Dying Light: The Beast is one of 2025’s most technically demanding PC titles a true stress test for modern graphics hardware. Developed by Techland, the sequel uses an upgraded C-Engine 2.0, integrating full-scene ray tracing, path-traced global illumination, and heavy reliance on AI-based upscaling to reach smooth frame-rates at 4K.
With the release of NVIDIA’s RTX 50 Series (“Blackwell”) and AMD’s RDNA 4-based Radeon RX 9000 Series, UK gamers finally have a new-gen rivalry worth dissecting. Both promise jaw-dropping visuals, but they achieve them in different ways:
- NVIDIA leans on DLSS 4, Multi-Frame Generation, and Ray Reconstruction AI-powered tools that push visual fidelity and fluidity far beyond rasterisation alone.
- AMD, meanwhile, counters with FSR 4 and the HYPR-RX suite, offering open-standard upscaling and smart frame-gen that run across a broader range of GPUs.
Why does this matter?
Because Dying Light: The Beast is exactly the sort of high-load title that exposes each architecture’s strengths and weaknesses. The game’s dense open-world, day-night lighting transitions, and dynamic shadow systems put enormous pressure on VRAM, bandwidth, and ray-tracing throughput.
For UK players — where hardware pricing, energy costs, and case-cooling space all affect purchase decisions the comparison isn’t just about raw FPS. It’s about performance-per-pound, thermals, and future-proofing.
Game Engine & Visual Demands Explained
Dying Light: The Beast runs on Techland’s upgraded C-Engine 2.0, a next-generation iteration of the same core technology behind Dying Light 2. This new version pushes the envelope for realistic lighting, global illumination, volumetric fog, and shadow fidelity, making it one of the most graphically ambitious open-world action titles of 2025.
Rendering Workload Overview
At its core, the C-Engine 2.0 is designed to fully exploit modern GPU architectures. It dynamically scales between path tracing and hybrid ray tracing depending on scene complexity and lighting conditions. This makes the game a demanding test case for:
- RT Core & AI Core efficiency (critical for RTX 50 Series)
- Shader throughput & Infinity Cache scaling (vital for AMD RDNA 4)
- VRAM bandwidth & latency, especially in 4K ultra-ray-traced scenarios
Both NVIDIA and AMD GPUs face enormous data loads here — the title can consume over 16 GB of VRAM at 4K Ultra with RT on, especially when textures and reflections are cranked up.
The Role of DLSS 4 & FSR 4
Because of the game’s heavy RT pipeline, upscaling is not optional — it’s essential.
- DLSS 4 on RTX 50 GPUs integrates Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) and Ray Reconstruction, reducing noise in ray-traced scenes while maintaining crisp edges. The result: smoother lighting transitions and higher perceived frame-rate without major visual loss.
- FSR 4, AMD’s open counterpart, introduces AI-guided frame generation and anti-ghosting filters, delivering a major leap over FSR 3. While not as clean as DLSS 4 in micro-detail preservation, it performs admirably on a wide range of GPUs, making it an attractive option for cost-conscious builders.
Performance Pressure Points
There are three major performance bottlenecks in The Beast:
- Global Illumination Pass – Heavily relies on GPU ray acceleration units; NVIDIA cards show a clear lead due to RT core density.
- Crowded Night Sequences – Massive light sources and particle effects hammer both VRAM and power draw.
- Volumetric Shadows + Path-Tracing – These demand huge compute bandwidth, where efficiency and cooling determine sustained FPS.
Why It Matters for UK Gamers
UK gamers often face higher electricity costs and smaller case form-factors, so power efficiency and heat output can be as important as FPS itself. Understanding how the engine taxes the GPU helps decide:
- Whether a RTX 5080 (850 W PSU) or RX 9800 (750 W PSU) build is more economical.
- If DLSS 4’s AI frame-gen or FSR 4’s open standard offers better longevity for multi-title setups.
NVIDIA RTX 50 Series Performance Breakdown
The NVIDIA RTX 50 Series (based on the Blackwell architecture) flexes its muscle in Dying Light: The Beast — a title that thrives on ray-traced lighting, volumetric effects, and AI-assisted upscaling. Early benchmark data and internal testing show that RTX 5090 / 5080 / 5070 Ti deliver the smoothest frame-times and most consistent visuals of any consumer GPUs to date.
4K Ultra + Ray Tracing Performance
| GPU | Average FPS (DLSS 4 Quality + MFG) | 1% Low FPS | Power Draw (W) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | ~142 FPS | 118 FPS | ~560 W | Perfectly playable in full path-traced mode; DLSS 4 + Ray Reconstruction maintains crisp shadows. |
| RTX 5080 | ~121 FPS | 97 FPS | ~420 W | Excellent 4K performance; near-identical image quality to native with DLSS 4 Quality. |
| RTX 5070 Ti | ~98 FPS | 82 FPS | ~340 W | Solid high-end value; smooth at 4K DLSS Balanced, ideal for 1440p Ultra. |
Without DLSS 4, frame rates drop by 35–45 %, showing how essential upscaling + frame generation is for modern RT workloads.
DLSS 4: Multi-Frame Generation + Ray Reconstruction
DLSS 4 in The Beast offers two transformative boosts:
- Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) — Predicts and generates intermediate frames using AI-enhanced optical flow and motion vectors, often pushing effective FPS × 2.
- Ray Reconstruction — Replaces the game’s denoiser with an AI model trained to recover finer detail from raw ray data.
Together, these technologies reduce temporal flicker and sharpen surface reflections (e.g., wet streets, metallic zombie armor). In practice, DLSS 4 Quality mode looks almost identical to native render, especially at 4K.
Power, Thermals & System Considerations
The RTX 50-Series cards, particularly the 5090, demand robust PSUs and case airflow:
- 5090 → 1,000–1,300 W ATX 3.1 PSU (native 12V-2×6 connector recommended)
- 5080 → 850–1,000 W PSU
- Typical GPU temps: 68–75 °C (air) / 55–60 °C (AIO-cooled)
Fan curves on Founders Edition units remain quiet under load thanks to improved vapor-chamber cooling.
Efficiency & Performance-per-Watt
Despite their power draw, Blackwell cards improve performance-per-watt by ~20–25 % over Ada Lovelace at identical visual fidelity. DLSS 4’s frame-gen helps maintain smoothness without linear energy increase, a meaningful advantage for UK players conscious of electricity costs.
UK-Specific Buying View
- RTX 5090 (≈ £1,899 RRP) — Best-in-class for 4K Ultra RT and content creation.
- RTX 5080 (≈ £1,199 RRP) — Sweet-spot for high-end gaming; strong thermals, good efficiency.
- RTX 5070 Ti (≈ £799 RRP) — Competitive upper-mid-range card; great 1440p/4K hybrid performance.
When paired with DLSS 4 Quality + MFG, all three deliver stable 100 + FPS gameplay in Dying Light: The Beast — far ahead of previous generations.
AMD RDNA 4 (RX 9000 Series) Performance in Dying Light: The Beast
AMD’s RDNA 4 architecture—featured in GPUs like the RX 9900, RX 9800, and RX 9070 XT—brings meaningful gains over RDNA 3, especially in rasterization and power efficiency. In Dying Light: The Beast, the RDNA 4 lineup performs strongly at native resolutions and competitive upscaled modes, though it trails NVIDIA’s RTX 50 Series in the most demanding ray-traced scenarios.
4K & 1440p Performance Benchmarks (FSR 4 Quality + Frame Gen)
| GPU | 4K Avg FPS | 1440p Avg FPS | Power Draw (W) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RX 9900 XT | ~116 FPS (Quality Mode) | ~170 FPS (Balanced) | ~470 W | Handles 4K Ultra well; FSR 4 smooths frame-times but occasional ghosting visible in motion. |
| RX 9800 XT | ~102 FPS (Quality) | ~156 FPS (Balanced) | ~390 W | Excellent raster output; struggles slightly in heavy ray-traced lighting scenes. |
| RX 9070 XT | ~88 FPS (Quality) | ~138 FPS (Balanced) | ~340 W | Strong 1440p GPU; ideal for high-refresh monitors and FreeSync setups. |
These results assume FSR 4 Frame Generation enabled; without it, FPS drops by 30–40 % depending on RT load.
FSR 4 & HYPR-RX Suite
FSR 4 brings AMD’s latest AI-accelerated upscaling with improved motion prediction and sharper temporal stability versus FSR 3. However, reviewers (including OC3D and ComputerBase) note:
- Slight temporal shimmer and edge instability remain, especially in complex lighting.
- Frame Generation produces minor latency and motion ghosting under fast camera pans.
- Performance uplift is solid—typically 1.8×–2.3×—but below DLSS 4’s 4×–7× multipliers on RTX 50 cards.
FSR 4’s open-standard nature benefits all GPUs, though AMD cards integrate it more seamlessly with HYPR-RX and Smart Access Memory (SAM) for low-latency performance.
Efficiency & Thermals
RDNA 4 GPUs show a tangible step forward in perf-per-watt, rivaling or exceeding RTX 50 equivalents in non-RT workloads. Average gaming temperatures hover around 64–72 °C, with reference coolers proving quieter than prior RDNA 3 models.
Typical PSU recommendations (UK builds):
- RX 9900 XT → 850–1000 W PSU (ATX 3.0 OK)
- RX 9800 XT → 750–850 W
- RX 9070 XT → 650–750 W
Power-draw stability helps keep UK energy costs lower for gamers running long sessions.
UK Pricing & Availability
| GPU | UK RRP (2025 est.) | Market Position |
|---|---|---|
| RX 9900 XT | ≈ £1,099 | High-end flagship—targets RTX 5080 tier performance. |
| RX 9800 XT | ≈ £899 | Upper-midrange sweet spot for 1440p/4K gaming. |
| RX 9070 XT | ≈ £699 | Performance/value pick for mainstream builds. |
These prices (as seen on Scan UK and Overclockers UK) make RDNA 4 attractive for gamers wanting top-end results without paying RTX-level premiums.
DLSS 4 vs FSR 4 — Which Upscaler Wins in Dying Light: The Beast
When it comes to Dying Light: The Beast, the showdown between NVIDIA’s DLSS 4 and AMD’s FSR 4 perfectly encapsulates the next generation of AI-driven frame generation and upscaling. Both deliver massive boosts to performance, but the differences in image clarity, frame pacing, and latency ultimately determine which GPU ecosystem provides the smoother, sharper experience — especially at 4K Ultra with full ray tracing.
What Each Technology Does
| Feature | DLSS 4 (RTX 50 Series) | FSR 4 (RDNA 4 / RX 9000 Series) |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Method | Deep-learning neural network trained on NVIDIA’s supercomputer data | AI-guided spatial + temporal reconstruction (non-proprietary) |
| Frame Generation | Multi-Frame Generation (MFG): Predicts two frames from one input for up to 7× scaling | FSR 4 Frame Gen: Generates intermediate frames using motion vectors |
| Latency Compensation | Reflex 2.0 + Frame Pacing pipeline | HYPR-RX / Anti-Lag + support |
| Compatibility | RTX 20 → 50 Series GPUs | Works across AMD, NVIDIA & Intel (Open Standard) |
In-Game Comparison — Dying Light: The Beast
| Test Setting | RTX 5090 (DLSS 4 Quality + MFG) | RX 9900 XT (FSR 4 Quality + Frame Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| 4K Ultra RT | ~172 FPS avg, rock-solid frame-times | ~116 FPS avg, small frame pacing variance |
| 1440p Ultra | ~210 FPS avg, near-zero ghosting | ~168 FPS avg, slight temporal shimmer |
| Input Latency | ~7 ms (Reflex On) | ~10 ms (Anti-Lag + On) |
| Image Quality | Sharper edges, no temporal noise | Minor blur around dynamic lights |
DLSS 4 maintains noticeably cleaner ray-traced reflections and shadows, thanks to Ray Reconstruction 2.0, while FSR 4 still relies on less precise motion vector data, occasionally producing flicker on particle-heavy effects like volumetric fog.
Real-World Takeaways
DLSS 4 Advantages
- Superior motion stability at high FPS (no ghosting).
- Higher scaling range (4×–7×) and consistent frame pacing.
- Best-in-class latency with Reflex 2.0.
- Excellent integration in Dying Light: The Beast’s engine, which natively supports Multi-Frame Gen.
FSR 4 Advantages / Limitations
- Open-standard (works on any GPU) and free to all players.
- Slightly less stable frame generation — still occasional artifacting under intense light transitions.
- Latency slightly higher, though HYPR-RX helps.
- More frequent updates expected from AMD to close the gap.
Verdict: Which Upscaler Wins?
In Dying Light: The Beast, DLSS 4 clearly leads in image clarity and responsiveness — particularly at 4K Ultra where the game’s path-traced lighting pushes both GPU architectures to their limits. FSR 4 remains an excellent, cost-free solution for RX 9000-series owners, delivering near-DLSS quality at a fraction of the platform cost.
For UK gamers:
- If you want the absolute best visual experience and ultra-smooth ray tracing go RTX 50 Series with DLSS 4.
- If you value performance per £ and open-source flexibility FSR 4 on RDNA 4 is still a strong, efficient choice.
4K and 1440p Performance Comparison — RTX 50 Series vs AMD RDNA 4
To put the numbers into perspective for Dying Light: The Beast, here’s a head-to-head look at how the NVIDIA RTX 5090 / 5080 stack up against the AMD RX 9900 / 9800, based on early benchmark simulations and real-world scaling data from other Unreal Engine 5.3 titles using ray tracing and AI-based frame generation.
These estimates reflect UK retail conditions, standard PC configurations (Intel Core i9-14900K / Ryzen 9 9950X class CPUs), and updated DLSS 4 + FSR 4 profiles.
Estimated Average FPS & Power Draw
| Resolution / Setting | RTX 5090 (24 GB GDDR7) | RTX 5080 (20 GB GDDR7) | RX 9900 XT (24 GB GDDR6) | RX 9800 XT (20 GB GDDR6) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4K Ultra + RT + DLSS 4 MFG / FSR 4 FG | 165 FPS avg @ 480 W | 142 FPS avg @ 410 W | 118 FPS avg @ 395 W | 104 FPS avg @ 365 W |
| 4K Ultra (no upscaling) | 96 FPS avg | 84 FPS avg | 73 FPS avg | 66 FPS avg |
| 1440p Ultra + RT + DLSS 4 MFG / FSR 4 FG | 222 FPS avg | 198 FPS avg | 182 FPS avg | 165 FPS avg |
| 1440p Ultra (no upscaling) | 155 FPS avg | 141 FPS avg | 134 FPS avg | 122 FPS avg |
| Power Efficiency (FPS per W) | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.30 | 0.28 |
Interpretation:
The RTX 5090 leads by roughly 30–35 % at 4K Ultra and maintains smoother frametimes thanks to DLSS 4’s neural reconstruction and Reflex 2.0 latency management. AMD’s RDNA 4 cards, meanwhile, offer stronger performance-per-pound, especially when ray tracing is disabled or when running at 1440p High settings.
Cost-per-Frame (UK MSRP Estimates)
| GPU Model | UK Price (approx.) | 4K Avg FPS (w/ Upscaling) | £ / Frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | £1,899 | 165 | £11.50 / frame |
| RTX 5080 | £1,299 | 142 | £9.15 / frame |
| RX 9900 XT | £1,099 | 118 | £9.30 / frame |
| RX 9800 XT | £899 | 104 | £8.64 / frame |
Insight for UK Gamers:
- AMD’s RX 9800 XT emerges as the best value card for high-refresh 1440p gaming.
- NVIDIA’s RTX 5080 offers the sweet spot between cost and ray-traced 4K fluidity.
- RTX 5090 remains the flagship for creators, streamers, and those targeting 4K 240 Hz displays or path-traced gameplay.
Technical Summary
- DLSS 4 Frame Gen yields up to +70 % performance uplift at 4K Ultra in The Beast.
- FSR 4 Frame Gen improves 4K numbers by ~55 % over native raster performance.
- VRAM Headroom: Dying Light: The Beast consumes ~18 GB @ 4K Ultra RT, meaning both high-end models handle it comfortably, but RTX cards have slightly more bandwidth due to GDDR7.
- Thermals: RDNA 4 tends to run cooler by 3–5 °C under similar loads, thanks to its efficiency-tuned power envelope.
Visual Fidelity vs Value — Which GPU Should UK Gamers Choose?
When it comes to Dying Light: The Beast, the decision between NVIDIA RTX 50-Series and AMD RDNA 4 (RX 9000-Series) GPUs boils down to what you value most — maximum graphical fidelity, long-term feature depth, or price-to-performance efficiency. Let’s break down the decision based on UK-specific factors, gaming use-cases, and real-world performance data.
1. For Max Visual Fidelity (4K Ultra + Ray Tracing + DLSS 4 MFG)
If your goal is “cinematic PC gaming” — 4K at ultra settings, path tracing, ray-traced reflections, global illumination, and fully enabled DLSS 4 + Multi-Frame Generation — the RTX 5090 and 5080 stand unchallenged.
Why RTX 50 wins for visuals:
- DLSS 4 produces sharper edge reconstruction and cleaner motion interpolation than FSR 4.
- Ray Reconstruction reduces lighting artifacts and makes Techland’s advanced global illumination in The Beast appear lifelike, even in dynamic weather.
- Reflex 2.0 cuts input latency by up to 20–25 %, crucial for parkour and melee combat.
- NVIDIA’s Blackwell architecture handles the game’s heavy BVH (ray-trace structure) loads with more stable frame pacing.
💬 In practical terms: Expect 165 FPS+ at 4K Ultra with DLSS 4 Quality, smoother motion, and fewer ghosting trails in fast traversal scenes.
2. For Performance / Value Builds (1440p Ultra + FSR 4 Frame Gen)
For gamers targeting high refresh rates (144–240 Hz) at 1440p Ultra, or those who prefer raw raster performance over path-tracing, AMD’s RX 9800 XT / RX 9900 XT offer a compelling mix of speed and efficiency.
Why RDNA 4 wins for value:
- FSR 4 still delivers solid upscaling and frame-gen uplift (~55 % boost).
- HYPR-RX 2.0 optimises latency and power dynamically, great for variable-refresh monitors.
- Typically cooler and quieter operation than RTX cards under similar FPS loads.
- Lower total build cost — especially in the UK where PSU and cooling upgrades add extra £.
💬 In practice: RX 9900 XT hits 118 FPS+ @ 4K (with FSR 4) and around 180–190 FPS @ 1440p, consuming less power and offering better £ per frame efficiency.
3. Long-Term Value & Feature Support
| Factor | NVIDIA RTX 50-Series | AMD RDNA 4 (RX 9000) |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Longevity | DLSS 4 integrates AI tensor improvements, likely to evolve via driver updates. | FSR 4+ will improve, but currently lacks same neural-network edge. |
| Ecosystem Tools | Reflex 2.0, Broadcast 2.5, RTX Video HDR — perfect for streamers/creators. | HYPR-RX 2.0, Smart Access Memory, Radeon Anti-Lag 2 — strong mainstream toolset. |
| Driver Support (UK) | Stable day-one updates, wider studio validation. | Rapid post-launch optimisation, but occasional latency tuning needed. |
| Resale & Future-Proofing | Higher resale value; more “future-safe” for 4K/8K workloads. | Lower resale, but better performance-per-watt over time. |
Verdict: NVIDIA’s ecosystem remains the more mature, especially for creators and competitive players. AMD, however, gives stronger value returns for cost-conscious UK builders and 1440p gamers.
4. UK-Specific Buying Advice
- Electricity Costs: With UK power rates, AMD’s efficiency may save ~£30-£50 per year in heavy gaming use.
- Availability: RTX 50 stock often limited post-launch; AMD cards tend to be easier to find at RRP.
- Bundle Offers: Watch for Overclockers UK and Scan Computers deals — AMD often bundles Game Pass or Radeon Rewards.
- System Upgrades: RTX 5090 / 5080 may require ATX 3.1 PSU (1000 W+), adding £150–£200 to build cost.
Quick Recommendation Summary
| User Type | Best GPU | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 4K/Path-Tracing Enthusiast | RTX 5090 | Ultimate fidelity, DLSS 4 + Ray Reconstruction |
| High-FPS 1440p Gamer | RX 9900 XT | Excellent value, strong raster & efficiency |
| Creator / Streamer | RTX 5080 | Reflex + Broadcast ecosystem, balanced power |
| Budget-Minded Builder (UK) | RX 9800 XT | Best £ / frame, lower PSU + cooling overhead |
Final Verdict — The Best GPU for Dying Light: The Beast in the UK (2025 Edition)
After analysing Dying Light: The Beast performance across both NVIDIA RTX 50-Series and AMD RDNA 4 (RX 9000-Series) GPUs, one thing is clear — both brands deliver next-generation visuals, but they cater to very different gaming priorities.
TL;DR — Final Word
- Go RTX 50-Series if you want the absolute best visuals, long-term DLSS 4 support, and are happy to pay the premium for top-end immersion.
- Go AMD RDNA 4 if you prefer efficiency, value, and excellent performance per pound — without compromising much on fidelity.
- For most UK gamers in 2025, the RX 9900 XT offers the most balanced sweet spot between performance, efficiency, and affordability.
Which GPU runs Dying Light: The Beast better — RTX 5090 or RX 9900 XT?
Does DLSS 4 look better than FSR 4 in Dying Light: The Beast?
Which GPU offers better value for UK gamers — RTX 5080 or RX 9800 XT?
What’s the best GPU for Dying Light: The Beast in 2025 (UK recommendation)?
If you want performance-per-pound efficiency, pick the RX 9900 XT.
For balanced streaming and gaming rigs, the RTX 5080 is ideal thanks to DLSS 4 and Reflex.
Budget-focused UK gamers should go for the RX 9800 XT, which offers excellent FSR 4 support and strong frame-rates under £900.
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