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

Table of Contents Table of Contents

CSGO has finally got a big makeover, it has now become Counter Strike 2. While the new game will require more from your card thanks to the improved graphics and physics, the performance change between games might be quite the change. Regardless it’s still important you get the best GPU for CS2 that fits within your budget.

Previously the CS2 limited test invite was expanded even further to those with ranks and prime, even more, have been testing the game before the actual release of CS2, and with an ominous post bringing us a glimpse of when we might expect the overhaul in public. We have been able to feel the brunt of what the Source 2 engine can actually do.

That’s where we found the spectacular visuals of the new version to be quite taxing. It’s no surprise then that Valve is including AMD’s FSR technology to try and gain back that competitive advantage of high framerates for those running faster refresh rates. If you are using one of the best GPUs, out there you are probably not going to notice any change in performance from CSGO to CS2, however, for everyone else you might have to tinker with the options and find the best graphics settings for CS2.

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. Now with CS2 released, the full brunt of the game has been given to everyone and now you everyone will be playing with everything enabled.

Best GPU deals

---

Our best graphics cards for CS2

Now with CSGO being taken over in the store page, the system requirements for CS2 have been shown off. Now we know all it takes is a graphics card with 1GB of VRAM and support for DX 11. So although it might have increased what it takes, it’s not too awful overall, so we see what the best options are for you.

Best overall GPU for CS2

ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 4070 Super OC Edition

Base clock

2520 MHz

Boost clock

2550 MHz

Memory size

12GB

TBP

220W

Dimensions

267 x 133 x 51 mm

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Check price

Check price

Check price

Pros

• Solid build quality
• Attractive design
• Inexpensive SKU

Cons

• Only dual-fan

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.

Best GPU for CS2 240Hz

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

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Check price

Check price

Pros

• A cheap basic alternative without any extras on top
• Simple and basic design without any additions

Cons

• Lower quality build with plastic builds

As for the AMD side, it has been a bit slim picking up until recently from its new GPU lineup. The best choice is the RX 7900 XTX, as the card is the best value from the generation. The card coming in with the Navi 31 XTX GPU offers up to 24GB of GDDR6, along with 6,144 stream processors, 96 compute units, and 96 ray accelerators. Although that does come with a 355W power rating it does require quite a bit of energy from the supply.

It certainly gives you all the power you might need though. As we saw in our RX 7900 XTX hands on review we saw how the GPU achieved well into 700FPS for CSGO at 1080p, with 609 at 1440p, while at 4k it does drop to 389. Translating that to CS2, you can expect to still see excellent performance across the resolutions. You can expect the XFX card in particular to offer up a well-built card that’s simple yet performative as it offers an overclock that pushes it above the standard offerings.

Alternatively, the more recent RX 7800 XT fills out the gap in what RDNA 3 has to offer. With the lower price point, the performance does fall drastically and is unlikely to reach those high framerates in the new title. But it does provide a good value option.

Best budget GPU for CS2

ZOTAC RTX 4060 Solo

Core clock speed

1,830MHz base,

CUDA cores

3,072

Memory size

8GB GDDR6

Dimensions

163.0 x 117.6 x 39.5 mm / 6.4 x 4.6 x 1.6 inches

PSU required

500W

TBP

115W

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Check price

Check price

Check price

Pros

• Small compact form means it can fit into small builds

Cons

• 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.

---

How we test and choose the best GPU for CS2

When it comes to picking out which hardware to go for there are plenty of considerations to be had. With so many choices it can be a difficult decision, as such we are here to simplify that pick or provide good info as to what is required to run the game. We make sure to do testing on many models to get first-hand benchmarks and see how well they hold up and the quality of the models.

Where else we can look at trusted reviews to provide informed decisions as to what is a good product. You can read more about our process on our how we test GPUs page.

---

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.

---

Best GPU for CS2 – Final word

We have highlighted some of the best range of GPUs to go for that are great for CS2. The game is expected to drop in Summer, even if it’s getting rather late in that timeline, but many gamers now have access to the testing and the performance can be evaluated. It is a bit more heavy hitting but with plenty of graphical options, you can still expect to get a decent framerate. Now you can be prepared to enjoy it to its full potential when it finally rolls out.

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.

Given that CS2 isn’t particularly demanding in terms of system requirements, you might be interested in playing it while on the move. If that’s the case, you may want the best laptop for CS2.