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So a few days back, I got a new display system, but after trying a few games like Tomb Raider and Call of Duty, I realized that this new display system was useless. You wonder why? Because my display system can display high refresh rates of 144Hz and more, my GPU was sluggish to produce that many frames. So I needed a GPU upgrade.
Now I turned my head towards the vast majority of the GPUs out in the market and find the best one for my display system that can handle 1440p resolution display for above 120 Hz. During my hunt, I came across many options for AMD and Nvidia, where I took into account pricing factors and performance. And finally sorted my list down to these 4 GPUs:
| Graphics Cards | Ram | CUDA | Video Output | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 | 10GB GDDR6X | 8704 Cores | 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1 | Check Price on Amazon |
| AMD Radeon RX 6800 | 16 GB GDDR6 | 4,608 Cores | 3x DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, 1x HDMI 2.1 VRR | Check Price on Amazon |
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 | 8 GB GDDR6 | 5888 Cores | 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1 | Check Price on Amazon |
| AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT | 12 GB GDDR6 | 2,560 cores | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | Check Price on Amazon |
Our Picks for Best GPU for 1440p 144hz
So here is everything that I found about the Best GPUs for 1440p 144Hz. Let’s have a look at it:
1. GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition
editors picks
Reasons to Consider
NVIDIA’s RTX 3080 is honestly a game-changer for 1440p gaming. You can achieve good 144FPS at 1440p for most of the AAA titles. Moreover, it has a 10 GB VRAM that can go toe to toe with your gaming needs. While I wanted a 1080ti or 3090 for the 1440p, that was quite expensive for my budget. So I settled on this one, and it does suffice for the price.
Specifications
- Ram: 10GB GDDR6X
- Video Output: 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1
- CUDA: 8704 Cores
- Boost Clock Speed: 1710 MHz
- Base Clock Speed: 1440 MHz
- Bandwidth: 760 GB/Sec
- Memory Interface: 320-bit
10GB VRAM, massive 760 GB/s bandwidth, and an amazing boost clock profile; you get all this with one amazing GPU, GeForce RTX 3080. If you are like me and are more into single players than AAA titles, this GPU does suffice for what it advertises.
The RTX3080 carries exceptional ray tracing capacities, which I found pretty appealing for my games. Moreover, you get all the perks like NVIDIA G-sync, OpenGL 4.6 support, and much more. With G-sync enabled on your GPU, you can enjoy even crisp and smooth graphics. For games like Bright Memory and God of War, I achieved as high as 124FPS with ultra settings and ray tracing.
There are a lot of RTX 3080 variants out in the market, and there is a huge debate around it. Many gamers prefer ASUS Tuf RTX 3080 since it costs less and offers much more performance edge. However, every 3080 has solid performance for 1440p at 144Hz.
If you can stretch your budget a bit, I recommend using this card.
2. PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon RX 6800
PREMIUM PICK
Reasons to Consider
Red Dragon’s AMD Radeon RX 6800 is another excellent pick for the best frame rates. Since it has all the right ingredients, like 16GB DDR6, 4608 cuda cores, and a fantastic overclocking profile, you can hit even 4k for some games. This card has many bells and whistles; if you love a quiet gaming experience, you will have trouble with coil whine.
Specifications
- Ram: 16 GB GDDR6
- Video Output: 3x DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, 1x HDMI 2.1 VRR
- CUDA: 4,608 Cores
- Boost Clock Speed: 2250 MHz
- Base Clock Speed: 2015 MHz
- Bandwidth: 512 GB/Sec
- Memory Interface: 256-bit
PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon RX 6800 packs a punch for 1440p @144Hz gaming. If you compare this GPU to our picks, you get a lot of betterment. 16GB VRAM and 4608 CUDA cores go toe to toe to meet your fps demands. However, the VRAM size is whooping you will miss the perks of DDR6X as this one have DDR6.
This GPU offers bang for the buck for its high-end features, making it a great pick. In fact, you get twice the RAM as NVIDIA’s 3070 but in the same price bracket.
During my experience, I ran multiple titles like tomb raider and Cyberpunk, and it was terrific. With ray tracing on, the graphics were so intricate that I could see rain showers like a real show.
On top of all, I hit the max frame rates of 120+ at 1440p. And I’m sure you can achieve incredible fps for 4k games as well.
Although the GPU is quite good, coil whine is a problem with the red dragon. And when I searched on different Q/A forums, I was not alone with the coil whine issue. A lot of gamers complained about that. But since this GPU offers bang for the buck and fantastic performance, it’s worth adding to our list.
3. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
excellent choice for gamers
Reasons to Consider
NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 is another amazing GPU that will surprise you with its performance. The fact that this GPU is NVIDIA’s most demanding unit and can run most modern titles at 1440p and 100+fps makes it an even more appealing pick. Indeed, this GPU is better than its predecessors, like the 3060 Ti and 3060, Since it has an 8 GB VRAM. But as I mentioned earlier, it costs a bit of price considering what it delivers. Still, if you want to upgrade your 1080p gaming to 1440p gaming at 144Hz screen, this is one of the best.
Specifications
- Ram: 8 GB GDDR6
- Video Output: 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1
- CUDA: 5888 Cores
- Boost Clock Speed: 1725 MHz
- Base Clock Speed: 1500 MHz
- Bandwidth: 448 GB/Sec
- Memory Interface: 256-bit
Have a 1080p gaming at 1440p right now but want to go higher? If yes, here is an amazing GPU from NVIDIA, RTX 3070. With its ray tracing abilities, you can achieve realistic graphics and smooth gameplay.
Although its 8 GB VRAM makes it a mid-range GPU, if you can settle for expensive AMD counterparts and want a legit NVIDIA for 1440p gaming on 144Hz monitors, this is worth every penny.
I tried different AAA titles, and it was good to achieve 140+fps. Moreover, during my warzone gameplay, I hit 150-175 fps in 1440p. This card is best for NVIDIA fans out there.
But as I said earlier, it will cost you more bucks considering it’s a mid-range GPU, so if you want more VRAM in the same price bracket, I recommend checking out our previous pick.
You may also Like: Best 240 FPS Graphics Card to Buy
4. AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
BUDGET PICK
Reasons to Consider
Ever wanted to get a premium GPU at a mid-range price? Yes, we all want to get the best in less but rarely get a chance to do that. But look no further. The RX 6700 XT is one of the high-end GPUs that cost you less than 600 bucks. It has 12 GB VRAM, an amazing overclocking profile, and much more, but still, it offers the best 1440p performance.
Specifications
- Ram: 12 GB GDDR6
- Video Output: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
- CUDA: 2,560 cores
- Boost Clock Speed: 2615 MHz
- Base Clock Speed: 2300 MHz
- Bandwidth: 384 GB/Sec
- Memory Interface: 256-bit
The RX 6700 XT packs a punch for 1440p gaming. Its 12 GB VRAM and amazing boost clock speed can cope with most of your games. It does not matter whether you play AAA titles or single-player games. This GPU can hold on to that.
I missed the raytracing features to enjoy crisp graphics, as DirectX Raytracing and FidelityFX were not near to NVIDIA’s raytracing, but at the end of the day, I had a 1440p@ 144Hz display. Moreover, this GPU didn’t cost me like the NVIDIA counterparts, so I was happy with the purchase.
Another thing that raised my eyebrows was its dual fans. Since this GPU can run up to 2615 MHz when overclocking, it heats up if overclocked for a long time. So I recommend going with its base clock to overcome the overheating issue. All in all, I recommend this GPU with all my heart since you get a lot for less price.
Related Article: Does Graphics Card Affect FPS?
What to Know Before Getting the GPU for 1440p 144Hz?
Since you will e investing some handsome bucks on GPU for your 144Hz monitor, we recommend being mindful of the following points:
- What games are you more inclined to play? AAA title or single player. You should be mindful of your gaming need and settings to get a particular GPU. For example, if you want to achieve 150+fps for cypherpunk, you should get a high-end GPU to make it.
- The GPU that you need to 1440p show is often mid-range to high-end. So such GPUs are often power-hungry, which means you will need an extra PSU if the power demands are unmet. So get a GPU that doesn’t need an extra PSU.
- More power generates more heat, so you need a good cooling system with your GPU. Tri fan design or a liquid cooling system is good for your 1440p GPU.
- And don’t forget you will also need more PC space, so be generous on that side.
What Hardware Would I need for 144Hz gaming?
144Hz gaming is a sweet spot for me as you can enjoy crisp and fluid graphics. But to achieve that crisp display, you will need the following:
- A display system or monitor that can render 144Hz display. Moreover, you also need a display port along with your monitor.
- Your CPU needs an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processor or higher.
- Any mid-range GPU that has 8GB or more VRAM. But make sure that VRAM is at least DDR4. And cooling system of the GPU should be tri fan or liquid cooling.
- Your PSU must be 650 wats.
Our Criteria for Choosing the GPU for 1440p 144hz
There are a lot of contributing factors that make a GPU good and bad, but during our hunt, we looked out for the following specs of a GPU:
VRAM and Clock Speeds
VRAM can make for a good and lousy performance out of the GPU. Alteas 8 GB VRAM is a must for 1440p @144Hz gaming. However, you have to tweak the in-game settings a bit for the 1440p show, but 8 GB VRAM is good for budget picks. Moreover, an amazing overclocking profile was our second consideration to meet your gaming needs.
Bandwidth and memory speed
Your GPU bandwidth also needs to be good. Since the monitor will display more frames in 1440p, you will need more bandwidth to process the frames. If you have sluggish Bandwidth, you will encounter stuttering. So GPU with more than 360 GB/sec was our criteria.
Thermal design power (TDP)
With a powerful GPU, you get overheating issues. So for a GPU to cope with 1440p gaming, I preferred liquid cooling or at least tri fan design.
Price and value for money
The price-to-performance ratio is important for GPUs. I wanted to get the best for my bucks, so I went for only budget picks compared to their performance during my hunt.
Customer reviews
Word of mouth matters, so before deciding, I turned to Q&A forums to check what users were saying about it. Moreover, I also went ahead to look for legit customer reviews.
Conclusion
The 1440p @144Hz lets you enjoy crisp and fluid games, but if you have an excellent GPU. When it comes to getting GPU, you need to set aside a handsome budget, and that is why we recommend checking your underlying hardware to see if it meets your dream gaming.
If you have an intel core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 and above CPU, a 650-watt PSU, and a 144Hz display monitor with a display port, we recommend getting a high-end GPU with more than 8 GB VRAM. You can achieve 1440p gaming at 144Hz with such a PC. Moreover, you can go over our list, as mentioned earlier through research; we came up with this list, and yes, we tested these GPUs ourselves and found them excellent.
