See just how well FINAL FANTASY XIV will run on your computer. This official benchmark software uses actual maps and playable characters to assign a score to your PC and rate its performance. A character creation tool is also included, allowing you to view playable characters as they will appear in-game.

High Definition Display Support In addition to the standard 1280x720 pixel display, the benchmark also supports a 1920x1080 high definition display. Enjoy every crisp detail of the gorgeous realm of Eorzea. DirectX® 9 and DirectX® 11 Support In addition to the standard DirectX® 9 version, the software also includes a DirectX® 11 benchmark with improved graphics performance. * The system requirements for DirectX® 11 differ from those for DirectX® 9. Please see below for details. New Playable Race - Au Ra The character creation tool gives players the option to select the new Au Race playable race in the benchmark. After creating your ideal character, appearance data can be saved for use when creating characters in the retail version. 5.1 Channel Surround Sound High-quality surround sound completes the experience, wrapping players in the stirring music and the atmospheric effects of FINAL FANTASY XIV. Multilingual Support Features Japanese, English, German, and French.

Depending on your system’s resident software and hardware, it is possible that FINAL FANTASY XIV may not run optimally, even if your computer meets the minimum system requirements. We therefore recommend using this benchmark software to check your system before purchasing the product.

Warning:
-	This software is not a trial version. Please be aware that you cannot play FINAL FANTASY XIV using this software.
-	You must read and agree to the terms and conditions before downloading the software.

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1. Download the ZIP file
Click on the download link below, agree to the Software License Agreement, and download the file.

2. Uncompress the ZIP file
Uncompress the downloaded file and specify a destination to save the unzipped files.
3. Execute the EXE file
Execute the uncompressed file – ffxiv-heavensward-bench.exe.
FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward Official Benchmark Software Overview

Operating System	Windows® Vista/7/8 * DirectX® 9.0c required. * Minimum resolution 1024x720 ** This benchmark is not available on Mac OS. **
File Name	ffxiv-heavensward-bench.zip
File Size	Approx. 1.6GB

If DirectX® 9.0c is not installed on your PC, please download and install it.

Download

This software does not guarantee that your system will run FINAL FANTASY XIV. Even if the results displayed by the benchmark exceed the minimum system requirements, your system might not run FINAL FANTASY XIV due to the configuration of your computer or resident software. Additionally, the performance of the benchmark and FINAL FANTASY XIV may differ. Please use this software for reference only. Please read the license agreement carefully. Your system might not be able to run the benchmark due to the configuration of your computer's resident software or hardware. Please understand that this software is not guaranteed to run on all systems.

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Starting the Benchmark Executing the ffxiv-heavensward-bench.exe file will bring up a splash page, followed by the Software License Agreement window.

*

If your PC does not fulfill the system requirements to run the benchmark, the program will close. A notification will prompt you to adjust screen resolution or other settings if necessary. Please review the aforementioned FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward Official Benchmark Software Overview to determine whether your PC fulfills the system requirements.

Software License Agreement

1.	You can change language settings at the upper-right corner of the window. The language selected will be used in the benchmark launcher window and the benchmark score display.
2.	Read the Software License Agreement. If you agree to all the terms and conditions, click the Agree button.
3.	By default, the agreement window will appear every time you launch this software. Check this box and click the Accept button if you wish to skip this window and jump directly to the benchmark launcher the next time you use the software.

Launcher Once you accept the terms of the Software License Agreement, a launcher window for the benchmark will appear. Here you can adjust various settings for the cutscenes used to measure system performance.

1.	The language setting can be changed for both the launcher window and the cutscene overlay. This setting is shared with the Software License Agreement window.
2.	The Software License Agreement will be displayed once again. If you chose not to show the agreement on startup, you may review it again here.
3.	Change the graphics settings at which you would like to benchmark your system. -  Five graphics presets are available: Maximum, High (Desktop), High (Laptop), Standard (Desktop), and Standard (Laptop). -  When selecting the DirectX® 11 benchmark, the "Maximum (DirectX® 9)" preset will also be available. This preset will use the maximum settings possible with DirectX® 9. -  Selecting "Save as Preset" will allow you to save custom graphics settings. Both the DirectX® 9 and DirectX® 11 versions of the benchmark can have up to three custom presets. -  Selecting "Default" will restore all default settings and delete all saved presets. -  Three monitor resolutions are available: 1024x768, 1280x720, and 1920x1080. Other resolution options may be available depending on your monitor. -  High graphics and resolution settings will place more stress on your system.
4.	Displays system specifications including your version of Windows®, CPU, and GPU. Also displays the graphics and resolution settings to be used upon starting the benchmark.
5.	Check this box to see cutscenes play in a loop. The cutscenes will play back only once by default. *  If set to repeat, the maximum framerate will be limited to 60FPS in order to reduce stress on your system. You can end playback at any time by clicking X or pressing the ESC key. Please note that you will not receive a score when looping playback.
6.	Select either the DirectX® 9 or DirectX® 11 version of the benchmark to measure your system's performance. *  This option is not available on incompatible PCs. *  The graphics and resolution settings for the DirectX® 9 and DirectX® 11 versions are saved separately. Please confirm your settings before running the benchmark.
7.	Start cutscene playback and measure your system's performance. *  The cutscenes are approximately 9 minutes in length.
8.	Closes the benchmark software.
9.	Displays your most recent benchmark score along with a timestamp.
10.	Scores can be posted on the Lodestone or on social networking sites. You may use the provided text, or revise it to your liking. The cutscenes must play in their entirety and generate a score for this feature to be available.
11.	Creates a report containing your score and system specifications. The report will be saved as a txt file in the same folder as the "ffxiv-arr-bench-character.exe".
12.	Visit the official FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward site.
13.	Visit the product page.
14.	Visit the official NVIDIA site.
15.	Characters created via the character creation tool can be selected to appear in benchmark cutscenes.

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Viewing the Benchmark During the cutscenes, you can view your score, the specifications of your system, and a frame rate performance graph.

1.	Displays current benchmark score. Increases based on the performance of your system.
2.	Indicates fluctuations in frame rate. Higher graph lines indicate a higher frame rate.
3.	Displays system specifications including your version of Windows®, CPU, and GPU.

Results When the cutscenes end, the launcher will reappear and display your benchmark results.

1.	Your system's overall score.
2.	Total loading time between all cutscenes.
3.	Your system will receive one of eight ratings depending on your score. Please refer to the table at the bottom of this page for further details.

Character Selection This benchmark will not only gauge your computer's performance running FINAL FANTASY XIV, but also allow you to use the game's character creation tool. Appearance data can be saved for use creating characters in the retail version. You may choose to have your character appear in place of the default Hyur male dragoon in the benchmark cutscenes.

You may choose to have your character appear in place of the default Hume male dragoon in the benchmark cutscenes.

*	This benchmark can be used without a Square Enix account or a connection to the game's servers.
*	Data from the character creation tool will be saved to the following folder: My Games/FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn (Benchmark)
*	Use of Au Ra characters in the retail version requires the installation of FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward or FINAL FANTASY XIV Online. Furthermore, the platform on which they will be used must have a registered license for FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward. Character appearance data saved using this benchmark software can only be used on the PC on which the Windows® version has been installed.

1.	You may choose to have a character appear in place of the default Midlander male dragoon in the benchmark cutscenes.
2.	You can include a comment when saving character data in the benchmark.
3.	Click to launch the character creation tool.
4.	Select from 19 sets of gear for your character. * Gear cannot be changed when selecting the pre-made Midlander male.
5.	Click to select the character you wish to use.
6.	Click to return to the launcher without changing settings.

Character Creation When launching the character creation tool, you may choose to create a new character or load existing character data. This data can also be loaded from the benchmark for FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn, as well as the beta and retail versions of the game.

Begin creating your character by selecting a race, gender, and clan. You will then be given the option to customize appearance. You may return to an earlier step of the creation process at any time. When your character is ready, a save prompt will appear. Select Yes if you wish to save appearance data, then specify a location. Data for up to 40 characters may be saved.

The Benchmark Score and Data Starting the benchmark will cause several cutscenes to play. Once the cutscenes have completed, a score will be displayed. The score represents how well FINAL FANTASY XIV is estimated to run on your PC. Please use the explanations of the scores outlined below for reference.

*	Please note that the score does not guarantee that your system will run FINAL FANTASY XIV. Please use it for reference only.
*	The benchmark software for FFXIV: A Realm Reborn released in 2013 was designed to generate scores based primarily on frame rate. However, the new benchmark for FFXIV: Heavensward has been redesigned to generate scores based on your system's overall performance. We strongly recommend using the latest benchmark software to more accurately measure the performance of your PC.

[7000+] Extremely High Performance	Easily capable of running the game on the highest settings.
[5000-6999] Very High Performance	Easily capable of running the game. Should perform exceptionally well, even at higher resolutions.
[3500-4999] High Performance	Easily capable of running the game. Should perform well, even at higher resolutions.
[2500-3499] Fairly High Performance	Capable of running the game on default settings. Consider switching to a higher resolution depending on performance.
[2000-2499] Standard Performance	Capable of running the game on default settings.
[1500-1999] Slightly Low Performance – Changes to Settings Recommended	Capable of running the game, but will experience slowdown. Adjusting settings may improve performance.
[1000-1499] Low Performance – Changes to Settings Required	Capable of running the game, but will experience considerable slowdown. Adjusting settings is unlikely to improve performance.
[Under 1000] Insufficient Performance	Does not meet specifications for running the game.

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