Dota 2 Performance, Benchmarked

Features
By Don Woligroski
published

Dota 2 is one of the most popular games around. And, it's free-to-play, so anyone can try it out. How much hardware do you need to enjoy this title at smooth frame rates? Not much, it turns out. We test a number of CPUs and GPUs at different settings.

Results: High Details, 2560x1600

With triple-monitor resolutions currently unsupported by Dota 2, 2560x1600 is as high as we can go for taxing graphics hardware using this title, at least until 4K displays become more affordable.

Only the GeForce GTX 650 straddles 30 FPS, but its performance is plenty smooth for this game. AMD's Radeon HD 7750 1 GB gives us at least 35 FPS on average, the Radeon HD 7770 and GeForce GTX 650 Ti stay above 45 FPS, and all the other contenders average more than 70 FPS in our benchmark run.

Charting out frame rate over time shows some variance between the four cards held under 60 FPS.

The rate at which frames are delivered is extremely consistent across the entire field at this high-resolution setting. Even the 95th percentile numbers never crest five milliseconds.

Don Woligroski
80 Comments Comment from the forums
  • rdc85
    As A former DoTA player.. (original WC ver.)

    I'm so glad they keep the game mechanic and the system requirement low...

    the one problems i had is no near server in my country, and the internet connection is quite bad...
    I'm wonder if this game is playable on LAN or private/local server?
    Reply
  • Cellarian
    Some items offer in-game advantages, but Valve committed to a true free-to-play strategy (not pay-to-win), so none of the cash items are powerful enough to make or break a match.
    Just being nit-picky, but Dota 2 offers only cosmetic items. So all of the items you can buy have no power at all.
    Reply
  • de5_Roy
    did i see that right - hd 4000 beat 7660 igpu in low res gaming. the 7660 igpu was designed to perform for this kind of games. looks like intel is stepping up to the game, geddit?:P i hope rabid amd fanboys (r.a.l.f.) don't rage at toms like they did at xbitlabs when they showed hd4000 beat 7660 in f1 2012 @1080p low q.... *fingers crossed*
    and desktop core i3 is keeping up with fx8350 and then beats it in avg fps? so much for moar cores. the time has come again to recommend core i3 over fx!! relax c.a.l.f., i am kidding, it's not 2011 anymore. :P
    i think..... this is the second multiplayer game since the guild wars 2 where core i3 has taken a lead.

    kidding aside, could you test core i5 3570k or 3470 (at stock) instead of core i5 3550, the 3570k is selling for $220 at newegg, i5 3550 is $225 and fx8350 is $200(excl. shipping). i5 3470 is selling for $200 and with a mobo like asus z77-v lx, i think it can hit 4 ghz with multicore turbo enabled.
    Reply
  • dudewitbow
    de5_Roydid i see that right - hd 4000 beat 7660 igpu in low res gaming. the 7660 igpu was designed to perform for this kind of games. looks like intel is stepping up to the game, geddit? i hope rabid amd fanboys (r.a.l.f.) don't rage at toms like they did at xbitlabs when they showed hd4000 beat 7660 in f1 2012 @1080p low q.... *fingers crossed* and desktop core i3 is keeping up with fx8350 and then beats it in avg fps? so much for moar cores. the time has come again to recommend core i3 over fx!! relax c.a.l.f., i am kidding, it's not 2011 anymore. i think..... this is the second multiplayer game since the guild wars 2 where core i3 has taken a lead. kidding aside, could you test core i5 3570k or 3470 (at stock) instead of core i5 3550, the 3570k is selling for $220 at newegg, i5 3550 is $225 and fx8350 is $200(excl. shipping). i5 3470 is selling for $200 and with a mobo like asus z77-v lx, i think it can hit 4 ghz with multicore turbo enabled.

    no one is going to rage, its a low requirement game as for cpu, all they needed to test was the general core difference. if your quad core intel cpu is faster than the tested cpu, then just add a few fps to the tested results +/- irregularities with systems and testing situations. the cpus chosen were just a bunch of cpus of different core count and architectures to gather data from modernish cpus for the game. No one is really going to argue against something like a 4.5 3570k being better than like a i5-3470 at max turbo clock. Its generally accepted that clocks in the same architecture will make it run better.
    Reply
  • digiex
    Just cheek the steam site, you have to pay $29.99 for the early access pack. Still waiting for the final release for true "free to play".
    Reply
  • shahrooz
    finally, a Dota 2 bench, thank you tom's. anyone who needs an invite add me on steam. you can find me there as pop.
    Reply
  • rakadedo
    That is a supporter pack that comes with a lot of cosmetic items. If you just want to play go look online for keys to activate on steam. There's thousands of people drowning in keys with no one to give them to.
    Reply
  • beckstrom12
    @shahrooz Go to http://blog.dota2.com/ and click sign up on the right. They will send you a key via email, and probably 5 others. The game is really fun I have put a ton of hours into it.
    Reply
  • shahrooz
    @beckstrom12 I have access to Dota 2, I was offering invites to those who don't.
    Reply
  • slomo4sho
    I wonder when multi-monitor supported is going to be added.
    Reply