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God of War Ragnarök review: Laptop and desktop benchmarks

The Return of Kratos.

Almost three years after its predecessor, God of War Ragnarök is set to be released for PC. While many gamers are frustrated by the PSN requirement, the technology and system requirements are quite impressive. We have created numerous benchmarks for this review.
God of War Ragnarök

Test systems

XMG Neo 16 E23 (RTX 4090)
XMG Neo 16 E23 (RTX 4090)
Razer Blade 16 Mid 23 (RTX 4080)
Razer Blade 16 Mid 23 (RTX 4080)
XMG Pro 15 E23 (RTX 4070)
XMG Pro 15 E23 (RTX 4070)
Razer Blade 14 Mid 23 (RTX 4060)
Razer Blade 14 Mid 23 (RTX 4060)
Medion Erazer Scout E20 (RTX 4050)
Medion Erazer Scout E20 (RTX 4050)
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14 (Arc 8)
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14 (Arc 8)
Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme (Radeon 780M)
Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme (Radeon 780M)
Philips Evnia 4K gaming monitor 329M1RV
Philips Evnia 4K gaming monitor 329M1RV
be quiet! Silent Base 802 (RTX 4080 & RX 7900 XT)
be quiet! Silent Base 802 (RTX 4080 & RX 7900 XT)

We ran our gaming benchmarks on these devices. Clicking on the various images will take you to the respective producer's website. Further details on the devices' specifications are listed at the end of the article.

Tech

In contrast to the 2022 release of God of War, which has an overall rating of "Extremely good" on Steam, the sequel currently holds a "Mixed" rating. The main reason for this is the requirement for a PlayStation Network account, which many find frustrating for a single-player title on PC.

God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök

God of War Ragnarök delivers a high-quality gameplay experience. The same can be said for the graphics; just like its predecessor, the developers have created atmospheric and detailed landscapes that come to life on screen. Players will also find plenty of options in the settings menu. In the display section of the graphics tab, users can change the aspect ratio, enable or disable V-Sync, set a frame rate limit, and adjust latency reduction, as well as activate or deactivate Frame Generation. Additionally, the picture mode offers only the native resolution without upscaling in full screen.

God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök

We continue with the modern scaling features. God of War Ragnarök supports the full range of DLSS, FSR, and XeSS across several quality levels. There are also four presets that affect nearly ten settings. A VRAM usage display can assist in finding the optimal level. The remaining options primarily relate to the camera and are thus less relevant for graphics enthusiasts.

God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök

Top: All customizations are applied without the need for a restart. The shader compiling process, familiar from many games, takes between a few seconds and a few minutes on the initial launch, depending on the system or graphics card. The loading times are also reasonable. However, the game's size is quite substantial. While the download is around 100 GB, it requires more than 170 GB on the storage device. We did not encounter any crashes or graphics errors during our testing.

Benchmark

For the benchmarks, we focus on the very beginning of the game, where the two main characters travel through a snowy landscape on a dog sled (see video). The CapFrameX tool is utilized to record the frame rate for just under a minute. Based on our experience, the game can be enjoyed adequately at an average frame rate of 40 FPS.

Results


FHD (1,920 x 1,080)

Intel graphics chips currently do not seem to perform well with God of War Ragnarök. The iGPU Arc 8, which typically matches or even outperforms the Radeon 780M, struggles significantly in this case and cannot run the game smoothly at any resolution or settings. With a Radeon 780M, you can achieve at least 1,280 x 720 pixels at the Low preset (approximately 35 FPS). For Full HD gaming, a dedicated mid-range GPU is recommended. The GeForce RTX 4050 can handle 1,920 x 1,080 pixels at the Ultra preset with more than 60 FPS, indicating moderate system requirements.

God of War Ragnarök
    1920x1080 Low Preset AA:T     1920x1080 Medium Preset AA:T     1920x1080 High Preset AA:T     1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, i9-13900K
Desktop-PC Asus ROG Strix Z790-F
294 (208min, 231P0.1, 251P1) fps ∼100%
260 (178.2min, 209P0.1, 225P1) fps ∼100%
230 (176.9min, 192.2P0.1, 205P1) fps ∼100%
214 (167.9min, 179.4P0.1, 189.5P1) fps ∼100%
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, i9-13900K
Desktop-PC Asus ROG Strix Z790-F
225 (139.3min, 163.8P0.1, 179P1) fps ∼77%
219 (135.7min, 159.3P0.1, 172.7P1) fps ∼84%
195.7 (132.7min, 142.8P0.1, 157.3P1) fps ∼85%
182.9 (117.7min, 127.5P0.1, 147.4P1) fps ∼85%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, i9-13900HX
XMG Neo 16 E23
225 (50min, 156P0.1, 181.3P1) fps ∼77%
201 (138min, 154P0.1, 167.7P1) fps ∼77%
177.7 (105.3min, 139.4P0.1, 152.4P1) fps ∼77%
163.3 (116.1min, 131.4P0.1, 141.5P1) fps ∼76%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, i9-13950HX
Razer Blade 16 Mid 23
180.1 (45.1min, 114.6P0.1, 141.1P1) fps ∼61%
153.1 (66.7min, 105.1P0.1, 124P1) fps ∼59%
140.4 (59.7min, 88.7P0.1, 113.3P1) fps ∼61%
126.8 (74.9min, 88.9P0.1, 103.9P1) fps ∼59%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, i9-13900HX
XMG Pro 15 E23
147.7 (96.2min, 108.4P0.1, 122.7P1) fps ∼50%
123 (95min, 100.1P0.1, 106.9P1) fps ∼47%
110.9 (84.4min, 91.4P0.1, 96.9P1) fps ∼48%
101.1 (82.8min, 85.7P0.1, 89.8P1) fps ∼47%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, R9 7940HS
Razer Blade 14 Mid 23
118.7 (77.6min, 96.8P0.1, 104.2P1) fps ∼40%
97 (79.1min, 83.3P0.1, 87.2P1) fps ∼37%
85 (73.8min, 75.5P0.1, 78.1P1) fps ∼37%
78.9 (66.5min, 69P0.1, 71.4P1) fps ∼37%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, i7-13700H
Medion Erazer Scout E20
83.8 (46.4min, 49.6P0.1, 58.8P1) fps ∼29%
82.3 (47.3min, 52P0.1, 57.2P1) fps ∼32%
72.7 (37.4min, 46.3P0.1, 52.7P1) fps ∼32%
67.2 (40.2min, 42.5P0.1, 50.1P1) fps ∼31%
AMD Radeon 780M, Z1 Extreme
Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme
25.4 (10.4min, 11.9P0.1, 21.2P1) fps ∼9%
25.2 (13.4min, 14.1P0.1, 21.3P1) fps ∼10%
21.6 (12.3min, 16.1P0.1, 18.5P1) fps ∼9%
19.1 (5.31min, 10.3P0.1, 15.8P1) fps ∼9%
Intel Arc 8-Core iGPU, Ultra 7 155H
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14
10.6 (7.47min, 7.47P0.1, 7.7P1) fps ∼4%
10.4 (7.69min, 7.76P0.1, 7.86P1) fps ∼4%
10.1 (7.34min, 7.4P0.1, 7.53P1) fps ∼4%
10 (6.78min, 6.8P0.1, 6.95P1) fps ∼5%

QHD (2,560 x 1,440)

Even in the QHD range, a high-end graphics card is not necessary. The aforementioned GeForce RTX 4050 exceeds the 40 FPS mark while running at 2,560 x 1,440 pixels with maximum details.

God of War Ragnarök
    2560x1440 Ultra Preset AA:T     2560x1440 Ultra Preset + Quality DLSS     2560x1440 Ultra Preset + Quality FSR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, i9-13900K
Desktop-PC Asus ROG Strix Z790-F
166.4 (141.7min, 146P0.1, 152.3P1) fps ∼100%
216 (161.8min, 179.2P0.1, 192.1P1) fps ∼100%
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, i9-13900K
Desktop-PC Asus ROG Strix Z790-F
140.1 (106.3min, 112.2P0.1, 119.4P1) fps ∼84%
177.9 (126.3min, 133.7P0.1, 146.4P1) fps ∼100%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, i9-13900HX
XMG Neo 16 E23
123.1 (79.1min, 97.7P0.1, 108.3P1) fps ∼74%
166 (112.6min, 128.3P0.1, 144P1) fps ∼77%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, i9-13950HX
Razer Blade 16 Mid 23
94.8 (50.5min, 66.4P0.1, 79.9P1) fps ∼57%
129.7 (67.1min, 86.5P0.1, 106.1P1) fps ∼60%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, i9-13900HX
XMG Pro 15 E23
74 (57min, 62.5P0.1, 66.5P1) fps ∼44%
102.5 (83.4min, 84.8P0.1, 90.6P1) fps ∼47%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, R9 7940HS
Razer Blade 14 Mid 23
58 (51.8min, 53.1P0.1, 54P1) fps ∼35%
80.2 (65.6min, 71.1P0.1, 73.5P1) fps ∼37%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, i7-13700H
Medion Erazer Scout E20
49 (31.8min, 34P0.1, 37P1) fps ∼29%
68.4 (43.6min, 44.9P0.1, 49.5P1) fps ∼32%

UHD (3,840 x 2,160)

As is often the case, 4K screens can be quite demanding. For 3,840 x 2,160 pixels (without upscaling) at the Ultra preset, we recommend at least a GeForce RTX 4070. However, if you enable DLSS in Quality mode, an RTX 4050 will be sufficient.

God of War Ragnarök
    3840x2160 Ultra Preset AA:T     3840x2160 Ultra Preset + Quality DLSS     3840x2160 Ultra Preset + Quality FSR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, i9-13900K
Desktop-PC Asus ROG Strix Z790-F
100.8 (77.6min, 89.2P0.1, 94P1) fps ∼100%
146.5 (120.6min, 129.1P0.1, 134.5P1) fps ∼100%
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, i9-13900K
Desktop-PC Asus ROG Strix Z790-F
86.1 (51.4min, 74.2P0.1, 77.5P1) fps ∼85%
117.4 (91.9min, 96.5P0.1, 101.8P1) fps ∼100%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, i9-13900HX
XMG Neo 16 E23
73.5 (55.8min, 63.5P0.1, 67.5P1) fps ∼73%
109.6 (67.3min, 93.4P0.1, 99.4P1) fps ∼75%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, i9-13950HX
Razer Blade 16 Mid 23
56.2 (41.6min, 46.5P0.1, 50.3P1) fps ∼56%
83.7 (21.4min, 52.8P0.1, 71.8P1) fps ∼57%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, i9-13900HX
XMG Pro 15 E23
43 (38.2min, 38.3P0.1, 39.9P1) fps ∼43%
63.3 (53.1min, 54.6P0.1, 57.6P1) fps ∼43%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, R9 7940HS
Razer Blade 14 Mid 23
33.9 (30.9min, 31P0.1, 31.7P1) fps ∼34%
50.5 (45min, 45.3P0.1, 47.2P1) fps ∼34%
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, i7-13700H
Medion Erazer Scout E20
21.2 (16min, 17.5P0.1, 18.3P1) fps ∼21%
41.3 (29.6min, 30.3P0.1, 32.3P1) fps ∼28%

Overview

Show Restrictions
PosModel< PrevNext >God of War Ragnarök
 God of War Ragnarök (2024)
low
1920x1080
Low Preset
TAA
med.
1920x1080
Medium Preset
TAA
high
1920x1080
High Preset
TAA
ultra
1920x1080
Ultra Preset
TAA
QHD DLSS
2560x1440
Ultra Preset + Quality DLSS
QHD FSR
2560x1440
Ultra Preset + Quality FSR
QHD
2560x1440
Ultra Preset
TAA
4K DLSS
3840x2160
Ultra Preset + Quality DLSS
4K FSR
3840x2160
Ultra Preset + Quality FSR
4K
3840x2160
Ultra Preset
TAA
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
294
260
230
214
216
166.4
146.5
100.8
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
225
219
195.7
182.9
177.9
140.1
117.4
86.1
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
225
201
177.7
163.3
166
138
125.1n2
109.6
113.9
78.15n2
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU
180.1
153.1
140.4
126.8
129.7
94.8
83.7
56.2
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
147.7
123
110.9
101.1
102.5
74
63.3
43
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
118.7
97
85
78.9
80.2
58
50.5
33.9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU
83.8
82.3
72.7
67.2
68.4
49
41.3
21.2
Intel Arc Graphics 140V
25.8
25.7
21.9
20.6
Intel Arc Graphics 130V
18.7
18.5
16.2
15.7
Intel Arc 8-Core iGPU
10.6
10.4
10.1
10
AMD Radeon 780M
25.4
25.2
21.6
19.1
AMD Radeon 740M
19.9
14.3
11.9
10.5
AMD Radeon 610M
10.1
8
(-) * 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 system details

Laptop Graphics card Processor RAM
XMG Neo 16 E23 Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 @175 W TGP (16 GB GDDR6X) Intel Core i9-13900HX 2 x 16 GB DDR5
Razer Blade 16 Mid 23 Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 @175 W TGP (12 GB GDDR6X) Intel Core i9-13950HX 2 x 16 GB DDR5
XMG Pro 15 E23 Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 @140 W TGP (8 GB GDDR6) Intel Core i9-13900HX 2 x 16 GB DDR5
Razer Blade 14 Mid 23 Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 @140 W TGP (8 GB GDDR6) AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS 2 x 8 GB DDR5
Medion Erazer Scout E20 Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 @100 W TGP (6 GB GDDR6) Intel Core i7-13700H 2 x 8 GB DDR5
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14 Intel Arc 8 Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 2 x 16 GB LPDDR5-7467
Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme AMD Radeon 780M AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme 16 GB LPDDR5-6400
Tower PC Graphics card Processor RAM
Asus ROG Strix Z790-F Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 (16 GB GDDR6X)
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (20 GB GDDR6)
Intel Core i9-13900K 2 x 24 GB DDR5 G.Skill
4K monitor Operating system Nvidia driver AMD driver Intel driver
Philips Evnia 329M1RV Windows 11 561.09 24.8.1 101.6078
static version load dynamic
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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > God of War Ragnarök review: Laptop and desktop benchmarks
Florian Glaser, 2024-09-23 (Update: 2024-09-23)