Best GPU for 8K – our best graphics card for 8K
Looking to enjoy the top of the resolution range, you need some great power
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Now when it comes to running such high resolutions you need some serious power, as such the best GPU for 8K is going to be one at the top range. It’s only recently that the best graphics cards have reached the capabilities to run this resolution but performance may vary between them.
Some of the new graphic cards can reach that level of performance, in particular, the RTX 4090 is the top contender for the gaming GPU for 8K gamers. And the frame rate may be on the lower side of things than you might expect. But then again the manufacturers have got some tools to help you out and boost that performance.
Our top picks for 8K gaming
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ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC
In-depth reviews
Trying to decide between some of the choices, we outline the options and what makes them the good choice for an 8K choice.
Best GPU for 8K – RTX 4090
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
Now for the best high-end graphics cards is the best option for 8K gaming and as such the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is the best choice for it. Featuring the new Ada architecture it has the best opportunity to reach that high-resolution rendering. But it is
To achieve what it can do, the card features the AD102-300 GPU variant inside of it. Made on TSMC’s 5nm process it has a die size of 608mm² with 76.3 billion transistors in it. In that die you can find 16,384 CUDA cores, 512 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 128 SMs, 512 Tensors, and 128 RT cores. These are clocked with a 2,235MHz base clock and boost up to 2,520MHz. On the board, you get support from 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM with a 384-bit bus clocked at 21Gbps giving it a bandwidth of 1.008TB/s. But does come in with a TBP of 450W.
The card has an incredibly high power rating and for a reason, there is plenty of power behind it. It has an incredibly high memory bandwidth which allows it to work well on those higher 8K monitors that you might be interested in. But even still there might be the need for use of upscaling to try and get a better performance out of it still. LTT shows that even on low on Halo the card just about averages over 60 FPS, so it is a taxing task.
Best AMD GPU for 8K – RX 7900 XTX
XFX SPEEDSTER MERC 310 AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
Core Clock Speed
1,855 MHz base, 2,455 MHz game, 2,615 MHz boost
Stream processors
6,144
Memory Size
24GB GDDR6
Dimensions
344 x 128 x 57mm
PSU Required
850W
TBP
355W
- A cheap basic alternative without any extras on top
- Simple and basic design without any additions
- Lower quality build with plastic builds
Now from the other side, we have the AMD graphics card RX 7900 XTX at the top of the lineup. It’s a cheaper alternative to what Nvidia has to offer, although the performance does fall behind because of it. Although it has a much better implementation of its upscaling technology to work across the board.
The card is built with the Navi 31 XTX GPU, made on the RDNA 3 architecture. Using TSMC’s 5 and 6nm processes it has an MCM (multi-chip) design that has a size of 529mm². On there you find 6,144 shaders, 384 TMUs, 192 ROPs, 96 RT, and 96 compute units. These are clocked with a 1,855MHz base clock, 2,269 shaders and game clock, and a 2,499MHz boost clock. Along with 24GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 20Gbps, across a 384-bit bus it has a bandwidth of 960 GB/s. Along with a TDP of 355 Watts.
Overall, the card does well to achieve a minimum of 4K performance. You can then push 8K with it, but the performance is going to fall down quite low, a likely 30FPS or so, but that’s where FSR and RSR come in. They will be the ones pushing the ability higher on that fidelity.
How we test and choose the best GPU for 8K
When it comes to how we test GPUs, there’s a lot to do to make sure you’re choosing the right option. We put the cards through intensive testing to make sure they live up to their standard of the best video card for the task. This also allows us to check the cooling and quality of the model and if it’s enough for the task.
Whilst when it comes to other options we don’t have, reviews and benchmarks are the way to go. We can see the performance offered by the cards and their value and if they are worth it.
Best GPU for 8K buying guide
Choosing a new graphics card is a tough time with the many options available around. As such we bring you what to look at when looking for high-end GPUs for your 8K PC experience.
VRAM
One of the key features of looking for a good GPU for 8K is the VRAM it has on it. Video memory is used for the buffer of pixels ready for processing or display. And since larger resolutions have more pixels, a larger capacity and bandwidth are needed to work well at that level.
In the case of the best options for 8K, the top-end cards both utilize 24GB of video RAM. As well as a fast bandwidth to work through those processes well enough but even still it might not be enough to provide a good enough experience on its own.
Upscaling
Another important feature to improve your 8K gaming experience is any upscaling available to the architecture of the graphics cards. These render the graphics below the target resolution and then upscale it to the one you want. With the application of filters and AI for some of them, it tries to improve the look of them and make them reasonable to use.
If you have the likes of an Nvidia RTX card, you have access to DLSS, one of the better options available. With AI upscaling it brings the performance way up, and with the Ada series’ use of frame generation, DLSS 3 improves it further. Now AMD offers more widespread availability. FSR is accessible anywhere it’s implemented, whilst RSR is available on its driver and on any application.
Ray tracing
Now another more high-end feature is ray tracing. Available on newer hardware, it allows for hardware light tracing and improving your experience in games. Although 8K is already and tough enough experience, you may find it not providing a good frame rate, which means tray tracing will worsen that experience too and might not be advised unless paired with good upscaling.
Connectors
Another important feature will be the type of display connectors you use. The likes of HDMI 2.0 doesn’t support anything higher than 4K 60Hz, and you’d have to find HDMI 2.1 for 8K 60Hz. Whilst the more popular DisplayPort option allows 8K 60Hz from version 1.4 and so that is the better choice for support.
Final word
There are still only a couple of graphics cards available that will have the strength to power through to 8K gaming. And these cards come with a high cost, not only initially but alongside running with their higher power ratings. So you have to have a good CPU and PSU to match and keep the performance up and not be limited. You also want enough fans to keep the cooling up for the card during intensive tasks, especially with the ultra settings you’d expect for these high cards.
These options are good for 8K video editors and rendering as well. These can power through the works pretty effectively, and Nvidia is the best choice for that.
FAQs
What graphics cards can run 8k?
At the moment the best option for running 8K is the RTX 4090, it can run native but also has support from upscaling to achieve and even better level for it.
What is the highest graphics 8K?
8K resolution is a width of around 8,000 pixels. UHDTV defines it as the highest standard and is around 7,680 x 4,320 in size.
