PCGameBenchmarks
NBA Jam

NBA Jam

80/100
86 ratings1993Easy to run

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Estimated FPS across quality settings and resolutions

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NBA Jam 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

NBA Jam 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

NBA Jam 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

NBA Jam 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

Intel Pentium 133 MHz

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About

NBA Jam, released in 1993, is an iconic basketball arcade game developed by Midway that revolutionized sports gaming with its over-the-top, fast-paced 2-on-2 gameplay. Notably designed by Mark Turmell, NBA Jam combines exaggerated moves, memorable dunks, and arcade-style action, making it a standout title in the sports genre. As the first entry in the NBA Jam series, it laid the groundwork for future sequels while captivating players with its accessible and energetic approach to basketball.

When considering performance for NBA Jam on PC, the game is quite accessible, requiring only an entry-level GPU with a benchmark score of around 300 to run smoothly. This allows players to achieve solid FPS even on modest hardware configurations, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of gamers. Whether you opt for integrated graphics or a lightweight dedicated GPU, you can expect enjoyable performance without demanding too much from your system.

With an impressive rating of 80/100, NBA Jam remains a fun and engaging choice for fans of arcade sports games. Its combination of nostalgia and dynamic gameplay make it worth playing, especially for those seeking a quick pick-up-and-play experience. If you're a fan of basketball or retro gaming, this title should certainly be on your list.

Performance profile

Released in December 1993, NBA Jam predates modern GPU acceleration as we know it today. It runs effortlessly on virtually any current hardware, including integrated graphics and entry-level laptops — framerate is limited by the engine, not the GPU.

Extremely light — NBA Jam 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

NBA Jam, which featured 2-on-2 basketball, is one of the first real playable basketball arcade games, and is also one of the first sports games to feature NBA-licensed teams and players, and their real digitized likenesses. A key feature of NBA Jam is the exaggerated nature of the play - players jump many times their own height, making slam dunks that defy both human capabilities and the laws of physics. There are no fouls, free throws, or violations except goaltending and 24-second violations. This means the player is able to freely shove or elbow his opponent out of the way. Additionally, if a player makes three baskets in a row, he becomes "on fire" and has unlimited turbo and increased shooting precision. The "on fire" mode continues until the other team scores, or until the player who is "on fire" scores 4 additional consecutive baskets while "on fire." The game is filled with easter eggs, special features and players activated by initials or button/joystick combinations. For example, pressing A five times and right five times on any Genesis controller would activate "Super Clean Floors". This feature would cause characters to fall if they ran too fast or changed direction too quickly. And players can enter special codes to unlock hidden players, ranging from US President Bill Clinton to Hugo the Charlotte Hornets mascot. On the arcade machine, there is also a hidden 'tank' game that allows the player to run around a 3D wireframe field. In order to access this mode, however, the player must be able to toggle the on/off switch located behind the machine. While the game was powering back on, the player holds Up and all buttons on player 1 and Down and all buttons on player 2.