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If you’re looking for the best GPU for Sons of the Forest, we’ve got you covered right here with our top picks.
Sons of the Forest is out on pre-release and is already proving incredibly popular. As with any pre-release, there have been a few hiccups with some players reporting frame drops and stuttering.
If you want to avoid this you’ll need a gaming PC with the right components. We’ve already covered how much RAM Sons of the Forest needs, and now we’ve got our picks for the best GPU for the game, something that is vital if you want to explore the open world on the best graphics settings.
We have not included the GPUs listed on the system requirements as these are the bare minimum for playing the game. If you want some of the best GPUs for Sons of the Forest, ones which allow you to play at higher resolutions and frame rates, you’re going to need a more powerful card. That’s what we’ve got for you here/
We’ve broken our choices here into several categories and offered a brief overview of each. This means you can find the one that makes the most sense for you. Let’s get into our picks.
Best Nvidia GPU for Sons of the Forest – MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
Base Clock
2310
Boost Clock
2745 MHz
VRAM
‎12 GB
Dimensions
13.3 x 2.4 x 5.5 inches
Recommended PSU
750W
- Good performance for price
- Very powerful
- Power hungry
The RTX 4070 Ti is the newest card on this list. It has been hotly anticipated too, offering the least expensive way to get your hands on Nvidia’s groundbreaking Lovelace architecture.
Put simply it is an incredibly powerful card. With 12GB of VRAM, as well as the 4th generation Tensor cores and 3rd Gen Raytracing cores, Nvidia has built a true 3D gaming beast. MSI has pushed this even further, with this card boasting a boost clock of 2745MHz, a considerable improvement over the 2615MHz boost clock of the reference card.
Read more: Best CPU for RTX 4070 Ti
This means high frame rates in Sons of the Forest, even when gaming at 4K with Ultra settings. In part thanks to DLSS. This breakthrough technology harnesses the power of deep learning, to allow AI to optimise graphics while requiring less processing power. This is good news both in terms of performance and efficiency.
Raytracing performance will also be high, as this is an area in which all RTX 40-series cards excel at. While Sons of the Forest does yet feature the technology, it is not unlikely it will when the game is fully released. This would be welcome news as it tends to be open-world games that focus on graphic beauty where the effects of raytracing can be really felt.
Best AMD GPU for Sons of the Forest – XFX AMD Radeon RX 7900XT
XFX AMD Radeon RX 7900XT
Base Clock
1775 MHz
Boost Clock
2535 MHz
VRAM
20 GB
Dimensions
13.5 x 5.04 x 2.17 inches
Recommended PSU
750 watt
- Excellent efficiency
- High performance
- Raytracing capabilities could be higher
This is another incredibly powerful graphics card, here to represent the next generation, only this time from AMD.
The specs speak for themselves here. This is a cutting-edge card, capable of producing incredibly detailed graphics at incredibly high frame rates. The 20GB of VRAM is huge and backed up by RDNA 3 architecture, the latest from AMD.
This architecture really excels at efficiency meaning the electrical cost of running this card is lower than anything seen so far in the RTX 40-series. That’s not the only way you’re saving money either as the card itself significantly undercuts its direct competition, the RTX 4080 and 4090.
Read more: Best RX 7900 XTX graphics cards – which AIB should you go for?
AMD has also managed to keep this card a reasonable size, meaning you likely already have one of the best cases for RX 7900 XTX & XT and so won’t have to upgrade, thus saving you more money.
This specific card from XFX sticks with the design ethos of the Merc series which is to simplify the look whilst improving the performance. That simplicity is on full show here, meaning the card will look the part in pretty much any gaming rig.
Overall this is a GPU that can stand up to the most powerful offerings from Nvidia in all areas apart from raytracing, whilst costing you a fraction of the price. This means you can play at high settings in Sons of the Forest without having to break the bank.
Best GPU for Sons of the Forest at 60 FPS – Zotac RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge
Zotac RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge
Base Clock (MHz)
1410
Boost Clock (MHz)
1665
VRAM
8GB GDDR6
Dimensions
222 x 116 x 38
Recommended PSU
550W
- Great at raytracing
- Subtle design
- Loud cooling
The RTX 3060 has been one of the most consistently impressive and popular graphics cards ever since its release, and the 3060 Ti is all the more powerful.
With a boost clock speed of 1665MHz, it will easily give you 60 frames per second right up to the Ultra settings in QDH. This will allow you to appreciate the full beauty of Sons of the Forest, which has an immersive and detailed open world.
Read more: Best PC case for RTX 3060 and 3060 Ti
This high performance is only increased when DLSS is enabled. DLSS stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling and unleashed the power of AI onto graphic optimisation, allowing high performance with high efficiency.
This efficiency is taken full advantage of thanks to the excellent cooling solutions Zotac has incorporated into the card. This allows the card to be overclocked without any concerns about overheating.
The physical appearance is understated, perfect for those who don’t want their gaming rig to necessarily look like a spaceship.
Best GPU for Sons of the Forest in 4K – Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Base Clock
1365MHz
Boost Clock
1680MHz
VRAM
12GB
Dimensions
320 x 128 x 56 mm
Recommended PSU
750
- Incredibly powerful
- Excels at raytracing
- Power hungry
A 4K resolution makes the most sense in expansive open-world games. It allows for increased immersion, meaning you can lose yourself in the world of the game, or, in this case, the forest.
The RTX 3080 Ti will allow you to unleash the potential of 4K thanks to its behemoth power. Its boost clock speed of 1680MHz allows for a stable 60 frames per second at 4K with Ultra settings, this goes up to around 90 when DLSS is enabled.
Read more: RTX 4070 Ti vs 3080 Ti
As for the specific card by Gigabyte, it excels at cooling which is handled by two 90mm fans and one 80mm one. They have alternate spinning patterns to optimise cooling, and 7 composting copper heat pipes feature in the card along with great heat dispersion.
This focus on cooling has a knock on effect for performance. It means you can push the card further without worrying about damaging it.
Best budget friendly GPU for Sons of the Forest – ASUS ROG Strix AMD Radeon RX 6600
ASUS ROG Strix AMD Radeon RX 6600
Base Clock
2448 MHz
Boost Clock
2607 MHz
VRAM
8GB
Dimensions
‎9.6 x 5.3 x 2 inches
Recommended
500W
- Low power consumption
- Great price
- Less powerful option
The RX 6600 is a great way to play Sons of the Forest in an enjoyable way, without having to shell out hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
This card from AMD is a few years old now but certainly not outdated. It actually still managed to exceed the system requirements of the open-world game. In our opinion, it is always better to play it safe when it comes to these system recommendations. If you go for a slightly more powerful card you can ensure good gameplay and perhaps future-proof your PC for more demanding games.
This will be helped by the excellent durability of this ROG Strix card. The dual ball fan bearings can survive for up to twice the amount of time of the more common sleeve bearings. These fans also cover cooling well, ensuring your GPU can operate safely at the top of its abilities.
With this card, you won’t be able to play at the highest settings at 4K resolution smoothly, though this is only worthwhile if you have a suitable monitor and HDMI 2.1 cables. If you simply want to game at HD or QHD, this card is a great way to do so on the cheap.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play The Forest without a graphics card?
No, in order to run Sons of the Forest your computer will need a graphics card. This card must be at least as powerful as the GTX 560, though ideally higher to allow for higher graphics settings and frame rates.
How much VRAM does The Forest need?
You’re GPU will need around 1GB of VRAM at least to handle Sons of the FOrest, though more is recommended if you want to play on higher graphics settings.
