Call of Duty Modern Warfare Notebook and Desktop Benchmarks
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Technology
After the Call of Duty engine stopped looking like it was designed for AAA titles and started to look rather antiquated when compared to the engines used in other flashy shooters, Modern Warfare made a huge leap forward with its updated engine. One of the biggest highlights is the amount of detail in the game world. The levels of the single-player campaign are just overflowing with objects. The underbrush in the title looks especially impressive, because of the sheer amount of ornamental elements (bushes, leaves, roots etc.).
Thanks to the good presentation, the first-person shooter manages to create a very gritty and realistic atmosphere, which is further enhanced by all the explosions typical of the Call of Duty series. Just like in other CoD games, you see explosions and fire wherever you look. The great sound and the exciting missions lend a cinematic feel to the game.
However, the presentation is not perfect. Upon closer inspection, certain textures appear rather muddy. These kinds of textures are not appropriate in 2019, which is why we think that Frostbite 3-powered Battlefield V from Dice still has an edge over the latest CoD game. That being said, this year difference is not very pronounced.
Visual improvements do not come without a cost. The first-person shooter requires an extreme 110 GB of free space and a fast Internet connection. We have encountered a game (Final Fantasy XV) that required more storage space only once before. The fact that the game requires an internet connection even in single-player mode is a bit of a shame, and there is no real necessity for it.
The comprehensive graphics menu deserves praise. It offers not only a whole lot of settings to adjust, but also explanations in the form of text and/or comparison pictures. The top third of the graphics menu is concerned with display settings such as the display mode, refresh rate, resolution and the color correction. You can upscale/downscale the image with the help of the render resolution slider. You can also enable V-Sync and cap the frame rate.
The two other sections of the menu, known as Details & Textures and Shadow & Lighting, contain settings, which directly affect the visuals of the game. The Raytracing section is also available on certain Nvidia GPUs. However, unlike Battlefield V, which supports ray-traced reflections, Call of Duty Modern Warfare only supports ray-traced shadows. The graphics menu also contains settings for post processing. Here, the setting for SMAA is the most relevant one.
Positive: settings can be changed without a restart. If you have an SSD, adjusting the settings should not be much of a hassle, because in that case loading times are quite short. However, things would have been even easier had the developer included usable graphics presets. There have not been any such presets in CoD games for years, though. Having said that, the VRAM usage meter and the FSP counter soften the blow a little. Speaking of VRAM: if you want to run Modern Warfare on the highest settings you will need at least 4 GB of it.
At the time of release, the title is more or less well-optimized. However, in the course of our performance analysis, we have encountered a number of issues, which we would like to highlight here.
- When you launch the game for the first time, it might take several minutes for the shaders to install. The notification that is supposed to inform you that shaders are being installed sometimes disappears.
- When you connect an external monitor the graphics menu often stops opening. Here, setting the notebook screen as the default display for a short time should fix the issue.
- There is some stuttering during the log-in process.
- Video playback is not always smooth (a typical CoD phenomenon)
- There are occasional stutters in the single-player campaign, especially on low-end systems
Benchmarks
Because Modern Warfare is a DirectX 12 title, we had to use OCAT instead of Fraps for recording the frame rate. The beginning of the first campaign mission, which is known as Fog of War, serves as the benchmark. As you can see from the video below, the benchmark starts when the level is fully loaded and the helicopter appears. After the initial 20-second-long cut scene, we stealthily follow Sgt. Hoyt through the forest until he has to hunker down because he sights an enemy.
The benchmark does not represent the worst case scenario. However, it provides a good snapshot of how the title performs most of the time. Modern Warfare is playable at 40 FPS, but for a really smooth gaming experience, we recommend 60 FPS or higher.
Results
HD (1280x720) & FHD (1920x1080)
Owners of laptops without a dedicated GPU should not buy this title. The Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 5 2500U) kept crashing in our benchmark. To run Modern Warfare smoothly, you will need at least a mid-range GPU. For a lag-free experience on low settings, you will need a GeForce GTX 1050. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti should be fast enough for medium settings. If you want to game on the highest settings at 1080p, then you will need a GeForce GTX 1650 or GTX 1060.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 | |
1280x720 Minimum Settings 1920x1080 Medium Settings 1920x1080 High Settings AA:1X SM 1920x1080 Maximum Settings AA:T2X Filmic SM | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6820HK | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i7-9750H | |
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop), i7-7740X | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop), i7-7740X | |
AMD Radeon RX 480 (Desktop), i7-7740X | |
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Desktop), i7-7740X |
QHD (2560x1440) & UHD (3840x2160)
If you want to game at resolutions above 1080p, then you will need a true high-end GPU. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti or the GTX 1070 should be powerful enough for 1440p, whereas the GeForce RTX 2070 or the GTX 1080 should be good enough for 4K.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 | |
2560x1440 Maximum Settings AA:T2X Filmic SM 3840x2160 Maximum Settings AA:T2X Filmic SM | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop), i7-7740X | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop), i7-7740X | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), i9-9900K | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i7-9750H | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6820HK | |
AMD Radeon RX 5500M, R7 3750H | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ |
Ray tracing
Looking at the ray-tracing performance is especially interesting. This feature can be enabled with many non-RTX GPUs, which leads to an extreme drop in performance (up to 70%). However, RTX chips “only” lose 30% of their performance. Here, the GeForce RTX 2060 is able to achieve smooth frame rates on the highest settings at 1080p.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 | |
1920x1080 Maximum Settings with Raytracing AA:T2X Filmic SM 3840x2160 Maximum Settings with Raytracing AA:T2X Filmic SM | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop) | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop) | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop) | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop) | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop) | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop) | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop) | |
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile |
Note
Because benchmarking games is very time-consuming and often constrained by installation/activation limits, at the time of publishing, we were able to provide only a part of our performance analysis of Call of Duty Modern Warfare. Other graphics cards will be added in the coming days and weeks.
Overview
Benchmarked Devices
Device | GPU | CPU | RAM | OS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Desktop-PC I | MSI GeForce RTX 2080 (8 GB GDDR6) MSI GeForce RTX 2070 (8 GB GDDR6) MSI GeForce RTX 2060 (6 GB GDDR6) MSI GeForce GTX 1080 (8 GB GDDR5X) MSI GeForce GTX 1070 (8 GB GDDR5) Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB GDDR5) |
Intel Core i9-9900K | 4 x 8 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
Desktop-PC II | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (11 GB GDDR5X) Asus GeForce GTX 980 Ti (6 GB GDDR5) XFX Radeon R9 Fury (4 GB HBM) Sapphire Radeon R9 290X (4 GB GDDR5) Sapphire Radeon R9 280X (3 GB GDDR5) MSI Radeon R7 370 (2 GB GDDR5) |
Intel Core i7-7740X | 2 x 8 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
Desktop-PC III | Nvidia Titan RTX (24 GB GDDR6) Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super (8 GB GDDR6) Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super (8 GB GDDR6)Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super (8 GB GDDR6)KFA2 GeForce RTX 2060 Super (8 GB GDDR6)Nvidia Titan X (Pascal) (12 GB GDDR5X) PNY GeForce GTX 1660 (6 GB GDDR5) Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 (4 GB GDDR5) Zotac GeForce GT 1030 (2 GB GDDR5) AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8 GB GDDR6) AMD Radeon RX 5700 (8 GB GDDR6) AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (8 GB HBM2) XFX AMD Radeon RX 590 (8 GB GDDR5) Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 570 (8 GB GDDR5) |
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X | 2 x 8 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI GT76 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 (8 GB GDDR6) | Intel Core i9-9900K | 2 x 16 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI GP65 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 (8 GB GDDR6) | Intel Core i7-9750H | 2 x 16 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI GE65 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 (6 GB GDDR6) | Intel Core i7-9750H | 2 x 8 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI GP65 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6 GB GDDR6) | Intel Core i7-9750H | 2 x 16 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI GP75 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 (4 GB GDDR5) | Intel Core i7-9750H | 2 x 8 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
Alienware 17 R4 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (8 GB GDDR5X) | Intel Core i7-7820HK | 2 x 16 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
Asus G752VS | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8 GB GDDR5) | Intel Core i7-6820HK | 2 x 16 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI GT62VR | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB GDDR5) | Intel Core i7-6820HK | 2 x 8 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI GE72 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (2 GB GDDR5) | Intel Core i7-7700HQ | 2 x 4 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
Asus GL753VD | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5) | Intel Core i7-7700HQ | 1 x 16 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI GL62 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (2 GB GDDR5) | Intel Core i7-7700HQ | 2 x 4 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI GE72 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M (2 GB GDDR5) | Intel Core i7-6700HQ | 1 x 8 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI PE60 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M (2 GB GDDR5) | Intel Core i7-6700HQ | 2 x 4 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI CX72 | Nvidia GeForce 940MX (2 GB DDR3) | Intel Core i7-6700HQ | 2 x 8 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI GP62 | Nvidia GeForce 940M (2 GB DDR3) | Intel Core i7-5700HQ | 1 x 8 GB DDR3 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
MSI CX61 | Nvidia GeForce 920M (2 GB DDR3) | Intel Celeron 2970M | 1 x 8 GB DDR3 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
Honor Magicbook | AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 | AMD Ryzen 5 2500U | 1 x 8 GB DDR4 | Windows 10 64 Bit |
4K Monitore | Nvidia Treiber | AMD Treiber |
---|---|---|
Asus PB287Q, Philips Momentum 436M6VBPAB | ForceWare 441.08 | Adrenalin 19.10.2 |