Best GPU for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 in 2026 — Benchmarked & Ranked
Last updated: October 3, 2026 · 16 GPUs tested
Our Top Picks
Full Benchmark Results — S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 at 1440p
| Rank | GPU | Avg FPS | Price | FPS/$ | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RTX 5090 | 101 | $7400 | 0.014 | Amazon |
| 2 | RTX 4090 | 78 | $4500 | 0.017 | Amazon |
| 3 | RTX 5080 | 72 | $1781 | 0.040 | Amazon |
| 4 | RX 7900 XTX | 69 | — | — | — |
| 5 | RTX 5070 TI | 67 | $1250 | 0.054 | Newegg |
| 6 | RX 9070 XT | 66 | $800 | 0.083 | Newegg |
| 7 | RX 7900 XT | 59 | $1200 | 0.049 | Amazon |
| 8 | RX 9070 | 59 | $650 | 0.091 | Newegg |
| 9 | RTX 5070 | 50 | $1180 | 0.042 | Newegg |
| 10 | RX 7800 XT | 47 | $540 | 0.087 | Amazon |
| 11 | RX 6800 XT | 44 | $890 | 0.049 | Amazon |
| 12 | RTX 4070 | 44 | $1140 | 0.039 | Amazon |
| 13 | RTX 3080 | 43 | $865 | 0.050 | Amazon |
| 14 | RX 7700 XT | 41 | — | — | — |
| 15 | RTX 3070 | 34 | $599 | 0.057 | Amazon |
| 16 | RTX 3060 | 26 | $590 | 0.044 | Amazon |
FPS data from PlanMyPC benchmarks and community reports. Price is the linked card's listed price, the middle of that GPU's in-stock listings. FPS/$ = average FPS divided by that price — higher is better.
Performance by Resolution
1080p (Full HD)
RTX 5090
130 FPS
RTX 4090
100 FPS
RTX 5080
92 FPS
RX 7900 XTX
88 FPS
RTX 5070 TI
86 FPS
RX 9070 XT
84 FPS
RX 7900 XT
76 FPS
RX 9070
75 FPS
RTX 5070
68 FPS
RX 7800 XT
64 FPS
1440p (Quad HD)
RTX 5090
101 FPS
RTX 4090
78 FPS
RTX 5080
72 FPS
RX 7900 XTX
69 FPS
RTX 5070 TI
67 FPS
RX 9070 XT
66 FPS
RX 7900 XT
59 FPS
RX 9070
59 FPS
RTX 5070
50 FPS
RX 7800 XT
47 FPS
4K (Ultra HD)
RTX 5090
59 FPS
RTX 4090
45 FPS
RTX 5080
41 FPS
RX 7900 XTX
40 FPS
RTX 5070 TI
39 FPS
RX 9070 XT
38 FPS
RX 7900 XT
34 FPS
RX 9070
34 FPS
RTX 5070
26 FPS
RX 7800 XT
25 FPS
Best Value GPU for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
RX 9070 — Best FPS per Dollar
Delivers 59 FPS at 1440p for $650, giving it the best FPS-per-dollar ratio (0.091) of any GPU we tested.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 System Requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| gpu | GTX 1060 / RX 580 | RTX 4070 / RX 7700 XT |
| cpu | Intel i5-7600K / Ryzen 5 1600X | Intel i7-11700K / Ryzen 7 5800X3D |
| ram | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| storage | 160 GB SSD | 160 GB SSD |
| os | Windows 10 | Windows 10/11 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPU do I need to run S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 at 60 FPS?
Based on our benchmark data, check the table above for the cheapest GPU that hits 60 FPS at your target resolution. Enable DLSS or FSR to lower the GPU requirement by roughly one tier.
Can I play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 at 4K?
Yes, but you'll need a high-end GPU. See the 4K section of our benchmark results for GPUs that deliver playable frame rates at 4K Ultra.
What is the best budget GPU for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2?
Look for the GPU with the highest FPS-per-dollar ratio in our benchmark table. The Best Value section highlights our top pick for budget-conscious builders.
Does S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 support ray tracing and which GPU handles it best?
Check our benchmark results for RT-specific performance data. NVIDIA GPUs generally lead in ray tracing workloads thanks to dedicated RT cores and DLSS Frame Generation.
How much VRAM do I need for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2?
At 1080p and 1440p, 8 GB VRAM is usually sufficient. At 4K with high-res textures and ray tracing, 12 GB or more is recommended.