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Best GPU for Spider-Man 2 PC (2026): 5 Picks, RT On or Off
Picking the best GPU for Spider-Man 2 PC comes down to one switch: ray tracing. With it off, Insomniac's New York runs well on mid-range cards. With it on, the frame rate drops hard, AMD cards lose more ground than Nvidia's, and the CPU starts working harder too.
So the five picks below are sorted by the tier you plan to run, from 1080p with ray tracing High up to 4K with every ray tracing slider maxed. Every pick has at least 16 GB of VRAM, because this port punishes 8 GB cards even with ray tracing off.
Our top pick: ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti OC
The ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti OC runs Spider-Man 2 at 131 FPS at 1440p Very High with ray tracing off in TechPowerUp's testing, a hair ahead of the RTX 4080 that Nixxes rates for ray tracing Very High at 1440p and 60 FPS.
Quick picks
Pick | GPU | What it targets | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall | 1440p Very High with ray tracing on | ||
Best Value | 1440p Very High, ray tracing light or off | ||
Best Premium | 4K Very High, ray tracing with DLSS | ||
Best Budget | 1080p Very High, ray tracing High | ||
Editor's Pick | 4K with every ray tracing slider maxed |
Best Overall
- GPU
- What it targets
1440p Very High with ray tracing on
- Buy
Best Value
- GPU
- What it targets
1440p Very High, ray tracing light or off
- Buy
Best Premium
- GPU
- What it targets
4K Very High, ray tracing with DLSS
- Buy
Best Budget
- GPU
- What it targets
1080p Very High, ray tracing High
- Buy
Editor's Pick
- GPU
- What it targets
4K with every ray tracing slider maxed
- Buy
Specs at a glance
GPU | VRAM | 1440p Very High, RT off | Ray tracing tier | Board power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
16 GB GDDR7 | 131 FPS | Very High RT at 1440p | 300 W class | |
16 GB GDDR6 | 124 FPS | High RT at 1440p | 304 W class | |
16 GB GDDR7 | 146 FPS | Very High RT at 1440p, 4K RT with DLSS | 360 W class | |
16 GB GDDR7 | 73 FPS | High RT at 1080p | 180 W class | |
32 GB GDDR7 | 193 FPS | Ultimate RT at 4K | 575 W class |
- VRAM
16 GB GDDR7
- 1440p Very High, RT off
131 FPS
- Ray tracing tier
Very High RT at 1440p
- Board power
300 W class
- VRAM
16 GB GDDR6
- 1440p Very High, RT off
124 FPS
- Ray tracing tier
High RT at 1440p
- Board power
304 W class
- VRAM
16 GB GDDR7
- 1440p Very High, RT off
146 FPS
- Ray tracing tier
Very High RT at 1440p, 4K RT with DLSS
- Board power
360 W class
- VRAM
16 GB GDDR7
- 1440p Very High, RT off
73 FPS
- Ray tracing tier
High RT at 1080p
- Board power
180 W class
- VRAM
32 GB GDDR7
- 1440p Very High, RT off
193 FPS
- Ray tracing tier
Ultimate RT at 4K
- Board power
575 W class
Benchmarks
All figures below are TechPowerUp's measured averages at the Very High preset with ray tracing off, native resolution, on a Ryzen 7 9800X3D test bench. Ray tracing numbers vary too much by scene and setting to chart cleanly, so they live in the pick sections and the How we picked notes instead.
At 1080p the two fastest cards outrun most CPUs, so the CPU you pair matters as much as the card.
- 174 FPS
- 170 FPS
- 188 FPS
- 104 FPS
- 225 FPS
The resolution most buyers of this list will play at, and where the picks spread out cleanly.
- 131 FPS
- 124 FPS
- 146 FPS
- 73 FPS
- 193 FPS
Native 4K before ray tracing. Expect DLSS or FSR to carry the RT-on numbers at this resolution.
- 73 FPS
- 69 FPS
- 83 FPS
- 39 FPS
- 125 FPS
Same chip, different memory. The gap is the VRAM limit, and it widens with ray tracing on.
- 73 FPS
- 57 FPS
The 8 GB versus 16 GB chart is the one to remember. Same GPU, and the 8 GB card gives up more than a fifth of its frame rate at 1440p before ray tracing is even on.
How we picked GPUs for Spider-Man 2 on PC
Nixxes publishes a clear ladder of targets for this port, and it doubles as a map of what ray tracing costs. 1440p at 60 FPS on the High preset asks for an RTX 3070 or RX 6800. Switch ray tracing to High at the same resolution and the ask jumps to an RTX 4070 or RX 7900 XT. Ray tracing Very High at 1440p needs an RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XTX, and the Ultimate ray tracing tier at 4K lists an RTX 4090 with no AMD card named at all. That is the axis this list is built on.
Ray tracing is expensive on the CPU side as well. The same spec sheet climbs from a Ryzen 5 5600 at 1440p High to a Ryzen 9 5900X for ray tracing Very High and a Ryzen 7 7800X3D for 4K Ultimate. In TechPowerUp's CPU testing at 1080p with an RTX 5090, only the Ryzen 7 9800X3D cleared 200 FPS; the other current chips it tested, from the Ryzen 5 9600X up to the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Core Ultra 9 285K, landed between about 155 and 175 FPS. From an RTX 5070 Ti up, the processor sets the ceiling at 1080p. Our GPU and monitor buying framework covers how to size the two together.
VRAM is the floor, not a bonus. The RTX 5060 Ti chart above shows what happens when the texture pool overflows, and ray tracing adds its own memory on top. Every pick here carries 16 GB or more, which matches our verdict on whether 16GB of VRAM is enough in 2026 for demanding ports like this one.
Storage is part of the spec. Every tier on the official sheet lists a 140 GB SSD, and the game leans on fast streaming when you swing and glide across the city at speed. Install it on an NVMe drive, not a hard disk or a nearly full boot drive. If you need one, our NVMe SSD picks for gaming start at the right capacity.
On upscaling, the port supports DLSS with Ray Reconstruction, FSR 3.1 and XeSS, plus DLSS and FSR frame generation. Ray Reconstruction cleans up the ray-traced reflections and shadows, which is one reason the Nvidia picks hold up better with ray tracing on. For the wider picture, see our Nvidia vs AMD ray tracing verdict.
Best Overall: ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti OC
Specs
Chip | RTX 5070 Ti (Blackwell GB203) |
VRAM | 16 GB GDDR7 |
Memory bus | 256-bit |
Board power | 300 W class |
Slot width | 3.125 slots |
Outputs | HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1 |
Upscaling in this game | DLSS with Ray Reconstruction, DLSS frame generation |
Chip
RTX 5070 Ti (Blackwell GB203)
VRAM
16 GB GDDR7
Memory bus
256-bit
Board power
300 W class
Slot width
3.125 slots
Outputs
HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1
Upscaling in this game
DLSS with Ray Reconstruction, DLSS frame generation
What it does well
The ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti OC is the card this game is easiest to recommend at 1440p. TechPowerUp measured the RTX 5070 Ti at 131 FPS at 1440p Very High with ray tracing off, a touch ahead of the RTX 4080 it tested at 127 FPS. Nixxes names the RTX 4080 for ray tracing Very High at 1440p and 60 FPS, so the 5070 Ti sits in that tier on raw speed.
It also brings the Nvidia extras this port rewards. DLSS Quality and Ray Reconstruction keep ray-traced reflections on Manhattan's glass towers sharp without a big frame rate tax. The 16 GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus clears the VRAM floor with room to spare, even with ray tracing on at 1440p.
The TUF cooler is sized for a card in the 300 W class, so it stays quiet under a long session without paying for the flagship-tier boards above it.
What you give up
Native 4K with ray tracing is out of reach. At 4K with ray tracing off it measured 73 FPS, and turning ray tracing on pushes it below 60 without upscaling. Plan on DLSS Performance at 4K, or step up to the RTX 5080.
The TUF board is 3.125 slots thick. Check case clearance before you order, and the white OC Edition listing sits right next to this one on Amazon at a different price, so confirm you are on the black OC Edition.
Who it's for
The 1440p buyer on a 144 Hz monitor who wants ray tracing on as the default, not an occasional treat. Pair it with a current six- or eight-core CPU and an NVMe drive.
Best Value: Sapphire Pulse RX 9070 XT
Specs
Chip | RX 9070 XT (RDNA 4 Navi 48) |
VRAM | 16 GB GDDR6 |
Memory bus | 256-bit |
Board power | 304 W class |
Outputs | 2x HDMI, 2x DisplayPort |
Model number | 11348-03-20G |
Upscaling in this game | FSR 3.1 upscaling and frame generation |
Chip
RX 9070 XT (RDNA 4 Navi 48)
VRAM
16 GB GDDR6
Memory bus
256-bit
Board power
304 W class
Outputs
2x HDMI, 2x DisplayPort
Model number
11348-03-20G
Upscaling in this game
FSR 3.1 upscaling and frame generation
What it does well
With ray tracing off, the Sapphire Pulse RX 9070 XT nearly matches the RTX 5070 Ti: 124 FPS at 1440p Very High against 131, and 170 FPS against 174 at 1080p. That is RTX 5070 Ti-class raster speed in Spider-Man 2 from a card that usually costs less.
The 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus keeps it clear of the VRAM cliff, and the Pulse is Sapphire's no-frills design for this chip. Look for model number 11348-03-20G on the listing to be sure you have the right board.
What you give up
Ray tracing is where it loses. TechPowerUp's notes on this port say enabling ray tracing changes things dramatically, especially for AMD, and Nixxes's own spec sheet names AMD's top previous-generation card, the RX 7900 XTX, just for ray tracing Very High at 1440p and 60 FPS. Expect to run ray tracing at High or off on this card to hold a high refresh rate.
There is no Ray Reconstruction equivalent for AMD in this game, so Radeon cards miss the extra cleanup Nvidia's denoiser gives ray-traced reflections and shadows. FSR 3.1 frame generation helps the frame counter, but it adds latency and does not fix the base frame rate.
Who it's for
The 1440p player who treats ray tracing as optional and would rather spend the savings on a better CPU or a bigger SSD. Also the right call for buyers on Linux or with a raster-first game library.
Best Premium: ASUS TUF RTX 5080 OC
Specs
Chip | RTX 5080 (Blackwell GB203) |
VRAM | 16 GB GDDR7 |
Memory bus | 256-bit |
Board power | 360 W class |
Slot width | 3.6 slots |
Outputs | HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1 |
Upscaling in this game | DLSS with Ray Reconstruction, DLSS frame generation |
Chip
RTX 5080 (Blackwell GB203)
VRAM
16 GB GDDR7
Memory bus
256-bit
Board power
360 W class
Slot width
3.6 slots
Outputs
HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1
Upscaling in this game
DLSS with Ray Reconstruction, DLSS frame generation
What it does well
The ASUS TUF RTX 5080 OC is the 4K card for buyers who do not want a 5090-class build. TechPowerUp measured the RTX 5080 at 83 FPS at 4K Very High with ray tracing off and 146 FPS at 1440p, the fastest numbers here short of the flagship.
That 4K headroom is what makes ray tracing at 4K workable. Short of a 5090, it is the realistic way to keep ray-traced reflections and shadows on at 4K, with DLSS Quality or Balanced and Ray Reconstruction doing the lifting and DLSS frame generation there for a high refresh panel. At 1440p it runs ray tracing Very High with plenty to spare.
What you give up
It is not an RTX 4090. Nixxes lists the 4090 for its Ultimate ray tracing tier at 4K and 60 FPS, and TechPowerUp's 4090 result at 4K with ray tracing off (98 FPS) is ahead of the 5080's 83. Maxed ray tracing at native 4K needs upscaling on this card.
At 1080p the RTX 5080 outruns most CPUs, so it only makes sense at 1440p high refresh or 4K. The TUF cooler is 3.6 slots thick and the card draws in the 360 W class, so check both case room and power supply headroom.
Who it's for
The 4K 120 Hz buyer who wants ray tracing on with DLSS, or the 1440p 240 Hz player who wants Very High ray tracing without compromise, in a mid-tower with space for a thick card.
Best Budget: MSI Ventus 2X RTX 5060 Ti OC (16 GB)
Specs
Chip | RTX 5060 Ti (Blackwell GB206) |
VRAM | 16 GB GDDR7, 28 Gbps |
Memory bus | 128-bit |
Board power | 180 W class |
Cooler | Dual fan (2x STORMFORCE) |
Outputs | HDMI 2.1b, DisplayPort 2.1b |
Upscaling in this game | DLSS with Ray Reconstruction, DLSS frame generation |
Chip
RTX 5060 Ti (Blackwell GB206)
VRAM
16 GB GDDR7, 28 Gbps
Memory bus
128-bit
Board power
180 W class
Cooler
Dual fan (2x STORMFORCE)
Outputs
HDMI 2.1b, DisplayPort 2.1b
Upscaling in this game
DLSS with Ray Reconstruction, DLSS frame generation
What it does well
The MSI Ventus 2X RTX 5060 Ti OC is the cheapest card on this list that keeps Spider-Man 2 out of VRAM trouble. TechPowerUp measured the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB at 104 FPS at 1080p Very High with ray tracing off, which leaves room to switch ray tracing to High at 1080p and put 60 FPS within reach with DLSS Quality doing the lifting.
It brings DLSS, Ray Reconstruction and frame generation to the budget tier, and the 180 W class draw and dual-fan cooler fit small cases and modest power supplies.
What you give up
Buy the 16 GB model, not the 8 GB. They share a name and a chip, and TechPowerUp measured the 8 GB version at 57 FPS at 1440p against 73 for the 16 GB card, a gap that only widens with ray tracing on. The 128-bit bus still limits it at 1440p, where you will want ray tracing off or DLSS doing heavy lifting.
4K is not this card's job. It measured 39 FPS at native 4K with ray tracing off. AMD's RX 9060 XT 16 GB matched it at 1440p in the same testing, but loses the DLSS and Ray Reconstruction edge once ray tracing is on.
Who it's for
The 1080p 144 Hz buyer who wants ray tracing on a budget, or a 1440p player happy with Very High raster and DLSS. Pair it with a six-core CPU and 16 GB or more of system RAM.
Editor's Pick: MSI Gaming Trio RTX 5090 OC
Specs
Chip | RTX 5090 (Blackwell GB202) |
VRAM | 32 GB GDDR7 |
Memory bus | 512-bit |
Boost clock | 2,497 MHz |
Board power | 575 W class |
Outputs | 3x DisplayPort 2.1a, HDMI 2.1b |
Upscaling in this game | DLSS with Ray Reconstruction, DLSS frame generation |
Chip
RTX 5090 (Blackwell GB202)
VRAM
32 GB GDDR7
Memory bus
512-bit
Boost clock
2,497 MHz
Board power
575 W class
Outputs
3x DisplayPort 2.1a, HDMI 2.1b
Upscaling in this game
DLSS with Ray Reconstruction, DLSS frame generation
What it does well
The MSI Gaming Trio RTX 5090 OC is the only card that runs this game the way the Ultimate ray tracing preset intends. TechPowerUp found that at 4K only the RTX 5090 reaches 60 FPS with ray tracing settings maxed. With ray tracing off it measured 125 FPS at 4K Very High.
The 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus removes VRAM from the conversation entirely, and DLSS frame generation turns its 4K ray tracing baseline into high refresh smoothness on a 4K 144 Hz panel.
What you give up
It asks the most of your build. The board draws in the 575 W class, needs a strong power supply with a native 12V-2x6 cable, and the Gaming Trio cooler is long. Below 4K it is mostly wasted: at 1080p every CPU TechPowerUp tested caps it, and at 1440p everything short of a Ryzen 7 9800X3D does.
Nixxes pairs its 4K Ultimate tier with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D and 32 GB of RAM, so budget for the rest of the platform too. A 5090 on a mid-range CPU leaves frames on the table.
Who it's for
The 4K 144 Hz buyer who wants every ray tracing slider maxed, with an X3D-class CPU, 32 GB of RAM and a case and power supply ready for a 575 W card.
Bottom line
If you play at 1440p and want ray tracing on, buy the ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti OC. If ray tracing is optional for you, the Sapphire Pulse RX 9070 XT gets nearly the same raster speed for less. If you play at 4K, buy the ASUS TUF RTX 5080 OC and lean on DLSS, or the MSI Gaming Trio RTX 5090 OC if you want ray tracing maxed. If you are on a budget at 1080p, buy the 16 GB MSI Ventus 2X RTX 5060 Ti and skip every 8 GB card.
Whichever card you pick, install the game on an NVMe SSD. For more picks by resolution, see our best GPUs for 1440p gaming and best GPUs for 4K gaming.
FAQ
What GPU do you need for Spider-Man 2 on PC?
For 1440p with ray tracing on, an RTX 5070 Ti is the pick, since it lands in the RTX 4080 tier Nixxes names for ray tracing Very High at 60 FPS. For 1080p, an RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB handles Very High with ray tracing High using DLSS. For 4K with ray tracing, step up to an RTX 5080 with DLSS or an RTX 5090 for maxed settings. The official minimum is a GTX 1650 for 720p at 30 FPS.
Is 8GB of VRAM enough for Spider-Man 2 PC?
Not for 1440p or above. In TechPowerUp's testing the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB ran 57 FPS at 1440p Very High with ray tracing off, while the 16 GB version of the same card ran 73 FPS. At 4K the gap grew to 24 versus 39 FPS. Ray tracing adds more memory pressure on top. An 8 GB card can run 1080p at lower texture settings, but 16 GB is the floor we recommend for this game.
What GPU do you need for ray tracing in Spider-Man 2 at 1440p?
Nixxes lists an RTX 4070 or RX 7900 XT for ray tracing High at 1440p and 60 FPS, and an RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XTX for ray tracing Very High. In current cards that points to an RTX 5070 Ti for Very High, which matched the RTX 4080 in TechPowerUp's raster testing. The RX 9070 XT is close in raster but loses more with ray tracing on, so run ray tracing at High on it.
Does Spider-Man 2 PC need an SSD?
Yes. Every tier on the official spec sheet, from the 720p minimum to 4K Ultimate ray tracing, lists a 140 GB SSD. The game streams the city as you swing and glide across it at speed, and a hard drive or a nearly full SATA drive can cause hitches during fast traversal. Put it on an NVMe drive with free space, and leave room for patches beyond the base install.
Is AMD or Nvidia better for Spider-Man 2 on PC?
It depends on ray tracing, and the call is clear either way. With ray tracing off, the RX 9070 XT runs within a few percent of the RTX 5070 Ti and costs less, so AMD wins on value. With ray tracing on, Nvidia wins: AMD cards lose more performance, and DLSS Ray Reconstruction gives Nvidia cleaner reflections and shadows. Buy Nvidia if ray tracing matters to you, AMD if it does not.
Does Spider-Man 2 PC support DLSS and FSR frame generation?
Yes. The PC version supports DLSS upscaling and DLSS frame generation, AMD FSR 3.1 upscaling and frame generation, and Intel XeSS. It also supports DLSS Ray Reconstruction on RTX cards. Frame generation is best used on top of a base frame rate near 60 FPS, since it smooths motion but adds input latency. It will not rescue a card that is short on VRAM.
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