PC Gaming is constantly evolving, and with new hardware usually comes new software, drivers, etc… Since no two PCs are the same, (unlike Xbox and PlayStation consoles, which are standardized), every player has to find ways to optimize the gameplay on their PC rig, according to what hardware is located “under the hood”. Prima Games is going to help you decide if you should use DirectX 11 or DirectX 12 in Civilization 6.
Should You Use DX11 or DX12 in Civilization 6?
If you thought to yourself “Well, the higher number equals a newer version which equals a better version” and left it at that, well, we’ve got news for you. The newer DirectX does not always work well for every system, and this is why we have made this article.
Related: Civ 6 Tier List: Best Civilizations in Civilization 6
In the main menu of Civilization 6, you can use the Benchmark option to try out how your PC will fare against DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 separately. Disclaimer: If you are not on Windows 10 or 11, you will not be able to run DirectX 12.
Take note of how your system behaves during both of these tests in terms of FPS (Frames Per Second) and other key indicators. There is no specific rule of thumb but if your PC is built with components released during or after 2016 (Processor (CPU) and Graphics Card (GPU)), you should be able to run Civlization 6 with DirectX 12. Make sure to also try running the AI test as well, because that’s also a relevant part of the game’s performance.
At the top of the screen, you’ll see values such as the Frame Time. You should choose the lower Frame Time result because it takes less time to render each frame.
However, once again due to not all PCs being the same, you might experience instability and crashes on DirectX 12 even if your system is (on paper) compatible with DX12 requirements.
If this is the case, you’ll need to run Civ 6 on DX11. We hope that you’ll have satisfying benchmark results and that you will find the right option for your PC.
See you soon at Prima Games!
