For native 1080p at high frame rates in 2026’s biggest games, an RTX 5060 Ti 16GB or RX 9060 XT 16GB is enough. For 1440p Ultra at around 100 fps, you need an RX 9070, RTX 5070 or better. For native 4K at 60 fps or more without upscaling, only the RTX 5080, RX 9070 XT (in lighter games) and RTX 5090 reliably get there. The game-by-game tables below show where each card lands, using independent benchmark figures from named outlets.
Averages hide a lot. A card that looks fine in an overall index can fall apart in one demanding game because it runs out of VRAM or struggles with ray tracing. That is why this page breaks results down by game and by resolution, then rolls them up into a simple “what you need” guide at the end.
Our Top Picks
ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB GDDR7RTX5060Ti|OC|16GB9 x 4.7 x 2 inches1.4 PoundsCheck on Amazon
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC 16GRADEON9070XT11.34 x 5.2 x 2.2 inches3.9 PoundsCheck on Amazon
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming OC 16GRTX 5070 Ti OC13.46 x 5.59 x 2.76 inches3.92 PoundsCheck on Amazon
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5080 Gaming OC 16G GraphicsRTX508013.46 x 5.59 x 2.76 inches4.03 poundsCheck on Amazon
Top 3 picks at a glance
Verdict at a glance
- Best for 1080p high refresh: RTX 5060 Ti 16GB or RX 9060 XT 16GB. Both clear 60 fps at 1080p even in Battlefield 6’s Overkill preset, per Wccftech and TechSpot.
- Best for 1440p: RX 9070 or RX 9070 XT. Tom’s Hardware has the RX 9070 at 104 fps and the 9070 XT at 116.5 fps across its 1440p Ultra suite.
- Best for 4K: RTX 5080 for 60+ fps in most games; RTX 5090 if you want high refresh at native 4K.
- Best for ray tracing at any resolution: GeForce cards, from the RTX 5070 Ti upward.
- Avoid for 1440p and above: 8GB cards. They lose a lot of performance once VRAM fills up.
Average fps by resolution: the big picture
Before the per-game numbers, here is the overall picture from the Tom’s Hardware GPU Benchmarks Hierarchy, which averages a full suite of games at native resolution without upscaling or frame generation.
| GPU | 1080p Ultra avg fps | 1440p Ultra avg fps | 4K Ultra avg fps |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5080 | 166.9 | 128.3 | 77.4 |
| RX 9070 XT | 156.6 | 116.5 | 65.8 |
| RX 9070 | not quoted | 104.0 | not quoted |
| RTX 5070 | not quoted | 96.4 | not quoted |
| RX 9070 GRE | not quoted | 86.6 | not quoted |
| RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | not quoted | 73.4 | not quoted |
| RX 9060 XT 16GB | not quoted | 67.3 | not quoted |
| Arc B580 | not quoted | 50.7 | not quoted |
“Not quoted” means we could not confirm that figure from the source, so we left it out rather than estimate it. The RTX 5070 Ti scores essentially the same as the RX 9070 XT at 1440p in Tom’s index (69.8% against 69.7% of an RTX 5090).
Battlefield 6
Battlefield 6 is one of the most played shooters on PC and one of the better-optimised big releases. It scales well across hardware, which makes it a good reference point.
Overkill preset, native resolution (Wccftech)
| GPU | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 276 fps | 190 fps | 124 fps |
| RTX 5070 | 116 fps | about 80 fps | 53 fps |
| RX 9060 XT 16GB | 70 fps | 48 fps | 32 fps |
| RTX 5060 8GB | 64 fps | 44 fps | 30 fps |
Ultra preset, native resolution (MSI)
| GPU | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5070 | 173.9 fps | 122.8 fps | 67.6 fps |
| RTX 5060 | 110.8 fps | 62.9 fps | 25.4 fps |
TechPowerUp’s 40-plus GPU benchmark summarised the requirements neatly: at max settings without upscaling, 60 fps at 1080p needs an RTX 5060, RX 9060 XT or faster; 60 fps at 1440p needs an RTX 5070, RTX 4070, RX 7800 XT or RX 9070; and at 4K only the RTX 5080, RTX 4090 and RTX 5090 hit 60 fps. TechSpot’s 43-GPU test found the RTX 5060 Ti averaging 89 fps at 1440p Ultra against 81 fps for the RX 9060 XT 16GB. In TechSpot’s 2026 RTX 5070 versus RX 9070 XT comparison, the Radeon led by 18% to 22% at 1440p and 40% to 42% at 4K.
The catch: 8GB cards hit a wall. NoobFeed found the RTX 5060 starting in the mid-30s fps at 1440p High because VRAM was full, and Wccftech measured the game using over 9GB at 1440p Overkill on an RTX 5090.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 remains the standard stress test, especially with ray tracing or path tracing enabled. It is one of the games where the gap between Nvidia and AMD changes the most depending on settings.
1440p Ultra, ray tracing off, no upscaling
| GPU | Average fps | Source |
|---|---|---|
| RX 9070 XT | 127 | GPUBattle |
| RTX 5070 Ti | 127 (91 fps 1% low) | GPUBattle |
| RX 9060 XT 16GB | 73 (60 fps 1% low) | GPUBattle |
| RX 9060 XT 16GB (Phantom Liberty) | 64 | Gamers Nexus |
GPUBattle runs every card on the same Ryzen 7 7800X3D bench with identical settings. Gamers Nexus uses a heavier Phantom Liberty scene, which explains the lower RX 9060 XT figure. GPUBattle also recorded the RX 9060 XT using 8.37GB of VRAM at these settings, which is a warning for 8GB cards.
With ray tracing, the order changes. TechSpot’s 52-game comparison found the RTX 5070 Ti 15% ahead of the RX 9070 XT at 1440p with RT on. Evetech reports that path tracing drops the RTX 5070 Ti from 115 to 140 fps down to 38 to 50 fps at native 1440p. And in TechSpot’s 2026 RTX 5070 versus RX 9070 XT update, the 12GB RTX 5070 collapsed to 9 fps at 4K with Ray Tracing Ultra, while the 9070 XT held a 43% to 50% lead in rasterized runs.
The catch: Path tracing in Cyberpunk is realistic only on GeForce cards from the RTX 5070 Ti upward, and even then it relies on DLSS.
DOOM: The Dark Ages
id Software’s id Tech 8 engine uses Vulkan and requires ray-tracing-capable hardware, so older cards without RT support cannot run it at all.
1080p, Ultra Nightmare preset (TechPowerUp, via Notebookcheck)
| GPU | Average fps |
|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 178 |
| RTX 5080 | 129.9 |
| RX 9070 XT | 128.5 |
| RTX 5070 Ti | 118.9 |
| RX 9070 | 115 |
| RTX 5070 | 97.7 |
| RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and 16GB | 76 |
This is one of the best-case games for AMD: the RX 9070 XT practically matches the RTX 5080. According to TechPowerUp’s summary, 60 fps at 1440p needs roughly an RTX 3080 or RX 7900 GRE class card, and at 4K only flagships like the RTX 4090 or RTX 5090 are enough without upscaling. TechPowerUp also found 8GB sufficient at 1080p and 1440p at max settings, though maxing the texture pool and enabling frame generation can push use to about 15GB.
TechSpot’s 36-GPU benchmark had the RTX 5090 at 151 fps at 1080p Ultra Nightmare, only 3% ahead of the RTX 4090, and noted that performance barely changes between Ultra Nightmare, Nightmare, Ultra and High presets. Different benchmark scenes explain the gap between TechSpot’s and TechPowerUp’s 5090 numbers.
The catch: Lowering presets will not rescue a weak card here. If your GPU struggles, use upscaling instead.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Ubisoft’s open-world game is one of the heaviest ray-traced titles of the last two years. TechSpot’s 2026 update ran it at 1440p with the Ultra High preset and the heavier RT setting: the RX 9070 XT averaged 55 fps against 40 fps for the RTX 5070, a 38% lead for the Radeon.
| GPU | 1440p Ultra High, heavy RT | Source |
|---|---|---|
| RX 9070 XT | 55 fps | TechSpot |
| RTX 5070 | 40 fps | TechSpot |
The catch: Neither card reaches 60 fps natively at these settings. Plan on upscaling at 1440p even with an upper-mid card.
Marvel Rivals and Arc Raiders
Marvel Rivals is a hero shooter built on Unreal Engine 5, and its Lumen lighting makes it heavier than it looks. In TechSpot’s 2026 comparison, the RX 9070 XT led the RTX 5070 by 11% to 20% on the Medium preset, stretching to 24% to 30% with Lumen at Ultra, where it reached 84 fps at 1440p.
Arc Raiders, another Unreal Engine title, showed a 22% lead for the RX 9070 XT over the RTX 5070 at 1440p with static RT, and 30% at 4K, per the same TechSpot article.
| Game | Setting | RX 9070 XT lead over RTX 5070 |
|---|---|---|
| Marvel Rivals | Medium preset | 11% to 20% |
| Marvel Rivals | Ultra with Lumen | 24% to 30% (84 fps at 1440p) |
| Arc Raiders | 1440p, static RT | 22% |
| Arc Raiders | 4K, static RT | 30% |
| F1 25 | Raster preset | about 30% |
| F1 25 | RT on, 1440p and 4K | 12% |
| 007 First Light | All configurations | 36% to 46% |
The catch: Competitive players usually drop to low or medium settings anyway, which makes the CPU more important than these Ultra figures suggest.
Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong is the game where Nvidia’s ray tracing advantage is largest. Without ray tracing, Gamers Nexus measured the RX 9070 XT at 83 fps average at 1440p with good frame pacing, and at least 14% ahead of the RTX 5070 at 4K. With ray tracing enabled, TechSpot’s launch review measured the 9070 XT at just 30 fps at 1440p, roughly half the speed of the RTX 5070 Ti.
The catch: If this kind of path-traced showcase is why you are upgrading, buy GeForce.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Capcom’s RE Engine game was notoriously demanding at launch. DSOGaming found that at 1440p Ultra without ray tracing, its four fastest cards stayed above 60 fps at all times, but at native 4K Ultra only the RTX 5090 held 60 fps throughout. Lowering settings helped surprisingly little: on the 5090, Ultra to Medium was only a 6% difference. Capcom later improved performance with Free Title Update 4 and removed its benchmark tool because it no longer reflected the retail game, so launch-era figures likely understate current performance.
The catch: CPU performance matters a lot here, especially in busy hub areas.
What GPU do you need? A resolution-by-resolution summary
| Target | Minimum card | Comfortable card | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p, 60 fps, high settings | RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT 8GB | RTX 5060 Ti 16GB or RX 9060 XT 16GB | 8GB is fine at 1080p in most games |
| 1080p, 144 fps or more | RTX 5070 or RX 9070 GRE | RX 9070 | CPU matters more at this resolution |
| 1440p, 60 fps, Ultra | RTX 5060 Ti 16GB or RX 9060 XT 16GB with upscaling | RTX 5070 or RX 9070 | 12GB minimum recommended |
| 1440p, 100 fps or more | RX 9070 | RX 9070 XT or RTX 5070 Ti | RTX 5070 Ti for ray tracing |
| 4K, 60 fps | RX 9070 XT or RTX 5070 Ti with upscaling | RTX 5080 | Native 4K Ultra is hard in new games |
| 4K, 120 fps or more | RTX 5080 with DLSS | RTX 5090 | Frame generation helps here |
How to read GPU fps benchmarks
Average fps is not the whole story
Average frame rate tells you how fast a game runs most of the time. The 1% low figure tells you how bad the worst moments are. A card averaging 127 fps with 91 fps 1% lows, as GPUBattle measured for the RTX 5070 Ti in Cyberpunk, will feel smooth. A card with a decent average but low 1% lows will stutter.
Check the settings and the scene
The same game can produce very different numbers depending on the preset, whether ray tracing is on, and which part of the game was benchmarked. The two RX 9060 XT results for Cyberpunk above (73 and 64 fps) both come from reputable sources; they differ because of the scene. Always compare results from the same outlet.
Native versus upscaled
Most review hierarchies use native resolution. Manufacturer charts often use DLSS or FSR with frame generation. MSI’s Battlefield 6 data shows the RTX 5070 going from 122.8 fps native to 252.2 fps with DLSS at 1440p. Both numbers are real, but they are not comparable.
Your CPU sets a ceiling
Reviewers use top gaming CPUs such as the Ryzen 7 9800X3D or 7800X3D. With an older processor, you will see lower frame rates at 1080p and in CPU-heavy games such as Monster Hunter Wilds, regardless of your GPU.
Where upscaling and frame generation fit in
Native numbers are the fairest way to compare cards, but almost nobody plays the newest games at native 4K on a mid-range GPU. DLSS 4 on GeForce and FSR 4 on Radeon RX 9000 cards render at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct the image, often with quality close to native at the “Quality” setting. Frame generation then inserts AI-generated frames between rendered ones.
- Use upscaling first. It raises frame rates and keeps input response tied to real frames. In MSI’s Battlefield 6 figures, DLSS took the RTX 5070 from 67.6 fps to 171.8 fps at 4K.
- Use frame generation on top, not instead. It works best when the base frame rate is already around 60 fps; below that, added latency becomes noticeable.
- Watch VRAM. Frame generation uses extra memory. Sportskeeda found the 12GB RTX 5070 running worse at 4K with DLSS Performance than expected, which it attributed to VRAM limits.
The catch: DLSS is supported in more games than FSR 4, which is one reason GeForce cards can feel faster in practice than native benchmarks suggest.
Common mistakes
- Buying for the average and ignoring your games. If you mainly play Nvidia-sponsored RT titles, the overall raster index undersells GeForce cards. If you play DOOM, Battlefield or Marvel Rivals, it may undersell Radeon.
- Underestimating VRAM. Several games now use more than 8GB at 1440p. Buy 12GB at minimum for 1440p, and 16GB if you can.
- Expecting settings to rescue performance. In DOOM: The Dark Ages and Monster Hunter Wilds, dropping presets changes little. Upscaling helps more.
- Overbuying for your monitor. An RTX 5090 on a 1080p 144Hz monitor is mostly wasted. Match the card to your resolution and refresh rate.
Products Mentioned in This Guide
These are the specific graphics cards behind the game-by-game results and the resolution summary above.
ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB OC Edition
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A best-for-1080p-high-refresh pick and the comfortable 1080p card in our summary; the 16GB version avoids the VRAM wall that 8GB cards hit.
ASRock Radeon RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB OC
The Radeon alternative for 1080p high refresh, clearing 60 fps at 1080p in demanding games and reaching 1440p 60 fps with upscaling.
ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9070 16GB OC Edition
A best-for-1440p pick, averaging 104 fps across Tom’s Hardware’s 1440p Ultra suite and the minimum card for 1440p at 100 fps or more.
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC 16G
Averages 116.5 fps at 1440p Ultra and leads the RTX 5070 in most rasterized games, though GeForce cards pull ahead with heavy ray tracing.
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming OC 16G
Matches the RX 9070 XT at 1440p and is the entry point for ray tracing and path tracing in games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong.
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5080 Gaming OC 16G
Our 4K pick, averaging 77.4 fps at 4K Ultra and reaching 60 fps at native 4K in nearly every game.
How we compared
We compared these graphics cards using manufacturer specifications, independent lab measurements from the sources named above, and owner reports. Per-game figures come from Wccftech, MSI, TechPowerUp, TechSpot, GPUBattle, Gamers Nexus, Evetech, DSOGaming and Notebookcheck, and the resolution averages come from the Tom’s Hardware GPU Benchmarks Hierarchy. We did not bench-test these units ourselves. Figures from different outlets use different systems and scenes, so compare within a table rather than across tables. Game patches and driver updates since publication may have changed some results.
Sources
- Tom’s Hardware: GPU Benchmarks Hierarchy 2026
- Wccftech: Battlefield 6 PC performance benchmarks
- MSI: Battlefield 6 best settings and GPU benchmarks for RTX 5080 and 5070
- TechPowerUp: Battlefield 6 performance benchmark review; DOOM: The Dark Ages performance benchmark review
- TechSpot: Battlefield 6 benchmark (43 GPUs); DOOM: The Dark Ages 36-GPU benchmark; GeForce RTX 5070 vs Radeon RX 9070 XT 2026 Update; RTX 5070 Ti vs RX 9070 XT 52-game comparison; RX 9070 XT review
- NoobFeed: RTX 5060 Battlefield 6 performance review
- GPUBattle: Cyberpunk 2077 GPU benchmarks
- Gamers Nexus: RX 9070 XT and RX 9060 XT 16GB reviews
- Evetech: RTX 5070 Ti Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p
- Notebookcheck: DOOM: The Dark Ages benchmark coverage
- DSOGaming: Monster Hunter Wilds PC performance analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPU do I need for 1440p 144Hz gaming?
An RX 9070 XT or RTX 5070 Ti gets closest in demanding games, averaging around 116 fps across Tom’s Hardware’s 1440p Ultra suite. Lighter games and lower settings will reach 144 fps on an RX 9070 or RTX 5070.
Can an RTX 5060 run games at 1440p?
Yes, at medium to high settings. MSI measured 62.9 fps in Battlefield 6 at 1440p Ultra, but its 8GB of VRAM causes problems at higher texture settings, as NoobFeed found.
What GPU runs 4K at 60 fps?
The RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 hit 60 fps at native 4K in nearly every game. The RX 9070 XT averages 65.8 fps at 4K Ultra in Tom’s Hardware’s suite but falls short in the heaviest titles without upscaling.
Why are my fps lower than benchmark results?
Reviewers use top CPUs, fast memory, clean Windows installs and specific benchmark scenes. A slower CPU, background apps, different settings or a busier area of the game will all lower your numbers.
Is the RX 9070 XT faster than the RTX 5070?
Yes, in most games. TechSpot’s 52-game 2026 update found the RX 9070 XT roughly 25% faster on average, although Nvidia cards still do better in path-traced games such as Black Myth: Wukong.
Do benchmarks include DLSS and frame generation?
Most review hierarchies, including Tom’s Hardware’s 2026 hierarchy, use native rendering. Manufacturer benchmarks often include upscaling and frame generation, which can double or triple reported frame rates.
How much VRAM do games use in 2026?
It varies widely. Wccftech measured Battlefield 6 at about 8.3GB at 1080p and 9.1GB at 1440p on its highest preset, and TechPowerUp found DOOM: The Dark Ages can reach about 15GB with maximum texture pool and frame generation.
