Best GPU for Apex Legends

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Looking for the best GPU for Apex Legends 2023? You’ve come to the right place.

Apex Legends is known for its animations, strategic gameplay, and, of course, plenty of shooting. With Season 20 here as well, it’s time to ensure you have the best equipment. From a first look, you might think the game needs a very powerful GPU to run properly, but that’s not really the case. In fact, the recommended PC specs suggest just a GTX 970 or R9 290, both pretty low-end GPUs.

However, the thing is, when you’re in an intense match with your friends, all the smokes, graphics, and other animations will eat up your GPU’s resources quickly, and that’s when you will notice significant FPS dips. To counter that, you need a capable GPU that can run Apex Legends even in the most resource-hungry scenarios. So, to help you out, we talked to Sebastian Kozlowski, our in-house GPU expert. Plus, we also did a lot of research on the different options. Keeping in mind the performance, cooling, design, and prices, we’ve rounded up the best GPU for Apex Legends.

Best GPU for Apex Legends at a glance

ASUS TUF RTX 4080 OC Edition

ASUS RTX 2080

Base clock

2625MHz

Boost clock

2595MHz

VRAM

16GB

Dimensions

348.2 x 150 x 72.6mm

Recommended PSU

750W

PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon™ RX 6800 

Base Clock

2065 MHz

Boost Clock

2310 MHz

VRAM

16GB GDDR6

Dimensions

Recommended PSU

850W

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition

Base Clock

2235MHz

Boost Clock

2610MHz

VRAM

24GB GDDR6X

Dimensions

357.6 x 149.3 x 70.1mm

Recommended PSU

1000W

The GPUs on this list all exceed the minimum requirements for Apex Legends. This is a sensible idea. Not only will any of these cards allow you to play the game at high frame rates and graphics settings but they will also let you enjoy other, more demanding games on the same system.

We’ve got a good bit of variety in our selections, including some of the best Nvidia GPUs and even one of the best GPUs under $500. Let’s get into it.

Best GPU for Apex Legends at 1440p

ASUS TUF RTX 4080 OC Edition

ASUS RTX 2080

Base clock

2625MHz

Boost clock

2595MHz

VRAM

16GB

Dimensions

348.2 x 150 x 72.6mm

Recommended PSU

750W

Pros
  • Perfect for high FPS
  • Has thea latest features like DLSS 3 and ray tracing
  • Very efficient thermal solution
Cons
  • Expensive

When it comes to the best GPU for Apex Legends at 1440p, the ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 OC Edition takes the crown, in fact, it is one of the best GPUs for 1440p regardless of the game you’re playing. The card has all the performance you would ever need to run Apex Legends flawlessly at high framerates. For instance, it packs 16GB VRAM and 9,728 CUDA cores that can clock at up to 2625 MHz.

To keep up with such exceptional performance, TUF Gaming focused a lot on the cooling as well, and that’s why this RTX 4080 is rigged with a massive heatsink and 3x Axial-tech fans for improved airflow. These fans shut down once the temperature drops to 50°C, so you don’t have to worry about high noise output either.

If you can look past the lack of flashy design elements like plenty of RGB, there is no better graphics card more suited to run Apex Legends with high FPS at 1440p than the TUF Gaming RTX 4080 OC Edition. It can even take a spin at 4K gaming without any hiccups.

Best budget GPU for Apex Legends at 1080p

PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon™ RX 6800 

Base Clock

2065 MHz

Boost Clock

2310 MHz

VRAM

16GB GDDR6

Dimensions

Recommended PSU

850W

Pros
  • Budget-friendly
  • Solid 1080p performance
  • Dual BIOS
Cons
  • Not ideal for ray tracing gameplay

The best budget GPU for Apex Legends at 1080p has to be the PowerColor Red Dragon AMD RX 6800 XT. Being a last-gen GPU, the RX 6800 XT costs less than many other competitors, and yet it is filled to the brim with impressive specs and performance. For starters, this budget GPU has 16GB VRAM, 4608 cores, and a boost speed of 2310MHz, and ranks among the best AMD GPUs out there.

Not only that but under the hood, PowerColor has also used a 12+2 VRM design for increased reliability and stability. This solid VRM structure is one of the core reasons why the GPU can perform so well. Plus, you also get 7x heatpipes, 3x fans, and a big heatsink for effective heat dissipation.

The GPU also features two BIOS: one for unrestricted performance and the other for more of a quiet experience. While there are no RGB lights, there is a red LED that gives the card a very gamer-ish vibe. All things considered, if you are looking for a budget-friendly GPU to play Apex Legends, the PowerColor Red Dragon AMD RX 6800 XT is the best choice.

Best high end GPU for Apex Legends

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition

Base Clock

2235MHz

Boost Clock

2610MHz

VRAM

24GB GDDR6X

Dimensions

357.6 x 149.3 x 70.1mm

Recommended PSU

1000W

Pros
  • Unmatched 4K performance
  • Very beauitful shroud with RGB lighting
  • Extensive cooling
Cons
  • High power requirements

The ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC Edition is unbeatable as the best high end GPU for Apex Legends. Simply put, it is the best gaming graphics card currently available, and it lives up to its name with jaw-dropping performance in every AAA title and GPU-intensive benchmark. Given that the card has 24GB VRAM and 16384 CUDA cores that can clock at up to 2610 MHz, it can run Apex Legends at 4K ultra settings like it’s a walk in the park.

The RTX 4090 has so much gaming potential that it will never disappoint you in any game for several years to come, and as you can guess, its cooling design is just as sophisticated as its performance. First up, the sheer size of this RTX 4090 is insane; it is a gigantic card that takes up quite some space. So, make sure your case can actually fit this beast.

The main culprit behind the RTX 4090’s massive size is its heatsink, which is understandable because the card generates a ton of heat. Nevertheless, ASUS has done an excellent job with the cooling solution, making sure you get optimal thermals at all times. As for the design, it is one of the most aggressive-looking GPUs you can get. With a distinct shroud design and plenty of RGB, the card is a complete package. Just make sure to get an equally high-end PSU because it drinks quite some power. If you get your hands on that and one of the best CPUs for gaming, you’ll have yourself an incredibly powerful gaming build.

Does Apex Legends need a good GPU?

No, the recommended system requirements for Apex Legends suggest at least a GTX 970 or R9 290, both of which are quite low-end by today’s standards. However, since Apex Legends is an FPS game, you need to prioritize performance above anything else, and that’s why you need the best gaming GPU for it.

Is RTX 3060 enough for Apex Legends?

Yes, an RTX 3060 is enough for Apex Legends. But if you’re upgrading from an older graphics card, then you should at least get an RX 6800 XT for Apex Legends, as it has significantly more performance and can keep up with the upcoming AAA titles as well.

About the Author

Rory Greig

Rory Greig works as a tech writer for Videogamer. He is a writer with a strong knowledge of gaming technology and an eye for detail. He is especially interested in graphics cards and generative AI.