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Square Enix’s free FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail benchmark is a Windows utility that runs game scenes to estimate how a PC may perform. It also includes the character creator, including female Hrothgar, but it is not a free trial and does not include the Windows game.
What the Dawntrail benchmark does
The benchmark plays scenes using maps and characters from FINAL FANTASY XIV and assigns the PC a performance score. It previews the graphical update planned for Patch 7.0, with stated goals that include improving screen-wide aesthetics, texture and shadow resolution, and material quality while preserving the game’s existing style.
You can use its character creator without connecting to the game’s servers or signing in to a Square Enix account. Appearance data created there can be used in the retail game on the same PC. The tool is useful for checking an approximate performance result and trying character creation; it does not provide access to the game itself.
Will the Dawntrail benchmark run on my PC?
Square Enix’s official overview lists 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11, DirectX 11-compatible graphics hardware and drivers, and a minimum resolution of 1024×720. The benchmark is not available for Mac. The listed overview does not specify detailed CPU or GPU model thresholds, so check Square Enix’s full requirements before downloading.
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#1 Best Overall
The download is a ZIP of approximately 3.97 GB. You must accept the software license to download it. Square Enix explicitly says the download does not include the Windows PC game; the benchmark is not a free trial.
How to run it and get a useful score
- Download the benchmark ZIP from Square Enix’s official benchmark page after reviewing the requirements and accepting the license.
- Extract the ZIP and launch the benchmark utility in Windows.
- Choose a graphics preset and resolution. Higher settings and resolutions place more stress on the PC. The available resolutions depend on the monitor; listed options include 1280×720, 1920×1080, and 4K (3840×2160). DLSS is available only with a graphics card that supports NVIDIA DLSS.
- Let the cutscenes finish. The guide says playback takes about six minutes, and the benchmark will not show a score if playback stops before completion.
- Review the score and system specifications. The utility can save a report containing them as a text file.
For a meaningful comparison between runs, keep the graphics preset and resolution consistent and account for differences in the PC’s CPU and GPU. Square Enix notes that internal GPU optimization on the first run can delay playback and lower that score; a repeat run may give a more accurate assessment.
Rank #2
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What your Dawntrail benchmark score means
Square Enix groups results into eight bands. These are the official score ranges and labels, not guarantees about how the retail game will perform.
| Score | Official performance label |
|---|---|
| 15,000 or higher | Extremely High Performance |
| 11,000–14,999 | Very High Performance |
| 8,000–10,999 | High Performance |
| 6,000–7,999 | Fairly High Performance |
| 4,000–5,999 | Standard Performance |
| 2,000–3,999 | Slightly Low Performance |
| 1,000–1,999 | Low Performance |
| Under 1,000 | Insufficient Performance |
Square Enix cautions that the score is for reference and does not guarantee that a system will run FINAL FANTASY XIV. It also says Dawntrail benchmark scores may be up to 20% lower than Endwalker benchmark scores on identical system specifications. Treat the result as an estimate under the settings you selected, not as a promise of stable gameplay or proof that a PC cannot run the game.
Why the benchmark was updated
Square Enix announced the benchmark alongside the Patch 7.0 graphical update and the addition of female Hrothgar character creation. Its version 1.1 notes, dated June 3, 2024, list character-model adjustments, character-creator lighting changes, and the removal of the Texture Filtering option from Graphics Settings 4. The Lodestone update notice says those adjustments followed player feedback.
The benchmark is separate from the Dawntrail expansion. The expansion is intended for existing FINAL FANTASY XIV users; whether you need to buy it depends on what game content you want, not on whether you can run this benchmark.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Release date is tentative, updates will be posted on the page
Official information
- Square Enix Dawntrail benchmark overview and download
- Square Enix Lodestone benchmark launch announcement
- Square Enix Lodestone version 1.1 update notice
- Square Enix Dawntrail product page
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