Best GPUs for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2026): 5 Picks

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a well-optimized UE5 RPG, but it has one wrinkle most GPU guides skip: the game supports DLSS 4 and Intel XeSS, but has no AMD FSR support and no frame generation. That changes the vendor math at several price tiers. An RTX card that can lean on DLSS Quality at 1440p punches above its native raster spec; an AMD card runs on native or XeSS only, with no fallback. The picks below account for that.

Our top pick: MSI RTX 5070 Ventus 2X OC (12 GB)

The MSI RTX 5070 Ventus 2X OC is the first card that clears 60 fps at 1440p Epic natively, does it in a compact 236mm two-fan design, and has DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation available for titles where you want more headroom. For the majority of 1440p builds targeting this game, it is the pick.

Quick picks

Specs at a glance

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 GPU benchmarks

How we picked

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 runs on Unreal Engine 5 with Lumen and Nanite, and it is one of the cleaner UE5 releases. What makes the GPU decision non-obvious is the upscaler situation.

The game ships with DLSS 4 and Intel XeSS. There is no AMD FSR support. That means every NVIDIA card has DLSS Quality mode as a performance lever, while AMD cards run native or XeSS only. At 1440p, DLSS Quality on an RTX 5060 Ti delivers near-native visual quality at 1080p rendering cost. The gap is real in this title.

The game uses about 9 GB of VRAM at 1440p Epic. The 16 GB cards in this guide have no ceiling here. For Lumen, the “High” preset is a modest step down from “Epic” with a useful performance gain. “Low” disables Lumen entirely. Picks below are evaluated at Epic.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 system requirements

The official requirements list two tiers. Minimum is a GTX 1660, RX 5500 XT or Arc A380 alongside an i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 1600X and 8 GB of system RAM, and it targets 1080p at 30 fps on Low. Recommended is an RTX 3070 or RX 6800 XT with an i7-11700K or Ryzen 5 5600X and 16 GB of RAM, targeting 1080p at 60 fps on High.

Those tiers stop at 1080p, so the number worth planning around is VRAM. At Epic the game asks for roughly 8 GB at 1080p, 9 GB at 1440p and 10 GB at 4K. An 8 GB card is not locked out of Epic at 1080p, but it has no headroom left, and at 1440p it starts running out. Every pick below carries 12 GB or more for that reason.

If you already own a graphics card, check it against that floor before you buy anything. An RTX 3060 12 GB clears 1080p 60 with DLSS set to Quality, and the game stays playable on hardware as old as a GTX 1060 or RX 580 once you drop to Low. The picks below are for builders who want Epic held at a specific resolution, not for anyone who just needs the game to run.

Best Budget: Gigabyte RX 9060 XT Gaming OC (16 GB)

GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming OC 16G Graphics Card, PCIe 5.0, 16GB GDDR6, GV-R9060XTGAMING OC-16GD Video Card

Buy the Gigabyte RX 9060 XT Gaming OC on Amazon

Specs

What it does well

Native 1080p Epic lands around 50 to 55 fps. RDNA 4 is a real raster step up from previous-gen AMD, and 16 GB of VRAM is more than this game needs at any resolution. The Gigabyte Gaming OC cooler runs quiet on a single 8-pin connector. In games that support FSR 4, this card scales up considerably; Clair Obscur is the exception. For a broader 1440p GPU guide, this card sits at the bottom of the usable 1440p range.

What you give up

No FSR means you’re running native or XeSS only. At 1080p Epic, the RX 9060 XT hits 50 to 55 fps natively, close enough to the 60 fps floor that dropping a setting helps. XeSS is available and adds headroom, but it doesn’t reach DLSS 4 levels. At 1440p native, performance falls to the high 30s; XeSS Quality brings it back to the low 50s.

Who it’s for

The 1080p builder on a hard budget who already runs AMD or whose library is mostly FSR-supported titles. If this game is a primary reason you’re buying, the DLSS gap at 1440p makes the RTX picks below worth the extra budget.

Best Value: ASUS Dual RTX 5060 Ti OC (16 GB)

ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB GDDR7 OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card

$764.99

Buy the ASUS Dual RTX 5060 Ti OC on Amazon

Specs

What it does well

DLSS 4 Quality at 1440p puts this card in the 65 to 70 fps range, delivering near-native visual quality at lower rendering cost. The 2.5-slot form factor fits tight cases, and at roughly 180W it runs on a standard 8-pin connector with no 12V-2x6 adapter concerns. Thermals are solid. The 16 GB GDDR7 is not a VRAM ceiling in this game at any resolution.

What you give up

The 128-bit memory bus is the ceiling at 4K; GDDR7 compensates for bandwidth but native 4K is a stretch. The “OC Edition” factory boost is a token 30 MHz. Confirm your board’s primary PCIe slot is x16 native; some older boards run this card x8. The Dual line is ASUS’s entry cooler, below TUF, and runs a few degrees warmer under sustained load.

Who it’s for

1440p builders who want DLSS 4 without spending above the mid-range. Upgraders from 3060-class cards wanting UE5 headroom. SFF builders needing a compact footprint.

Best Overall: MSI RTX 5070 Ventus 2X OC (12 GB)

msi Gaming RTX 5070 12G Ventus 2X OC Graphics Card (12GB GDDR7, 192-bit, Extreme Performance: 2557 MHz, DisplayPort x3 2.1a, HDMI 2.1b, NVIDIA Blackwell Architecture)

Buy the MSI RTX 5070 Ventus 2X OC on Amazon

Specs

What it does well

The RTX 5070 is the first card that hits 60 fps at 1440p Epic natively. With DLSS Quality enabled, that climbs to the mid-80s. Multi Frame Generation is available for users who want extra headroom.

The Ventus 2X is 236mm long, shorter than most 3-fan cards, and it fits cases that would reject a 3.125-slot design. At 250W, a 750W PSU handles it cleanly. For a deeper look at where the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 9070 XT compare at the next tier up, the head-to-head guide covers the raster tradeoffs.

What you give up

12 GB of VRAM is the one concern. The game uses about 9 GB at 1440p Epic now; future UE5 titles will push past that sooner than a 16 GB card would. AMD’s RX 9070 XT ships 16 GB at a comparable price, making that a real platform trade-off. The two-fan Ventus runs 65 to 77 degrees Celsius in cases with normal airflow; a 3-fan variant runs cooler.

Who it’s for

1440p 144Hz builders who want 60 fps natively in UE5 titles. Compact-case owners who need a shorter card. Upgraders from 3070/4070 class.

Best Premium: ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti OC (16 GB)

ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB GDDR7 OC Edition Graphics Card

$1,397.99

Buy the ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti OC on Amazon

Specs

What it does well

At 1440p, the RTX 5070 Ti runs 80 to 90 fps natively at Epic and 110 to 120 fps with DLSS Quality. It is the first card where 4K is genuinely unlocked: DLSS Quality at 4K hits 60-plus fps in this title.

The 16 GB GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus fixes both bandwidth and VRAM concerns. The TUF cooling is among the better solutions at this tier: phase-change thermal pad, dual-ball bearing fans, and temperatures that stay below 70 degrees Celsius under sustained load.

What you give up

The price step over the RTX 5070 is steep for roughly 20 to 25 percent more native raster. If 1440p at 60 fps with DLSS is the actual target, the RTX 5070 does it at a lower price.

The 3.125-slot design needs case clearance. The included 12V-2x6 Y-adapter has caused power delivery issues for multiple buyers. A dedicated 3x8-pin to 16-pin cable is the right solution. Minimum PSU is 850W.

Who it’s for

1440p 144Hz buyers who want native fps without upscaling dependence. 4K buyers targeting 60-plus fps in UE5 titles. Content creators where Tensor Core density matters.

Editor’s Pick (AMD): Sapphire Pulse RX 9070 XT (16 GB)

Sapphire 11348-03-20G Pulse AMD Radeon™ RX 9070 XT Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6, AMD RDNA 4

$789.99

Buy the Sapphire Pulse RX 9070 XT on Amazon

Specs

What it does well

In pure raster, the RX 9070 XT competes with the RTX 5070 in this title and wins in several AMD-favored games. The Sapphire Pulse is the class-leading AIB for this chip: Honeywell PTM7950 thermal pad, quiet fans under 60 degrees Celsius at steady-state, and strong VRM thermals. The 16 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus is the right spec for upcoming UE5 games.

The how to choose a GPU guide covers the AMD-vs-Nvidia decision in broader terms for buyers weighing vendor choice across their full library.

What you give up

No FSR in this game means XeSS and native only. The RX 9070 XT runs 50 to 55 fps natively at 1440p and 65 to 70 fps with XeSS Quality. The RTX 5070 runs 62 fps natively and 85 fps with DLSS Quality in the same scene, at a lower price point. The DLSS advantage in this title is real. The 9070 XT wins in FSR-supported games; this is the exception.

Power draw is higher than the RTX 5070 under load. A 750W PSU is the floor; 850W is the right spec with system headroom accounted for.

Who it’s for

Committed AMD users whose library is mostly FSR-supported, with this game as an exception. Linux and open-source-first buyers. Anyone who prioritizes 16 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus over DLSS access.

Bottom line

For most 1440p builders, the MSI RTX 5070 Ventus 2X OC is the call. It clears 60 fps at 1440p Epic natively, runs compact, and DLSS 4 adds headroom when needed. For 4K or more native headroom at 1440p, the ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti OC is the step up. Budget AMD builders will find the Gigabyte RX 9060 XT handles 1080p well, with the understanding that this game has no FSR. For committed AMD at 1440p, the Sapphire Pulse RX 9070 XT is the pick, running XeSS rather than FSR in this title.

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