We Put it Through a Gaming Stress Test
We explained in a previous article that even if Samsung’s Galaxy J7 Core is only equipped with 2GB of RAM, it is roughly at par with OPPO’s A71–another budget gaming smartphone which has 3GB of RAM. With in-phone features such as Game Launcher—a dedicated folder for all of your games, and a floating Game Tools icon—where you can select a few settings to give you an uninterrupted playing session, Samsung is bent on marketing the Galaxy J7 Core as a gaming phone.
Does it perform as advertised? We checked what the J7 Core’s internals is capable of, with games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Marvel Future Fight, and Asphalt 8: Airborne. For this gaming test, we used GameBench to record the Galaxy J7 Core’s overall performance per game. Here are the results:
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
As the game that Samsung partnered with for the J7 Core, Mobile Legends ran smoothly even on high settings, recording an FPS stability rate of 96% with a median FPS of 19. Being an online MMORPG, Mobile Legends is not graphically intensive as the game’s main focus is internet stability, as the game is often played with fellow players who are online. The sudden framerate drop is due to an internet-related issue—an unavoidable issue especially with the unpredictable weather these days.
Marvel Future Fight
While it is a role-playing game like Mobile Legends, Future Fight is a demanding game graphics-wise: it is packed with detailed cutscenes, along with detailed renders of all characters. Playing the game on high setting, the J7 Core struggled a bit throughout the game, especially in times where you have to deal with multiple characters moving around. As evident with GameBench results, while it recorded a median FPS of 21—higher compared to Mobile Legends—its FPS Stability is at a low 50%. That being said, it is best to play Future Fight on low to mid graphics settings for a stable playing experience.
Asphalt 8: Airborne
Appreciating the game details on Asphalt 8—like the small detail of each car in a race—would mean putting the graphics settings on high. Playing a few races was not a problem with the J7 Core. However, the lag is noticeable when you sift through the different menus of Asphalt 8. Unlike Future Fight, Asphalt 8 was more stable with the Galaxy J7 Core, recording an 82% FPS stability on a median FPS of 21—just the same with Future Fight. The recorded frame drops were due to instances where in-game mishaps (collisions and the like) occur. Other than that, playing racing games is totally fine with the Galaxy J7 Core.
Verdict: It is a value-for-money gaming phone
With a processor that is on the same tier as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625, The J7 Core does live up to its slogan—with limitations due to its 2GB RAM. While it plays games like Mobile Legends smoothly, you have to lower your expectations with graphically demanding games like Future Fight, where you have to lower the graphics settings to enjoy a lag-free gaming experience. What’s surprising, however, is that the Galaxy J7 Core can handle some heavy games like Asphalt 8 with little to no worries. To conclude, the Galaxy J7 Core is a viable phone for gaming, but you have to be mindful of which games you plan to play with it.
Check back at the site in the coming days as we will be wrapping up our review of the Galaxy J7 Core!
