Products at a Glance
How we chose the best GPU for Fortnite
We’ve made our choices for the best GPU for Fortnite based on a mixture of our own testing and experience with the game so you can get an informed perspective. You won’t necessarily have to splash the cash too heavily either as Epic’s shooter is incredibly well-optimized and features a wealth of different setting options. We’ve made these choices with the considerations of lower-end, mid-range, and leading hardware options from AMD and Intel. We’ll be continuing to update this guide as new graphics cards hit the scene so you’ll be in the know now and in the near future, too. Without any more preamble, let’s get into it.
Product Reviews
- Excels in 1440p
- Competitively priced
- Good in 4K with DLSS
- On the pricier side for a mid-range card
The RTX 4070 Super is our number one pick for the best GPU for Fortnite and that’s because it excels in a couple of key factors, chiefly, its aggressive price-to-performance ratio. The RTX 4070 Super is available for $599 which is identical to the pricing of the original model from well over a year ago. The key difference here, however, is the inclusion of 20% extra CUDA cores for a total of 7,168. It’s once again built on the AD104 die with 12GB GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit memory bus, but has significantly more power under the hood at no extra cost. Because of that, we’re confident recommending the newer model.
If you want to play Fortnite at high FPS in then the RTX 4070 Super can absolutely do it and then some. Depending on your graphics settings, you can expect around 100fps in 1080p at Epic Settings and around 90fps in 1440p with DLSS enabled. Lower graphics options will see these numbers skyrocket, however. Enabling DLSS will see framerates jump up to around 300fps in Full HD and well over 200fps in 1440p. 4K is also possible at High settings with framerates over 100fps as well. It may not crank out sky high figures in Epic settings, but you can play the game competitively in all three resolutions. For more benchmarks, check out our dedicated RTX 4070 Super review.
- Aggressive pricing
- A 1080p beast
- Bolstered by DLSS 3
- Just 8GB VRAM
- Doesn't sing in 1440p
There’s no reason why the best GPU for Fortnite has to be prohibitively expensive and that’s where we see the RTX 4060 come into the fold. Nvidia’s mainstream Ada graphics card is humbly priced with the specifications to match. It’s built upon the AD107 die with a total of 3,072 CUDA cores and 8GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit memory bus. While this card can comfortably play Fortnite in 1440p, that’s not going to be where it excels. That’s due to the fact that this GPU is made with 1080p first and foremost, further bolstered by DLSS 3 Frame Generation for far greater framerates than natively rendering.
It may not sound like much but 8GB VRAM is still a fair amount for games like Fortnite in 2024, especially when you’re playing in 1080p and 1440p. You’re unlikely to hit any massive VRAM-related bottlenecks even from a more modest memory bus and memory pool. The RTX 4060 may be built on the AD107 die but there’s still a lot under the hood all things considered. You can expect around 100fps in 1080p at High settings and anywhere from 70 to 80fps in 1440p when enabling DLSS.
- Lower price than original model
- Leading 4K gaming performance
- Faster than base RTX 4080
- Still expensive
- High power draw
If you want to play Fortnite in Epic settings in 4K without compromise then look no further than the RTX 4080 Super. This newly released GPU doesn’t exactly come cheap at $999, but it significantly undercuts the original pricing of the base RTX 4080 which hit the shelves at $1,199. What’s more, this new one is ever-so-slightly faster as well so you’re getting a little bit more for your money. The RTX 4080 Super is an incredible capable graphics card which is made for 4K gaming and built on the AD103 die with 10,240 CUDA cores, 16GB GDDR6X memory with a 256-bit memory bus.
Playing in 4K with ray tracing enabled at Epic settings you can expect around 60fps consistently which is not to be knocked. Disabling ray tracing bumps that figure up to around 90fps average which gives you a delicate balance of fidelity and performance when maxing the game out. Enabling DLSS can bolster the numbers to around 150fps and scaling to the Low graphics pre-set means you can achieve well above 300fps to keep a competitive edge at the cost of visuals.
- Excellent value for money
- Steamrolls games in 1440p
- Aggressive pricing
- Not ideal for ray tracing
If you want to get strong value for money then there are few options as viable as the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT. This is Team Red’s mid-range RDNA 3 graphics card line which features a total of 3,840 Stream Processors and 16GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit memory bus. While it can do 4K amicably, it’s most comfortable in 1440p thanks to its large memory pool and expansive memory bus, which make for a total bandwidth of 624.1GB/sec. Considering the asking price starting from $499, undercutting the price of the RTX 4070 Super with more VRAM under the hood, there’s a lot this GPU can do in Fortnite.
The main trade-off here is in the RX 7800 XT’s ray tracing performance which just isn’t up to the same standard as what’s possible from Nvidia’s third generation RT-cores. In high settings you can expect around 100fps and around 70fps in Epic settings. If you’re smart with your settings sliders you could further maximize these figures to get the smoothest gameplay possible. Epic settings may vary by anywhere from 40 to 70fps depending on resolution as well. Playing in performance mode, however, and you can expect to hit 240fps / 240Hz in Full HD for the competitive edge.
What to consider with the best GPU for Fortnite
Now that you’ve seen our choices for the best GPU for Fortnite, there’s a few things that you’ll have to consider. Namely, the performance of your GPU and the kind of framerates you can expect from the game.
If your PC has a good enough CPU and enough RAM then you’re going to need either an Nvidia GeForce RTX or AMD video card to make the best of it’s capabilities. This is especially true if you’re planning on pairing your machine with a monitor with a high refresh rate. There’s no explicit need to opt for a high-end video card, but we recommend skipping over a GTX card as they are outdated in 2024.
While Fortnite’s performance mode can provide a solid FPS boost, you’re giving up on the finer details such as shadows, high fidelity textures, motion blur, and lighting and sticking pretty closely to the minimum system requirements. If you’re thinking of getting a Team Green GPU, you’ll be able to use Nvidia Reflex which is an API to reduce rendering latency. Cheap GPUs should be most at home with medium settings such as the RTX 4060 and its 8GB RAM.
Another factor to consider with a dedicated GPU is whether you’re going to render Fortnite in a native-resolution. For example, playing the game with DLSS enabled in 1440p means you’re natively rendering in 1080p and then using AI to upscale. AMD’s FSR works in a very similar fashion with software-based post-processing. We also recommend enforcing a frame rate limit and scaling down from full screen to window mode which may see a boost in FPS. Scaling view distance may also help, too.
To avoid any potential bottlenecking you should aim to use a fairly recent AMD Ryzen or Intel Core processor with a 64-bit version of Windows. You should ensure that your gaming monitor is plugged into the GPU’s DisplayPort or HDMI port instead of into the motherboard, too. Otherwise, you could accidently be using AMD Radeon Vega or Intel HD integrated graphics by mistake. This will have a massive impact on Fortnite performance and help make your rig the best PC it can be.
What GPU should I get for Fortnite?
Despite its age, Fortnite is continuously updated and now runs on the Unreal Engine 5 which demands a fairly decent graphics card to run properly. That’s why we recommend a minimum of an RTX 4060 so that you can play the game at high FPS in 1080p bolstered by DLSS. You may want to up your budget to an RTX 4070 or RX 7800 XT.
Does GPU matter in Fortnite?
Yes, having a GPU matters greatly to play Fortnite in 2024. While integrated graphics have come a long way with APUs and more sophisticated graphics on the latest processors, you will have a far better gaming experience with a dedicated video card.
Which is better for Fortnite GTX or RTX?
RTX graphics cards are better for Fortnite because they are much newer, feature larger amounts of faster memory, and can utilize AI upscaling technology DLSS alongside ray tracing capabilities. What’s more, thanks to the likes of the RTX 3050 and RTX 4060, the point of entry is considerably cheaper than paying over-the-odds for an older GTX card.
Our Verdict
The RTX 4070 Super takes the top spot in our best GPU for Fortnite buying guide thanks to its aggressive pricing, powerful performance, and ray tracing capabilities. You can play the game well in all three target resolutions with enough overhead to push the title without breaking the bank too badly.