5 best GPUs for Ark: Survival Ascended

You need to invest in the best GPUs for Ark: Survival Ascended to fully enjoy the game. It's an exciting remake of the cherished 2015 title, Ark: Survival Evolved, and features a stunning graphical overhaul. Enhanced visuals, lifelike character models, and beautifully detailed environments powered by Unreal Engine 5 make this game quite demanding.

While the graphics are amazing, some players have experienced crashes, lag, and bugs (initially), especially on PC. However, the developers have released several patches to address these issues and continue to optimize the game. So, if you have been waiting to play the title, now is the perfect time to join the fun.

This article lists the best GPUs for Ark: Survival Ascended, which you can consider buying to run this action-adventure title at its best potential.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer’s opinion.

What are the best GPUs for Ark: Survival Ascended?

1) Nvidia RTX 4080

A highly powerful graphics card from Nvidia (Image via Amazon/MSI)

The RTX 4080 is one of the high-end GPUs from Team Green. It offers some fabulous gaming performance, especially if you utilize the advantages of the DLSS 3 Frame Generation technology.

It comes with many advanced features that are similar to its big brother (RTX 4090). This includes a 5nm process node, the same ray tracing and Tensor cores, and more. All these make it the strongest contender among the best GPUs for Ark: Survival Ascended.

Specifications	Nvidia RTX 4080
Graphic processor	AD103
Process size	5nm
Base clock	2205MHz
Boost clock	2505MHz
TDP	320W
Memory	16GB
Shading units	9728
RT cores	76
Price	$1,099

With 9728 CUDA cores, 2205MHZ of base clock speed, and 304 Tensor cores, the RTX 4080 is a beast. The only thing that makes it tough to buy is its price. It is an expensive card, but its performance justifies it. So, if you need top-of-the-class performance and future-proofing, this GPU is for you.

Pros:

Incredible gaming performance, even at 4K.
The cooling system is highly efficient.

Cons:

It comes with a hefty price tag.

2) Nvidia RTX 4070 Super

A decent card to play resource-intensive titles (Image via Amazon/MSI)

The RTX 4070 Super is a very capable card with some impressive rendering capabilities at 1440p. It can also deliver a fluid performance at 4K. The design is sleek and compact with an all-black shroud, trims, and fan.

It is a mid-cycle update to the RTX 4070, with around 10% improvements in terms of gaming performance. Interestingly, it was launched at the same pricing as its little brother, which makes it more worthy.

Specifications	Nvidia RTX 4070 Super
Graphic processor	AD104
Process size	5nm
Base clock	1980MHz
Boost clock	2475MHz
TDP	220W
Memory	12GB
Shading units	7168
RT cores	56
Price	$599

There is nothing much to point out as drawbacks. Everything looks very balanced. However, if ray tracing and machine learning tasks are not appealing to you, other alternatives in our list of best GPUs for Ark: Survival Ascended might be more suitable for you.

Pros:

It got some major improvements from its predecessor.
It can handle games at 1440p without any throttling issues.

Cons:

The TDP is high.
It is a bit overpriced.

3) AMD RX 7800 XT

A value-for-money offering from Team Red (Image via Amazon/Sapphire)

The RX 7800 XT is an exceptionally good card from AMD. It can handle modern titles at higher resolutions without any hiccups. It is built on RDNA 3 architecture and completely focused on raw performance. The FSR compatibility and driver support are impressive. It also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. This means you can expect a smooth visual experience in games like Ark: Survival Ascended.

Specifications	AMD RX 7800 XT
Graphic processor	Navi 32
Process size	5nm
Base clock	1295MHz
Boost clock	2430MHz
TDP	263W
Memory	16GB
Shading units	3840
RT cores	60
Price	$499

Though the RX 7800 XT is a fantastic option, it has its own tradeoff. First of all, it is a power-hungry GPU. The base clock speed is fairly low. Furthermore, it falls short of fancy features like ray tracing and DLSS compared to its other counterparts from Nvidia. If you prioritize those features, you can check other best GPUs for Ark: Survival Ascended mentioned in the list.

Pros:

It delivers optimal gaming performance.
It has improved rasterization performance.

Cons:

Ray tracing and DLSS are not impressive.

4) Nvidia RTX 4060

A pocket-friendly option to enjoy modern titles (Image via Amazon/MSI)

Based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, the RTX 4060 comes bundled with improvements in all the advanced graphics rendering technologies. This includes higher rasterized performance, better ray tracing, and optimal DLSS frame generation. You also get 8GB of VRAM.

With all these functionalities, it can run the Ark: Survival Ascended smoothly and comfortably. The best part — the TDP is only 115W, which makes it highly efficient.

Specifications	Nvidia RTX 4060
Graphic processor	AD107
Process size	5nm
Base clock	1830MHz
Boost clock	2460MHz
TDP	115W
Memory	8GB
Shading units	3072
RT cores	24
Price	$299

This card from Team Green boasts 3,072 shading units, 24 RT cores, and 96 Tensor cores under the hood. This positions it as one of the best GPUs for Ark: Survival Ascended you can get at this price. Though there is nothing much to complain about, the clocks are relatively slower.

Pros:

It is a highly efficient graphics card.
It comes with improved ray tracing and DLSS frame generation.

Cons:

The base clock speed is low.
Limited VRAM might be an issue in the long term.

5) AMD RX 7600

One of the best GPUs for Ark: Survival Ascended (Image via Amazon/Sapphire)

If you are looking for an affordable card to enjoy the Ark: Survival Ascended, the RX 7600 is an ideal option. It is among the top graphics cards to play games at 1080p. Surprisingly, it also offers features like upscaling and frame generation, making it more appealing to gaming enthusiasts. It can give you a nearly similar performance to Nvidia RTX 4060 at a relatively lower price.

Specifications	AMD RX 7600
Graphic processor	Navi 33
Process size	6nm
Base clock	1720MHz
Boost clock	2655MHz
TDP	165W
Memory	8GB
Shading units	2048
RT cores	32
Price	$269

The AMD RX 7600 is one of the best GPUs for Ark: Survival Ascended at this cost. However, don’t try to push it to go to 1440p, as it might struggle a lot at higher resolution. Moreover, its capabilities might not be enough for future requirements.