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Best GPUs for The First Descendant (2026): 1080p to 4K
The graphics card to buy for The First Descendant is the PowerColor Hellhound RX 9070 XT. In our FPS calculator's model it averages about 84 fps at 1440p on the Ultra preset at native resolution and about 56 fps at 4K, within a few frames of the RTX 5070 Ti, with 16 GB of VRAM.
Nexon's Unreal Engine 5 looter-shooter is kinder to mid-range cards than most UE5 games. The picks below are tiered by resolution, every one carries 16 GB, and the GeForce cards earn their place through DLSS 4 rather than raw speed.
Our top pick: PowerColor Hellhound RX 9070 XT
The PowerColor Hellhound RX 9070 XT gets you within 3 fps of the RTX 5070 Ti at 1440p Ultra in the model, on a 256-bit 16 GB card that lists far lower.
Quick picks
Pick | Card | Target | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall | 1440p Ultra at 80+ fps | ||
Best Value | 1440p Ultra at 75 fps | ||
Best Premium | 1440p 165 Hz+ with DLSS 4 | ||
Best Budget | 1080p Ultra at 60+ fps | ||
Editor's Pick | 1080p high refresh, DLSS |
Best Overall
- Card
- Target
1440p Ultra at 80+ fps
- Buy
Best Value
- Card
- Target
1440p Ultra at 75 fps
- Buy
Best Premium
- Card
- Target
1440p 165 Hz+ with DLSS 4
- Buy
Best Budget
- Card
- Target
1080p Ultra at 60+ fps
- Buy
Editor's Pick
- Card
- Target
1080p high refresh, DLSS
- Buy
Specs at a glance
Card | Memory | 1440p Ultra (modeled) | Upscaling in game | Board power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit | About 84 fps | FSR 3, frame generation | About 304W | |
16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit | About 76 fps | FSR 3, frame generation | About 220W | |
16 GB GDDR7, 256-bit | About 87 fps | DLSS 4, multi frame generation | About 300W | |
16 GB GDDR6, 128-bit | About 49 fps | FSR 3, frame generation | About 160W | |
16 GB GDDR7, 128-bit | About 51 fps | DLSS 4, multi frame generation | About 180W |
- Memory
16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit
- 1440p Ultra (modeled)
About 84 fps
- Upscaling in game
FSR 3, frame generation
- Board power
About 304W
- Memory
16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit
- 1440p Ultra (modeled)
About 76 fps
- Upscaling in game
FSR 3, frame generation
- Board power
About 220W
- Memory
16 GB GDDR7, 256-bit
- 1440p Ultra (modeled)
About 87 fps
- Upscaling in game
DLSS 4, multi frame generation
- Board power
About 300W
- Memory
16 GB GDDR6, 128-bit
- 1440p Ultra (modeled)
About 49 fps
- Upscaling in game
FSR 3, frame generation
- Board power
About 160W
- Memory
16 GB GDDR7, 128-bit
- 1440p Ultra (modeled)
About 51 fps
- Upscaling in game
DLSS 4, multi frame generation
- Board power
About 180W
The First Descendant PC requirements
Nexon's published minimum is a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or Radeon RX 570 with a Core i5-3570 or FX-8350 and 8 GB of RAM. The recommended tier asks for an RTX 2060 or RX 5600 XT, a Core i7-7700K or Ryzen 5 2600X and 16 GB of RAM.
Treat the recommended tier as a 1080p target at moderate settings. In TechPowerUp's launch test the RTX 3060 managed about 45 fps at 1080p Ultra, so any card from that era will need lower presets or upscaling. Install the game on an SSD.
Benchmarks
These are estimates from our FPS calculator, not direct tests of these exact cards. The model takes TechPowerUp's measured launch results on the Ultra preset at native resolution, with no ray tracing and no upscaling, and scales them by each card's relative performance. Real missions with many enemies on screen can run lower.
Every pick clears 60 fps at 1080p Ultra in the model.
- 108 FPS
- 107 FPS
- 98 FPS
- 67 FPS
- 66 FPS
Only the RX 9070 tier and up hold 75 fps or more at 1440p natively.
- 87 FPS
- 84 FPS
- 76 FPS
- 51 FPS
- 49 FPS
No pick reaches 60 fps at 4K natively, so 4K means upscaling on every card here.
- 58 FPS
- 56 FPS
- 50 FPS
- 33 FPS
- 31 FPS
How we picked
We started with native frame rate on the Ultra preset at each resolution, because that is the honest headroom number before upscaling or frame generation. TechPowerUp's launch test measured the RTX 4070 at about 78 fps at 1080p, 59 fps at 1440p and 37 fps at 4K, and the model scales every newer card from that baseline.
That number reshaped the list. At 1440p the RX 9070 XT and the RTX 5070 Ti land 3 fps apart, so the Radeon takes the top spot and the GeForce card has to justify itself with features. It can: The First Descendant ships DLSS frame generation, ray reconstruction, DLAA and Reflex, and Season 3 added DLSS 4 multi frame generation.
VRAM came next. Measurements from PC Optimized Settings put the game at about 6.8 GB at 1080p Ultra and about 7.5 GB with ray tracing and frame generation on. That is within reach of an 8 GB card today, but we kept every pick at 16 GB so seasonal content and ray tracing have room. Our guide on whether 16 GB of VRAM is enough covers the wider picture. The First Descendant is a live-service game, so we will revisit these picks as new seasons change its demands.
Best Overall: PowerColor Hellhound RX 9070 XT
Specs
GPU | Radeon RX 9070 XT |
Memory | 16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit bus |
Cooler | Triple-fan Hellhound |
Interface | PCIe 5.0 |
Outputs | HDMI 2.1b, DisplayPort 2.1a |
Board power | About 304W |
GPU
Radeon RX 9070 XT
Memory
16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit bus
Cooler
Triple-fan Hellhound
Interface
PCIe 5.0
Outputs
HDMI 2.1b, DisplayPort 2.1a
Board power
About 304W
What it does well
The RX 9070 XT is the card this game fits best at 1440p. The model puts it at about 107 fps at 1080p, 84 fps at 1440p and 56 fps at 4K on Ultra natively, a hair behind the RTX 5070 Ti at every resolution.
Its 16 GB of GDDR6 sits on a 256-bit bus, the same width as the GeForce card above it. That is twice the bus width of the 128-bit cards lower down this list.
FSR 3 Quality and FSR 3 frame generation are both in the game. DSOGaming found FSR 3 frame generation slightly faster than DLSS 3 frame generation with similar input latency, so Radeon owners are not stuck without a frame-generation option.
What you give up
There is no DLSS. That rules out ray reconstruction and DLSS 4 multi frame generation, the two features that make ray tracing usable here. If ray tracing is the plan, look at the RTX 5070 Ti.
Board power is about 304W and the Hellhound is a large triple-fan card, so check your power supply and case clearance. At 4K it sits in the mid-50s natively, which means FSR for a locked 60.
Who it's for
The 1440p player on a 144 Hz monitor who wants Ultra settings natively, or the 4K 60 Hz player happy to run FSR Quality. Our 1440p GPU guide covers the same card across a wider library.
Best Value: ASRock RX 9070 Challenger OC
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
The RX 9070 gets you about 90 percent of the RX 9070 XT. The model has it at about 98 fps at 1080p, 76 fps at 1440p and 50 fps at 4K on Ultra natively.
It keeps the full 16 GB on a 256-bit bus and draws about 220W, roughly 80W less than the XT. ASRock's Challenger cooler stops its fans at idle, so a menu or a loadout screen stays quiet.
What you give up
The XT is about 10 percent faster at 1440p, and at 4K the RX 9070 needs FSR to hold 60 fps. Like the Hellhound, it has no DLSS, so ray reconstruction and multi frame generation are off the table.
Buyers have flagged that this listing is sold by ASRock USA rather than Amazon itself. Check the seller and return terms before you order.
Who it's for
The 1440p player on a 75 Hz to 144 Hz monitor, or the 1080p high-refresh player, who wants Ultra settings without a 300W card.
Best Premium: ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti OC
Specs
GPU | GeForce RTX 5070 Ti |
Memory | 16 GB GDDR7, 256-bit bus |
Cooler | Triple-fan, 3.125-slot |
Interface | PCIe 5.0 |
Outputs | HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1 |
Board power | About 300W |
GPU
GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
Memory
16 GB GDDR7, 256-bit bus
Cooler
Triple-fan, 3.125-slot
Interface
PCIe 5.0
Outputs
HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1
Board power
About 300W
What it does well
The RTX 5070 Ti is the card for the full NVIDIA feature set this game ships. Natively it is the fastest pick here at about 108 fps at 1080p, 87 fps at 1440p and 58 fps at 4K on Ultra in the model.
DLSS 4 is the reason to pay more. NVIDIA quotes above 180 fps on the RTX 5070 Ti at 1440p with max settings and ray tracing on, using DLSS 4 multi frame generation. Ray reconstruction cleans up the ray-traced reflections, though DSOGaming measured it costing up to 12 percent of frame rate.
Its 16 GB of GDDR7 runs on a 256-bit bus, and ASUS's TUF cooler is a large triple-fan design with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 outputs.
What you give up
Natively it is only about 3 fps ahead of the RX 9070 XT at 1440p. If you never turn on ray tracing or frame generation, that is a lot of extra money for very little.
Multi frame generation adds input latency, so turn on Reflex and keep the base frame rate near 60 fps before you multiply it. The TUF is a 3.125-slot card with about 300W of board power, so measure your case first.
Who it's for
The 1440p player on a 165 Hz to 240 Hz monitor, or the 4K 120 Hz player, who will run ray tracing with DLSS 4. For 4K across other games, see our 4K GPU guide.
Best Budget: XFX Swift RX 9060 XT OC 16GB
Specs
GPU | Radeon RX 9060 XT |
Memory | 16 GB GDDR6, 128-bit bus |
Cooler | Triple-fan XFX Swift |
Interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 |
Outputs | HDMI, 2x DisplayPort |
Board power | About 160W |
GPU
Radeon RX 9060 XT
Memory
16 GB GDDR6, 128-bit bus
Cooler
Triple-fan XFX Swift
Interface
PCIe 5.0 x16
Outputs
HDMI, 2x DisplayPort
Board power
About 160W
What it does well
The RX 9060 XT 16GB averages about 66 fps at 1080p Ultra natively in the model. That holds a 60 fps target at max settings without upscaling.
The 16 GB is the reason it is the budget pick. Textures never become the limit, and it has room for the ray-tracing mode once you add FSR. XFX's Swift version uses a triple-fan cooler on a chip that draws about 160W.
What you give up
At 1440p it manages about 49 fps natively, so 1440p means FSR or a drop to the High preset. The memory sits on a 128-bit bus, half the width of the RX 9070.
At current listings the step up to the RX 9070 is small, and that card is about 50 percent faster at 1440p. Compare both before you order.
Who it's for
The 1080p player on a 60 Hz to 75 Hz monitor with a tight budget. Our 1080p GPU guide covers the high-refresh end of the tier.
Editor's Pick: ASUS Prime RTX 5060 Ti 16GB OC
Specs
GPU | GeForce RTX 5060 Ti |
Memory | 16 GB GDDR7, 128-bit bus |
Cooler | Dual-fan, 2.5-slot, SFF-ready |
Interface | PCIe 5.0 x8 |
Outputs | HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1 |
Board power | About 180W |
GPU
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti
Memory
16 GB GDDR7, 128-bit bus
Cooler
Dual-fan, 2.5-slot, SFF-ready
Interface
PCIe 5.0 x8
Outputs
HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1
Board power
About 180W
What it does well
The RTX 5060 Ti 16GB is the mainstream GeForce card with enough memory. The model has it at about 67 fps at 1080p and 51 fps at 1440p on Ultra natively, level with the RX 9060 XT.
DLSS 4 is the reason to pick it over the Radeon. DLSS Super Resolution lifts it well past 60 fps at 1440p, and multi frame generation with Reflex can push a 1080p 144 Hz monitor to its limit.
With 16 GB of GDDR7 it has the same memory headroom as our top pick. ASUS's Prime is a 2.5-slot card marked SFF-ready, so it fits small builds the TUF and Hellhound will not.
What you give up
Native speed is no better than the cheaper RX 9060 XT 16GB, and it lists close to the RX 9070, which is about 50 percent faster natively. It runs on a 128-bit bus and a PCIe 5.0 x8 link, which costs a little on older PCIe 3.0 boards.
Frame generation only feels right from a decent base frame rate. At 1440p with ray tracing, expect to lean on both DLSS and frame generation.
Who it's for
The 1080p high-refresh player, or the 1440p player who is happy to use DLSS, especially in a small-form-factor case.
DLSS 4, FSR and ray tracing in The First Descendant
The First Descendant supports DLSS Super Resolution, DLSS frame generation, ray reconstruction, DLAA and Reflex on GeForce cards, plus FSR 3 with frame generation on every card. Season 3, released August 7, 2025, added DLSS 4 multi frame generation for the RTX 50 series.
Ray tracing is optional and costs real frames, so size the card to your resolution at native first. Then treat ray tracing as a bonus that needs upscaling. On GeForce, ray reconstruction and multi frame generation win most of that cost back. On Radeon, FSR 3 frame generation does part of the job without the ray-tracing denoiser.
One launch gotcha worth knowing: DSOGaming reported crashes during the first shader compilation, even on high-end CPUs. Let it finish on the first launch before you queue for a mission. The same UE5 traversal patterns show up in our Borderlands 4 GPU guide and our Black Myth: Wukong GPU guide.
Bottom line
If you play at 1440p, buy the PowerColor Hellhound RX 9070 XT. If you want ray tracing with DLSS 4 or a 240 Hz monitor, buy the ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti OC. If you want Ultra at 1440p for less, the ASRock RX 9070 Challenger OC gives up about 10 percent. If you play at 1080p, buy the XFX Swift RX 9060 XT OC 16GB, or the ASUS Prime RTX 5060 Ti 16GB OC if you want DLSS. For the bigger choice of card and monitor together, start with our guide to choosing a GPU and display.
FAQ
What GPU do you need for The First Descendant?
For 1080p on Ultra, the RX 9060 XT 16GB and the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB both land around 66 to 67 fps natively in our FPS calculator's model. For 1440p Ultra, the RX 9070 XT reaches about 84 fps and the RTX 5070 Ti about 87 fps. For 4K, no card here holds 60 fps natively, so plan on DLSS or FSR. Nexon's recommended RTX 2060 or RX 5600 XT is a 1080p card at moderate settings.
How much VRAM does The First Descendant use?
PC Optimized Settings measured about 6.8 GB of VRAM at 1080p on Ultra and about 7.5 GB with ray tracing and frame generation turned on. Usage climbs at 1440p and 4K. Every pick in this guide has 16 GB, which covers higher resolutions, ray tracing and the extra textures that seasonal updates tend to add, without the stutter you get when a card runs out of memory.
Does The First Descendant support DLSS 4 and FSR?
Yes. GeForce cards get DLSS Super Resolution, DLSS frame generation, ray reconstruction, DLAA and Reflex, and Season 3 in August 2025 added DLSS 4 multi frame generation on the RTX 50 series. FSR 3, including frame generation, works on any card. DLSS looks sharper at the same render scale, which matters most at 4K and with ray tracing on.
Is ray tracing worth it in The First Descendant?
Only if your card has the headroom or uses DLSS. Ray tracing in The First Descendant improves reflections and lighting but costs a large share of your frame rate. On an RTX 5070 Ti, DLSS 4 with ray reconstruction and multi frame generation makes it a fair trade at 1440p. On a Radeon card or a 1080p budget card, Ultra without ray tracing is usually the better experience.
Is The First Descendant CPU or GPU heavy?
It is mostly GPU heavy. Like most Unreal Engine 5 games, The First Descendant stays limited by the graphics card at 1440p and 4K, which is why this guide tiers picks by GPU. At 1080p with a fast card the CPU matters more in busy fights, but that is a high-refresh concern rather than a playability one.
Can an 8 GB graphics card run The First Descendant?
Yes, at 1080p. The game used about 6.8 GB at 1080p Ultra in PC Optimized Settings' testing, so an 8 GB card fits there. At 1440p and with ray tracing on, usage rises past 7.5 GB and an 8 GB card has little margin left. If you are buying new, a 16 GB card such as the RX 9060 XT 16GB costs little more and removes the problem. Our 8 GB VRAM guide covers the trade-off in more games.
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