A few days ago, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics removed the Denuvo anti-tamper tech from Shadow of the Tomb Raider. As such, and after some reports, we’ve decided to benchmark the game and see how it performs now that Denuvo is no longer available. And, surprisingly enough, the game now runs noticeably faster.
For these benchmarks, we used an Intel i9 9900K with 16GB of DDR4 at 3600Mhz and NVIDIA’s RTX 3080. We also used Windows 10 64-bit, the GeForce 496.13 driver.
Now while Square Enix rolled back this latest update for the game, you can still access it via the Steam beta builds. For what it’s worth, this latest version ran without issues on our PC system.
As we all know, Denuvo may introduce some additional CPU overhead. As such, we’ve decided to benchmark scenes with settings that would introduce a possible CPU bottleneck. Therefore, we benchmarked the game at 1080p/Highest Settings (without Ray Tracing or DLSS) and 1080p/Lowest Settings.
Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics claimed that this latest update upgrades NVIDIA DLSS to the latest version, brings an improved shadow denoiser for use with ray traced shadows, updates to multiplayer infrastructure to use Epic Online Services and fixes specific compatibility issues with Intel GPU hardware. This is why we did not use DLSS or Ray Tracing. Apart from these improvements, this patch does not pack any CPU or memory improvements/optimizations (at least according to the developers themselves).
At 1080p/Highest Settings, we saw a small performance improvement in the built-in benchmark. The first and third/last benchmark levels/areas performed slightly better. On the other hand, the performance in the more GPU-bound second benchmark level/area remained the same.
Things got really interesting though when we lowered our settings to the Lowest. By doing this, we saw an 8fps improvement in our minimum framerates, and a 17fps improvement in average framerates. This is a noticeable performance boost. Not only that, but owners of older CPUs may see even higher performance increases.
When we disabled Hyper-Threading, the performance difference between the Denuvo and Denuvo-free versions got even bigger. The Denuvo version ran 30fps slower than the Denuvo-free version.
What this ultimately means is that Denuvo did affect performance in this particular game. Again, Crystal Dynamics did not mention any CPU/memory optimizations. Thus, this performance boost is most likely due to the removal of Denuvo. These performance improvements are also more noticeable on older CPUs. So, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a game that players can use as an example of a game running worse with the Denuvo anti-tamper tech!
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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WOAH THERE, JOHNNY! Games run better without externally active software eating up CPU resources while increasing load times?! Color me surprised!
All games with Denuvo are slower. Back 4 Blood was released in two versions: with and without denuvo. Version on Steam with Denuvo is slower than version from Game Pass that don’t use Denuvo (MS Store don’t support third party DRM)
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Yes, we know that you love Denuvo
The only truth in your comment is the first sentence. I don’t know how rxtarded you have to be to come up with the other unsubstantiated bs though.
If they don’t use Denuvo then why games like Yakuza 7 weren’t cracked for long? Oh right, because gay pass versions have even worse DRM – UWP.
And Denuvo.
But it is good that game was not cracked. This show that MS created good protection without performance penalty of Denuvo. This show that MS have better security developers than Denuvo.
You still can’t provide proof that there’s no denuvo but you keep shilling for microsoft. What is wrong with you? Run UWPDumper on your gamepass files and you will see that your “superior” version surprisingly comes with denuvo (which actually is least of problems involved with UWP garbage).
MS Store don’t support any third party DRM. MS have own solution called UWP. Denuvo works only with Win32
1. You have no idea what a DRM is
2. Microsoft fully supports 3rd party DRM
3. They do have their own solution but any developer is free to do what they want with their software
4. Denuvo x86 was abandoned years ago
4.1 Denuvo works on UWP and “Win32”
Denuvo works only with Win32 API created in old times. Windows Store use UWP which is not supported by Denuvo or any other third party DRM
I bet that you never used Windows 10 if you don’t know such basics. What system do you use? Window 7 or XP?
Uwp is not drm in the traditional sense and it doesn’t lower performance either.
Whine all you want but you’re wrong and if you don’t use pc gamepass because of the uwp wrapper (which is optional) then you’re missing out on the best value in gaming.
Pirate Bay and Co is the best value in gaming. I ain’t missing s**t.
UWP is utterly awful. I only put up with it because of Xbox Game Pass and games I had already bought before they came to Steam (eg Forza Horizon 4). If they launched a Game Pass for Steam then it’d be perfect.
UWP has been known to delete people’s saves. Personally no MCC PC
achievements were unlocking for me when I played the UWP version through XGP. I had zero issues with the Steam version.
Several mods I had for The Outer Worlds wouldn’t work on UWP version (through XGP), even after I unencrypted the UWP file locations. They all worked fine when I bought the Steam version that came out later.
Also UWP DRM has been confirmed to eat up frames. Here I am posting receipts, unlike you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiJWfhaaSY0
Then you have some issues because on 2 different PC’s I’ve never had an issue with a uwp game.
The store was garbage but it’s better now, especially gamepass which can be just use the Xbox app and the Win11 store is significantly improved.
There’s no reason to b*tch about uwp anymore and lastly there is no rule that a gamepass game or any windows store game/app has to use uwp.
Devs choose to use it because it’s a form of drm that has zero performance penalty. Yes they can include denuvo but so do games on steam so….
No performance penalty? Factually false. I posted the receipts with that Overlord Gaming video.
You’ve had no issues with UWP? Good for you. There’s still notable drawbacks.
-Game directories are encrypted, so some mods might not work. (Eg TOW save anywhere + full fast travel on Supernova difficulty mod. Didn’t work for me with the UWP version.
-UWP doesn’t support exclusive fullscreen mode, which has been known to possibly have better performance than borderless windowed mode.
I remember lots of anecdotes of people’s Cuphead saves being erased with the UWP version, when that came out.
UWP support fullscreen since 2016 – are you still live in 2015?
Just booted up Gears 5. No exclusive fullscreen option. You’re fake news.
Hey mate, I’ve played Halo Infinite through Game Pass and it only has a borderless fullscreen option. Where is your God now?
UWP don’t block mods and games works at full speed.
Denuvo block all mods and game run 10-15% slower.
MS engineers are better than Denuvo engineers
UWP blocks hard. That’s why all Yakuza modders unable to do anything with UWP versions.
This guy is the Joe Blobers equivalent, but working for Micro$oft.
“because MS uses its own drm, while less performance intrusive, it acts like an uncrackable kraken”
This is how security should work – good protection with low performance cost. This show that MS have better security engineers than Denuvo
Bullshit. The issue with the ascent was a bug and it waw fixed in a couple of days. It’s also one of the only examples out of many hundreds of games.
Uwp has ZERO performance penalty. All it is is a wrapper for a regular program.
People need to get over uwp. The store used to suck, it doesn’t anymore.
Oh and there is a verify button and omg no download speed limiter… The horror.
Imagine how bad it would run if it had vmprotect on top, good thing ubicrap doesnt do that right?
Curious to see the difference on a lower end cpu, something with 4c and 8t or 6c and 6t
I noticed the benchmarks in Rise of the Tomb Raider seemed to perform better without Denuvo as well.
Sure,no parasite means better performance. people who actually PAID got WORSE performance.
DRM in a nutshell. Punish the buyers, unaffect the piwates.
Standing ovations for the suit execs ret*rds.
DRM in a nutshell. Punish the buyers, unaffect the piwates.
Standing ovations for the suit execs ret*rds.
YOU DONT SAY?
Dsfix moron pwned with FACTS AND LOGIC.
Its obvious, many games with denuvo required quite high minimum CPU, but the ‘drm-removed’ version always run just fine on my nephew under spec PC with old Pentium G4560 CPU
What are you guys talking about, DENUVO doesn’t affect gaming performance, says every idiot out there. As a matter of fact it protects launch day sales, says every other idiot out there, even if the game has been cracked before release like Just Cause 4 & Hitman 2.
https://media1.giphy.com/media/10uct1aSFT7QiY/giphy.gif
I don’t understand why publishers use Denuvo in some stores. It is very often that game is released in 2-3 stores and in some stores like game use Denuvo and on others game is released without Denuvo
Good example is Back 4 Blood which is released with Denuvo in Steam Store and without Denuvo in Game Pass.
Valve should block Denuvo in own store just like Microsoft did
No surprise here. Game not infested with the parasite Denuvo runs faster.
So… 12 avg frames, like 7%… Sounds like much percentually, but “noticeably”?… Neh…
I mean.. 7% could be a difference between an overclock vs no-overclock or one gpu model to the next better one
“When we disabled Hyper-Threading, the performance difference between the Denuvo and Denuvo-less versions got even bigger. The Denuvo version ran 30fps slower than the Denuvo-less version.“
I had stutters when moving to new areas in the pirated version and i knew it was not my pc(9700k gtx1080 game on ssd dx12) i thought it was an asset streaming issues at the end it seems denuvo again gimping pc gaming
Thanks for making these articles John. We need concrete evidence against Denuvo if people are gonna realize (en masse, not just this site) that it’s a net negative for gamers.
The thing is, some sites are payed to say otherwise, driving the mass out of the truth.
And, believe me, there’s a lot, A LOT of sites that defend DENUVO for free. Yes, they really say this is no problem at all, cause, you know, the game run fine on their 200 thousands pounds machine.
I believe Middle Earth Shadow of War and some older titles that run on a less intrusive version of Denuvo were unaffected by it.
However, that’s only regarding frame rate.
I’m pretty sure all games with Denuvo suffered worse loading times and disk IO related stuttering.
NO S#!T!
Who cares though? Its still one of the trash Tomb Raider reboob games.
sarcasm right?
Let’s hope!
“Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs noticeably faster without Denuvo”
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Who disables hyper-threading? As much as I hate Denuvo, that 30% statistic is just some alarmist BS…