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Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs

Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs

81/100
49 ratings2006Easy to run

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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

Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs estimated FPS at 1080p across 14 GPUs and 4 quality presets
GPUlowmediumhighultra
RTX 5090999 fps999 fps999 fps999 fps
RTX 4090999 fps999 fps999 fps999 fps
RX 7900 XTX999 fps999 fps999 fps999 fps
RTX 5080999 fps999 fps999 fps999 fps
RTX 4080 Super999 fps999 fps999 fps999 fps
RTX 4070 Ti999 fps999 fps999 fps937 fps
RTX 4070999 fps999 fps988 fps803 fps
RX 7800 XT999 fps999 fps871 fps707 fps
RTX 3080999 fps999 fps847 fps688 fps
RTX 4060 Ti999 fps999 fps800 fps650 fps
RTX 3070999 fps912 fps729 fps593 fps
RTX 4060999 fps824 fps659 fps535 fps
RTX 3060882 fps706 fps565 fps459 fps
GTX 1660 Super640 fps512 fps409 fps333 fps

1440p performance

Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs estimated FPS at 1440p across 14 GPUs and 4 quality presets
GPUlowmediumhighultra
RTX 5090999 fps999 fps999 fps999 fps
RTX 4090999 fps999 fps999 fps999 fps
RX 7900 XTX999 fps999 fps999 fps999 fps
RTX 5080999 fps999 fps999 fps946 fps
RTX 4080 Super999 fps999 fps999 fps889 fps
RTX 4070 Ti999 fps999 fps865 fps703 fps
RTX 4070999 fps926 fps741 fps602 fps
RX 7800 XT999 fps816 fps653 fps531 fps
RTX 3080993 fps794 fps635 fps516 fps
RTX 4060 Ti938 fps750 fps600 fps488 fps
RTX 3070855 fps684 fps547 fps444 fps
RTX 4060772 fps618 fps494 fps401 fps
RTX 3060662 fps529 fps424 fps344 fps
GTX 1660 Super480 fps384 fps307 fps249 fps

4K performance

Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs estimated FPS at 4K across 14 GPUs and 4 quality presets
GPUlowmediumhighultra
RTX 5090999 fps988 fps791 fps642 fps
RTX 4090999 fps918 fps734 fps596 fps
RX 7900 XTX999 fps824 fps659 fps535 fps
RTX 5080971 fps776 fps621 fps505 fps
RTX 4080 Super912 fps729 fps584 fps474 fps
RTX 4070 Ti721 fps576 fps461 fps375 fps
RTX 4070618 fps494 fps395 fps321 fps
RX 7800 XT544 fps435 fps348 fps283 fps
RTX 3080529 fps424 fps339 fps275 fps
RTX 4060 Ti500 fps400 fps320 fps260 fps
RTX 3070456 fps365 fps292 fps237 fps
RTX 4060412 fps329 fps264 fps214 fps
RTX 3060353 fps282 fps226 fps184 fps
GTX 1660 Super256 fps205 fps164 fps133 fps

Minimum Hardware

Graphics Card
Minimum required

DirectX 9.0c compatible video card

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Processor
Minimum required

166 MHz

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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.

Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs FPS Benchmarks — Can Your GPU Run It? | PCGameBenchmarks