Finding a new graphics card isn’t always simple, and if you’re overdue an upgrade, we’ve put together a guide to the best GPU for Homeworld 3. It has been a long time coming for the third main entry to the beloved Homeworld series, following a couple of remasters that reignited interest in the game. Now it’s time for another generation of players to jump into this award-winning RTS title – and to do that, it makes sense to have a suitable GPU for the job.
Our experienced team has been busy with GPU reviews, including plenty of hands-on testing in each and every one of them to help score the best. Homeworld 3 is a somewhat demanding game, though not on the level as others we’ve seen this year. Keeping that in mind, we had picked out the best from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel.
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Best GPU for Homeworld 3
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 Super OC Edition
- GPU: AD104
- CUDA cores: 7,168
- VRAM: 12GB GDDR6X
- Bandwidth: 504 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 192-bit
- Boost clock speed: 2595 MHz
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Best AMD GPU for Homeworld 3
AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
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Best Intel GPU for Homeworld 3
Acer Predator BiFrost Intel Arc A770 OC
- GPU: DG2-512
- GPU cores: 4,096
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Base clock speed: 2100 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2400 MHz
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Best budget GPU for Homeworld 3
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
What GPU do you need for Homeworld 3?
One good way of gauging what GPU you need is by looking at the Homeworld 3 system requirements. There we can see that the minimum requirements ask of a Nvidia GTX 1060, AMD R9 480, or the newer Intel Arc A380. Recommended specs instead suggest a GTX 1080 Ti, RX 5700 or Arc 580.
Though those Intel GPU suggestions are more modern given their relatively recent entry to the discrete graphics, the AMD and Nvidia options are a bit dated. Not that they aren’t capable, but sourcing one of these older cards generally means looked for a used one, so we’re going to bring you up to date with some much newer options which you can enjoy for years to come. Below we can present our hand-picked selection for a variety of budgets.
- GPU: AD104
- CUDA cores: 7,168
- VRAM: 12GB GDDR6X
- Bandwidth: 504 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 192-bit
- Boost clock speed: 2595 MHz
We’d say that the RTX 4070 Super is a safe option from the 40 series if you want a strong all-rounder that works wonders all the way up to 4K. It offers great value, especially compared to the original 4070, and will be a suitable choice for Homeworld 3.
- Excellent ray tracing and encoding
- Runs efficiently despite high performance
- 4K gaming without a ridiculous price tag
- Still not a ‘budget’ card
- Avoid if you don’t trust the 16-pin connector
We’d like to recommend the 4070 Super as a solid choice at any resolution. Even though the card is built for 1440p first and foremost, it showed acceptable 4K performance in our benchmarks, with smooth framerates in many modern titles. You can see our RTX 4070 Super review for a closer look. Furthermore, with access to Nvidia’s full 40 series feature set including DLSS 3 and frame generation, you can easily enjoy a smooth experience with supported games. To clarify though, Homeworld 3 is shipping with DLSS 2 support on day one for now.
“We can see that the RTX 4070 Super performs well in many demanding modern games in not only 1440p, but also in 4K as well”
RTX 4070 Super review, PCGuide
You should have no problem handling Homeworld 3 in 1440p or 4K with the 4070 Super, and we’d recommend it for these resolutions. Sure, you can also play on 1080p if you want to maximize your framerate – especially in more competitive games. It boasts 7,168 CUDA cores which allows for strong encoding and ray tracing performance and the 12GB of VRAM is a much-needed step up from 8GB.
What users say
Since we reviewed the ASUS TUF model, we took to the Amazon user reviews to see what people are saying about it. The performance is obviously praised, with many users picking it up for 1440p. For this particular SKU, the cooling is complimented as well as the operating volume. Do keep in mind though that this is a particularly bulky card comparable to some others.
- GPU: Navi 32
- Stream Processors: 3,840
- VRAM: 16 GDDR6
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Bandwidth: 624.1 GB/sec
- Base clock speed: 1,295 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2,430 MHz
From Team Red, we’d have to recommend the impressive RX 7800 XT. It offers abundant 16GB of VRAM and the stellar 1440p performance is easily a big selling point of this graphics card. Not to mention it offers some of the best value for money within its tier.
- Exceptional price to performance ratio
- Ideal for 1440p gameplay; breezes by 1080p
- 16GB VRAM gives some little headroom against the competition
- 4K performance not as good as Nvidia’s 4070 lineup
Now for one of our favorites from AMD’s RX 7000 series – the 7800 XT. When we put together our RX 7800 XT review, we found it to be a highly capable card for 1440p in our benchmarks and the price tag makes it a real winner if you’re looking for great value while targeting the QHD resolution. We noted that it is less impressive at 4K compared to what Nvidia has to offer, but nothing too dismal. Plus, the 16GB of VRAM is a nice bit of headroom. Not that Homeworld 3 is too memory-intensive outside of 4K as you’d expect.
“This GPU leads in terms of QHD holding its own against the more expensive RTX 4070 family. Every single game we tested achieved at least 60fps, with some titles pushing far beyond the 100fps mark when maxed out”
RX 7800 XT review, PCGuide
Overall, this Radeon card is an excellent option if you want strong rasterization performance. Keep in mind though that ray tracing won’t be as good as Nvidia’s alternatives if this is something you wish to benefit from a lot. The 7800 XT wasn’t much more expensive than the 7700 XT when it released, but pricing has changed since then, so the model just below is also a good alternative if you prefer to save some pennies.
What users say
Taking to Amazon reviews of the XFX model, we can see that the 7800 XT is highly regarded. Mention of the outstanding price given the performance is a recurring theme. We also see many people reporting that it provides a solid upgrade, one example being from the previous-gen RX 6650 XT.
Intel first introduced the Arc line-up back in 2022 and it has been getting increasingly relevant as driver support is improved. So, going with Team Blue is a viable option these days and the Arc A770 represents an excellent budget choice for 1080p or even 1440p gaming.
- Aggressive pricing considering the performance
- 16GB GDDR6 VRAM offers headroom
- Ideal for 1080p
- Avoid this if your system is not compatible with ReBAR
We delve into benchmarking and more in our Intel Arc A770 review, concluding that it’s a fantastic card for those of you on a more limited budget. We enjoyed excellent performance in 1080p with enough power for respectable figures in 1440p. It will offer a great upgrade for many people, though there is the problem of ReBAR support. For this, you’ll need an Intel Core 10th Gen or AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen processor or newer, and without ReBAR enabled, the effectiveness of the card suffers – making it a must-have.
“There is a lot that’s worth praising, such as the low power draw and the frame rates taken as a whole when compared to the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti. There are ray-tracing units and a solid memory bandwidth with the 16GB GDDR6 memory pool”
Intel Arc A770 review, PCGuide
Driver support is sometimes seen as a worry for these Intel Arc cards, but it’s better than ever and seeing rapid improvements on a regular basis. Support for Homeworld 3 from Arc graphics drivers was put out promptly after the game’s release as you’ll see here. So, if you’re putting together a more modern system and want a cost-effective graphics card, then the A770 is a fabulous choice. Its high amount of memory is a big bonus for just a cheap card that frequently drops below $300.
What users say
Now for what customers have to say in the Amazon reviews. Generally speaking, reception is good and the low price tag is clearly one of the biggest selling points. One user says it was “better than I expected”, showing how aggressive the pricing is. There is a lingering issue with drivers for some people, though this seems to be a minority.
- 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 a great upgrade if you want to make the most of what the 40 series has to offer while keeping costs down. It is available in both 8GB and 16GB models, so this is something you’ll want to decide between. Ideal for both 1080p and 1440p gaming for years to come.
- Access to DLSS & frame generation relevant to a wide range of games
- Good price to performance for the 40 series
- Works well as a GPU for productivity too
- 8GB model could limit potential in future
For a budget model, we’re skipping past the RTX 4060 and jumping straight to the RTX 4060 Ti, which will remain relevant for longer amount of time. Homeworld 3 will be a breeze to run on this card, especially while utilizing DLSS to achieve solid performance at 1440p, or even 4K. It gives you access to DLSS 3 frame generation, though this isn’t (yet) relevant to Homeworld, but other titles do support it. Conversely, ray tracing is available in the game and the third-gen RT cores are a big help here. You can read more about performance ion our RTX 4060 Ti review.
“The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is an excellent graphics card for 1080p and 1440p with some good entry-level performance in 4K if you can smartly utilize DLSS 3 Frame Generation”
RTX 4060 Ti review, PCGuide
If you are going with the 4060 Ti, we do suggest you steer towards the 16GB model, as this offers a little extra headroom – important as games get increasingly memory-heavy. It does come at an added cost, so do note that the 8GB model will be perfectly fine for Homeworld 3 if you don’t plan on any extra intensive games. Our comparison of 4060 series gives you clearer picture of how this tier shapes up.
What users say
Since we reviewed the Zotac model (with a unique Spider-Man design), we took to its user reviews to see what customers had to say. One person calls it a “productivity powerhouse”, lending to the great AI tech in the 40 series and performance in encoding or synthetic benchmarks we witness in our in-house tests.
Things to consider before you buy a GPU for Homeworld 3
Now with our selection wrapped up, we want to talk about a few things you’ll want to consider before you buy. Purchasing a new GPU requires a little extra research to find the right video card for you.
Price
Just like with anything, buying a GPU means setting a suitable budget for your needs. If you’re building a PC for gaming, usually the graphics card is the most expensive part of the system. At the entry level, we can look around the $300 mark for a modern card, or lower if you wish to go back a generation or shop second-hand. Decide on what you can afford to spend and consider all models within than price tier.
Power requirement
Chances are, your new GPU will be more powerful than your last. That could mean more power draw and in turn a higher requirement for your PSU (measured in wattage). Before you buy a new GPU, make sure your power supply is at least the recommended wattage to support it. If not, you’ll need to upgrade. Luckily, many capable cards are getting more efficient.
Resolution / performance
Deciding on a GPU often means targeting a certain resolution. If you simply want to game at 1080p or push to 1440p, then budget models are capable of this. For high refresh rate 1440p gaming, you’ll need to step it up – and for 4K, you’re looking more towards the high end. This affects in-game performance a lot so you can check out benchmark for games you wish to play.
Final word
Homeworld 3 is pretty average in terms of system requirements for a game released in 2024, so you can afford solid performance without going all out. We aim to cater our suggestions to a wide range of budgets, so hopefully we can put you right on track. All three major GPU manufacturers have something to give.
If you want to learn all about our reviewing process, you can check out how we test GPUs, or have a browse through what our testing lab has to offer.
