Gray Zone Warfare is now available in early access, and it doesn’t look like the easiest game to run. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the best GPUs for Gray Zone Warfare to help you handle the game as smoothly as possible, as early access performance issues are bound to arise. We’ve tested a ton of GPUs and have hand-picked the best for the job.
Going out and simply buying the best graphics card on the planet is unrealistic for most people, so we’ve tried to cater to a wide range of budgets. On top of that, you’ll find great options from both Nvidia and AMD – no matter which brand you prefer. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at our top picks.
- Best GPU for Gray Zone Warfare
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super OC Edition
- Best AMD GPU for Gray Zone Warfare
Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XT
- GPU: Navi 31
- Stream Processors: 5,376
- VRAM: 20GB GDDR6
- Memory bus: 320-bit
- Base clock speed: 1,387 MHz
- Game Clock speed: 2.2025 MHz
- Best budget GPU for Gray Zone Warfare
Zotac Gaming RTX 4060 Ti OC Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- GPU: AD106
- CUDA cores: 4,352
- VRAM: 8GB GDDR6
- Bandwidth: 288.0 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 128-bit
- Base clock speed: 2310 MHz
- Best GPU for Gray Zone Warfare in 4K
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC
- GPU: AD102
- CUDA cores: 16,384
- VRAM: 24GB GDDR6X
- Memory bus: 384-bit
- Bandwidth: 1,008 GB/sec
- Base clock: 2235 MHz
What GPU do you need for Gray Zone Warfare?
The Gray Zone Warfare system requirements reveal that you’ll need a pretty good GPU to play, at least smoothly. Some user reviews at the moment do discuss performance issues as well, though this is not too surprising for a game in early access, something that could ‘span several years’ according to the developers. We’ve already got a guide to the best settings for Gray Zone Warfare if you want to optimize performance.
Either way, the minimum requirements are either the GeForce GTX 1080, or the Radeon RX 5700. As for the recommended, the RTX 3070 Ti and RX 6800 are listed. No performance benchmarks are mentioned, so we can’t be sure which resolution, graphics settings, or frame rate is being targeted here. Regardless, we’re going to suggest some newer hardware to future-proof your system for a game like GZW which is not even fully released yet.
- GPU: AD103
- CUDA Cores: 8,448
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6X
- Bandwidth: 672.3 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Base clock speed: 2340 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2670 MHz
We’d recommend the RTX 4070 Ti as great all-rounder option for Gray Zone Warfare. It’s a future-proof choice with 16GB of VRAM that will work well in at any resolution, particularly 1440p with the ability to push for 4K.
- Excellent performance at 1440p
- Can push to 4K, especially with DLSS 3 supported
- New and improved version of the dev-recommended 3070 Ti
- Not a massive performance gain over the original 4070 Ti
- ROG Strix model is quite overpriced
The Super edition of the RTX 4070 Ti arrived in early 2024 and provided some useful upgrades, namely the boost from 12GB to 16GB VRAM. This extra headroom will be useful at higher resolutions, especially with modern titles becoming particularly memory-hungry alongside the need to deal with early access performance issues. Our RTX 4070 Ti Super review notes that it is compelling choice for both 1440p and 4K.
“If you want a bit more edge than the original RTX 4070 Ti, better value, and higher framerates than a regular 4070 where smooth 4K gaming is far more feasible (and expected across many titles), then yes – the RTX 4070 Ti Super is worth it”
RTX 4070 Ti Super review, PCGuide
If you do want something a little cheaper, but not quite ‘budget’ level, then we’d recommend the 4070 Super instead, especially for 1440p or even 1080p. We’ve opted for the extra VRAM and performance boost in the 4070 Ti Super to ensure you can enjoy smooth performance in the face of demanding system requirements.
What users say
Looking at the user reviews for this card, specifically the ASUS ROG Strix model we reviewed, paints it in a positive light. The high price is discussed, but no-one can be disappointed with the performance on offer here if you’re aiming for a mid-high range GPU.
- Bandwidth: 800 GB/sec
- TDP: 300 W
On the AMD side of things, we’d go for the impressive RX 7900 XT. Second in command to the flagship XTX, this GPU offers you excellent raw performance and a generous 20GB of VRAM at a respectable price tag.
- Strong rasterization performance
- Competitive price tag
- Plenty of VRAM for any demanding game
- No DLSS 3 support, unlike Nvidia’s 40 series
- Slower GDDR6 memory
AMD has a ton of great options, often offering better value for money than Nvidia. For the best AMD GPU, we have to go with the Radeon RX 7900 XT thanks to its strong performance and high amount of memory. You can read more about it in our RX 7900 XT review, where we praise the pricing and just how well it performs for gamers aiming at either 4K or 1440p.
“The RX 7900 XT is a high-end GPU now well below its original MSRP that’s more than just a viable alternative to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series”
RX 7900 XT review, PCGuide
Generally, we like to suggest the weaker 7800 XT as a value choice, but the extra power here is useful for a game like Gray Zone Warfare. Now that DLSS 3 is confirmed in GZW, this is one downside for the Radeon card, though their FSR tech is still relevant. Even so, the 7900 XT offers excellent framerates without the need for upscaling or frame generation – though it will fall behind as far as ray tracing goes.
What users say
We had a look at the Amazon reviews for the popular Sapphire RX 7900 XT and found that many people are more than happy with their purchase. Like we said, the price tag is appealing and you can find it for around $700 these days, a huge drop from its original $899 launch price.
- GPU: AD106
- CUDA cores: 4,352
- VRAM: 8GB GDDR6
- Bandwidth: 288.0 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 128-bit
- Base clock speed: 2310 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2550 MHz
The RTX 4060 Ti is Nvidia’s latest mid-range beast, designed to be a powerhouse at 1080p with the ability to perform well at 1440p too. There are both 8GB and 16GB models to consider, giving you some wiggle room on a lower budget.
- Smooth performance in 1080p, great for 1440p too
- 8GB and 16GB models available
- Cheaper access to DLSS 3 technology
- 8GB variant may limit performance in future
- Not ideal for 4K
The RTX 4060 Ti has become our go-to budget option when it comes to more demanding titles such as Gray Zone Warfare, which is built on the most recent Unreal Engine 5. We’d skip past the regular RTX 4060 here (unless you’re really strapped for cash) and benefit from the extra performance available from the Ti. Plus, as a 40 series GPU, you have access to DLSS 3 frame generation.
“As far as the gaming performance goes, the Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti excels across the board in 1080p and 1440p with some impressive figures, especially for the sub-$400 price point”
RTX 4060 Ti review, PCGuide
Feel free to read through our RTX 4060 Ti review if you want a closer look at some benchmarking, but the gist of it is that we witnessed excellent performance in 1080p. Even the most demanding games run pretty smoothly at 1440p. If you want a little extra headroom in terms of memory, we’d go for the 16GB variant, but 8GB is still sufficient for gaming at full HD. See our RTX 4060 Ti 16GB vs 8GB comparison for a clearer picture.
What users say
We reviewed the unique Spider-Man design Zotac card and the user reviews are positive. One user calls it a ‘productivity powerhouse’, which is something we’d agree on, especially at this price point.
- GPU: AD102
- CUDA cores: 16,384
- VRAM: 24GB GDDR6X
- Memory bus: 384-bit
- Bandwidth: 1,008 GB/sec
- Base clock: 2235 MHz
Currently the most powerful graphics card on the market, the RTX 4090 remains unmatched. For high-end 4K gaming, this is the gold standard, especially if you have streaming or any other content creation workflows in mind.
- Current leader in 4K gaming performance
- Large amount of memory – 24GB VRAM
- Future proof option
- Ideal for streamers and/or content creators
- Requires plenty of power
- Premium price tag
If you want to be truly blown away by performance, then there’s nothing better than the RTX 4090. The flagship of the 40 series will remain relevant for years to come and is the dream option for 4K gaming. For anything less, it’s definitely overkill, and you’ll need deep pockets in order to call it your own.
“Arguably what’s most exciting about the RTX 4090 outside of its huge amount of VRAM and CUDA core count is the 1,008 GB/sec bandwidth, just over 1TB/sec, which no other consumer-level graphics card can boast”
RTX 4090 review, PCGuide
Our RTX 4090 review showcases all the impressive benchmarks associated with the card if you’re interested. For Gray Zone Warfare, we’d recommend this GPU if you have no limit on your budget and a powerful gaming PC to back it up for 4K gaming, especially if you’re interested in content creation too. The next best would be the RTX 4080 Super; also suitable for 4K.
What users say
Anyone with the pleasure of having an RTX 4090 in their gaming rig will of course comment on the performance. This is of course reflected in the Amazon user reviews, with plenty of warnings regarding the massive size of the card.
Gray Zone Warfare running one of our test rigs, captured by PCGuide
Things to consider for the best GPU for Gray Zone Warfare
Below we’ve put together a few things you’ll want to consider before you buy. Whether that be a budget-friendly option or the current flagship model.
Performance & resolution
We’d suggest having some kind of performance target in mind before you buy. If you’re happy playing at 1080p at 60FPS, then you’ll have some great value options for you. Take a look at benchmarks online for Gray Zone Warfare to understand how well different GPUs perform in-game.
Due to the early access nature, performance issues are to be expected, so we’d recommend making the most of resolution upscaling tech to boost your framerate; Nvidia is best known for this in the 40 series. Likewise, Nvidia will be your best bet if you’re interested in the likes of ray tracing.
Price
Working with a budget is recommended for pretty much anything you buy, and GPUs are no different. Upgrading your graphics card can be expensive, so you need to understand what’s available within your budget. For most users, a mid-range card is good enough for gaming, especially if you’re sticking to 1080p or even 1440p these days. Also keep in mind if you’re building a whole new system, you’ll need to cater other components to your GPU, which can add expense.
Power draw
GPUs have different power requirements. If you’re going for something high-end, there’s a good chance you’ll need a suitable PSU to back it up. Before you buy, take a look at the graphics card’s suggest PSU and its power efficiency (TDP).
Final word
You’ve finally made it to the end of this guide, hopefully with some insight into what the best graphics card for Gray Zone Warfare is. As it works its way through early access, we’re sure that performance optimizations will be made in order to make the game easier to run, but having a GPU that will last you for years to come is always recommended. You may also want to find the best CPU for Gray Zone Warfare too, while you’re here.
As it develops, we’ll be back to update our top picks to reflect the current state of the game and GPU landscape. If you want to learn more about our testing process for reviews, take a look at our in-house testing lab.
