Best GPU for CS2 2024: our top graphics cards for Counter Strike 2
Improved visuals and physics, we look to see what GPU best suits it
WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
CS2 is the latest version of the hugely popular online shooter, Counter-Strike. It’s fast-paced, competitive nature means that every frame counts, especially when you’re in the heat of battle. So, to ensure you never experience a drop in framerates when it matters most, we’re going to be recommending the best graphics cards for the job.
The new game will require more from your GPU due to the improvements in graphics and physics, so your old card might not cut the mustard any more. Furthermore, if you’re looking to take your gameplay to the next level, then making sure your hardware is fit for the job should be high on your list of priorities.
Ahead of launch, players with ranks and prime were able to test the game in its Beta form – giving us a good idea of how demanding the game was going to be. Of course, the game has been out now for almost 12 months, meaning we have a much better idea of what hardware to recommend.
Products at a glance
-
Best GPU for CS2
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Super OC
- Core clock speed: 2565 MHz boost, 1980 MHz base
- CUDA count: 7,168
- Memory: 12GB GDDR6X
- Dimensions: 301 x 139 x 63 mm
- PSU required: 750W
- TBP: 220W
-
Next best
AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
- Core clock speed: 2,430MHz boost, 2,124MHz game
- Stream processors: 3,840
- Memory: 16GB GDDR6
- Dimensions: 267 x 111 x 50mm
- PSU required: 600W
- TBP: 263W
-
Pro pick
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC
- Core Clock Speed: 2,640 MHz boost
- CUDA Cores: 16,384
- Memory Size: 24GB GDDR6X
- Dimensions: 357.6 x 149.3 x 70.1mm
- PSU Required: 1000W
- TDP: 450W
-
Budget pick
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4060 OC
- Core clock speed: 1,830MHz base, 2,670MHz boost
- CUDA cores: 3,072
- Memory size: 8GB GDDR6
- Dimensions: 311.4 x 133.5 x 61.9mm
- PSU required: 550W
- TBP: 115W
Additionally, since the game launched back in September 2023, a whole host of new and exciting hardware has arrived – giving the best GPU for CS2 a very different look than it did 12 months ago. Like always, we’ll be factoring a number of different settings into our selection process, recommending a card for every type of user – whether you’re a budding competitive player or more of a casual gamer.
If you’re building a PC for CS2, you might want to check out our best CPU for CS2 article, and if you’re looking for peripherals, the best mouse for CS2 might tickle your fancy.
How we test the best GPU for CS2
Testing and benchmarking is at the heart of everything we do here at WePC, as it gives us the confidence to accurately recommend the best hardware for the job. When it comes to offering hardware advice for competitive games, the selection process is the same as everything else – we test and benchmark each product in a variety of use cases, giving us a more rounded understanding of what each GPU has to offer.
We usually run each card through a number of different games, including CS2, to understand what framerate it can provide in 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions. Once benchmarking has concluded, we factor in price, cooling, aesthetics, and overall value for money, before selecting our best picks. You can read more about our process on our how we test GPUs page.
Below are the results of our testing methodology for graphics cards when playing Counter-Strike 2.
Our best graphics cards for CS2
Here are the four best GPUs for CS2, factoring in unique price points and use cases – including both gaming and synthetic bench results.
- Core clock speed: 2565 MHz boost, 1980 MHz base
- CUDA count: 7,168
- Memory: 12GB GDDR6X
- Dimensions: 301 x 139 x 63 mm
- PSU required: 750W
- TBP: 220W
- Memory clock: 21Gbps
- Memory bus: 192-bit
- Card bus: PCIe 4.0 x16
- Output : 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DP 1.4a
- Power connectors: 1x 16-pin
- Solid build quality
- Attractive design
- Inexpensive SKU
- Small dual-fan design
- Will struggle to hit 4K in more demanding games outside of CS2
It might not be the top of the Ada lineup, but the RTX 4070 Super is certainly the best value option, a direct upgrade to the RTX 4070. The power of the AD104 GPU allows it to power through any of the intense graphics you throw at it. It is even capable of 4K performance without the hefty price tag of its top end. Of course, it still gets the benefits of the new generation of hardware including the great efficiency and power available.
You should be able to play the game at the highest settings although at that UHD res, you might need some additional help but a couple of FSR settings won’t ruin the overall experience. The graphics card features 12GB of GDDR6X memory, meaning it’s a more future-looking option compared to the lower end of the range. Although if you’re after just CS2 and Esports titles it’s not a necessity. You can find what kind of performance to expect from a 70 model with an RTX 4070 Ti review.
- Core clock speed: 2,430MHz boost, 2,124MHz game
- Stream processors: 3,840
- Memory: 16GB GDDR6
- Dimensions: 267 x 111 x 50mm
- PSU required: 600W
- TBP: 263W
- Launch price: $499
- Availability: September 6th, 2023
- GPU Name: NAVI 32
- Architecture : RDNA 3
- Process size: 5 nm
- Die size: 346mm
- L3 Cache: 64 MB
- Bandwidth: 624.1 GB/s
- Memory Bus: 256 bit
- Compute units: 60
- RT Cores: 60
- Excellent performance in 1080p and 1440p gaming
- Good efficiency and low power draw vs previous generation
- Subtle design that fits most PC builds
- Doesn’t offer amazing Ray Tracing performance
- Not a massive uplift over RX 7700 XT
As for the AMD side, it has been a bit slim picking up until recently for the latest 7000 series GPU lineup. The next best choice is the RX 7800 XT, as the card offers a decent generational uplift with a far more efficient power delivery. The card coming in with the Navi 32 GPU offers up to 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, along with 3,840 stream processors, 60 compute units, and 60 ray accelerators.
It certainly gives you all the power you might need though. As we saw in our RX 7800 XT review, the GPU achieved well into 300FPS for CS2 at 1080p, with over 200 FPS at 1440p. It even managed to push over 120 frames in 4K – which isn’t bad when you factor in the price point. Better yet, if you’re looking for a GPU that offers a subtle design language, with no bells and whistles, then the reference RX 7800 XT could be ideal for you.
Overall, a really solid card that, despite not being the most powerful in this lineup, still gives you excellent value for money and more than enough frames per second for a stable experience.
- Core Clock Speed: 2,640 MHz boost
- CUDA Cores: 16,384
- Memory Size: 24GB GDDR6X
- Dimensions: 357.6 x 149.3 x 70.1mm
- PSU Required: 1000W
- TDP: 450W
- Memory Clock: 21 Gbps
- Memory Bus: 384-bit
- Card Bus: PCIe 4.0 x16
- Output: 2x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DP 1.4a
- Power Connectors: 1x 16-pin
- Unrivaled gaming performance
- Massive FPS in CS2
- Can handle anything you throw at it
- Huge price tag
- Large design that could require a PC case upgrade
Next up we have a bit of an obscure pick for such a low-level demanding game, the RTX 4090. Granted, this isn’t going to be most people’s first choice, mainly due to the huge price tag that comes with it. However, if you’re playing at the top of your game and you want the confidence that your hardware isn’t slowing you down, then the RX 4090 is the one to go for. Top level pros like Niko and S1mple use the RTX 4090 for a reason – but I don’t think they’re splashing $2,000 for theirs.
That said, the RTX 4090 will absolutely destroy a game like CS2, pushing well over 800 frames per second (average) in 1080p, nearly 600 frames in 1440p, and 380 frames at 4K. Better yet, the RTX 4090 is also a great choice for gamers who not only take their CS2 seriously, but also play other, more-demanding titles – such as Cyberpunk 2077. The RTX 4090 is the only card we’ve tested that’s managed to push 130+ frames per second when enabled Ray Tracing, making it the best gaming GPU on the market.
Overall, a bit of an obscure selection – granted. However, if you want the best of the best and money is no object, then we’d always recommend this monster of a graphics card.
- Core clock speed: 1,830MHz base, 2,670MHz boost
- CUDA cores: 3,072
- Memory size: 8GB GDDR6
- Dimensions: 311.4 x 133.5 x 61.9mm
- PSU required: 550W
- TBP: 115W
- Memory Clock: 18Gbps
- Memory Bus: 128-bit
- Card Bus: PCIe 4.0 x8
- Output: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DP 1.4a
- Power Connectors: 1x 8-pin
- Small compact form means it can fit into small builds
- Good value for money choice for new gamers
- Small cooling means card is prone to overheating and throttling
- Lacks overhead for overclocking
Another new generation card but on the down low in terms of price. The RTX 4060 is a strong performer for rasterization with all the new gizmos available to the Ada series. In it, you can find the AD107-400 processor that is supported by 8GB of GDDR6 memory. That also features 3,072 CUDA cores and 24 RT cores, which also means that the board power of the card is much lower. Rated at just 115W it is a much more efficient and yet capable GPU for the price.
In our hands on review of the 4060, we saw how it performed on the old version of the game. With nearly 500 FPS at 1080p, averaging 300 at 1440p, and over 140FPS at 4k, it certainly is performative in Esports titles. That will also carry on through to the updated CS2 game instead. It can be expected to drop from those high numbers but with adjustments, you can still expect plenty of frames.
Things to consider in the best GPU for Counter Strike 2
When it comes to picking out a particular model there are certainly lots of factors to consider. Each of them will depend on what you’re after from a GPU as such we give you some of the more important differences between them.
Performance
Certainly, the most important factor is how many frames your graphics card can achieve. When it comes to CS2 there is still work being done on it as it’s in a limited test still. Without all the maps finished and the release date still unconfirmed, you can expect the final performance of the game to change as it is optimized and finalized. The new Tickrate is not determined by hardware performance, that is server side. For those who were wondering.
You can still expect it to drop from what CSGO has to offer, as that is over 10 years old and was on an old engine. That means it was made for old hardware and current options have no issues with it. With improved graphics and physics, it will become a bigger load but as an Esports title, it should still be available to most. Or we might have to rely on the upscaling available to get the most out of it.
Budget and requirements
Another consideration is the actual price of the model you’re after. Of course, the more you spend the more power you get but that doesn’t mean it’s worth it. If you only have a 1080p monitor, you don’t have to spend on the greatest PC as many cards will be able to achieve that resolution, unless you aim for 240Hz, as that might require just that bit more power. You can look to benchmarks to see what is the best point for you when it comes to maximizing your setup.
Is CS2 a demanding game?
In short, no. CS2 is a more demanding title than Counter-Srike and CS:GO, but that doesn’t mean its a demanding game when compared to modern AAA titles. In fact, you can safely achieve well over 100 frames per second on GPUs that are now several generations old, making the game one of the most inclusive options on the market.
Final word
So, there you have it, our comprehensive run down of the best graphics cards for CS2, perfect for upcoming gamers or soon-to-be pros. Being such a highly competitive game, players want to ensure that their hardware is up to the job, especially if they’re looking to reach the next level.
For me, the best of the bunch here is the RTX 4070 Super – a GPU that offers the best of both worlds. It provides solid gaming performance (in and out of CS2) but also doesn’t cost a fortune to add to your existing build.
Now you have the graphics sorted, you should also consider the rest of your build and solution for the job as well. You’ll need to pair it up with the best CPU for the job or even the best laptop all-in-one solution. With these, you might just get the best experience in playing the game.
