The Best Graphics Cards for Valorant in 2025: 144 Hz, 240 Hz & 360 Hz Gaming

Updated: 8/10/2025

Valorant may be a CPU-heavy game, but your graphics card still determines how well you can push high refresh rates. With modern 144 Hz, 240 Hz, and 360 Hz monitors, maintaining consistent FPS is critical for competitive play. In 2025, Nvidia’s RTX 50‑series and AMD’s RX 9000‑series GPUs provide excellent options for every budget, whether you’re a casual player or an aspiring pro.

Why GPU Still Matters in Valorant

  • Smooth frame pacing reduces input latency.
  • High refresh rate monitors require consistent FPS output.
  • Streaming while gaming benefits from GPUs with strong encoders.
  • Technologies like NVIDIA Reflex 2, DLSS 4, and AMD FSR 4 can boost responsiveness and FPS headroom.

Best GPUs for Competitive 1080p (144 Hz – 360 Hz)

NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti (16 GB)

  • Easily achieves 240 Hz at 1080p and can approach 360 Hz with DLSS 4 + Multi‑Frame Generation.
  • Includes Reflex 2 for sub‑25 ms latency.
  • Pros: High FPS, low latency, DLSS 4 & MFG support
  • Cons: Often above MSRP, moderate VRAM compared to higher tiers

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (16 GB)

  • Comparable to RTX 4080 in raw rasterization, often cheaper.
  • Delivers 240–300 FPS at 1080p and performs well at 1440p.
  • Pros: Excellent value, competitive FPS, strong 1080p/1440p performance
  • Cons: No DLSS or Reflex, slightly higher latency for pros

NVIDIA RTX 5090 (32 GB)

  • Ultimate flagship for Valorant and beyond.
  • Can exceed 360 Hz and hit 800+ FPS in esports titles with Reflex + DLSS 4.
  • Pros: Maximum FPS and lowest latency, massive VRAM
  • Cons: Very expensive (~$2,000), high power requirements

Budget GPUs That Still Hit High FPS

NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti (16 GB)

  • Entry-level RTX 50‑series with DLSS 4 and MFG.
  • Hits 144 Hz easily, can approach 240 FPS with upscaling.
  • Pros: Affordable, Reflex & DLSS 4 support
  • Cons: Limited for 1440p or heavy streaming workloads

AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT (16 GB)

  • Best AMD budget option, ~200+ FPS at 1080p.
  • Ideal for 144 Hz gaming without breaking the bank.
  • Pros: Great price, plenty of VRAM, solid 1080p performance
  • Cons: No Reflex, slightly higher latency

Recommended GPUs for Streaming While Playing Valorant

  • RTX 5070 Ti: Best balance of FPS, low latency, and NVENC encoder quality.
  • RTX 5090: Overkill for Valorant alone but perfect for 360 Hz streaming setups or dual-PC alternatives.
  • RTX 5060 Ti: Budget-friendly for casual streaming with DLSS 4 and Reflex.
  • RX 9070 XT: Works for streaming, but AMD encoders lag behind Nvidia in quality.

NVIDIA vs AMD: Pros and Cons for Valorant

NVIDIA Advantages

  • Reflex 2 provides the lowest latency in competitive play.
  • DLSS 4 and Multi‑Frame Generation boost FPS and smoothness.
  • Superior NVENC encoder for streaming.
  • Excellent high refresh consistency at 240 Hz+.

NVIDIA Drawbacks

  • Higher prices and frequent MSRP markups.
  • Flagship cards consume more power.

AMD Advantages

  • Better price-to-FPS value, especially RX 9070 XT.
  • Strong raster performance in esports and 1440p.
  • FSR 4 available in supported titles.

AMD Drawbacks

  • Slightly higher input latency without Reflex.
  • Encoder performance for streaming is weaker.
  • Frame generation support not as mature as DLSS 4.

Final Verdict

  • For pure 1080p competitive play (144–240 Hz):
  • For budget 144 Hz or entry‑level 240 Hz:
  • For streaming and 360 Hz elite setups:
    • RTX 5070 Ti handles most use cases.
    • RTX 5090 is for extreme FPS and future‑proof content creation rigs.

By mid‑2025, both NVIDIA RTX 50‑series and AMD RX 9000‑series GPUs are capable of delivering pro‑level FPS in Valorant. Your choice comes down to budget vs features—NVIDIA wins in latency and streaming, while AMD wins in raw FPS per dollar.