Game performance testing: are all SKUs necessary?

[Macro Device]

I'm working on a video game. My tasks are limited to screenplay, character design, language and all that stuff, the actual coding and building is done by other people. However, this is me with more spare time so I also need to test it.

Do I need all the Pascal SKUs for that, or testing on a, say, 1060 is enough to tell what's up and I can move to a different architecture rather than to a different GPU based on the same architecture until I exhaust all options?

I really don't wanna buy everything, wanna stick to "1 GPU of each colour."

 

[Onasi]

Generally, one representative of an architecture is enough to see if things work correctly. It shouldn’t matter anyway - your game isn’t optimized for separate architectures (if you are doing things correctly), it’s made to be compliant with DirectX standards (or Vulkan, I suppose) and THAT then talks to whatever the driver is which then talks to the GPU.

 

[Macro Device]

DirectX standards (or Vulkan, I suppose)

No idea, I amn't allowed to see the underbelly.

But thanks, will just buy a couple things and then ask dudes with other configs to test it just in case.

 

[W1zzard]

I really don't wanna buy everything, wanna stick to "1 GPU of each colour."

1 per generation won't be enough, because the range is so big, but 2 or 3 (for newer) should be fine

 

[Macro Device]

1 per generation won't be enough, because the range is so big, but 2 or 3 (for newer) should be fine

So...

NVIDIA:
GTX 1060, 1080 Ti.
GTX 1650, RTX 2060, RTX 2080 Ti.
RTX 3050, RTX 3080 Ti.
RTX 4060, RTX 4070 Super, RTX 4090.

AMD:
R9 390
RX 480, RX 590.
RX 5500 XT, RX 5700 XT.
RX 6700 XT, RX 6950 XT.
RX 7600, RX 7800 XT, RX 7900 XTX.

Intel:
A380, A770.
B580.

Is this a reasonable enough list?

 

[Onasi]

@Macro Device
I mean, you could probably drop the Hawaii card. No real reason for having both 480 and 590 too - same chip, just a shrink. Don’t think you would need a 4090 either. Generally, while I am not sure I fully agree with W1zz, I suppose his point is still valid if you want to be absolutely sure, but even then you can get away with going for the most budget option of the generation and for something reasonably mid-high. I would still stress that testing “per-architecture” is kind of an asinine thing in the first place with how modern development works.

 

[Macro Device]

I mean, you could probably drop the Hawaii card.

No one buys it so I could just as well make use of it. Sure, not much sense in testing it but anyway.

No real reason for having both 480 and 590 too

These belong to my bro and my friend respectively. They can test for me.

Don’t think you would need a 4090 either.

I know a guy so...

if you want to be absolutely sure

I do. I want to release a game that plays, not a game that buzzkills.