- Mortal Shell II benchmark results point to demanding 1080p and 1440p hardware targets.
- Best starting point: Use DLSS Quality or FSR Balanced when native resolution is too costly.
- Recommended preset: High settings provide a stronger performance balance than Ultra.
- VRAM target: Plan for roughly 6 GB at 1080p and 7 GB at 1440p.
- Stability tip: Keep an SSD, allow shader compilation, and monitor traversal stutter.
Mortal Shell II benchmark overview
The Mortal Shell II benchmark picture is clear: this is a demanding Unreal Engine 5 action game built around detailed environments, Lumen lighting, Nanite assets, and open-zone traversal. A tested Windows configuration uses DirectX 12, 16 GB of system memory, and an SSD. Performance can be improved substantially by tuning the heaviest graphics options rather than simply selecting the lowest preset.
The available testing compares 1920×1080 and 2560×1440 output at Ultra quality, with native rendering, FSR, and DLSS modes tested without ray tracing. A separate optimization pass reports up to a 46% performance improvement over Ultra in one scene and about 35% in another when using optimized settings at 1440p with DLSS Quality.
Video Highlights:
- Unreal Engine 5 features and their performance costs
- DLSS, FSR, TSR, and native image-quality comparisons
- Recommended settings for shadows, reflections, textures, and environment detail
- Explanation of shader and traversal stutter behavior
| Test target | Practical result | Recommended interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p average near 25 FPS | RX 590 with FSR Balanced or GTX 1070 | Entry-level playable target |
| 1080p minimum near 25 FPS | RX 5500 XT with FSR Balanced or GTX 1060 with FSR Balanced | Expect dips in demanding scenes |
| 1080p average near 60 FPS | RX Vega 56 with FSR Balanced or GTX 1080 Ti | Comfortable target under tested conditions |
| 1440p average near 25 FPS | RX 5600 XT or RTX 2070 | Requires careful expectations |
| 1440p average near 60 FPS | RX 6600 XT with FSR Balanced or RTX 2080 Ti with DLSS Balanced | High-end target for smoother combat |
Treat these figures as comparative guidance, not a guarantee for every system. Driver versions, patches, CPU pairing, and scene complexity can change the result.
GPU, resolution, and upscaling results
Resolution has a major effect on the GPU load, while upscaling determines how much image quality you trade for additional frames. Native rendering offers the cleanest image, but the testing indicates that only very powerful graphics cards should target stable performance in demanding scenes.
DLSS Balanced is the strongest general option for compatible NVIDIA cards. It preserves fine geometry and dark-environment detail better than FSR Balanced in the reported comparisons. FSR Balanced remains useful on Radeon cards and hardware without DLSS support, although fine lines, armor details, fog, and moving objects can show more shimmer.
TSR is available, but the tested implementation shows visible shimmering and breakup. Native anti-aliasing options do not create a meaningful enough improvement to justify their cost in most cases.
| Upscaling mode | Image quality | Performance use | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native | Highest clarity, stable fine detail | Highest GPU cost | High-end systems |
| DLSS Quality | Very strong reconstruction | Moderate cost reduction | NVIDIA RTX systems |
| DLSS Balanced | Good clarity with more headroom | Strong performance gain | 1440p performance targets |
| FSR Balanced | Useful, but more shimmer in fine detail | Strong performance gain | Radeon and non-DLSS systems |
| TSR | Uneven detail stability | Variable | Secondary fallback |
Native
- Maximum clarity
- Best for screenshots
- Demanding in dark, detailed scenes
DLSS Balanced
- Strong 1440p option
- Cleaner fine detail
- Requires supported NVIDIA hardware
FSR Balanced
- Broad hardware support
- Useful performance savings
- Watch for shimmer during movement
Ultra can increase visual cost without a proportional improvement. Environment Ultra is especially expensive, while Ultra textures may worsen streaming artifacts near some Beacons.
Optimized graphics settings
The best practical preset keeps the image quality of High or Ultra where it matters and removes inefficient costs elsewhere. Global Illumination should not be set to Low because it removes bounced lighting and reduces reflection quality. Medium is a useful performance choice, while Ultra preserves the intended lighting at a higher cost.
Hardware Ray Tracing is best left disabled for now. The tested behavior showed no noticeable visual or performance difference, and the option also required every relevant setting to remain at High or above.
| Setting | Recommended value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware Ray Tracing | Off | No clear tested benefit; restrictive requirements |
| Global Illumination | Medium or Ultra | Low removes bounced lighting |
| Shadows | High | Good quality with a small cost over Low |
| View Distance | Ultra | Reduces foliage and small-object pop-in |
| Textures | High | Avoids reported Ultra streaming issues |
| Visual Effects | Medium or Ultra | Ultra animates close grass but costs more |
| Reflections | High | Adds Lumen reflections without Ultra's small advantage |
| Post Processing | High | Ultra adds effects and an estimated performance cost |
| Environment | High | Avoids Ultra's large Nanite Tessellation cost |
| Seamless Dungeon Loading | On | Useful with an SSD; test Off if entry stutter is severe |
Choose the resolution target
Start at 1920×1080 for midrange hardware or 2560×1440 for stronger GPUs. Use the same test location when comparing changes.
Select an upscaler
Use DLSS Quality on supported NVIDIA hardware. Choose FSR Balanced when DLSS is unavailable, then compare motion clarity before lowering more settings.
Apply the high-impact changes
Set Environment to High, Global Illumination to Medium or Ultra, Reflections to High, and Hardware Ray Tracing to Off.
Tune for stability
Keep Textures at High, allow shader compilation to finish, and test Seamless Dungeon Loading according to your storage device.
For most systems, begin with High settings, DLSS Quality or FSR Balanced, Hardware Ray Tracing Off, and Textures High. This preserves the dark fantasy atmosphere while reducing unnecessary frame-time spikes.
CPU, RAM, VRAM, and storage requirements
The benchmark data indicates that Mortal Shell II can use up to 16 CPU threads for loading and streaming, although up to 12 threads are utilized most effectively in the reported test. CPU performance still matters for consistent frame pacing, enemy logic, physics, and open-zone traversal.
The published minimum configuration lists an Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB of RAM, an RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB or RX 6600 8 GB, DirectX 12, and 70 GB of SSD storage. Separate legacy testing found lower processor tiers capable of acceptable results under specific GPU conditions, but those results should be treated as lower-bound comparisons rather than a recommended buying target.
| Resource | 1080p observation | 1440p observation |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | About 6 GB across tested 6 GB, 8 GB, and 11 GB cards | About 7 GB across tested cards |
| System RAM | About 11–12 GB depending on GPU | About 12–13 GB depending on GPU |
| Storage | SSD required for the stated minimum target | SSD strongly recommended for streaming |
| CPU loading | Up to 16 threads can load data | More threads help streaming headroom |
| API | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 |
A system with 16 GB of RAM can meet the stated baseline, but background applications may reduce available headroom. Close browsers and overlays before testing if memory use approaches the limit. An SSD is particularly important when entering dungeons or moving between detailed location segments.
Benchmark readiness checklist:
- Install the game on an SSD with at least 70 GB free
- Use 16 GB of system RAM or more
- Update the graphics driver before comparing results
- Let initial shader compilation finish
- Record resolution, upscaler, preset, and frame-rate target
The reported VRAM figures are approximate usage observations at Ultra. High textures are a safer choice if your graphics card has limited memory or shows texture streaming artifacts.
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Performance problems are not always caused by average FPS. Frame-time spikes, shader compilation hitches, texture streaming, and dungeon transitions can make combat feel less consistent even when the counter looks acceptable. Test one change at a time and compare the same scene before changing several variables.
A forced latency feature was also reported during testing, with an engine configuration adjustment used to disable it. Disabling that feature may reduce micro-stutter at high frame rates, but it can increase input latency. It is therefore better considered an advanced experiment than a default recommendation.
For additional benchmark charts and test methodology, review the Mortal Shell II legacy hardware benchmarks.
| Symptom | First adjustment | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Low average FPS | Enable DLSS or FSR Balanced | Lower Environment and Global Illumination |
| Texture pop-in or streaming artifacts | Set Textures to High | Confirm the game is installed on an SSD |
| Shimmering foliage or armor | Replace TSR with DLSS or FSR | Test Quality before Balanced |
| Dungeon-entry hitching | Check Seamless Dungeon Loading | Disable it only if stutter remains disruptive |
| Micro-stutter | Finish shader compilation | Compare frame pacing with advanced latency changes |
Q: What does the Mortal Shell II benchmark suggest for 1440p?
A comfortable 60 FPS target is associated with approximately an RX 6600 XT using FSR Balanced or an RTX 2080 Ti using DLSS Balanced in the reported testing.
Q: Should Hardware Ray Tracing be enabled?
No. The tested option showed no clear visual or performance benefit and imposed restrictive quality requirements, so leaving it off is the safer starting point.
Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM enough for Mortal Shell II?
The reported testing used about 6 GB at 1080p and about 7 GB at 1440p. High textures are still recommended if streaming artifacts appear.
Q: Which upscaler is best?
DLSS Balanced is the strongest general choice on supported NVIDIA hardware. FSR Balanced is a practical alternative, while TSR showed more unstable fine detail in testing.
Prioritize frame-time consistency over a higher preset. Stable combat timing with High settings and a suitable upscaler is usually more valuable than Ultra effects.