Helldivers 2has set a new benchmark for games coming out in 2024, not only because of its fun, cooperative gameplay but its visual appeal as well. The game entices the audience with intense gunfire and huge explosions that damage not just the monsters and mechs chasing after you but the environment as well. This is just one of the reasons toenjoy the game at its optimal settingsand, for that, you would need to invest in a decent GPU. What’s great is that the developers believe amid-tier gaming PCshould be able to deliver the recommended experience.
The game has been developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and was released in February. It has since become a highly popular title as it became the fastest-selling game on PlayStation and has “Mostly Positive” reviews on Steam. The game has also given rise to some hilarious memes, which just goes to show how much fun people have been having playingHelldivers 2. That being said, the most important criterion is to enjoy the visuals of the game to the fullest, so here are the best GPUs to help you do just that.
ASRock Radeon RX 7700 XT Phantom Gaming 12GB OC
ASRock Phantom Gaming Intel Arc A770
Before getting into the best GPUs, these are the minimum and recommended requirements from the developers forHelldivers 2:
Processor: Intel Core i7-4790K or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 470
Storage: 100 GB available space
Processor: Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 6600XT
Game Rant’s Picks for the Best GPUs for Helldivers 2
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming OC
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming OC brings a triple fan design with RGB lighting and has a DUAL BIOS. The card has a Windforce cooling system to deliver good thermal performance in addition to its appealing RGB aesthetics. The 4070 Super is an excellent replacement for the 4070 with significantly superior specs for just $50 more, and destroys modern titles at 1440p resolution.
TheNvidia GeForce RTX 4070 SUPERis the perfect GPU forHelldivers 2as it is capable of delivering an excellent gaming experience at 1440p and possibly even 4K, depending on the CPU you pair it with. Knowing that the game is more CPU-intensive, you will need a strong CPU if you are planning on gaming at 4K. With the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER GAMING OC 12G, you get 12GB of GDDR6X VRAM and a solid cooling solution.
The GIGABYTE graphics card has a higher-than-reference core clock of 2565 MHz and is powered by a single 16-pin connector. For connectivity, you get one HDMI 2.1a port and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports. While there is no DisplayPort 2.1 port, the bandwidth allowed by the 1.4a port is sufficient for a high resolution and high FPS gameplay experience. With all this power, GIGABYTE recommends a 700W PSU to use with this GPU, though you may be able to get away with a 650W PSU as well. But the more headroom you have the better.
The GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER GAMING OC 12G comes with the company’s WINDFORCE cooling system which includes three 90mm fans, eight composite copper heat pipes, a copper plate, and some smart software tweaks. The three fans also have a ring of RGB lights that can be customized through the GIGABYTE CONTROL CENTER.
Furthermore, the company has also implemented a Dual-bios system, power indicators for PSU abnormalities, and a solid metal backplate for rigidity.
Acer Predator BiFrost Radeon RX 7800 XT OC
The Acer Predator BiFrost Radeon RX 7800 XT OC features 16GB VRAM, boost clock speed of 2560 MHz, and a triple fan cooling system. There are three FrostBlade 3.0 fans that work alongside the vapor chamber for more efficient heat dissipation.
With the Radeon RX 7000 series of GPUs, AMD showcased how efficient yet powerful its architecture and manufacturing processes are. Theportfolio includes a range of GPUsthat deliver similar levels of performance to their Nvidia counterparts but at much lower power usage as well as relatively lower price tags. With that said, the Acer Predator BiFrost Radeon RX 7800 XT OC is one of the cheapest Radeon RX 7800 XT you’re able to find with a triple-fan cooler.
This GPU can deliver real-world performance levels on par with the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super in most games. Do note that some games have been optimized for AMD hardware, likeStarfieldand theHitmanseries, and these games tend to deliver better performance on AMD hardware. WithHelldivers 2, unfortunately, Nvidia GPUs tend to deliver better performance.
That being said, the Acer Predator BiFrost Radeon RX 7800 XT OC is more than capable of running the game at 1440p at a high frame rate. It can even manage 4K resolution with the help of FSR and other AMD technologies. This particular graphics card comes with three FrostBlade 3.0 fans that are paired with a vapor chamber for efficient heat dissipation. In terms of clock speeds, the graphics card comes with a 2560 MHz boost speed, and you get even more VRAM than the RTX 4070 Super at 16GB.
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC
The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC is an excellent aftermarket take on the RTX 4080 SUPER, offering a higher boost clock than the stock option even as it clocks in an additional $100 on MSRP. It offers excellent reliability, power delivery, and one of the best aftermarket coolers one can get for Nvidia’s higher-end RTX 4000 series GPUs.
While you can invest an arm and a leg to get theRTX 4090 GPUand have a great 4K gaming experience, you can probably invest the same and get an entire prebuilt gaming PC that can deliver a very playableHelldivers 2experience. This is where the RTX 4080 SUPER takes the cake as the best GPU in terms of gaming performance. The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER OC Edition, at the time of writing, can be purchased for about $1100, which itself is a high price for a single component.
With this GPU, you get 16GB GDDR6X VRAM, 10,240 CUDA cores, a triple-fan cooler, and higher-than-reference clock speeds. At base, the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER OC Edition runs at 2610 MHz, and in its OC mode, it can boost up to 2640 MHz. You also get two HDMI 2.1a ports and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports. All this leads to more than sufficient performance for1440p gamingand with the help of Nvidia’s software technologies, even 4K gaming.
To keep the GPU cool, the ASUS graphics card comes with a triple-fan cooler with three Axial fans, two of which spin in the same direction with the central fan spinning in the opposite direction. Being a TUF series card, it has a rugged build with a metal exoskeleton, military-grade capacitors, and its automated Auto-Extreme Technology for manufacturing.
MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC
The MSI Ventus RTX 4060 Ti offers solid cooling and performance due to its inclusion of dual TORX 4.0 fans, which allow direct and continuous airflow to the GPU. This graphics card features a simple, no frills design with an all-black exterior. The MSI Ventus RTX 4060 Ti is a thin, 2-slot card which can make an excellent addition to any small, but mighty builds.
Arrowhead Game Studios recommends the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 for the ideal gaming experience, but buying an RTX 20 series GPU in 2024 is not ideal if you don’t already have one. The best budget-friendly offering, instead, is the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC, which delivers superior performance compared to the RTX 4060 and does not cost as much as the 16GB RTX 4060 Ti. Ever since its launch, the 16GB version of the4060 Tihas not been a great value, unless it is heavily discounted.
The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC comes with 8GB VRAM, a boost clock speed of 2565 MHz, which is already higher than the reference model, and on top of that there is an extreme performance mode that can be enabled through the MSI Center software, and it takes clock speeds up to 2580 MHz. For connectivity, you get three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1a port.
As the name suggests, there is a dual fan cooling system that includes two TORX FAN 4.0 design fans that have pairs of fins bound together for more focused airflow through the components. It has a Zero Frozr operation mode where the fans only turn on under a certain load. You also get a metal backplate, but there is no RGB lighting on this GPU. It is also a compact card, making it suitable for the smaller form factor builds.
The ASRock Radeon RX 7700 XT Phantom Gaming 12GB OC is a mid-range AMD GPU that comes with the company’s latest technologies. It features 12GB of VRAM, boost clock speed of up to 2599 MHz, and requires two 8-pin connectors for power.
Considering the price point of the ASRock Radeon RX 7700 XT Phantom Gaming 12GB OC and the fact that it can compete with theRTX 4070in some games, it becomes an excellent mid-range offering. While it can’t reach the same performance levels as the RTX 4070, it costs significantly less but delivers frame rates that are not too far off from the Nvidia offering. On top of that, it is a lot more power efficient.
The ASRock Radeon RX 7700 XT Phantom Gaming 12GB OC comes with 12GB GDDR6 VRAM, a game clock speed of 2276 MHz, and a boost clock speed of up to 2599 MHz. It comes with three DisplayPort 2.1 ports with DSC and one HDMI 2.1 port. It requires two 8-pin connectors for power and is recommended to use with a 750W PSU. For cooling, there are three striped ring fans that, according to the company, allow for more lateral intake resulting in better airflow.
ASRock has implemented a sophisticated cooling system on the RX 7700 XT Phantom Gaming which also gives some headroom for overclocking. Given that your PSU has the extra available power, strategically overclocking this AMD GPU can deliver results much closer to the RTX 4070, or even higher, for the same lower price.
The Phantom Gaming Intel Arc A770 from ASRock is the best Intel GPU on the market, and it brings the latest and greatest of Intel’s technology to the world of gaming. It boasts 2200 MHz clock speeds, 16 GB GDDR6 VRAM, and support for Intel’s XeSS Ai upscaling. The GPU is also a budget-friendly offering that can deliver impressive performance at 1440p resolution.
Even though the developers don’t have an Intel GPU suggestion or recommendation forHelldivers 2, the ASRock Intel Arc A770 Phantom Gaming D 8GB OC is capable of delivering a solid gaming experience at 1080p. While you can’t expect to get over 100 frames, you can still enjoy the game at max settings at 1080p, depending on the CPU you pair it with. However, if you wish to game at anything higher than 1080p, you will have to turn some settings down to maintain 60 FPS. That being said, for $300 (even lower if you’re lucky), this is a solid gaming experience.
The ASRock Intel Arc A770 Phantom Gaming D 8GB OC comes with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, three DisplayPort 2.0 ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, and 2200 MHz clock speeds. ASRock recommends a 700W PSU to use with this GPU, and it is powered by two 8-pin connectors. For the level of performance this card delivers, two 8-pin connectors seem a bit much, as there are offerings from AMD that can match the performance with a single 8-pin connector.
Thanks to the triple-fan cooler design, the card remains cool under load. The three fans spin in the same direction and the central fan has RGB lights shining through. There is also an RGB Phantom Gaming logo at the top, so no matter the orientation, you will have some lights facing you.
How to Find the Best GPU for Helldivers 2
Consider these factors when selecting a GPU to play Helldrivers 2 on PC:
Brand: You can either get an Nvidia, AMD, or Intel GPU to playHelldivers 2on PC. While Nvidia and AMD have a more expansive lineup of options, Intel does not. Both AMD and Nvidia have GPUs around the same price points that deliver comparable performance, with the major difference being the technologies implemented to enhance the gaming experience. AMD has its FSR, AFMF, and other technologies, while Nvidia brings DLSS, DSR, FG, DLAA, and more. Intel also has its own version of super sampling, but frame generation has not made its way to the public yet.
Game Resolution and FPS: While single-player campaign games don’t need to be played at super high FPS,Helldivers 2is a game that does benefit from the extra frames. Switching from the lower 1080p resolution to the higher 1440p and 4K resolution demands significantly more performance and the higher the resolution, the better that game looks. So, if you are planning on gaming at 4K, you should consider an Nvidia RTX 4080 or higher or the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX. For 1080p or 1440p gaming, even mid-tier offerings like the RTX 4060 Ti and 7700 XT will suffice.
Budget: Depending on the resolution and FPS you are targeting, the cost of the GPU can be as cheap as $200 or $250 and as high as $1000 to $1500. For just gaming, you should be perfectly fine with an RTX 4070 Super orRTX 4070 Ti Super, which falls somewhere in the mid-range. For 1080p gaming, even the Intel Arc A770 will suffice.
FAQ
Q: Can a RTX 3060 run Helldivers 2?
Yes, the RTX 3060 GPU can run Helldivers 2 without any issues but at 1080p resolution. The developers recommend an RTX 2060 for the optimal experience and the RTX 3060 is much more capable.
Q: Is Helldivers 2 CPU or GPU heavy?
Helldivers 2 is relatively CPU-heavy because of how it simulates everything on the map, which requires a lot of CPU processing.
