'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On March 23, 2023, FromSoftware's Elden Ring finally received ray tracing with the latest update. Although the game is already visually impressive in its current state, the recent addition of hardware-accelerated ray tracing is set to improve the visual quality by a significant margin.
At this point, it's no secret that ray tracing is quite demanding when it comes to GPU hardware. As a result, low-end GPUs such as the RX 6500 XT and the RTX 2060 will certainly struggle to run the game smoothly with this feature turned on. Fortunately, both AMD and Nvidia have several high-end graphics cards capable of running Elden Ring with RT (ray tracing) enabled.
In this article, we will go over the best video cards that can run Elden Ring without any major framerate issues. The list includes everything from budget cards that fit well with low-cost 1080p gaming rigs to the latest and greatest from both Nvidia and Team Red.
Trending
Disclaimer: This article solely reflects the opinions of the writer.
A guide to buying the best GPUs for playing Elden Ring with ray tracing
1) AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ($280)
The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT was launched as a refresh to the original RX 6600 XT for high-end 1080p gaming. Even though this particular GPU is faster than the RTX 3050 and the RTX 3060, it's cheaper than both of them. This card can run most modern video games at the highest settings with ray tracing enabled, and Elden Ring is no exception to this rule.
In recent years, the RX 6650 XT has received massive discounts, with interested gamers able to purchase this GPU for just $280 from leading retailers like Newegg and Best Buy. For those on a tight budget, this is certainly one of the best video cards that's available today.
2) Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 Ti ($420)
Officially released in February last year, the RTX 3060 Ti is a massive step-up from the Turing-based 60-class performance-segment GPU. As expected, it beats the RTX 2080 Super's performance in most video games, including Elden Ring. With this card, FromSoftware fans can enjoy the game at up to 1440p while maintaining decent framerates.
Unfortunately, the RTX 3060 Ti is much costlier than the RX 6650 XT, its direct competitor from AMD. As such, the Team Green GPU starts off at around $420 for the cheapest variants.
3) AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT ($565)
If gamers are looking to enjoy Elden Ring with ray tracing at resolutions of up to 4K, they'll have to opt for the more expensive high-end GPUs on the market. Boasting ample video memory for future-proofing, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a comparatively affordable graphics card for playing the latest video games at up to UHD resolution.
As of writing this article, the cheapest models of this card start from $565. The AMD GPU is on par with powerful cards like the RTX 3070 Ti and is slightly slower than the RTX 3080, but is available at a much better price.
4) Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 Ti ($919)
Nvidia's top-tier GPUs are well-known for their superior ray tracing performance. The RTX 3080 Ti is a high-end card that certainly delivers in that regard. Boasting a powerful performance that's rather close to the 3090, the only significant difference between the two premium options is the VRAM, which is half that of the BFGPU.
Nevertheless, the 3080 Ti ticked all of the boxes for a solid performance in Elden Ring with RT turned on. In fact, gamers can enjoy framerates of up to 60 FPS in 4K without any major performance hiccups.
As expected, the RTX 3080 Ti is a pricey card and will set gamers back at least $900. In comparison, the latest launches from AMD might seem far more lucrative, but they generally struggle when it comes to ray tracing performance.
5) Nvidia Geforce RTX 4090 ($1,599)
The RTX 4090 is the ultimate choice for playing the latest video games with ray tracing enabled at high resolution. With over 16,000 CUDA cores and a hefty 24 GB of the fastest GDDR6X memory, this premium card easily hits 60 FPS in Elden Ring at 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled.
Sure to drill a hole in gamers' pockets, the RTX 4090 was released with a considerable price tag of $1,599. Its add-in card models can cost anywhere between $1,699 to over $2,000.
In general, modern video games with ray tracing implemented in them will certainly require high-end GPUs for optimal performance. With more and more AAA games set to introduce this exciting feature, the cards that have been listed above will be ideal for the best gaming experience.
