What GPU do I need to run Defense of the Ancients?

The minimum GPU requirement for Defense of the Ancients is 512 MB VRAM. For smoother performance at higher settings, a more powerful graphics card is recommended.

What are the system requirements for Defense of the Ancients?

The minimum system requirements for Defense of the Ancients are: CPU: 2 GHz Dual Core, GPU: 512 MB VRAM.

Can I play Defense of the Ancients at 60 FPS?

To achieve 60 FPS in Defense of the Ancients at medium-to-high settings, you typically need at least an entry-level GPU (e.g. GTX 1650 or RX 6500 XT). Use the FPS estimator on this page to check your specific GPU.

Defense of the Ancients

91/100

60 ratings2003Easy to run

Can your GPU run this game?

Estimated FPS across quality settings and resolutions

Search for your GPU above to see a full FPS breakdown at every quality and resolution.

Defense of the Ancients FPS by GPU

Estimated framerates for 14 reference GPUs · pick a resolution and quality

60+ fps30–59 fps<30 fpsClick any row to load the full benchmark

Full benchmark grid · 14 GPUs × 4 qualities × 3 resolutions

1080p performance

Defense of the Ancients estimated FPS at 1080p across 14 GPUs and 4 quality presets
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	901 fps
RTX 4070	999 fps	999 fps	951 fps	773 fps
RX 7800 XT	999 fps	999 fps	838 fps	681 fps
RTX 3080	999 fps	999 fps	815 fps	662 fps
RTX 4060 Ti	999 fps	962 fps	770 fps	625 fps
RTX 3070	999 fps	877 fps	702 fps	570 fps
RTX 4060	991 fps	792 fps	634 fps	515 fps
RTX 3060	849 fps	679 fps	543 fps	442 fps
GTX 1660 Super	616 fps	492 fps	394 fps	320 fps

1440p performance

Defense of the Ancients estimated FPS at 1440p across 14 GPUs and 4 quality presets
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	966 fps
RTX 5080	999 fps	999 fps	999 fps	911 fps
RTX 4080 Super	999 fps	999 fps	999 fps	855 fps
RTX 4070 Ti	999 fps	999 fps	832 fps	676 fps
RTX 4070	999 fps	892 fps	713 fps	579 fps
RX 7800 XT	982 fps	785 fps	628 fps	510 fps
RTX 3080	955 fps	764 fps	611 fps	497 fps
RTX 4060 Ti	902 fps	722 fps	577 fps	469 fps
RTX 3070	823 fps	658 fps	526 fps	428 fps
RTX 4060	743 fps	594 fps	475 fps	386 fps
RTX 3060	637 fps	509 fps	408 fps	331 fps
GTX 1660 Super	462 fps	369 fps	295 fps	240 fps

4K performance

Defense of the Ancients estimated FPS at 4K across 14 GPUs and 4 quality presets
GPU	low	medium	high	ultra
RTX 5090	999 fps	951 fps	761 fps	618 fps
RTX 4090	999 fps	883 fps	706 fps	574 fps
RX 7900 XTX	991 fps	792 fps	634 fps	515 fps
RTX 5080	934 fps	747 fps	598 fps	486 fps
RTX 4080 Super	877 fps	702 fps	562 fps	456 fps
RTX 4070 Ti	693 fps	555 fps	444 fps	361 fps
RTX 4070	594 fps	475 fps	380 fps	309 fps
RX 7800 XT	524 fps	419 fps	335 fps	272 fps
RTX 3080	509 fps	408 fps	326 fps	265 fps
RTX 4060 Ti	481 fps	385 fps	308 fps	250 fps
RTX 3070	439 fps	351 fps	281 fps	228 fps
RTX 4060	396 fps	317 fps	254 fps	206 fps
RTX 3060	340 fps	272 fps	217 fps	177 fps
GTX 1660 Super	246 fps	197 fps	158 fps	128 fps

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Minimum Hardware

Graphics Card

Minimum required

512 MB VRAM

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Processor

Minimum required

2 GHz Dual Core

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About

Defense of the Ancients, released in 2003, is a multiplayer online battle arena mod for Warcraft III that revolutionized competitive gaming. Players control powerful hero units across a symmetrical map, working with their team to destroy the enemy's Ancient structure while defending their own. The game's strategic depth, accessible learning curve, and intense competitive scene made it a defining title for the MOBA genre.

From a performance standpoint, Defense of the Ancients is highly accessible and runs well on modest hardware. Even mid-range GPUs from the last decade can easily maintain 60+ FPS at high graphics settings, while older integrated graphics will comfortably handle the game at native resolution. You won't need a high-end graphics card or latest CPU for smooth benchmark performance—this is a title that prioritizes accessibility without sacrificing visual quality.

With a rating of 91/100, Defense of the Ancients remains a landmark title worth experiencing if you enjoy strategic team-based gameplay. Whether you're benchmarking older systems or simply exploring gaming history, this classic delivers both performance and compelling gameplay that defined an entire genre.

Performance profile

Released in December 2003, Defense of the Ancients 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 — Defense of the Ancients 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.