Now that the game has been released, even reaching Season 1 at this point, we’ve put together a list of the best GPUs for XDefiant. This competitive shooter looks to rival the ever-popular Call of Duty, and if your system needs an upgrade, now could be the time to pull the trigger. We can already say that the game won’t be the most difficult to run, allowing those with a more modest budget to keep up with the competition. So, if the best graphics card on the market is out of reach, what exactly should you go for?
We’ve picked out some of our favorites ideal for XDefiant, GPUs of which we’ve done some hands-on testing. There are great options from Nvidia, AMD, and even relative newcomer Intel to choose from. We imagine most players will be sticking to 1080p or 1440p, which won’t be a struggle for most modern GPUs, and we’ve also thrown in a 4K option for good measure. For further reading, you can also check out our XDefiant system requirements or best graphics settings pages.
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Best GPU for XDefiant
Zotac Gaming RTX 4060 Ti OC Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
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Best AMD GPU for XDefiant
Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 7700 XT
- GPU: Navi 32
- Stream Processors: 3,456
- VRAM: 12GB GDDR6
- Bandwidth: 432 GB/sec
- Memory bus width: 192-bit
- Base clock speed: 1,435 MHz
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Best Intel GPU for XDefiant
Acer Predator BiFrost Intel Arc A770 OC
- GPU: DG2-512
- GPU cores: 4,096
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Base clock speed: 2100 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2400 MHz
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Best GPU for XDefiant at 4K
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 Super OC Edition
- GPU: AD104
- CUDA cores: 7,168
- VRAM: 12GB GDDR6X
- Bandwidth: 504 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 192-bit
- Boost clock speed: 2595 MHz
What GPU do you need for XDefiant?
As Ubisoft put it, XDefiant is a free-to-play arena shooter, which sort of implies right off the bat that the game should be accessible for a wide range of systems. This is generally the case with competitive titles, and with some closer inspection of the system requirements on the Ubisoft website, this is definitely true. They also put out recommended specs for 1440p and 4K configs here if you’re interested. Looking at 1080p though, we can see that an RX 5500 (8GB) or GTX 1060 (6GB) is recommended for 60 FPS at high graphics settings.
Those two cards are not too impressive by today’s standards, so you can look forward to high framerates if you have much newer hardware. That’s what we’re going to focus on, as upgrading to a new GPU should mean you’re set for years to come. Given the lenient hardware recommendations, you can go for a budget-friendly option such as the RTX 4060 or RX 7600 XT if you wish, or even look back to the previous generation.
- GPU: AD106
- CUDA cores: 4,352
- VRAM: 8GB GDDR6
- Bandwidth: 288.0 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 128-bit
- Base clock speed: 2310 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2550 MHz
The RTX 4060 Ti is a fantastic choice which doesn’t have to break the bank. It comes in both 8GB and 16GB variants and offers excellent raw performance, with the benefit of DLSS 3 including frame generation in supported games to maximize your framerate. A cost-effective all-rounder for XDefiant.
- Leading performance in 1080p
- Provides high frames in 1440p too
- Access to DLSS 3 tech important for more demanding titles
- Good for productivity workflows
- 8GB variant could limit performance in future titles
- Not ideal for 4K gaming
Kicking things off with the RTX 4060 Ti, a GPU which belongs to Nvidia’s increasingly popular 40 series. For XDefiant, this card will be a real winner for 1080p and 1440p – two resolutions which we expect the majority of competitive gamers to stick to for the foreseeable future. We benchmarked the card in our RTX 4060 Ti review and found that it achieved smooth performance pretty much across the board, though it didn’t fare as well in 4K. We tested the 8GB model, but you also pick up the 16GB version if you want some extra memory headroom.
“As far as the gaming performance goes, the Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti excels across the board in 1080p and 1440p with some impressive figures, especially for the sub-$400 price point”
RTX 4060 Ti review, PCGuide
It will be a superb upgrade if you’re currently working with generations-old hardware. Plus, the benefit of DLSS tech – particularly DLSS 3 frame gen, is a big selling point for the 40 series that will help extend its lifespan. This GPU sits around the sub-$400 price range and offers good value for money if you want a latest-gen option. For XDefiant, this is a top pick from Nvidia.
What users say
Looking at Amazon reviews of the Zotac card we tested ourselves, we can see that there is real buzz around it. In addition to the solid gaming performance, one user proclaims it to be a “productivity powerhouse” – something we noticed too in synthetic and encoding benchmarks, though we’d probably opt for the 16GB model for this to double your memory pool.
The RX 7700 XT is AMD’s cheaper 1440p-orientated card, just a step below the 7800 XT. For XDefiant, we think that it represents a great option in terms of price to performance, especially since we’ve witnessed the price drop significantly as of late.
- Good price point, often on sale
- Superb 1440p performance for less
- Not too power hungry
- Not the best for 4K
- Worse ray tracing than Nvidia
At launch, it made a whole lot more sense to go for the 7800 XT given just a $50 price difference between the two, but now we can confidently recommend the RX 7700 XT as it offers good value for money thanks to recent price cuts. In our RX 7700 XT review, we note that this GPU delivers on its promise to perform well at QHD at 60FPS and above. As a more competitive game, XDefiant is less taxing and should allow you to enjoy much higher frames. For example, our tests showed the 7700 XT average 102 FPS in AC Valhalla, whereas Overwatch 2 hit 186 FPS, both at 1440p.
“Considering the available memory pool, the RX 7700 XT is fairly conservative on power usage with a 245W TDP, meaning you’ll want at least a 550W PSU to avoid any issues. Though, we’d recommend at least a 600W power brick to give yourself a little overhead if overclocking”
AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT review, PCGuide
If you’re happy with going with Team Red, we think this is the most suitable selection. Sure, you can aim a little higher if you have the budget to do so, but the 7700 XT is a solid mid-range option which caters to the popular 1440p resolution. On the flip side, if you are looking to upgrade to a 4K monitor for gaming in the not so far future, then we’d probably stay away from this one.
What users say
The Sapphire Pulse series is a popular choice for AMD users, so we took a look at Amazon reviews of their RX 7700 XT card. Many users are happy with the upgrade from older hardware, such as the RX 580. It is described as a solid budget video card, and we’d have to mention that the 12GB of VRAM is a good step up from the usual budget 8GB level.
- GPU: DG2-512
- GPU cores: 4,096
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Base clock speed: 2100 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2400 MHz
- Bandwidth: 512.0 GB/sec
Intel’s Arc graphics cards offer solid performance on a tight budget. We’d recommend the Intel Arc A770 as a fine example of this, especially for 1080p or even 1440p gameplay. They’re relatively new to the game, but support is growing for Team Blue.
You may have not considered Intel for your next GPU upgrade, but they are now a solid option – especially within the low end to mid range for budget builders. In our review of the Intel Arc A770, we saw excellent performance when benchmarking at 1080p, with good figures in 1440p as well. Considering you can pick up this card for less than $300, it is fantastic value for money which most established GPU brands such as Nvidia and AMD struggle to compare to, especially the former.
“In 2024, more games are supporting Intel’s GPUs and XeSS as developers become more familiar with the Xe-HPG architecture and the Xe Vector engines for performance gains and performance uplift”
Intel Arc A770 review, PCGuide
If you do opt for the A770, there are a couple things you’ll want to know about. First of all, we wouldn’t recommend this GPU if you don’t have access to ReBAR (resizeable BAR) – you need an Intel Core 10th Gen, AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen, or newer for this feature. Without this, the potency of the card is hindered and it becomes a hard sell. Driver support is another thing often cited as a worry, but this has rapidly improved since launch to make the Intel Arc range a solid pick for XDefiant.
What users say
We read through user reviews for the Acer Predator model we personally reviewed to gather some more opinions on it. Straight away, we see one buyer calling in “fantastic bang for your buck” which is exactly what we’d expect. Others go on to report that the performance is great considering the price, with another person calling it the “most underrated GPU”. There is one mention of driver problems, but overall it is well received.
- GPU: AD104
- CUDA cores: 7,168
- VRAM: 12GB GDDR6X
- Bandwidth: 504 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 192-bit
- Boost clock speed: 2595 MHz
4K gaming is less common for a more competitive title like XDefiant, but you want to make the jump up on a relatively modest budget, the RTX 4070 Super is just that. You can always fall back on 1440p with this card, but its 4K capabilities make it a fantastic all-rounder at an affordable price.
- Cost effective for 4K gaming
- Top-tier for 1440p in any game, if you prefer
- Power efficient compared to the high-end
- Also great for productivity
- You’ll get better 4K performance from a 4080 or 4090
- May want to avoid the 12VHPWR adapter
For 4K gaming, there are a limited amount of video cards which can really boast smooth gameplay, especially in the most graphically-intensive games. In the case of XDefiant though, we’d like to suggest the 4070 Super as a card that can achieve this without having to go all out. In our RTX 4070 Super review, we noticed an impressive level of performance in the targeted 1440p, but it had the legs to provide smooth framerates at 4K, even in the likes of Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
“The RTX 4070 Super is a powerful mid-range graphics card that packs in more under the hood than the original without raising the price. If you’re after a leading 1440p GPU but also want to check out 4K without an eyewatering MSRP, then it’s a card you should consider in 2024”
RTX 4070 Super review, PCGuide
If you do want to target higher frames though, we’d probably go for the RTX 4080 Super at most, unless money is no object and you can easily afford the flagship 4090. The 4070 Super also performs well with ray tracing on, and outside of gaming it’s good for productivity workflows with strong figures in our benchmarks. Overall, a solid 4K pick that doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
What users say
The ASUS TUF 4070 range is a popular choice, with a 4.7/5 rating on Amazon. Looking at the newer Super model though, we can can see buyers are more than happy with what it provides. Users report that it excellent for 1440p and keeps up with 4K, reflecting our own benchmarks. One thing you’ll need to consider though, especially with the ASUS TUF, is the size of the card – you’ll need a suitable PC case for RTX 4070 Super to fit it in.
Things to consider before you buy a GPU for XDefiant
Before you buy any GPU, you’ll want to take a look at a few things to consider. We explain what you need to know below.
Price
Set yourself a budget to understand what kind of graphics card your money can get you. If you only wish to play at 1080p, you can go for a cheaper option, while bringing it up to 1440p and then 4K will ask more for your budget respectively. At the entry-level, we’d recommend looking around the $300 mark for a new GPU, unless you want to opt for a previous generation or even shop second-hand. Since XDefiant won’t be the most demanding game in the world, your money can go relatively far.
Clock speed & memory
A graphics card’s clock speed will vary depending on the manufacturer, with some coming with a factory overclock for improved performance, however marginal. You can also overclock the GPU yourself, but take into account the added power draw. As for memory, 8GB VRAM is generally the minimum recommended for 1080p these days, but we’d suggest 12GB or 16GB if you can afford it for a more future-proof system.
Power requirement
Upgrading your GPU generally means getting something more powerful. This could be more taxing on your system, so be sure you understand what the recommended PSU for your new graphics card is. On the plus side, cards are generally getting more efficient with each generation – the mid-range of the GeForce 40 series is a good example of this.
Final word
Shopping for a new GPU can be a confusing task given the wide selection to choose from these days. To help you out, we’ve hand-picked some of our favorites which are ideal for XDefiant, Ubisoft’s free to play arena shooter. If you want to learn more about how we pick and choose, our how we test GPUs article is a good place to start. Or you can take a look at our whole testing lab, home to benchmarking for our GPU reviews.
