. high ultra
unknown
(-) * Smaller values are better. / n123 Number of benchmarks for this median value / * Approximate position

 

Legend
5Stutters – This game is very likely to stutter and have poor frame rates. Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, average frame rates are expected to fall below 25fps
May Stutter – This graphics card has not been explicitly tested on this game. Based on interpolated information from surrounding graphics cards of similar performance levels, stutters and poor frame rates are expected.
30Fluent – Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, this game should run at or above 25fps
40Fluent – Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, this game should run at or above 35fps
60Fluent – Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, this game should run at or above 58fps
May Run Fluently – This graphics card has not been explicitly tested on this game. Based on interpolated information from surrounding graphics cards of similar performance levels, fluent frame rates are expected.
?Uncertain – This graphics card experienced unexpected performance issues during testing for this game. A slower card may be able to achieve better and more consistent frame rates than this particular GPU running the same benchmark scene.
Uncertain – This graphics card has not been explicitly tested on this game and no reliable interpolation can be made based on the performances of surrounding cards of the same class or family.
The value in the fields displays the average frame rate of all values in the database. Move your cursor over the value to see individual results.
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Florian Glaser, 2013-03-21 (Update: 2021-05-18)