Why Benchmarks Disable Dynamic Resolution Scaling

Hardware reviewers consistently disable Dynamic Resolution Scaling (DRS) when benchmarking computer components to ensure fair, accurate, and repeatable test results. This article explores how DRS functions by altering image quality on the fly to maintain frame rates, why this variable ruins the scientific control needed for hardware comparisons, and how locking a fixed resolution is the only way to measure the true raw performance of a graphics card or processor.

What is Dynamic Resolution Scaling?

Dynamic Resolution Scaling is a feature in modern video games designed to keep frame rates smooth during intense graphical moments. Users set a target frame rate, such as 60 frames per second (FPS). If the game detects that the hardware is struggling to hit that target, DRS automatically lowers the rendering resolution to reduce the workload on the graphics card. Once the demanding scene passes, the resolution scales back up to its native setting.

The Need for Controlled Variables

Benchmarking is a scientific process that requires isolating a single variable: the hardware being tested. To accurately compare Graphics Card A against Graphics Card B, both cards must be forced to do the exact same amount of work.

If DRS is left enabled, the two graphics cards will not perform the same workload. A weaker graphics card might drop the game’s resolution to 720p to maintain 60 FPS, while a stronger card maintains a full 1080p resolution at the same 60 FPS. Because the cards are rendering a different number of pixels, any comparison between their performance becomes completely invalid.

Masking True Performance Gaps

Hardware benchmark charts primarily measure performance in frames per second and frame times. They do not measure image quality on a graph.

If DRS is active, two vastly different graphics cards might both report an average of 60 FPS on a benchmark chart, making them appear equal in power. In reality, the cheaper card achieved that frame rate by heavily blurring the image, while the expensive card delivered a crisp, native resolution image. Disabling DRS forces both cards to render the exact same image quality, translating their power difference directly into measurable frame rates rather than hidden resolution drops.

Ensuring Repeatability

For a benchmark to be valid, it must be repeatable. Reviewers run tests multiple times to calculate an accurate average. DRS reacts dynamically to system load, background processes, and minor variations in gameplay. Because it adjusts resolution on the fly, two benchmark runs on the exact same computer might scale the resolution differently at different times. Disabling the feature locks the pixel count, ensuring that every test run places the exact same mathematical demand on the hardware.

Testing the Hardware, Not the Software

Ultimately, hardware reviewers are testing the raw silicon of the CPU and GPU, not the efficiency of a game developer's scaling algorithm. Some games have aggressive DRS that drops resolution too quickly, while others react too slowly. By turning DRS off, reviewers bypass the software's intervention and push the hardware to its absolute limit, giving consumers the clear data they need to make informed purchasing decisions.