Update: Ballisticshark, who goes by Tom T. when he's not on Reddit, clarified in an email that he's currently (and unhappily) running Destiny 2 on an Intel Core i7 6700k overclocked to 4.8Ghz, and using the integrated HD 530 graphics GPU.
"Once the card died, I was left with no display at all because my onboard does not have a DVI output. I had to go out to shop for a HDMI cable," he said. "Then it was all about reducing the background programs and fine-tuning the in-game settings to run as smooth as possible without getting too pixelated, where I cannot tell what is what. Not an experience I'd wish on anyone, and lesson learned. Pick a company with a prompt RMA policy or have a backup card."
Original story:
Nvidia's recommended GPU for Destiny 2 is a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, for those of you who want 4K resolution rockin' away at the highest detail level—or a GTX 1060 if your standards are low enough to settle for mere 1080p. But what if—what if—all you have at your disposal is an onboard Intel graphics chipset? In that case, you do what redditor ballisticshark did: You suck it up and make it work.
"On Destiny 2 launch day, my ASUS GTX 1080 died about 4 hours into the game. So that's about the last time I experience any pretty looking graphics, in any game really," they wrote of the sad situation.
"Anyway, I soldier on because I don't want to lag behind on progress with my friends and everyone else in the game. I decide to play the game with on-board Intel graphic. I had to get all the setting to the lowest possible, drop resolution to 720p and render scale to 45% to get it running smoothly at 20-30ish fps in heavy fire fight /w multiple players."
Even at minimal settings, gameplay still "stutters and lags," but ballisticshark has nonetheless managed to achieve 300 light level with all three of his characters (which is a hell of a lot better than I've done) and has completed everything in the game except the Trials of the Nine PvP mode, "since I don't want to be a liability for the team."
I think the lo-res look is actually kind of cool—Destiny 2 as a retro-shooter, in the style of Dusk or Strafe—and ballisticshark is obviously doing well in the game, although up-close PvP is apparently rough. Even so, they'll obviously be happy when it's over: "Hopefully Asus will send the [replacement] card to me soon so I can stop digitally torturing myself with this."
More clips are available in the Reddit thread.
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