Star Citizen: CPU-Benchmarks & Fazit
Star Citizen is a real CPU stress test: We've thoroughly tested which processors can deliver smooth frame rates.
All PCGH processor tests are run at the lowest possible 16:9 resolution with maximum detail settings. We are aware of the criticism that processor tests should also be conducted at higher resolutions to be realistic, but a CPU test focuses on the component itself. Performance can only be determined if other factors are minimized as much as possible. In a processor benchmark, this primarily refers to the graphics card: as soon as we reach the GPU limit, we are no longer testing the CPU, but the graphics card. That is not the goal of a CPU benchmark.
Star Citizen is very CPU-bound in populated stations, meaning it runs similarly across all resolutions with fast graphics cards - so that we almost deviated from our standard procedure with the lowest resolution. At least for the benchmark video, we made an exception and recorded it in Ultra HD with DLAA. Note the consistently high CPU utilization and low GPU power:
Star Citizen: CPU Benchmarks
Enough with the preamble, let's get straight to the heart of the matter. Star Citizen's CPU requirements are immense. What's more, the game can fully utilize even high-end processors like the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D(2) and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K - to an extent we haven't seen in any other game so far. When choosing the test scene, we're guided by feedback from the community: We're putting the CPUs through their paces in the "Grand Barter Market" on Levski, which vaguely resembles the Cherry Blossom Market in Cyberpunk 2077. This area has proven to be sufficiently reproducible and, like many stations in Star Citizen, is a true processor proving ground. The results:
We hope you read the info box on page 1. Star Citizen is definitely a CPU-intensive game, but with highly fluctuating frame rates. The Fps values shown therefore represent an average of at least three, and in some cases five, different measurements for each CPU - taken on different days, primarily on the EU server but also on other servers. The extent of the fluctuations makes even experienced testers question their sanity - but we were prepared for this based on community feedback. Sometimes the same CPU is 25 percent faster, sometimes it's 15 percent slower, and sometimes it produces such poor results that we have to restart the game. Want an example? In measurement #2 of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, it was 15 percent faster than the 9850X3D and was even faster than a 9950X3D. The problem: Which value is correct? The answer: All of them, because this erratic experience is the daily reality for Star Citizen players.
Fluctuations aside, the results show clear trends, including the realization that Star Citizen not only generates a high load but can actually make productive use of additional processor cores. How much of a difference the move from the usual eight cores to additional cores makes depends on the architecture. While an older Ryzen 9 5950X barely outperforms the 5800X and is once again outperformed by the 5800X3D, modern processors can deliver some truly astonishing results.
The most popular benchmark using the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition (16C/32T) delivers the highest Fps in Star Citizen in five out of six cases. What's more, it outperforms the 9850X3D (8C/16T) by a significant margin. When calculating the average, we simply excluded the most extreme outliers - for example, the result from our hand-tuned Core Ultra 9 285K, which in one test delivered only 56 average and 24 P1 Fps (compared to typical values of 60 to 75 and 35 to 40, respectively). The processors highlighted are bonus measurements with manual tuning; all other CPUs operate according to the manufacturer's specifications.
In addition to luck with server selection (and apparently also humidity and the phase of the moon in the real world), location plays a crucial role in frame rates. You can see a few examples above. On the way from the hangar to the Bench Market (pun intended), we encounter frame rates ranging from 101 to 46 Fps. All within the CPU limit. Even in Ultra HD with DLAA (native DLSS upscaling), our test card, a Geforce RTX 5090, is idling. At the time the screenshots were taken, we were logged into the EU server. The frame times from two benchmarks with the 9950X3D2 are meant to demonstrate once again just how random the performance can be. In Measurement 1, the P0.2 Fps is at 7 Fps - on par with an i7-8700K! Loading stutters are the norm, and smooth gameplay is essentially impossible. While a powerful CPU can mitigate the problem, it cannot eliminate it.
Star Citizen: Interim conclusion
Star Citizen is one of the most exciting game projects of our time. We were genuinely surprised when we first saw the enormous CPU load. We were even more surprised when the high-end CPUs actually delivered noticeably better performance than mainstream processors. Star Citizen is one of the very few games where having more than eight cores provides a real advantage. It's remarkable that the game achieves this even in the alpha stage—multi-threading is therefore a core component of the game's StarEngine. Still, it feels wrong that even with a Ryzen 9 9950X3D2, currently the most powerful desktop CPU, you have to put up with noticeable stuttering. Now, one could say that Star Citizen is a title for future hardware. But that's exactly what Chris Roberts was saying 13 (!) years ago.
The real question is: When will the game finally reach its final state and receive the much-needed performance optimizations? Polishing always takes place at the end of every game project. By then, you likely won't need a ridiculously expensive 9950X3D2 anymore; the legendary 5800X3D might even suffice. Will multi-threading improve to the point where modern 16- or 24-core processors consistently achieve triple-digit Fps? We'll find out eventually.
Star Citizen Alpha 4.7 "maxed out"
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