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HotHardware tested 14 graphics cards in the Warframe: 1999 playable demo in October 2024. Its chart put the GeForce RTX 4080 in front and the Radeon RX 7700 XT alongside the GeForce RTX 3080. The test output at 4K UHD, but it was not native 4K rendering: Quality upscaling reduced the render resolution to 2560×1440.
How HotHardware ran the benchmark
In Zak Killian’s October 19, 2024, HotHardware article, the team played the full ten-minute demo 45 times. Each of the 14 GPUs received three runs, which HotHardware averaged for its reported results. The repeated testing mattered because enemies spawned procedurally, creating run-to-run variation.
- Output resolution: 4K UHD, or 3840×2160.
- Render resolution: 2560×1440 with Quality upscaling.
- Graphics preset: High.
- Upscaling: DLSS on GeForce cards and FSR 2.2 on the other tested cards.
- Test content: the same ten-minute playable demo, repeated 45 times across the testing process.
So “4K” describes the displayed output, not the resolution at which the game rendered internally. This distinction matters when comparing the chart with results from native 4K tests or benchmarks using different upscaling settings. HotHardware’s benchmark report is the source for the test method and its findings.
What the 14-GPU results showed
HotHardware reported the GeForce RTX 4080 at the top of its chart. It said the Radeon RX 7700 XT pulled alongside the GeForce RTX 3080. Those are relative findings from this demo, build, route, and settings—not a full card-by-card performance ranking that can be applied to other games or systems.
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The article described most of the tested cards as fundamentally playable, with the Intel Arc A580 and GeForce RTX 3060 as possible exceptions. It also said the Arc cards performed poorly, but did not settle why. Driver optimization and how the game matched Intel’s Alchemist architecture were raised as possibilities, not confirmed causes. The available results do not support assigning a specific frame rate or a definitive explanation to either card.
Why this is not a current GPU buying guide
The benchmark was published on October 19, 2024, using the then-available Warframe: 1999 demo. Its results are tied to that build, the High preset, 4K UHD output with 2560×1440 upscaled rendering, and HotHardware’s chosen demo route. They do not establish performance in later game versions, other missions, native-resolution rendering, or different PC configurations. Nor do they compare these cards with newer GPU generations.
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Use the article to understand how those 14 cards fared under one documented test, not to choose a GPU today. HotHardware’s report does not provide enough detailed chart data here to support a complete quantitative comparison or a value ranking.
What the demo included and how access was described
Digital Extremes announced the short playable preview for October 16, 2024. Players control Arthur, explore Höllvania, ride an Atomicycle, and take part in a special Exterminate mission. The original announcement said access required completing the Awakening and Vor’s Prize quests, and that completing the demo awarded the Protokol Longsword Skin. See the official demo announcement for that original access information.
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Later, the December 2024 Update 38 notes described access after the full Warframe: 1999 launch: players who had completed Vor’s Prize but not The Hex could open the demo from the Orbiter console; players who had completed The Hex could choose “Play Demo” on the Update Highlights screen. The notes also covered the skin reward for players who had not already earned it. These instructions reflect the Update 38 notes and may not match newer game updates. Check the official Update 38 notes alongside later announcements for current access details.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What official PC requirements do—and do not—tell you
Warframe Support lists a DirectX 11-compatible video card as part of the broad minimum PC requirements and recommends stronger hardware for an optimal experience. It does not provide a specific GPU recommendation for the Warframe: 1999 demo, so those general requirements cannot be used to validate HotHardware’s benchmark results or predict performance in this particular preview. The current support page is titled “What are the minimum PC specs for Warframe?”.
Quick Recap
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