Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail Benchmark: How to check your system

The new Final Fantasy 14 update is here, and it comes with many graphical changes that players can optimize using the Dawntrail Benchmark. Additionally, the big news we've all been waiting for has been announced: the official Dawntrail update will be free to download on April 14, 2024, at midnight PDT. However, not all systems will give the optimal graphic results.

Read on if you're curious whether your computer can handle the impressive graphics update or if you need to optimize your PC for Final Fantasy 14.

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail System Requirement

Minimum and Optimal system requirement for the Dawnntrail update (Image via Square Enix)

Most of these requirements for Final Fantasy 14 are because of the new big graphic update, especially for character models. This has resulted in significant changes to skin texture, eye quality, and hair graphics, especially for more detailed hairstyles. These changes may strain your PC more, especially since Intel plans to stop supporting certain CPUs, leading to additional compatibility requirements.

With the graphics upgrades, big shifts in the system requirements are needed for smooth gameplay. To fully enjoy the game, you must optimize your PC for Final Fantasy 14. Here are the minimum and recommended system requirements to run FFXIV Dawntrail smoothly:

Minimum System Requirements to play Dawntrail:

Operating System (OS): Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11 64-bit
Processor: Intel® Core™i7-7700 or higher
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, AMD Radeon RX 480
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 140 GB

Recommended System Requirements to play Dawntrail:

Operating System (OS): Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i7-9700 or better
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 140GB available on HDD/SSD
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
Screen Resolution: 1920x1080

You can play Dawntrail on the lowest settings if you don't mind giving up some faraway details like sharpness and distance rendering. However, things might look fuzzy and not as far off in the distance. You will need a computer that meets or comes close to the recommended settings mentioned above to see all the cool graphical improvements.

How to use the Dawntrail benchmark tool for Final Fantasy 14

The Dawntrail Benchmark allows you to check if your system can handle the update (Image via Square Enix)

Square Enix released a special tool to check how well your computer can run the new Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail expansion. You can grab the FFXIV Dawntrail benchmark from the official Dawntrail website. This tool shows you scenes from the game and lets you change the graphics settings. By running the tool, you can see if your computer can handle the new expansion's good-looking characters and detailed areas.

Here's how to use the benchmark tool to see how well Dawntrail will run on your PC:

Download and Launch: Download the Dawntrail benchmark tool from the official Final Fantasy 14 website. After installation, run the software. You might need to adjust your PC settings or change the language.

Launcher Settings: A launcher window will appear. Here you can:

Adjust graphics settings for the benchmark (presets or custom).
Import settings if you already have the game installed.
Choose a monitor resolution for the benchmark.
Enable DLSS upscaling if your graphics card supports it (improves graphics performance).

Character Selection (Optional): You can pick characters you created in the game to appear in the benchmark cutscenes.

Looped Playback (Optional): This feature in Dawntrail Benchmark lets the cutscenes play on repeat but won't provide a final score and might limit the frame rate.

Run the Benchmark: Click "Cutscene Playback" to start the benchmark. The cutscenes will play for about six minutes. Don't stop playback early, or you won't get results.

Viewing Results: After the cutscenes, the launcher will show your results, including your score and PC specs. Based on your score, you'll also get a performance rating through your Benchmark.

Understanding the Score: The score indicates how well the game will run on your PC. Here's a breakdown of the ratings:

Extremely High (15000+): Runs the game on the highest settings.
Very High (11000-14999): Runs exceptionally well, even at higher resolutions.
High (8000-10999): Runs the game well, even at higher resolutions.
Fairly High (6000-7999): Runs the game on default settings; consider a higher resolution for better performance.
Standard (4000-5999): Runs the game on default settings.
Slightly Low (2000-3999): May experience slowdown; adjust settings for improvement.
Low (1000-1999): Significant slowdown; adjusting settings might not help much.
Insufficient (<1000): Doesn't meet the minimum requirements to run the game.

Players must note that the score does not guarantee that the system will run the game. Please use the scores generated by the benchmark for reference only.

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