

Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs
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Estimated FPS across quality settings and resolutions
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Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs FPS by GPU
Estimated framerates for 14 reference GPUs · pick a resolution and quality
Full benchmark grid · 14 GPUs × 4 qualities × 3 resolutions
1080p performance
| GPU | low | medium | high | ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps |
| RTX 4090 | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps |
| RX 7900 XTX | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps |
| RTX 5080 | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps |
| RTX 4080 Super | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps |
| RTX 4070 Ti | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 937 fps |
| RTX 4070 | 999 fps | 999 fps | 988 fps | 803 fps |
| RX 7800 XT | 999 fps | 999 fps | 871 fps | 707 fps |
| RTX 3080 | 999 fps | 999 fps | 847 fps | 688 fps |
| RTX 4060 Ti | 999 fps | 999 fps | 800 fps | 650 fps |
| RTX 3070 | 999 fps | 912 fps | 729 fps | 593 fps |
| RTX 4060 | 999 fps | 824 fps | 659 fps | 535 fps |
| RTX 3060 | 882 fps | 706 fps | 565 fps | 459 fps |
| GTX 1660 Super | 640 fps | 512 fps | 409 fps | 333 fps |
1440p performance
| GPU | low | medium | high | ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps |
| RTX 4090 | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps |
| RX 7900 XTX | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps |
| RTX 5080 | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 946 fps |
| RTX 4080 Super | 999 fps | 999 fps | 999 fps | 889 fps |
| RTX 4070 Ti | 999 fps | 999 fps | 865 fps | 703 fps |
| RTX 4070 | 999 fps | 926 fps | 741 fps | 602 fps |
| RX 7800 XT | 999 fps | 816 fps | 653 fps | 531 fps |
| RTX 3080 | 993 fps | 794 fps | 635 fps | 516 fps |
| RTX 4060 Ti | 938 fps | 750 fps | 600 fps | 488 fps |
| RTX 3070 | 855 fps | 684 fps | 547 fps | 444 fps |
| RTX 4060 | 772 fps | 618 fps | 494 fps | 401 fps |
| RTX 3060 | 662 fps | 529 fps | 424 fps | 344 fps |
| GTX 1660 Super | 480 fps | 384 fps | 307 fps | 249 fps |
4K performance
| GPU | low | medium | high | ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 999 fps | 988 fps | 791 fps | 642 fps |
| RTX 4090 | 999 fps | 918 fps | 734 fps | 596 fps |
| RX 7900 XTX | 999 fps | 824 fps | 659 fps | 535 fps |
| RTX 5080 | 971 fps | 776 fps | 621 fps | 505 fps |
| RTX 4080 Super | 912 fps | 729 fps | 584 fps | 474 fps |
| RTX 4070 Ti | 721 fps | 576 fps | 461 fps | 375 fps |
| RTX 4070 | 618 fps | 494 fps | 395 fps | 321 fps |
| RX 7800 XT | 544 fps | 435 fps | 348 fps | 283 fps |
| RTX 3080 | 529 fps | 424 fps | 339 fps | 275 fps |
| RTX 4060 Ti | 500 fps | 400 fps | 320 fps | 260 fps |
| RTX 3070 | 456 fps | 365 fps | 292 fps | 237 fps |
| RTX 4060 | 412 fps | 329 fps | 264 fps | 214 fps |
| RTX 3060 | 353 fps | 282 fps | 226 fps | 184 fps |
| GTX 1660 Super | 256 fps | 205 fps | 164 fps | 133 fps |

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Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs
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About
Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs, released in 2006, is the first expansion pack for the beloved real-time strategy game Age of Empires III. This expansion introduces players to three powerful Native American civilizations and the notable WarChief mechanic, allowing them to sway battles more effectively. Its rich historical context and engaging gameplay provide a compelling backdrop for intense strategic combat, making it a standout title in the genre.
When it comes to PC performance, Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs is relatively accessible for most gaming rigs. The game’s minimum GPU requirement is an entry-level GPU with a performance score of around 300, making it possible to run smoothly on budget systems. For those seeking a smoother experience and higher FPS, it is advisable to invest in mid-tier GPUs, which allow players to enjoy enhanced graphics settings without sacrificing performance during large-scale battles.
With a rating of 81/100, Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs is a worthwhile addition to any strategy game enthusiast's library. Its engaging mechanics, combined with the historical and cultural depth of its storyline, make it a highly recommended title for both newcomers and seasoned players alike.
Performance profile
Released in October 2006, Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs comes from the DirectX 9 era. Even the cheapest modern discrete GPU crushes it at maxed-out settings; the only real bottleneck today is CPU single-thread speed on older titles that were never multi-threaded.
Extremely light — Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs runs at 60 FPS 1080p on any integrated GPU (Intel Iris Xe, AMD Radeon Graphics) or a decade-old discrete card like the GTX 1050. A current-gen RTX 4060 pushes 4K Ultra without effort.
Storyline
The campaign, which is 15 missions long, includes the Black family in a more historical setting. The first act, Fire, follows Nathaniel Black (John Black's son and Amelia Black's father) as he spends the family's entire fortune supporting the American Revolution. The second act, Shadow, follows Amelia Black's son, Chayton Black, and his actions in the Black Hills during Red Cloud's War and Great Sioux War. The home city for both acts is the Black Family Estate. Act 1: Fire Nathaniel Black (loosely based on Joseph Louis Cook) is the half-Iroquois son of the late John Black from Act 2 in the previous game, raised by his mother Nonahkee and his uncle Kanyenke. The campaign opens as Nathaniel and Kanyenke are trying to discourage the Mohawk and the Seneca from fighting in the American Revolutionary War. However, they are ambushed by a group of Mohawks and head to an Oneida village nearby. From there they counter-attack and destroy an enemy Town Center, thus causing their enemies to flee. When Nathaniel and Kanyenke return to their village, they find that the Mohawk and a group of Hessian mercenaries led by Colonel Sven Kuechler, have raided the village and captured Nonahkee. They rescue Nonahkee, but Kuechler and his main army escape, leaving the Iroquois Confederacy to dissolve. Nathaniel's village supports the colonists, and Nathaniel heads to Boston where his men help defend a redoubt on Breed's Hill from the British. After George Washington takes command, a series of defeats drives the colonials back across the Delaware, where they are joined by Nathaniel. Here, Washington leads a small force, including Nathaniel, across the Delaware where they attack a Hessian encampment at Trenton and defeat the rearguard of the army at Princeton. This is followed by another victory at the Battles of Saratoga. However, the army is once again defeated at Brandywine and Germantown and is forced to camp for the winter at Valley Forge, where they suffer greatly from the cold. This leads Nathaniel to use most of his family's fortune to supply the army throughout the winter. The next scenario is the fictional battle of Morristown, where Nathaniel has his chance for revenge on Kuechler, who leads an attempt to destroy the capitol building of Morristown. Using artillery shipments he receives from Washington, Nathaniel sneaks around the Hessian flank and relieves Morristown. Refusing to accept defeat, Kuechler joins the fight with Nathaniel and is killed. After Kuechler's death, Nathaniel is said to have fought at Charleston, Camden, and King's Mountain. As the tide begins to turn, the French join the war and help the revolutionaries gain a victory at Yorktown, where Nathaniel is instrumental in capturing several redoubts. With the Revolution won, Nathaniel returns home a poor man having spent his family fortune on outfitting his volunteers and supplying the troops at Valley Forge. During the epilogue video of the campaign (where Nathaniel is at Yorktown), the "Old Coot" (secretly Morgan Black) from Acts 1 and 3 in the previous game can be seen watching his great-grandson's victory.