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Best GPUs for Helldivers 2 (2026): 5 Picks by Resolution
The best GPU for Helldivers 2 is the ASRock RX 9070 Challenger OC. Our FPS model puts it at about 154 fps at 1440p on the Ultra preset at native resolution and 88 fps at 4K, and its 16 GB of VRAM means you never trade texture quality for frames.
The bigger point: Helldivers 2 runs out of CPU before it runs out of GPU once a Helldive turns into a swarm. Below is a card for every resolution, plus what to fix when the frame rate falls anyway.
Our top pick: ASRock RX 9070 Challenger OC
It clears 150 fps at 1440p Ultra with headroom to spare, so on a fast enough CPU the graphics card stops being the thing that drops your frames.
Quick picks
Pick | Card | Target | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall | 1440p high refresh, 4K with FSR 4 | ||
Best Value | 1080p high refresh, 1440p at 100 fps | ||
Best Premium | 4K at 100 fps, 1440p at 165 Hz plus | ||
Best Budget | 1080p Ultra, 1440p with DLSS | ||
Editor's Pick | 1440p with DLSS and Reflex |
Best Overall
- Card
- Target
1440p high refresh, 4K with FSR 4
- Buy
Best Value
- Card
- Target
1080p high refresh, 1440p at 100 fps
- Buy
Best Premium
- Card
- Target
4K at 100 fps, 1440p at 165 Hz plus
- Buy
Best Budget
- Card
- Target
1080p Ultra, 1440p with DLSS
- Buy
Editor's Pick
- Card
- Target
1440p with DLSS and Reflex
- Buy
Specs at a glance
Card | GPU | VRAM | Upscaling | Board power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
RX 9070 | 16 GB GDDR6 | FSR 4 | About 220W | |
RX 9060 XT 16GB | 16 GB GDDR6 | FSR 4 | About 160W | |
RX 9070 XT | 16 GB GDDR6 | FSR 4 | About 304W | |
RTX 5060 | 8 GB GDDR7 | DLSS 4.5, Reflex | About 145W | |
RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | 16 GB GDDR7 | DLSS 4.5, Reflex | About 180W |
- GPU
RX 9070
- VRAM
16 GB GDDR6
- Upscaling
FSR 4
- Board power
About 220W
- GPU
RX 9060 XT 16GB
- VRAM
16 GB GDDR6
- Upscaling
FSR 4
- Board power
About 160W
- GPU
RX 9070 XT
- VRAM
16 GB GDDR6
- Upscaling
FSR 4
- Board power
About 304W
- GPU
RTX 5060
- VRAM
8 GB GDDR7
- Upscaling
DLSS 4.5, Reflex
- Board power
About 145W
- GPU
RTX 5060 Ti 16GB
- VRAM
16 GB GDDR7
- Upscaling
DLSS 4.5, Reflex
- Board power
About 180W
Benchmarks
These are estimates, not our own runs. The PCBH FPS calculator takes Notebookcheck's measured Ultra results for a desktop RTX 4070 (166, 119 and 65 fps at 1080p, 1440p and 4K) and scales them by each card's relative performance, with a penalty when a card is short on VRAM for the resolution.
Notebookcheck recorded a 30-second run around the ship's command bridge, which is a light scene. Treat the numbers as a ranking of what each card can deliver when the GPU is the limit, and expect lower frame rates in a full-squad Helldive on high difficulty.
Average FPS at 1080p on the Ultra preset, native resolution. Every card here clears 120 fps; past that point the CPU decides what you see in a fight.
- 227 FPS
- 208 FPS
- 143 FPS
- 139 FPS
- 131 FPS
Average FPS at 1440p on the Ultra preset, native resolution. The RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT are the only picks above 150 fps.
- 169 FPS
- 154 FPS
- 104 FPS
- 99 FPS
- 92 FPS
Average FPS at 4K on the Ultra preset, native resolution. The 8 GB RTX 5060 falls hard once it runs out of VRAM.
- 98 FPS
- 88 FPS
- 57 FPS
- 55 FPS
- 30 FPS
How we picked the best GPU for Helldivers 2
We sorted the picks by resolution first, because that is the decision you already made when you bought your monitor. At 1080p any card here clears 120 fps on Ultra. At 1440p we wanted 100 fps or more. At 4K the target was 60 fps native, with upscaling filling the gap to a high-refresh panel.
VRAM came second. We count 16 GB as the floor from 1440p up, because the game's texture setting is the easiest way to lose image quality on a card that runs short. The one 8 GB pick is a 1080p card, and we say so plainly. Our 16 GB VRAM verdict covers where that line sits across other games.
Upscaling and latency tools came third. Patch 6.2.5 in May 2026 added DLSS 4.5, FSR 3.1.5, FSR 4 on supported Radeon cards and XeSS 3.0, plus NVIDIA Reflex and AMD Anti-Lag 2. Reports at launch called the upscalers blurry below native until the June 6.2.6 hotfix improved image quality and turned dynamic resolution scaling off by default on PC. Every card on this list now gets a modern upscaler in-game.
We skipped the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070. In our model the RTX 5070 Ti is only about 4% faster than the RX 9070 XT at 1440p for a much higher listing, and the 12 GB RTX 5070 lists above the RX 9070 XT while running about 16% slower here.
Helldivers 2 PC requirements
Arrowhead's recommended spec is an RTX 2060 or RX 6600 XT with a Core i7-9700K or Ryzen 7 3700X and 16 GB of RAM. The minimum is a GTX 1050 Ti or RX 470 with a Core i7-4790K or Ryzen 5 1500X and 8 GB of RAM. Every card on this list clears the recommended GPU by a wide margin; the CPU line is the one to take seriously.
Storage shrank too. Arrowhead de-duplicated the PC files and cut the install from about 154 GB to about 23 GB, and an SSD is still the recommended drive. If you are kitting out the rest of the loadout, our Helldivers 2 headset picks cover the audio side.
Best Overall: ASRock RX 9070 Challenger OC
The RX 9070 is the card most Helldivers 2 players should buy: fast enough that the GPU stops being the limit at 1440p, with 16 GB for every texture setting.
Specs
GPU | Radeon RX 9070 |
Memory | 16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit bus |
Boost clock | 2,520 MHz |
Cooler | Triple-fan, fans stop at idle |
Interface | PCIe 5.0 |
Board power | About 220W |
GPU
Radeon RX 9070
Memory
16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit bus
Boost clock
2,520 MHz
Cooler
Triple-fan, fans stop at idle
Interface
PCIe 5.0
Board power
About 220W
What it does well
Our model puts the RX 9070 at about 208 fps at 1080p, 154 fps at 1440p and 88 fps at 4K on Ultra at native resolution. That covers a 144 Hz or 165 Hz 1440p monitor without touching render scale, and leaves headroom for the bug-heavy moments when the scene gets busier.
The 16 GB pool on a 256-bit bus never limits this game at any resolution. It also has FSR 4 support since patch 6.2.5, which is the upscaler to use at 4K. Board power sits around 220W, so a quality 650W unit runs it comfortably.
This ASRock Challenger is a plain triple-fan card whose fans stop at idle. Nothing fancy, which is the point: the money goes into the chip.
What you give up
Buyers have flagged that this listing is sold by ASRock USA rather than Amazon itself, so check the seller and return terms before you buy. The RX 9070 XT is only about 10% faster, which makes the step up hard to justify unless you play at 4K.
No graphics card fixes a CPU-limited swarm fight. On a mid-range CPU you will still see dips on high difficulty, and the RX 9070 will sit partly idle while it happens.
Who it's for
The 1440p player on a 144 Hz to 165 Hz monitor who wants Ultra with headroom, and the 4K player happy at 60 to 90 fps with FSR 4.
Best Value: ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB
The RX 9060 XT 16GB is the lowest-cost way into 16 GB on this list, and it holds about 100 fps at 1440p Ultra in our model.
Specs
GPU | Radeon RX 9060 XT |
Memory | 16 GB GDDR6, 128-bit bus |
Boost clock | 3,290 MHz |
Cooler | Dual-fan, fans stop at idle |
Interface | PCIe 5.0 |
Outputs | HDMI 2.1b, DisplayPort 2.1a |
Board power | About 160W |
GPU
Radeon RX 9060 XT
Memory
16 GB GDDR6, 128-bit bus
Boost clock
3,290 MHz
Cooler
Dual-fan, fans stop at idle
Interface
PCIe 5.0
Outputs
HDMI 2.1b, DisplayPort 2.1a
Board power
About 160W
What it does well
The model gives it about 139 fps at 1080p and 99 fps at 1440p on Ultra at native resolution. That is a smooth 1080p high-refresh card and a solid 1440p 100 Hz card, with FSR 4 when you want more.
The 16 GB of memory is the reason this is the value pick rather than the 8 GB version of the same chip. You never drop textures to stay inside the frame buffer, and the card stays useful for heavier games down the line.
The ASRock Challenger is a compact dual-fan design with a 3,290 MHz boost clock and fans that stop at idle. At about 160W it runs on almost any modern power supply.
What you give up
4K is a stretch: the model puts it around 55 fps native, so you will lean on FSR there. The 128-bit bus is narrower than the RX 9070's, and like the Overall pick, this listing is sold by ASRock USA rather than Amazon.
The RX 9070 is about 55% faster here for a modest step up. If your budget can stretch, the Overall pick is the better long-term buy.
Who it's for
The 1080p high-refresh player, or the 1440p player targeting about 100 fps, on a mainstream budget.
Best Premium: ASUS Prime RX 9070 XT OC
The RX 9070 XT is the 4K card, and in our model it lands within about 4% of the RTX 5070 Ti at 1440p and 5% at 4K for a far smaller outlay.
Specs
GPU | Radeon RX 9070 XT |
Memory | 16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit bus |
Cooler | Triple-fan, 2.5-slot |
Interface | PCIe 5.0 |
Outputs | HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1 |
Board power | About 304W |
GPU
Radeon RX 9070 XT
Memory
16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit bus
Cooler
Triple-fan, 2.5-slot
Interface
PCIe 5.0
Outputs
HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1
Board power
About 304W
What it does well
The model gives it about 227 fps at 1080p, 169 fps at 1440p and 98 fps at 4K on Ultra at native resolution. That is close to 100 fps at 4K before upscaling, and FSR 4 takes it the rest of the way to a 120 Hz or 144 Hz 4K panel.
The 16 GB pool on a 256-bit bus is enough for 4K Ultra in this game. The ASUS Prime cooler is a 2.5-slot design, which fits more cases than most cards at this tier.
What you give up
Board power is about 304W, so plan for a quality 750W unit. The card is only about 10% faster than the RX 9070, so at 1440p you are paying for headroom you will rarely see.
There is no DLSS on Radeon, and Helldivers 2's upscalers needed the 6.2.6 hotfix before image quality settled. FSR 4 is the setting to use; the older FSR 3.1.5 path looks softer.
Who it's for
The 4K player on a 60 Hz to 120 Hz monitor, or the 1440p player chasing 165 Hz to 240 Hz with a fast CPU to match.
Best Budget: Gigabyte RTX 5060 Windforce OC
The RTX 5060 is the lowest entry point on the list and a capable 1080p Ultra card, with DLSS 4.5 and Reflex now in the game.
Specs
GPU | GeForce RTX 5060 |
Memory | 8 GB GDDR7, 128-bit bus |
Cooler | Dual-fan WINDFORCE |
Interface | PCIe 5.0 x8 |
Board power | About 145W |
GPU
GeForce RTX 5060
Memory
8 GB GDDR7, 128-bit bus
Cooler
Dual-fan WINDFORCE
Interface
PCIe 5.0 x8
Board power
About 145W
What it does well
The model puts the RTX 5060 at about 131 fps at 1080p on Ultra at native resolution and 92 fps at 1440p. On a 1080p 144 Hz monitor that is most of the way there before you touch any setting.
Patch 6.2.5 added DLSS 4.5 and NVIDIA Reflex, which help this card more than any other on the list. DLSS Quality at 1440p is the setting that makes it a 1440p card, and Reflex trims input latency in a game where you are aiming at a charging Charger. It draws about 145W and fits small cases.
What you give up
The 8 GB of VRAM is the floor. Our model drops it to about 30 fps at 4K once it runs out of memory, and it is the one card here we would not run with the texture setting maxed above 1080p. The PCIe 5.0 x8 link costs a little on older PCIe 3.0 boards.
If you plan to move to 1440p within a year or two, the 16 GB cards above are the safer buy. Our 8 GB VRAM breakdown goes into where 8 GB runs out.
Who it's for
The 1080p player on a tight budget, or a 1440p player who is happy to run DLSS.
Editor's Pick: ASUS Dual RTX 5060 Ti 16GB OC
The RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is the GeForce pick: DLSS 4.5, DLAA and Reflex with 16 GB, at about 104 fps at 1440p Ultra in our model.
Specs
GPU | GeForce RTX 5060 Ti |
Memory | 16 GB GDDR7, 128-bit bus |
Cooler | Dual-fan, 2.5-slot |
Interface | PCIe 5.0 x8 |
Outputs | HDMI 2.1b, DisplayPort 2.1b |
Board power | About 180W |
GPU
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti
Memory
16 GB GDDR7, 128-bit bus
Cooler
Dual-fan, 2.5-slot
Interface
PCIe 5.0 x8
Outputs
HDMI 2.1b, DisplayPort 2.1b
Board power
About 180W
What it does well
The model gives it about 143 fps at 1080p, 104 fps at 1440p and 57 fps at 4K on Ultra at native resolution. Turn on DLAA at 1080p for the cleanest image in the game, or DLSS Quality at 1440p for more frames.
The 16 GB of GDDR7 removes the VRAM worry the RTX 5060 carries. NVENC is the other reason to pick it: if you stream or record your Helldives, the encoder costs you almost nothing in frame rate. It draws about 180W.
What you give up
It lists close to the RX 9070, which is about 50% faster here. You are paying for the NVIDIA feature set rather than raw frame rate, so only buy it if DLSS image quality, Reflex or NVENC matter to you.
The bus is 128-bit and the link is PCIe 5.0 x8, the same compromises as the RTX 5060.
Who it's for
The 1440p player who wants DLSS and Reflex, or who streams and records missions with NVENC.
What a faster GPU will not fix: swarm fights on high difficulty
Here is the part that saves people from buying the wrong upgrade. On high difficulty, when a bug breach or a bot drop fills the screen, Helldivers 2 is limited by the CPU. Players with strong graphics cards report CPU load spiking to 100% and frame rates falling to around 60 while GPU load drops. Lowering render scale does not lift those dips, because the GPU was never the bottleneck.
To check your own system, press F5 in-game for the performance overlay and compare CPU and GPU frame times in a fight. If the CPU number is higher, a new graphics card will not help. Spend on the processor instead; our guide to X3D CPUs for gaming covers when the extra cache earns its keep.
If the GPU number is higher, that is when the picks above pay off. Match the card to your monitor using our 1440p GPU guide or 4K GPU guide, and see our GPU and monitor guide if you are buying both.
Bottom line
If you play at 1440p, buy the ASRock RX 9070 Challenger OC. If you are on 1080p and want 16 GB, the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB is the value pick. If you play at 4K, the ASUS Prime RX 9070 XT OC is the card. If the budget is tight and you stay at 1080p, the Gigabyte RTX 5060 Windforce OC does the job. If you want DLSS, Reflex and NVENC, the ASUS Dual RTX 5060 Ti 16GB OC is the GeForce option. And if your frames drop only in big fights, check the CPU before you buy any of them.
FAQ
What GPU do you need for Helldivers 2?
For 1080p on Ultra, the RTX 5060 runs about 131 fps natively in our FPS model, and the RX 9060 XT 16GB about 139 fps. For 1440p Ultra, the RX 9070 reaches about 154 fps. For 4K, the RX 9070 XT holds about 98 fps natively. Arrowhead's recommended RTX 2060 or RX 6600 XT is a far lower bar than any of these.
How much VRAM does Helldivers 2 use?
Helldivers 2 is a medium VRAM game. Our model expects about 6 GB at 1080p, 8 GB at 1440p and 10 GB at 4K on Ultra. An 8 GB card is fine at 1080p, but we recommend 16 GB from 1440p up so you never have to lower texture quality. That is why four of our five picks carry 16 GB.
Why does Helldivers 2 drop FPS on high difficulty?
Large swarms on high difficulty load the CPU far more than the GPU. Players report CPU usage hitting 100% while the graphics card sits partly idle, with frames falling to around 60. Press F5 in-game and compare CPU and GPU frame times. If the CPU number is higher, a faster processor helps and a faster graphics card does not.
Is the RTX 5060 good enough for Helldivers 2?
Yes, at 1080p. Our model puts it at about 131 fps on Ultra at native 1080p, and DLSS 4.5 lets it run 1440p well. The limit is its 8 GB of VRAM: at 4K it falls to about 30 fps in our model. If you plan to play at 1440p long term, the 16 GB RX 9060 XT or RTX 5060 Ti is the safer buy.
Does Helldivers 2 support DLSS and FSR?
Yes. Patch 6.2.5 in May 2026 added DLSS 4.5, FSR 3.1.5, FSR 4 on supported Radeon cards and XeSS 3.0, plus NVIDIA Reflex and AMD Anti-Lag 2. Early reports called the upscalers blurry below native until the June 6.2.6 hotfix improved image quality. Use DLSS on GeForce and FSR 4 on Radeon RX 9000 cards.
Does lowering render scale help FPS in Helldivers 2?
Only when the GPU is the limit. Render scale sets the internal resolution the game draws before scaling to your monitor, so lowering it frees up the graphics card. In CPU-limited swarm fights it does almost nothing, because the processor is what holds the frame rate down. Since patch 6.2.5, DLSS or FSR 4 is a better way to lower the internal resolution than the old render scale presets.
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