Best graphics card for 4K gaming in 2023 – top UHD GPU picks

If you want your games to dazzle, you’re in the right place to find the best graphics card for 4K gaming with options from Nvidia and AMD.

Now that 8K is clearly on the horizon, 4K gaming is slowly reaching a more affordable level. Heck, you can even buy budget 4K monitors!

We won’t kid you either – gaming in 4K is stunning, especially in detailed open-world adventures where you truly feel immersed in the game. Simply pair that GPU with an ultrawide gaming monitor and the experience is nothing short of magical.

The latest lineups from AMD & Nvidia are more than capable of providing comfortable frame rates at 4K, so there are now a few options to choose from. Before jumping the gun, make sure that your CPU and monitor are up to the additional demands of 4K gaming. You’ll need your monitor’s resolution to be at least 3840 x 2160 and a refresh rate hitting a minimum of 60Hz.

It is possible to reach higher frame rates too, with 4K monitors going all the way up to 240Hz. This will be desirable for competitive shooters, where fast reaction speeds are vital. However, very few GPUs will be capable of both 4K and 240Hz, so you’ll have to pick the more powerful options from this list if that is what you want.

Without further ado, here are our best GPUs for 4K.

Best overall graphics card for 4K gaming – ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC

ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC

Base Clock

2235 MHz

Boost Clock

2640 MHZ

VRAM

24GB GDDR6X

Dimensions

357.6 x 149.3 x 70.1mm

Recommended PSU

1000W

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Pros

• Most powerful GPU available
• Incredibly 4K with ray tracing performance

Cons

• Expensive

This GPU is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to reaching those high frame rates at 4K, and is worthy of a spot in our selection of the best graphics cards for ray tracing, coming out on top.

Even with DLSS turned off, expect over 120 FPS at 4K resolutions. With DLSS, you’re looking at an FPS boost hitting almost 170+ on average. With specs like these, the sky really is the limit for your GPU. Exploring the Nordic realm in God of War: Ragnarok will be simply breathtaking in 4K. Or else have the edge over your opponents in Modern Warfare II, thanks to this GPUs impressive boost clock of 2640 MHZ.

To match the beautiful graphics this GPU is capable of rendering, the card itself has a nice, aesthetic design. Pair this with its exceptional cooling capabilities and you’re laughing. The only thing that might put a stop to that laughter is the price.

Before committing to this incredible GPU, ensure your other hardware can keep up with its performance. We’ve written a guide to explain whether you need to upgrade your PSU in response to the 4090’s monstrous power consumption.

Don’t forget about your gaming monitor which will need a high refresh rate, or else consider these top gaming monitors to upgrade to. If you don’t want to upgrade your rig it might be worth looking at the best budget GPUs with a lower resolution. To help get you started we’ve made a handy guide on the best GPU for 1440p.

You might ask if the price is justified. Well, it is currently the best graphics card in the world, 31% faster than the RTX 4080 so that surely stands for something.

However, if you’re not convinced, check out the other GPUs below.

Best graphics card for 4K gaming (runner up) – AS Rock Radeon RX 7900 XT

AS Rock Radeon RX 7900 XT

Base Clock

2220 MHz

Boost Clock

2,400 MHZ

VRAM

20GB GDDR6

Dimensions

276 x 135 x 51mm

Recommended PSU

750W

How We Review

Check price

Pros

• Good price for performance
• Brilliant at 4K

Cons

• Raytracing could be better

We have a lot of respect for AMD’s 7000 series graphics cards, and the AS ROCK we’ve listed here definitely takes the cake.

Simply put, the RX 7900 XT delivers an amazing 4K performance, similar to its Nvidia counterparts, for a fraction of the price. It’s currently one of two graphics cards fitted with AMD’s new RDNA 3 architecture designed to power 4K resolution.

Retailing at $899, you can quickly see how it’s undercutting its RTX 4090 competition. However, it’s important to know how this card maintains frame rates at 4K. Allow us to direct you to the GPU experts at WePC who have reviewed the card, testing it on games including Assassins Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077 & Overwatch 2.

Unlike the RX 6900 XT, from the previous AMD generation, the RX 7900 XT performs strongly at 4K and RayTracing, and we’ve found it can still maintain a high FPS in most games.

Finally, this card is an appealing option for those concerned about the running costs of gaming. Unlike Nvidia’s monstrous 4090, the RX 7900 XT has a PSU of only 750W which is impressive given its high-performance specs.

Best 4K gaming graphics card for cooling- ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 OC Edition

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 OC Edition

Base Clock

2200MHz

Boost Clock

2500MHz

VRAM

16GB

Dimensions

357.6 x 149.3 x 70.1mm

Recommended PSU

750W

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Pros

• Excellent performance
• Efficient cooling

Cons

• Expensive
• Large

We’ve previously ranked the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 OC Edition as the best RTX 4080 model out there, but we’d now like to update that judgement.

9,728 CUDA cores make this model a thing of beauty, while the 16GB VRAM allows the model to make the most of its own potential and hit some excellent graphics at excellent frame rates. In fact, the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 OC Edition can hit 4K at 240Hz, or even 8K at 60Hz with DSC.

Also worth noting is that the design of this GPU is seriously efficient and down to business. That’s three fans, a vapor chamber, and a heat spreader all packed in to a uniform box. It’s not just nice to look at though, the efficiency allows for the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 OC Edition to hit some pretty good overclocking speeds.

With an overclocking potential of 3GHz this model gives most established CPUs a run for their money. Although, do bear in mind that overclocking is done at your and your computer’s own risk.

The only problem, as it so often is, is the price. This is an excellent graphics card, and the price reflects that. But at an MSRP of $1199…it will be hard for some gamers to reconcile that.

Also take into account that if you’re upgrading to a 4080, then you’ll need the rest of your rig to match that level to avoid bottleneck. To help get you started with this we’ve made a handy guide on the best CPU for RTX 4080, to help get you started with this one.

Best budget graphics card for 4K gaming – ASUS ROG Strix RX 6800 XT

ASUS ROG Strix RX 6800 XT

Base Clock

1925 MHz

Boost Clock

2360 MHz

VRAM

16GB GDDR6

Recommended PSU

700W

Dimensions

267 x 120 x 50 mm

How We Review

Check price

Pros

• Brilliant look
• Competitive price

Cons

• Ray tracing performance could be better

While AMD cards are often seen as less powerful than their Nvidia counterparts, the RX 6800 XT goes some way to disproving this.

It’s got an excellent 4K performance in multiple games, consistently reaching 60 frames per second or higher. That being said it also delivers a strong 1440p performance, and is worthy of a position in a selection of the best graphics cards for 1440p gaming.

The price is really reasonable too, significantly undercutting many of the other cards on this list. While it is inevitable that this does have an effect on performance, the price for performance is really high. This was one the main reasons why we struggled to name a clear winner in the past when comparing the RTX 4970 Ti and the RX 6800 XT.

We’ve gone for this RX 6800 XT card from ASUS ROG for a combination of its effective cooling solutions and striking look. Robust cooling allows your GPU to maintain high levels of performance without the risk of damaging itself. Here it is covered by three fans and an intelligent design which maximizes airflow.

Overall, while not as insanely powerful as some of the GPUs on this list, the RX 6800 XT is still at the top end of gaming and comes with a more reasonable price tag than many on this list. If it’s not as budget as you’d like though, it might be worth considering a lower resolution. We’ve made a handy guide to the best GPU for 1080p to help get you started.

Frequently asked questions

When it comes to 4K gaming, there are a f ew questions that we see coming up the most options. It pays to know as much as you can so you can cut through the retail. to help with this we’ve answered a few of the most common queries below.

Is 60 FPS good for gaming?

Yes – though next-gen GPUs can now reach up to 120 FPS, 60 will still deliver smooth gameplay, and has been the norm for PC gamers for decades.

What GPU do I need for 4K at 144Hz?

If you want to reach that killer benchmark, you’ll need a GPU from Nvidia’s 4000 range.

What GPU can run 4K 120hz?

Running a game at both 4K and 120Hz takes a load of computing power. While this does of course vary from game to game, you’ll definitely want one of the most powerful GPUs out there, something like the RTX 4090, RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XT.

How do I know if my GPU can handle 4K?

Simply search your GPU on Google to see what supported resolution it has. If it’s 4096 x 2304 or higher, your GPU supports true 4K.

What is the minimum graphics card for 4K gaming?

If you’re looking for an affordable graphics card for 4K gaming, go for the RTX 3080 12GB. While it is much slower than other graphics card like the RTX 4070 Ti, it will do the job so long as you have a good CPU to support it.

What GPU can run 4K at 240Hz?

According to their specs sheets, all the Nvidia RTX 40 series can run 4K at 240 Hz. This includes the RTX 4070 Ti and its newly released sibling RTX 4070.