Introduction
In a game that’s as fast-paced and frantic as Overwatch, it’s of critical importance that you have enough frames per second so that you can make sense of everything that’s flying around on your screen.
Most pros nowadays are on 360Hz monitors, and that requires a stable 360+ frame rate. For that to happen, you need a capable PC, with a good CPU and, more importantly, a reliable GPU that can push high frame rates consistently.
In this article, we’re taking a look at your options for Overwatch. We’ve been combining our expertise in PC hardware and the pro scene to create this list of GPUs so that there’s something to be found for every budget and setup.
Note that we’ll only list GPUs that are currently available, i.e. GPUs from the generation of cards that is on sale today. Obviously, it’s possible to run Overwatch on older GPUs as well.
What makes a GPU good for Overwatch?
Overwatch is a CPU-bound game, meaning you don’t necessarily need a super-high-end GPU to run the game at competitive frames. To be honest, most recent cards are pretty much overkill if you are running the game at 1080p with competitive video settings. However, if you want to game at higher resolutions like 1440p or 4K, with better visuals, then you will need a strong GPU.
Note: Frame rate is capped at 600 frames per second in Overwatch. No matter how good your PC is, you can’t push past that mark.
In terms of frames, you should go for a GPU that can output at least 400+ frames on your desired resolution. Many pros are switching to or already use 360Hz monitors, so 400+ frames is a good target. On the other hand, if you have a 240 Hz or lower monitor, then 400+ frames can be considered overkill. The advantages of high framerates go beyond just refresh rates though, so if you have the budget, it’s always a good idea to future-proof your build by going with a powerful system.
It’s important to mention that CPU impacts Overwatch performance significantly. If you don’t have a good CPU, you might see completely different numbers when you play. The estimates in this article assume you’re using a decent-to-good CPU, something like an Intel Core i7-14700K or better.
| Rank | | Perc. |
|---|
| 1 | NVIDIA | 94% |
| 2 | AMD | 6% |
On NVIDIA Reflex
We briefly mentioned NVIDIA Reflex in the intro, so we’ll talk about it a bit more here.
Reflex Low Latency is a technology by Nvidia that was released alongside their 30 series cards (though it’s available for GeForce 900 GPUs and newer) and it’s made to do two things: reduce your overall system latency (click here for Nvidia’s explanation on that, or click here to read our own more basic article) and allow you to measure your system latency. The caveat is that it only works in certain games, and Overwatch is among the supported games. As such, we recommend using NVIDIA Reflex for a smoother gameplay experience.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070
If you are looking for a reliable 1440p card that runs Overwatch as well as other AAA games really well, then the RTX 5070 is a great pick.
At 1080p, the card handles Overwatch with ease; you are looking at high 500s at Low 1080p and around 300 average if you max out the settings. Performance is pretty close on 1440p, as the card averages 500 frames on the Low preset. Depending on your frame rate requirement, you can turn up some settings to make the game look visually better.
4K performance is pretty decent as well. At 4K native with High settings, the card hovers around 200 fps. In short, the RTX 5070 runs Overwatch easily on all resolutions, and it’s a great 1440p card in general.
All of this makes the RTX 5070 our card of choice for most Overwatch gamers. It handles all resolutions well, and delivers reliably high framerates at 1080p (which is the current competitive standard resolution) and 1440p. If you’re building a system with Overwatch as your main focus, you don’t need a top-tier current-gen GPU, so you can save some money by going for the RTX 5070.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070
The RTX 5070 is a mid tier card in NVIDIA’s 50-series lineup.
Specs
| NVIDIA CUDA Cores | 6144 |
|---|
| Boost Clock | 2.512 |
|---|
| Memory Size | 12 GB |
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| Memory Type | GDDR7 |
|---|
AMD RADEON RX 9070 XT
AMD is always known for having great price-to-performance options, and the RX 9070XT is the best example of this. To put it simply, it’s a high-end card with the price of a mid-range option. Of course, by going with AMD you have to give up NVIDIA Reflex and DLSS, but you get a lot of raw performance power.
The card is easily capable of running Overwatch at high frames on all resolutions. At 4K with max settings and a bit of upscaling, you can easily achieve a stable 250 frames. Of course, there is still room to squeeze out more performance just by opting for lower settings.
Of course, the card performs exceptionally at 1080p and 1440p as well. At 1080p with max settings, the card easily pushes out 400 fps, with lows of 300. If you want to play Overwatch competitively, going for 1080p is the best option. Although 1440p performance is great as well, with 300 average frames at max settings.
Overall, the RX 9070 XT is a great value pick for Overwatch and one of the best budget 4K cards available.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
The Radeon RX 9070 XT is a high-end GPU produced by AMD.
Specs
| Boost Clock | 2.97 |
|---|
| Memory Size | 16 GB |
|---|
| Memory Type | GDDR6 |
|---|
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
The RTX 5080 is a very powerful graphics card; it’s actually quite an overkill if you are just playing Overwatch on competitive settings. The only genuine reason you should go for the RTX 5080 is if you want to comfortably game at 4K with competitive frames. And, when it comes to 4K performance in Overwatch, the RTX 5080 does a phenomenal job.
At 4K on max settings, the RTX 5080 averages 170 frames per second. Of course, you never play a competitive game at max settings, so just by optimizing the settings you can easily get more frames. At the same resolution, if you use the Low preset, the frame rate average jumps to 500. You don’t necessarily need to turn down all the settings to Low; if you optimize the settings correctly, you can get competitive frames with minimal loss in visual quality.
At 1080p with max settings, the card averages 450 frames. Moving to 1440p with the same settings, the average fps dips down to 320. You can realistically run the game at max settings on 1080p, and can still play the game competitively. But it’s always a better idea to optimize your game, just to get that extra bit of performance. And if you do play at 1080p or 1440p with lower settings, you’ll find that the game hits the framerate cap quite often, which is why we would consider it overkill as a dedicated Overwatch card.
Overall, the RTX 5080 is an absolute powerhouse of a card for Overwatch. At the same time, it’s also too powerful for the game, and if OW is all you play, you don’t need something as expensive as the RTX 5080. However, if you do play AAA games, then the RTX 5080 is worth recommending as it’s one of the most powerful cards out there.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
Used by 2 Overwatch players ()KarQ
Seagull
Staff's Choice
Pro's Choice
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is an impressive graphics card. In terms of pricing, it offers quite a good deal (at MSRP and in today’s pricing market, that is) for players who want to maximize their framerates in competitive games.
Specs
| NVIDIA CUDA Cores | 10752 |
|---|
| Boost Clock | 2.617 |
|---|
| Memory Size | 16 GB |
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| Memory Type | GDDR7 |
|---|
AMD RADEON RX 9060 XT
AMD is the way to go if you are on a budget. The RX 9060 XT is a great budget 16 GB card. It can run most modern games at 1440p with ease, so Overwatch isn’t a challenge for it.
At 1080p with maxed-out settings, the card easily averages 250 fps. With the same settings on 1440p, you can expect around 200 fps. Turn down some settings, and you can achieve close to 400 frames on both resolutions.
The card can still run the game on 4K as well. Overwatch isn’t graphically demanding, so if you optimize your settings correctly and use FSR, you can easily play competitive Overwatch on this card.
But the best part of the RX 9060 XT is how well it performs in graphically intense AAA titles. The raw processing power of the RX 9060 XT is quite extraordinary given the price, and it’s one of the best all-rounder cards to have in your build. As such, this is a great choice for people who want to focus on Overwatch, but also play some AAA games on the side.
AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT
The Radeon RX 9060 XT is a lower-tier card in AMD’s lineup.
Specs
| Boost Clock | 3.130 |
|---|
| Memory Size | 16 GB |
|---|
| Memory Type | GDDR6 |
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060
The RTX 5060 is one of the best budget cards in the market. The only downside is that it has 8 GB VRAM, which might not be enough for modern games. However, the great thing about the RTX 5060 is that it runs competitive games like Overwatch, Fortnite, VALORANT, and CS2 easily at 1080p with optimized settings.
In terms of numbers, the card averages around 200 frames at 1080p with Max settings. If you turn on DLSS, you will see that number increase to 300. Decrease some performance-hogging settings, and you will find yourself in the 400s. Surprisingly, the card performs exceptionally at 1440p too, given that you play on Low settings. At 1440p with Low settings, the card averages around 300 frames.
But what’s even more surprising is that you can run Overwatch at 4K on this card. At 4K with Low settings, the card hovers at around 200 frames. That’s not as hugely impressive as some of the higher-tier cards on the list, but it can still serve as a 4K card in a pinch.
We’d recommend the RTX 5060 for people who are on a budget and are building a system focused on Overwatch (and other competitive games) and not so much on maxing out the latest AAA games.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060
The RTX 5060 is a budget-oriented card in NVIDIA’s 50-series line of cards.
Specs
| NVIDIA CUDA Cores | 3840 |
|---|
| Boost Clock | 3.497 |
|---|
| Memory Size | 8 GB |
|---|
| Memory Type | GDDR7 |
|---|
Best GPU for Overwatch – Conclusion
Overwatch is really easy to run even on old hardware. This makes choosing a GPU really easy. It mostly comes down to what resolution, frame rate, and visual quality you want. For instance, if you are playing at 1080p with optimized settings, you don’t need an RTX 5080. On the other hand, if you want to play with the best visuals at 4K, then you need a strong GPU. This guide has a GPU for all types of players, with high-end cards for those who want to prioritize visuals, and budget monsters for those looking to maximize performance-per-dollar.
