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Comparison

GTA 6 GPU Tier List

Every mainstream GPU ranked S → F for GTA 6, with resolution and budget filters. Scores are deterministic — perf + VRAM + RT − age — so re-runs match to the point.

This is the standings table, not another 'best GPU' listicle. Every card in the mainstream Steam Survey is scored by the same formula and slotted into a letter tier — S for flagships that push 4K Ultra, F for hardware below Rockstar's likely floor. Filter by resolution, VRAM or budget and jump straight to the FPS calculator with your pick pre-loaded.

15 GPUs match filters. Showing FPS at 1440p Ultra native.
By ToolWools Hardware Desk · PC performance analysisReviewed by Independent GTA benchmark reviewersLast reviewed How we test

Snapshot

15 GPUs ranked S → F for GTA 6 at 1440p Ultra, ≥ 12 GB VRAM.

Calculator

Filters

Resolution
Tier
Vendor
Minimum VRAM
Max budget (USD MSRP)

Filters compose. Table re-sorts by raw score within each tier.

15 GPUs
GTA 6 GPU tier list, filtered. FPS shown at 1440p Ultra native.
TierGPUVRAMMSRP1440p UltraOpen
S
RTX 5090
nvidia · Blackwell
32 GB$199982 fpsFPS
S
RTX 5080
nvidia · Blackwell
16 GB$99973 fpsFPS
S
RTX 4090
nvidia · Ada
24 GB$159969 fpsFPS
S
RX 7900 XTX
amd · RDNA 3
24 GB$99964 fpsFPS
A
RTX 5070 Ti
nvidia · Blackwell
16 GB$74961 fpsFPS
A
RTX 4080
nvidia · Ada
16 GB$99962 fpsFPS
A
RX 7900 XT
amd · RDNA 3
20 GB$89957 fpsFPS
A
RTX 5070
nvidia · Blackwell
12 GB$54954 fpsFPS
A
RTX 4070 Ti
nvidia · Ada
12 GB$79955 fpsFPS
A
RX 7800 XT
amd · RDNA 3
16 GB$49950 fpsFPS
A
RTX 4070
nvidia · Ada
12 GB$54949 fpsFPS
A
RX 6800 XT
amd · RDNA 2
16 GB$64946 fpsFPS
B
RX 7700 XT
amd · RDNA 3
12 GB$44943 fpsFPS
B
RX 6700 XT
amd · RDNA 2
12 GB$47937 fpsFPS
C
RTX 3060
nvidia · Ampere
12 GB$32931 fpsFPS

The anchor GPU for each tier

These are the calibration anchors — the SKUs the tier bands were tuned against. Every ranking above snaps to this reference.

Anchor GPU per tier — highest-ranked SKU per tier with 1080p / 1440p / 4K Ultra FPS estimates and verdict.
TierAnchor GPU1080p1440p4KVerdict
SRTX 509010682504K Ultra with ray tracing in scope. Comfortable 1440p Ultra at 100+ fps native.
ARTX 5070 Ti7961281440p Ultra native at 60+ fps. 4K High with DLSS/FSR Quality is realistic.
BRTX 30806135221080p Ultra or 1440p High at 60+ fps. The baseline for a smooth GTA 6 launch.
CRX 76003124151080p High/Medium at 60 fps. Drop settings or lean on upscaling — VRAM is often tight.
DRX 5600 XT201691080p Low at 30–45 fps. Below Rockstar's likely minimum tier — upgrade is on the table.
FGTX 107018148Won't meet the GTA 6 minimum on any preset. Plan a GPU upgrade before launch.

Sources & calibration references

Changelog

  1. v1.0

    Launch: 28 GPUs ranked S → F with deterministic scoring (perf + VRAM × 0.8 + RT bonus − age penalty). Resolution / vendor / VRAM / budget filters. Deep-links to the FPS calculator per row. Dynamic OG per tier. Full JSON-LD stack (SoftwareApplication + Article + HowTo + FAQ + Breadcrumb).

How to read the GTA 6 GPU tier list

The table is the tool — filters narrow it, rows deep-link out.

  1. 01

    Pick a resolution

    1080p, 1440p or 4K. The table swaps its FPS column to that resolution's Ultra-native estimate so you compare cards on the target you actually play at.

  2. 02

    Filter by vendor, VRAM or budget

    Narrow to NVIDIA, AMD or Intel, set a minimum VRAM floor (8 / 12 / 16 GB) and cap MSRP. The table re-sorts by raw score inside each tier.

  3. 03

    Compare tiers S through F

    Each row shows tier (S–F), 1080p / 1440p / 4K Ultra FPS estimates and the one-line verdict — the same copy that appears on the FPS calculator's output panel.

  4. 04

    Open any card in the FPS calculator

    Click a row to open the full FPS calculator with that GPU pre-selected. Add your CPU and preset to see 1% lows, DLSS deltas and the exact bottleneck limiter.

Shortlists: best GPU by budget, vendor and VRAM

Pre-filtered views of the same standings table.

  • Best GPU under $500 for GTA 6

    Cap MSRP at 500 and sort by tier. RTX 5070 and RX 7800 XT land at the top of A tier — 1440p Ultra native at 60+ fps, with 12–16 GB VRAM headroom for RT.

    Load preset

  • AMD only — best Radeon for GTA 6

    Filter vendor = AMD. RX 7900 XTX heads the list (A tier flagship); the RX 7800 XT is the sweet spot, RX 6600 sets the entry floor.

    Load preset

  • 12 GB VRAM or more

    Set the VRAM floor to 12 GB to survive 1440p Ultra + RT and 4K textures. Filters out every 8 GB card — RTX 4060, 4060 Ti and 3070 fall off the list.

    Load preset

  • 4K Ultra shortlist

    Set resolution to 4K. Only S-tier cards (RTX 5090, 5080, 4090, RX 7900 XTX) stay above 60 fps native. Everything else needs DLSS/FSR to reach 4K Ultra.

    Load preset

How each GPU is scored and slotted into a tier

Deterministic score. Perf part comes from the shared FPS/bottleneck engine (RTX 4090 = 100). VRAM at 0.8× GB rewards the 12 GB+ cards that hold up at 1440p Ultra with RT on. RT capability adds a flat +6. An age penalty of −1.2 per year past release keeps the ranking honest — an 8-year-old GTX 1070 shouldn't sit next to a same-perf modern card.

raw = perf + vram × 0.8 + (rtCapable ? 6 : 0) − max(0, 2026 − releaseYear) × 1.2

tier =
  raw ≥ 110 → S
  raw ≥ 75  → A
  raw ≥ 55  → B
  raw ≥ 40  → C
  raw ≥ 25  → D
  else       → F

GPU spec terms used in the tier table

Vocabulary that shows up across the tool and the FAQs.

Tier
Letter grade S → F derived from the raw score. S is flagship 4K, A is enthusiast 1440p Ultra, B is 1080p Ultra / 1440p High sweet spot, C is 1080p High, D is below launch floor, F is not viable.
Raw score
Perf + VRAM × 0.8 + RT bonus − age penalty. Deterministic — inputs are the FPS engine perf number, card VRAM in GB, RT support flag and release year.
Age penalty
−1.2 for every calendar year since the card's release. Compensates for slower driver updates and missing upscaler support on older architectures.
MSRP
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price at launch, in USD. Used for the budget filter — street prices can differ.

Best GPU for GTA 6 — buyer questions

Card-by-card answers, tied to the scores above.

  • What is the best GPU for GTA 6?

    For no-compromise 4K Ultra with ray tracing the RTX 5090 leads the S tier, followed by the RTX 4090 and RTX 5080. At 1440p, the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 7900 XTX offer 80–95% of flagship performance at roughly half the price. The 'best' GPU is the highest-tier card that fits your resolution and budget — filter this list to see it.

  • Can an RTX 4060 run GTA 6?

    Yes — the RTX 4060 lands in B tier. It handles 1080p Ultra at ~60 fps native and 1440p High with DLSS Quality comfortably. The 8 GB VRAM buffer is the only real risk: at 1440p Ultra with RT and HD textures on, expect stutter. For a GTA 6 build the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB or the step-up RTX 5070 is the safer pick.

  • How is the tier list calculated?

    Every GPU gets a raw score: perf (from the FPS engine, RTX 4090 = 100) + VRAM × 0.8 + a flat +6 if the card supports hardware ray tracing − 1.2 for each year since its release. Tier bands are S ≥ 110, A ≥ 75, B ≥ 55, C ≥ 40, D ≥ 25, F below. The formula is deterministic and versioned — re-runs match to the point.

  • Why does age matter for GTA 6 GPU ranking?

    GTA 6 will ship with driver optimisations aimed at current architectures (Ada, Blackwell, RDNA 3/4). Older cards see slower driver improvements and often miss out on the newest upscalers — a Pascal GTX 1070 can't run DLSS at all. The age penalty (−1.2 per year) reflects that gap; it drops an 8-year-old card ~10 points below a same-perf modern card.

  • Is 8 GB VRAM enough for GTA 6?

    For 1080p High / Very High, yes. For 1440p Ultra or 4K with HD textures and ray tracing, no — VRAM allocation for modern open-world games at those settings sits at 10–14 GB. The tier list rewards 12 GB+ cards precisely because that's the launch-day comfort zone. See the VRAM calculator for exact card-vs-need deltas.

  • Should I wait for the RTX 50 Super refresh?

    If you already own a B or A tier card (RTX 4060 or better) the answer is 'wait and see' — GTA 6 will land on current hardware fine and Super refreshes historically bump raster performance 10–15% at similar prices. On C tier or below (RTX 3060 or older), the upgrade case is stronger than the wait case.

  • How does the tier list handle AMD cards vs NVIDIA?

    Raw perf is normalised to the same 0–118 scale (RTX 4090 = 100, RTX 5090 = 118, RX 7900 XTX ≈ 92). RT capability adds a flat +6 for any hardware-RT card — NVIDIA and AMD both qualify. AMD tends to price more aggressively per raster tier, so filtering by budget usually surfaces a Radeon at the top.

  • Where do laptop / mobile GPUs sit?

    Mobile SKUs are ~20–30% slower than their desktop namesake at matched TDP. The list is desktop-only; a laptop RTX 4070 usually maps to roughly a desktop RTX 4060 Ti / 4060 in tier. See the FPS calculator for a manual mobile estimate — pick the desktop card one tier down.

  • What's the minimum GPU I can get away with for GTA 6?

    The tier list treats C as the practical floor — RTX 3060, RX 6600, GTX 1660 Super with DLSS/FSR at 1080p Low/Medium. D tier cards (GTX 1660, RX 5600 XT) will boot but sit in the 30–45 fps band. F tier (GTX 1060 / 1050 Ti class) misses even Rockstar's likely minimum spec.

  • Does the tier list account for ray tracing?

    Yes — RT capability gives every eligible card a flat +6 in the raw score. Actual RT-on FPS is not the ranking axis (the score uses raster to keep the reference stable); jump to the FPS calculator to compare RT-on and RT-off numbers on the same card.

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