The following compares the current state of Frost Mages to Havoc Demon Hunters using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Havoc Demon Hunter
+0.88%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Havoc Demon Hunters averaged 0.88% more DPS than Frost Mages (+14K DPS).
Frost Mage
+1.46%
When simulating AoE DPS, Frost Mages averaged 1.46% more DPS than Havoc Demon Hunters (+15K DPS).
Havoc Demon Hunter
+65.7%
Havoc Demon Hunters have higher spike damage potential, achieving +5.3M more DPS than Frost Mages.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Frost Mage
+1.57%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Frost Mage DPS improved the most, +1.57% more than Havoc Demon Hunter. In total, Frost Mages DPS increased by 67.41% and Havoc Demon Hunters by 65.84%.
Havoc Demon Hunter
+3.89%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 11.39% for Havoc Demon Hunters.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 15.28% for Frost Mages.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Havoc Demon Hunters performed better, as Frost Mages suffered a +3.89% DPS loss.
Frost Mage
When evaluating abilities used during boss encounters, Frost Mages had fewer damaging abilities in total, indicating a potentially less complex rotation.
The comparisons above highlight some of the key differences between Frost Mage and Havoc Demon Hunter in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Havoc Demon Hunter
Frost Mage