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Ahead of Ubisoft’s official release, we’re talking about the best GPU for Skull and Bones; the open-world pirate game that is currently available on Open Beta until Sunday. Want to know how to get the best graphics with your current hardware? Check out Best graphics settings for Skull and Bones.
For further reading, we also recommend checking out the best CPU for Skull and Bones if your processor is getting on a bit. While you won’t necessarily need anything cutting edge, it helps to stay ahead. It’s always upsetting when a game starts to struggle, so a well-time upgrade can make a world of difference.
Best GPU for Skull and Bones – quick glance
Something important to bear in mind when picking the perfect GPU that meets your spending limit and processing demands, is the Skull and Bones system requirements. You need at least an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or an AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT graphics card just to be able to run the game. The recommended GPUs are an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT or later. With these in mind, let’s get into it.
1. Best GPU for Skull and Bones – best overall pick
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Super OC Edition
VRAM
12GB
Base Clock
2565 MHz
Boost Clock
2595 MHz
TDP
220W
- Low power consumption
- Capable of 4K
- Excels in 1080p and 1440k
- Not the cheapest
A solid, mid-range graphics card that exceeds the recommended hardware to run Skull and Bones, the RTX 4070 Super was easily one of our best GPUs of 2024. The latest generation of Super graphics cards released by Nvidia this year, the RTX 4070 Super surpasses the abilities of its predecessor while maintaining a similar MSRP of $599. That being said, the RTX 4070 Super we reviewed and are recommending is the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Super OC which is currently available on Amazon for about $689. We also reviewed the RTX 4070 Ti Super, see how the RTX 4070 Super stacked up against its Super sibling in our RTX 4070 Ti Super Vs RTX 4070 Super.
In terms of upgrades from the original RTX 4070, the Super variant comes with 20% more CUDA Cores (7,168) than the 5,888 of the original, 12GB of GDRR6X memory and a 192-bit memory interface. The 4070 Super has also seen an increase in its Clock speed, with a base speed of 2520MHz and a boost speed of 2550MHz, meaning a quicker performance and an increased frame rate depending on the graphics settings of the game. The 4070 Super is also incredibly power efficient, with its total power consumption being capped at 220W.
The RTX 4070 Super has specs that effectively make it an 80-class card, with the price tag of a mid-range GPU. When we tested this card during Cyberpunk 2077, the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Super not only soared in 1080p, reaching frame rates of up to 136fps, but also excelled at 81fps in 1440p and managed 37fps in 4K without DLSS. When running Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, the RTX 4070 Super got up to 72fps in 4K, with an impressive 150fps at 1080p. For the price of a 70-class graphics card but the capabilities of an 80-class, able to run at 4K maxed settings, this graphics card is not just value for money, but worth the buy to enhance your Skull and Bones gameplay experience, without breaking the bank.
2. Best GPU for Skull and Bones – best budget pick
ASUS Dual Radeon RX 7600 OC Edition 8GB
VRAM
8GB
Clock Speed
2,250MHz
Memory Bandwidth
228GB/s
Power Consumption
165W
- Affordable
- 1440p capabilities
- Comparatively fast clock speed
- Only 8GB of VRAM
Want comparatively good graphics at 1080p but don’t have the budget to stretch to some of Nvidia’s pricier GPUs? Don’t worry, there are still good value for money graphics cards that are up-to-date and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Built on RDNA 3.0 architecture, the ASUS Dual AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT V2 OC does only boast 8GB of GDDR6 memory, unlike the 16GB of the other two GPUs featured on this list. But, the minimum system requirements of Skull and Bones only requires 8GB of VRAM, so though it doesn’t extend to the recommended amount of memory (16GB) you are still able to run the game. One of our best GPUs for 1080p, the RX 7600 XT is an affordable pick for good performances with maxed out settings at 1080p, the RX 7600 XT also boasts capabilities in 1440p, though it’s unlikely this will extend to a refresh rate of 144MHz in all titles. Being a mid-range GPU, the RX 7600 XT is not likely to reach 4K.
Boasting a humble 2,048 CUDA cores, the ASUS Dual AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT V2 OC has a decent Base Clock speed of 2,250MHz and a boost speed of 2,655MHz, and a memory bandwidth of 228GB/s. This is comparatively higher than its AMD predecessor, as we saw when we compared the RX 7600 XT Vs RX 6600 XT. If you’re wanting to keep electricity bills down as well as a reduced spending limit on your new graphics card, this GPU has an impressively low power consumption of 165W, and is currently available on Amazon for around $340. For more of our recommendations for budget-friendly graphics cards check out best budget graphics cards in 2024.
3. Best GPU for Skull and Bones – best high-end pick
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 16GB
VRAM
16GB
Clock Speed
2.55GHz
Memory Interface
256-bit
TDP
320W
- High-quality 4K graphics
- DLSS 3 and Ray Tracing supported
- Impressive clock speed
- Expensive
It’s worth noting that we do recommend the RTX 4080 Super as a great pick for a high-end graphics card, but stocks have been fluctuating since its release at the end of January. If you want to get your hands on one check out where to buy RTX 4080 Super for up-to-date information on current stocks. Equally, if you don’t mind the higher price tag, the RTX 4090 is a robust high-class GPU that can easily deliver 4K graphics in demanding AAA titles, but the RTX 4090 has an even steeper MSRP of $1599 and is also seeing low stocks on Amazon.
With that being said, the RTX 4080 remains a very capable graphics card since it was launched just over a year ago. Capable of reaching 60fps at 4K, it is a formidable card to have when running graphically demanding titles like Skull and Bones. The MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 is built on Ada Lovelace architecture and comes armed with 16GB of GDRR6X VRAM and a 256-bit memory interface. With its high Clock speed of 2.55 GHz the RTX 4080 offers impressively fast performance, though with a higher clock speed comes an increase in its TDP which comes in at a maximum of 320W. Equipped with AI enhancing tools, the MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 uses fourth-generation Tensor Cores and third-generation RT Cores for 2x better performance. The use of the DLSS 3 can enhance your graphics and use the Ultra Performance upscaling for better graphics and a nudge to your FPS.
This graphics card may be overkill for the casual gamer, and based on the minimum and recommended system requirements and graphics settings, you can still enjoy this game at 1080p with a 60fps framerate, even on older hardware like the RTX 2070. But, if you’ve got the cash to burn and want an impressive GPU that can tackle 4K settings in modern games, or you produce content online and want the best graphics in your gameplay, the RTX 4080 is a solid choice, currently selling on Amazon for around the $1175 mark.
What are the requirements for Skull and Bones on PC?
For the lowest graphics preset of 1080p at 30fps, you’re going to need to be running on Windows 10 or later, with at least 8GB of memory, using an Intel Core i7-4790 processor or an equivalent, with a GPU no older than the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060.
How big is Skull and Bones download?
The download size of the Skull and Bones open beta is about 47GB. The full game is reported by Ubisoft to be 65GB.
