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Dirt 4 Notebook and Desktop Benchmarks

Into the mud. Codemaster's Dirt-series is the go-to company of rally sports for those of us who like to dig deep into the mud and dirt of rally racing. We have benchmarked the latest 2017 version of the game to present to you the various notebook- and desktop-class GPU results.
Dirt 4

Technology

While Dirt 4 looks amazing on screenshots, the engine behind the game - Codemaster's EGO version 4 - does show significant signs of aging, though not in the fully detailed, nicely textured cars with their very detailed and physically accurate damage engine, but rather in the surroundings and on the sides of the track. Despite lush vegetation and an impressive long-distance view, it leaves a lot to be desired. On closer inspection, you will notice the ground is somewhat mushy and soft even on maximum details.

Dirt 4
Dirt 4
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Dirt 4

The effects, on the other hand, are definitely worthy of praise. Whether it is smoke, dust, or the weather – the often dirty and gritty atmosphere of rally-sports has been captured very well. Lighting and illumination could use some improvement, though, in particular in regards to shadows.

Dirt 4
Dirt 4
Dirt 4
Dirt 4
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Dirt 4

Graphics settings are copious, and as was the case in previous iterations (Dirt RallyGrid Autosport . . .) there are tons of tweaks and settings available that spread over four graphics menus (see screenshots below). Besides gamma, five so-called quality presets modify a total of 21 different settings in the “Advanced Graphics” menu. Obviously, these can also be adjusted individually.

Dirt 4
Dirt 4
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Dirt 4
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Dirt 4

Resolution, picture mode, and refresh rate are configured in a menu called “Video Mode”. Settings for vertical synchronization, anti-aliasing (CMAA or MSAA), and anisotropic filtering can be found here as well. All settings are applied immediately, and restarting the game is not necessary (fortunately, the intro videos can be skipped).

Dirt 4
Dirt 4
Dirt 4
Dirt 4
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Dirt 4

We liked the optional hints that explain each and every single graphics setting and the atmospheric soundtrack in particular. Loading times are decent, especially when started from an SSD. The game’s size was shocking though – a whopping 36 GB after installation are above average for a racing game.

Dirt 4
Dirt 4
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Dirt 4
Dirt 4
Dirt 4

Benchmark

Unfortunately, the settings menu does not contain an integrated benchmark option anymore. In previous games and the F1-series, the benchmark ran between 2-3 minutes and was well suited for testing older and less capable GPUs thanks to its continuous and repetitive cycle. Thus, we had to find an alternative, and our benchmarks are based on the first race in career mode (Dirt Clubman Cup) taking place on a cloudy day in a wooded area in Michigan. Using Fraps, we have captured the race up to the second checkpoint. A recording can be seen in the video below.

Since performance varies depending on track, weather conditions, and the race itself (for example: a GeForce GTX 960M had massive problems in the grass) and the game is usually played in third- or first-person perspective, we would recommend at least between 35-40 fps on average. The game seemed really smooth at around 60 fps.

Results

The slightly aged engine has a distinct advantage: it works well even on older hardware. Thus, Dirt 4 can be enjoyed on older integrated GPUs, such as the Intel HD Graphics 4600, at 1280x720 on minimum details. Medium details at 1366x768 are smooth on a GeForce 940M, and medium details at 1920x1080 require at least a GeForce GTX 950M.

Ultra Low Preset
Ultra Low Preset
Medium Preset & 4x AF
Medium Preset & 4x AF
High Preset, 2x MSAA & 8x AF
High Preset, 2x MSAA & 8x AF
Ultra Preset, 4x MSAA & 16x AF
Ultra Preset, 4x MSAA & 16x AF

FHD resolution at high details and 2x MSAA requires a GeForce GTX 960M or higher. The “Ultra” preset and 4x MSAA will be smooth on a GeForce GTX 970M, and 4K gaming on maximum settings without anti-aliasing will require at least a GeForce GTX 980. Optically, the differences between the various presets are not as obvious as one might think. While going from “Ultra Low” to “Medium” is immediately obvious (spectators, shadows . . .) the differences are less pronounced between the higher presets. We found the “Medium” preset to be decent enough and worked pretty well overall.

Dirt 4
    3840x2160 Ultra Preset AF:16x     1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4xMS AF:16x     1920x1080 High Preset AA:2xMS AF:8x     1920x1080 Medium Preset AF:4x     1366x768 Medium Preset AF:4x     1280x720 Ultra Low Preset
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
Desktop PC
67 (58min) fps ∼46%
109 fps ∼46%
186 (115min) fps ∼63%
240 (204min) fps ∼69%
243 (205min) fps ∼70%
339 (322min) fps ∼67%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 6700K
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
55 (49min) fps ∼37%
92.9 (73min) fps ∼40%
162 (103min) fps ∼55%
217 (176min) fps ∼62%
243 (202min) fps ∼70%
338 (327min) fps ∼67%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
Asus G752VS
47.6 (43min) fps ∼32%
79.5 (67min) fps ∼34%
135 (96min) fps ∼46%
174 (154min) fps ∼50%
200 (169min) fps ∼57%
271 (258min) fps ∼54%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, 6700K
Desktop PC
38.3 (34min) fps ∼26%
69.1 (60min) fps ∼29%
105 (84min) fps ∼36%
163 (148min) fps ∼47%
240 (213min) fps ∼69%
332 (318min) fps ∼66%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), 6700K
Desktop PC
36.6 (32min) fps ∼25%
64.6 (55min) fps ∼27%
112 (83min) fps ∼38%
159 (144min) fps ∼46%
238 (193min) fps ∼68%
333 (322min) fps ∼66%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6820HK
MSI GT62VR
31.6 (28min) fps ∼21%
59.2 (51min) fps ∼25%
105 (85min) fps ∼36%
152 (137min) fps ∼44%
183 (155min) fps ∼53%
248 (234min) fps ∼49%
AMD Radeon RX 480 (Desktop), 4790K
AMD Radeon RX 480 8 GB Reference
36.6 (32min) fps ∼25%
64.3 (55min) fps ∼27%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, 4790K
MSI Gaming Z GeForce GTX 970 Desktop PC
28.6 (24min) fps ∼19%
46.5 (35min) fps ∼20%
AMD Radeon RX 470 (Desktop), 4790K
MSI RX 470 Gaming X 4GB
59.4 (51min) fps ∼25%
98 (82min) fps ∼33%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 4700MQ
Schenker W504
48.7 (42min) fps ∼21%
71.3 (53min) fps ∼24%
124 (110min) fps ∼36%
158 (134min) fps ∼45%
212 (197min) fps ∼42%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
MSI GE72 7RE-046
39.2 (34min) fps ∼17%
74.2 (53min) fps ∼25%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 4700MQ
Schenker W504
38.4 (33min) fps ∼16%
58 (48min) fps ∼20%
78.1 (68min) fps ∼22%
143 (121min) fps ∼41%
198 (172min) fps ∼39%
AMD Radeon R7 370, 4790K
MSI Gaming R7 370 2GB
27 (24min) fps ∼11%
53.7 (49min) fps ∼18%
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Desktop), 4790K
XFX RX-460P4DFG5 Double Dissipation 4 GB
28.2 (24min) fps ∼12%
51.7 (46min) fps ∼18%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
MSI GL62M 7RD-077
31 (27min) fps ∼13%
63.7 (53min) fps ∼22%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, 6700HQ
MSI GE72 965M Ti
22.6 (20min) fps ∼10%
43.9 (39min) fps ∼15%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ
Schenker XMG A505
20.3 (17min) fps ∼9%
40.4 (29min) fps ∼14%
53.8 (45min) fps ∼15%
102 (93min) fps ∼29%
166 (149min) fps ∼33%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ
MSI PE60 2QD
17.2 (14min) fps ∼7%
34.1 (30min) fps ∼12%
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, 6700HQ
MSI CX72 6QD
15.8 (13min) fps ∼5%
30.7 fps ∼9%
71 (66min) fps ∼14%
NVIDIA GeForce 940M, 5700HQ
MSI GP62 2QD
17.6 (15min) fps ∼6%
24.3 (21min) fps ∼7%
66 (58min) fps ∼13%
AMD Radeon R9 M280X, FX-7600P
Asus N551ZU-CN007H
31 (27min) fps ∼11%
48 (32min) fps ∼14%
NVIDIA GeForce 920M, 2970M
MSI CX61 2QC 2970M MS-16GD
20.5 (18min) fps ∼6%
50.4 (47min) fps ∼10%
Intel HD Graphics 4600, 4700MQ
Schenker W504
14.2 (11min) fps ∼4%
30.9 (27min) fps ∼6%

Overview

Show Restrictions
PosModel< PrevNext >Dirt 4
 Dirt 4 (2017)
low
1280x720
Ultra Low Preset
med.
1920x1080
Medium Preset
4xAF
high
1920x1080
High Preset
8xAF 2xMSAA
ultra
1920x1080
Ultra Preset
16xAF 4xMSAA
4K
3840x2160
Ultra Preset
16xAF
NVIDIA Titan RTX
323
254
220
192
124
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
364n2
267.5n2
230.5n2
183n2
125n2
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super (Desktop)
289
226
197
161
102
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop)
314.4n2
249.15n2
215.9n2
160.3n2
99.6n2
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
246
202
135
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
177
109
77
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
315.5
253
217.9
146
91.1
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super (Desktop)
354.5n2
261n2
218n2
142.5n2
87.75n2
AMD Radeon VII
324
255
224
150
84
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Desktop)
310.7n3
243.4n3
208.5n3
131.8n3
78.6n3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
339
240
131.75n2
88n3
67
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Desktop)
288n2
226.5n2
195.5n2
127n2
74.5n2
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
242
175
104
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
218.5n2
157n2
103.5n2
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop)
312
196
117
68
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
162n4
101.1n4
59
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti (Desktop)
57.9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
174
132
77.7
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56
324
251
176
112
63
PosModel< PrevNext >Dirt 4
low med. high ultra 4K
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
231
150
84
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop)
323.45n2
225.75n2
166.5n2
94.4n2
55.65n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q
142.5n2
86.85n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
297.05n2
202n2
129n5
79.5n5
47.6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (Desktop)
288
227
168
98
54.3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
118.2n2
74.85n4
40.5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
332
163
105
69.1
38.3
AMD Radeon RX 590 (Desktop)
308.5
220.1
131.4
79.2
44.9
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Desktop)
250
185.6
120.1
70.2
39.8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop)
323.95n2
170.95n2
115.55n2
64.7n2
37.4n2
AMD Radeon RX 570 (Desktop)
322
175
109
66
36.3
AMD Radeon RX 480 (Desktop)
64.3
36.6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
231.2n2
157.15n2
97.15n6
55.3n7
31.5n3
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop)
220
148
98.5
57.7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop)
316
165
112
61
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
46.5
28.6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
119.5n3
87.1n3
48.3n3
28.8
AMD Radeon RX 470 (Desktop)
98
59.4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
212
124
71.3
48.7
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH
202.1
137.9
81.2
46.9
PosModel< PrevNext >Dirt 4
low med. high ultra 4K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
249.9
114.5
66.9n2
39.2n3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
198
78.1
58
38.4
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870
40.9
16.3
9.7
AMD Radeon Pro WX Vega M GL
194.3
97.1
54.5
31.3
18.3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
242
84.1n2
56.8n4
29.75n4
AMD Radeon R7 370
53.7
27
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
191.1
88
47.1
26.2
15.4
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Desktop)
51.7
28.2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M
43.9
22.6
AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
157
83.2
50.9
28.6
AMD Radeon RX 560 (Laptop)
176.5
83.6
49.8
28.6
AMD Radeon RX 460 (Laptop)
95.4
60.7
39.6
22.4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
166
53.8
40.4
20.3
AMD Radeon Pro 555
61.4
33.8
16.8
8.3
NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 (Desktop)
144.6n2
59.2n2
37.55n2
18.95n2
NVIDIA GeForce MX150
119.1n2
52.9n3
33.3n3
18.85n2
AMD Radeon RX 540
126.95n2
47.85n2
30.1n2
18.4n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M
34.1
17.2
AMD Radeon R9 M280X
48
31
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
38.2
33.6n2
21
PosModel< PrevNext >Dirt 4
low med. high ultra 4K
NVIDIA GeForce MX130
85.9
33.3
17.1
9.7
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
71n3
30.7n3
15.8n3
9.6n2
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
83.75n2
33.55n2
19.05n2
10
NVIDIA GeForce 940M
66
24.3
17.6
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650
64
21.3
14.2
NVIDIA GeForce 930M
62.2
23.2
NVIDIA GeForce MX110
65.3
24.6
13.6
8.1
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
27.5
NVIDIA GeForce 920MX
62.4
25.2
13
7.9
AMD Radeon R7 (Bristol Ridge)
40.9
AMD Radeon R7 (Kaveri)
54
21.1
NVIDIA GeForce 920M
50.4
20.5
AMD Radeon 520
46.4
16.6
9.6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
57.5
21.6
12.6
Intel UHD Graphics 630
52
13.8
Intel HD Graphics 630
44.2
13.1
Intel HD Graphics 530
41.9
AMD Radeon R5 (Bristol Ridge)
39.2
12.1
Intel UHD Graphics 620
48.3n2
13.6
11.2
Intel HD Graphics 620
44.8
12.4
9.9
PosModel< PrevNext >Dirt 4
low med. high ultra 4K
Intel HD Graphics 5600
39.7
AMD Radeon HD 8650G
21.7
NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M
33.9
AMD Radeon R5 M255
49.5
19.1
15.6
Intel HD Graphics 520
33.7
Intel Iris Graphics 6100
45.8
NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M
34.1
13.6
AMD Radeon R5 (Stoney Ridge)
32.8
Intel HD Graphics 6000
41.3
Intel HD Graphics 4600
28.35n2
Intel HD Graphics 5500
34.2
Intel HD Graphics 615
31.4
AMD Radeon HD 7660G
29.6
Intel HD Graphics 515
26.6
Intel HD Graphics 610
26.8
Intel HD Graphics 4400
21.2
8
Intel UHD Graphics 605
18.8
Intel HD Graphics 505
14.7
AMD Radeon R4 (Stoney Ridge)
29.4
AMD Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L)
23.4
13.3
PosModel< PrevNext >Dirt 4
low med. high ultra 4K
Intel HD Graphics 500
10
5.6
AMD Radeon HD 7420G
15.5
Intel HD Graphics (Haswell)
16.4
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail)
6
(-) * 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.

Test Systems

System Graphics Card Processor RAM Operating System
Desktop-PC I MSI GeForce GTX 1080 (8 GB GDDR5X)
MSI GeForce GTX 1070 (8 GB GDDR5)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB GDDR5)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 (4 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i7-6700K 2x 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 i7-4790K 2x 4 GB DDR3 Windows 10 64 Bit
Asus G752VS Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8 GB GDDR5) Intel Core i7-6820HK 4x 16 GB DDR4 Windows 10 64 Bit
MSI GT62VR Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB GDDR5) Intel Core i7-6820HK 4x 8 GB DDR4 Windows 10 64 Bit
MSI GE72 Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB GDDR5) Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2x 4 GB DDR4 Windows 10 64 Bit
Asus GL753VD Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5) Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2x 8 GB DDR4 Windows 10 64 Bit
MSI GL62 Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (2 GB GDDR5) Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2x 4 GB DDR4 Windows 10 64 Bit
Schenker W504 Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M (8 GB GDDR5)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M (6 GB GDDR5)
Intel Core i7-4700MQ 2x 4 GB DDR3 Windows 10 64 Bit
MSI GE72 Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M (2 GB GDDR5) Intel Core i7-6700HQ 1x 8 GB DDR4 Windows 10 64 Bit
Schenker XMG A505 Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M (2 GB GDDR5) Intel Core i7-4720HQ 2x 4 GB DDR3 Windows 10 64 Bit
MSI PE60 Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M (2 GB GDDR5) Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2x 4 GB DDR4 Windows 10 64 Bit
MSI GP62 Nvidia GeForce 940M (2 GB DDR3) Intel Core i7-5700HQ 1x 8 GB DDR3 Windows 10 64 Bit
MSI CX61 Nvidia GeForce 920M (2 GB DDR3) Intel Celeron 2970M 1x 8 GB DDR3 Windows 10 64 Bit
Asus N551ZU AMD Radeon R9 M280X (4 GB GDDR5) AMD FX-7600P 2x 4 GB DDR3 Windows 10 64 Bit
4K Display Nvidia driver AMD driver Intel driver
2 x Asus PB287Q ForceWare 382.53 Crimson 17.6.1 15.40.34.4624
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Florian Glaser, 2017-06-12 (Update: 2017-06-15)