Best GPU for 1440p – our top graphics cards for 2K
If you want to enjoy smooth gameplay at 1440p, here's where to look
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If visuals are your primary focus, you will appreciate the level of quality offered here. You may experience excellent visual quality with sharper details provided by the best 1440p monitors. Though clearly inferior to 4K in definition, 1440p is still much better than 1080p. For that, you want the best GPU for 1440p to be able to run your games well enough to enjoy.
You get a larger pixel count with a 2K setup, which is again a fantastic choice for outstanding details. It can at least marginally enhance your gaming. So with a range of possible framerates and refresh rates to fulfill, there are some good options to pick from. For a quick look, we have chosen the RTX 4070 Super, RTX 4090, and RX 6700 XT. However, you may want to hold out and figure out where to buy the RTX 4070 Ti Super as another potential option.
Our top choices
- 01
MSI GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12G VENTUS 2X OC
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02
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC
Best GPU for 1440p 144Hz
MSI GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12G VENTUS 2X OC
Core clock speed
2,505 MHz boost
CUDA count
7,168
Memory
12GB GDDR6X
Dimensions
242 x 125 x 43 mm
PSU required
650W
TGP
220W
- Small compact form factor with strong performance
- Overclocked even in smaller size for higher frame rates
- Comes in above the MSRP of the card
Looking for the best GPU for 1440p, then the RTX 4070 Super is the top choice for the job. Bringing Nvidia’s Ada generation to another level, even though maybe the RTX 4070 should have started off that way, it’s a good improvement over the previous offering. Bringing an upgrade but also plenty of performance on that level.
Comparing the RTX 4070 Super vs 4070 you get plenty more CUDA cores for that boost in power, although it comes at a cost of requiring more power, it won’t cost you extra on top. Excelling at what it’s best at it provides the best way as a middle-class card without costing a fortune, it does hold a good value.
Best GPU for 1440p 240Hz
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
- Excellent air cooling solution
- Pushes performance above the rest of the selection
- Updated design cooling and aesthetically focused
- A more expensive choice over the rest of the picks and will cost a lot to run
As you look to max out the full potential of 1440p at 240Hz, you really need the top selection of cards to achieve it. This means the RTX 4090 is the best choice for you. As it is the best chance for you to get the performance you need.
Being the leader of the new Ada generation, it has the full AD102 chip with a whopping 16,384 CUDA cores. With further optimizations, it also has 24GB of GDDR6X memory to fully load the textures required for quad HD.
The card is also capable of reaching a boost clock of 2,640 MHz, which also gives it a good boost to its performance. But does come at a high TDP and cost, with 450W and $1,599 USD.
Best budget 1440p GPU
MSI Radeon RX 6700 XT Gaming X
Core Clock Speed
2622 MHz Boost Clock
Stream Processors
2560
Memory Size
12GB GDDR6X
Dimensions
279 x 131 x 58 mm (2.75 slot)
PSU Required
650W
TDP
230W
- Smaller in size than some optioons
- Cheaper yet still powerful
- More basic design
As you look to improve your monitor’s resolution you might be spending a bit much on it. And with a little left to upgrade your GPU so you might be interested in the best budget GPU for 1440p.
And as cards have been improving, the bar for that performance keeps lowering and into the lower price brackets. This means the RX 6700 XT is a great choice at an MSRP of $479 USD.
The card is based on the RDNA 2 architecture with the Navi 22 XT processor. With 2560 stream processors and 12GB of GDDR6 memory, it is clocked at 2,622 MHz. Giving it plenty of speed for QHD resolutions.
How we choose and test the best GPU for 1440p
When it comes to picking out the best choice of GPU, there is some consideration to be had. Especially when it comes to recommendations. As such we have a thorough set of testing to go through to set them up.
Testing out graphics cards we put them through rigorous testing with a lineup of tests and checking to see if they perform as they should. As well as making sure they achieve what they set out to do.
Also with our expertise knowledge, we also check reviews and expected results from each of the options. You can read more about how we test GPUs on our information page.
GPU buyer’s guide
As you look to choose which graphics card to pick, then there is a range of options to pick from, so there are some differences and features to compare and differ between them.
VRAM
One of the important features when looking to play the more graphically intensive games at higher resolutions, it’s video memory. This buffers all of the textures and graphics in it so they can be scheduled for your display to give you a smooth experience. And with the higher resolution, it means you need more space and faster speeds to ensure you get good gameplay.
Cooling
One of the main features of a graphics card will be its cooling. It makes sure that your GPU keeps going for years to come, along with keeping the performance up no matter the load on it. This ensures that you get the performance you expect and for the time you’d expect. These do differ depending on the manufacturer so that may vary across the board.
Shaders
Now another feature is the cores in the GPU, and these vary significantly between cards. Not only between generations but also between manufacturers and models. So one of the key ones is the shaders, which are CUDA cores in Nvidia and stream processors in AMD. These give the GPU its power to process information and graphics so making sure you have enough for your task is important.
Other GPU guides
FAQs
What GPU can do 1440p 144Hz?
If you’re looking to reach the full potential of your 1440p 144Hz monitor, you have to run some horsepower to achieve it. As such, you want to look for a strong GPU. Such as the RTX 3080 Ti or RTX 3070. Both aimed towards higher resolutions and framerates.
What GPU is needed for 1440p?
The power of lower cards has been improving, and even more entry-level cards are able to reach that potential. So when it comes to GPUs able to do 1440p, you only have to look at the RX 6700 XT or RTX 3060 Ti to get the performance needed, although for higher framerates you want something even more.
