The First Descendant is going to hit PCs and consoles on July 2 as another Unreal Engine 5 title. Nexon Games' third-person looter shooter supports up to four-player co-op with several unique characters that have individual battle styles. Being an Unreal Engine 5 title, it is going to be taxing on your GPU, so to be able to best enjoy the stunning visuals and still maintain a high FPS, you may need to invest in a new, more powerful GPU.
Much like Destiny 2, The Divisionseries, Warframe, and other looter shooters, there is a lot of grinding you will need to do in The First Descendant to unlock new and improved equipment. And being a shooter, the higher the FPS the better the experience, granted you have a suitable monitor to display all those frames. Pairing the GPU with the right CPU is also essential so that you are not bottlenecking either of the component’s performance. That being said, here are the best GPUs you can get to enjoy The First Descendant.
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Developer Nexon Games has shared the minimum and recommended requirements for The First Descendant, which we have included below.
Minimum Requirements
OS: Windows 10 x64 20H2
Processor: Intel i5-3570 / AMD FX-8350
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti or AMD Radeon RX 570 Video Memory 4GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 50 GB available space
Recommended Requirements
OS: Windows 10 x64 20H2
Processor: Intel i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5600XT
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 50 GB available space
Game ZXC’s Picks for the Best GPUs for The First Descendant
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming OC
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming OC brings a triple fan design with RGB lighting and has a DUAL BIOS. The card has a Windforce cooling system to deliver good thermal performance apart from appealing RGB aesthetics. The 4070 Super is an excellent replacement for the 4070 with significantly superior specs for just $50 more and destroys modern titles at 1440p resolution.
- Brand
- Gigabyte
- Cooling Method
- Triple fan air cooling
- GPU Speed
- 2475MHz
- Interface
- PCIE 4.0
- Memory
- 12GB GDDR6X
- Power
- 220W
- Boost Speed
- 2565MHz
- CUDA Cores
- 7168
- Efficient triple-fan cooling system
- Dual-BIOS
- RGB ring around fans and RGB logo
- Can be a bit pricey
While the regular RTX 4070 will be sufficient enough to run The First Descendant at 1440p and even 4K, the RTX 4070 Super brings just a little more power for pushing a higher FPS experience at both resolutions. The GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming OC can run the game at max settings at 1440p with DLSS and hit 80 to 100 FPS. On top of that, with Frame Generation (FG) you can even reach 130 to 150 FPS, which is an excellent experience for this kind of looter shooter.
Gaming at 4K, you can expect a solid 60+ FPS experience with assistance from DLSS and FG. This makes the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming OC the perfect GPU for this Unreal Engine 5 title. Of course, you can find the perfect combination of visual fidelity and FPS for your setup by tweaking the settings.
The titular and efficient WINDFORCE cooling system is present here as well, just like other GIGABYTE high-end GPUs. There are three 80mm fans, four composite copper heat pipes touching the GPU, and some software tweaks that work together to keep the GPU silent when not under load and cool when pushed hard. You get a higher-than-reference core clock speed of 2505 MHz and 12GB GDDR6X VRAM. It uses a single 16-pin connector for power which can handle sufficient juice even if you are overclocking.
ASUS Dual Radeon RX 7800 XT OC Edition
The ASUS Dual Radeon RX 7800 XT OC Edition is a compact yet high-performing AMD GPU that features 16GB GDDR6 VRAM and higher than reference clock speeds. It can reach up to 2169 MHz in its default mode and boosts up to 2520 MHz in OC mode. There is a dual-fan cooling system that has Axial-tech design fans where the blades are longer, promoting higher downward pressure.
- Brand
- ASUS
- Cooling Method
- Dual Axial-tech fans
- Slot Size
- 2.47 slot
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0
- Boost Speed
- OC mode: up to 2520 MHz
- Stream Processors
- 3840
- VRAM (MEMORY)
- 16GB GDDR6
- Required System Power
- 750W
- Great value
- 16GB VRAM
- 0dB technology
- No RGB lighting
For a solid 1440p experience at Ultra settings, you can expect around 80 to 100 FPS, which is excellent as is, and with FSR turned on, it can get even better. The ASUS Dual Radeon RX 7800 XT OC Edition stands as the best AMD GPU option for The First Descendant. For under $500, you can even game at 4K with the help of FSR at High to Ultra settings, and you can expect 50 to 70 FPS, of course, depending on the CPU you pair with this GPU.
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The ASUS Dual Radeon RX 7800 XT OC Edition comes with 16GB GDDR6 VRAM, and there are two modes you can use, default mode and OC mode. In its default mode, the GPU clocks at 2169 MHz and boosts up to 2475 MHz. In OC mode, it can run at 2213 MHz and boost up to 2520 MHz. What’s good about this generation of AMD Radeon GPUs is that they come with DisplayPort 2.1 ports while the competition is still using DisplayPort 1.4 ports.
The cooling system on this GPU is a dual-fan implementation that includes two dual ball bearing fans with an Axial-tech design where the blades are longer, promoting higher downward pressure. It also has a 0dB operation, which means the fans will only turn on under a certain load. While there is a protective backplate on the ASUS Dual Radeon RX 7800 XT OC Edition, there is no RGB lighting, so keep that in mind before you make the purchase.
MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 3X 8G OC
The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 3X 8G OC features 4352 CUDA cores and comes with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM. The GPU can reach 2565 MHz boost clock speeds and up to 2580 MHz in Extreme Performance mode. There is a triple fan cooler with Zero Frozr operation which means silent performance under certain loads.
- Brand
- MSI
- Cooling Method
- TORX FAN 4.0
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0
- Boost Speed
- 2565 MHz
- VRAM (MEMORY)
- 8GB GDDR6
- Required System Power
- 550W
- CUDA Cores
- 4352
- Power Draw
- 160W
- Triple-fan cooler
- Zero Frozr silent operation
- No RGB lighting
For budget shoppers, the choice is either the RTX 4060, the RTX 4060 Ti, or the Radeon RX 7600 XT. The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 3X 8G OC takes the cake here for The First Descendant because of its extra power over the regular RTX 4060 and somewhat better implementation of FG than the AMD offering.
With the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 3X 8G OC, you get 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM and boost clock speeds of up to 2565 MHz. In its extreme performance mode, which can be enabled in the MSI Center, it can reach 2580 MHz. It is a fairly efficient offering that can consume 160W of power through a single 8-pin connector and is recommended for use with a 550W PSU.
For cooling, the company’s TORX FAN 4.0 system makes its way here as well, and it brings three fans with pairs of blades bound together which focuses the airflow for more efficient cooling. There is also a copper baseplate, precision-crafted heatpipes, and software optimizations like Zero Froze mode which only turns the fan on under a certain load. There is no RGB lighting on the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 3X 8G OC and the faceplate is silver, which is what you will get to see in a vertical mount orientation.
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC
The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC is an excellent aftermarket take on the RTX 4080 SUPER, offering a higher boost clock than the stock option even as it clocks in an additional $100 on MSRP. It offers excellent reliability, power delivery, and one of the best aftermarket coolers one can get for Nvidia's higher-end RTX 4000 series GPUs.
- Brand
- ASUS
- Cooling Method
- Tri-Fan Air-Cooled
- Interface
- PCI Express 4.0
- Memory
- 16GB GDDR6X 256-Bit
- Power
- 320W TDP
- Boost Speed
- 2610 MHz / 2640 MHz (OC)
- CUDA Cores
- 10240
- 16GB GDDR6X VRAM
- Solid build quality
- GPU support stand included in the package
- Expensive
- No DisplayPort 2.1 ports
If you are looking for native 4K gameplay with maxed out settings and high FPS, the RTX 4080 Super is the way to go. Depending on the CPU you pair with this GPU, you could still struggle to consistently stay over the 60 FPS mark, but with the help of DLSS and FG, you can easily get a solid 70 to 90 FPS experience in The First Descendant. The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16GB GDDR6X OC Edition is what you should be looking at.
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It comes with 16GB GDDR6X VRAM, a boost clock speed of 2610 MHz in its default mode, and up to 2640 MHz in its OC mode. It supports the latest Nvidia technologies that, as long as the game supports them, can further improve the gaming experience without sacrificing the visual quality too much. The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16GB GDDR6X OC Edition has excellent build quality as is the case with all TUF Gaming series of products from ASUS.
The robust cooling system includes three Axial-tech fans with dual-ball bearings which can more air over the hot components. Even though it has a compact PCB, the GPU has a beefy cooling system and a metal exoskeleton that makes this card take up 3.65 slots. Because of the large form factor, ASUS ships this card with a holder to support the card and take some weight off the I/O shield.
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 GAMING OC 12G
The GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 GAMING OC 12G is a high-performing Nvidia GPU that supports the latest software and hardware technologies from the company. It features 12GB VRAM, higher than reference clock speeds of up to 2565 MHz and a triple fan cooling system.
- Brand
- GIGABYTE
- Cooling Method
- WINDFORCE triple fan cooler
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0
- Boost Speed
- 2565 MHz
- CUDA Cores
- 5888
- VRAM (MEMORY)
- 12GB GDDR6X
- Required System Power
- 700W
- Customizable RGB light rings around the fans
- Beefy cooling system
- Dual-BIOS and power indicator
- No DisplayPort 2.1 ports
When on sale, which is quite often, the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 GAMING OC 12G stands as a great mid-range offering for The First Descendant. It offers performance levels close to the RTX 4070 Super and the 12GB VRAM allows for a more consistent gaming experience at higher resolutions. It can run the game at 1440p without breaking a sweat and deliver above 60 FPS gameplay without FG. This means with FG, you can even game at 4K, but expect a 50 to 70 FPS experience.
The GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 GAMING OC 12G brings higher than reference clock speeds of 2490 MHz (reference card: 2475 MHz). It uses a single 16-pin connector for power and is recommended to use with at least a 700W PSU. You can also overclock the GPU to squeeze a bit more performance out of it, but make sure you have the wattage headroom.
The cooling system is the top-tier WINDFORCE triple-fan cooler which is beefy but efficient. There are three 90mm fans, eight composite copper heatpipes, and a copper plate making contact with the GPU. These components, along with some software optimizations, make the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 GAMING OC 12G run cool under load and the fans only start spinning under a certain level of stress. You also get an RGB logo that will be visible in the standard GPU mounting position. There is also a version of this GPU called the WINDFORCE OC, but it comes with slightly lower clock speeds and no RGB lighting, but it costs the same as the GAMING OC version, so keep that in mind.
MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 4090 24G
The MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 4090 24G is a powerful, well-designed mid-range SKU of Nvidia's fastest RTX 4000 series lineup to date. It leverages Nvidia's newer Torx 5.0 fans as part of its overhauled Tri Frozr 3 design that keeps temperatures low even as it offers a quieter experience than many of its peers.
It offers a dedicated switch for the onboard dual BIOS mode as well as a dedicated anti-sag holder for users looking to complement its metal backplate's support for the significantly larger GPU.
- Brand
- MSI
- Slot size
- 4
- Architecture
- Ada Lovelace
- Process
- 5 nm
- Transistors
- 76.3 billion
- Base Clock Speed
- 2235 MHz
- Boost Clock Speed
- 2610 MHz (MSI Center), 2595 MHz (Gaming & Silent)
- Memory Capacity
- 246GB GDDR6X
- Memory Bus
- 384 bit
- Memory Bandwidth
- 1,008 GB/s
- Power Draw
- 450 W
- Cooling
- Tri-Fan Air Cooled
- 24GB GDDR6X VRAM
- Triple-fan cooler with Zero Frozr mode for quiet operation
- Dual mode with Gaming and Silent options
- Very expensive
- No DisplayPort 2.1 ports
The top three options for a 4090 are from ASUS, GIGABYTE, and MSI, and since MSI offers the highest clock speeds for around the same price, it takes the cake as the best high-end GPU for The First Descendant. It features 24GB of VRAM, a boost clock speed of up to 2595 MHz and, like the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 3X 8G OC, there is also an Extreme Performance mode via the MSI Center software which pushes the card to 2610 MHz.
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When gaming natively at 4K with max settings, you can get an excellent consistent over 60 FPS experience, which is further improved with the help of DLSS. If budget is of no concern, and you plan on performing other GPU-intensive tasks along with gaming, the MSI GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24G is the way to go. But, only for the purpose of gaming, the price tag feels too high. That being said, when paired with the right CPU, the RTX 4090 is the only GPU that can deliver a true native 4K gaming experience with high frame rates.
The MSI GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24G uses the company’s TRI FROZR 3 thermal design that includes three TORX FAN 5.0 fans. These fans have ring arcs around the blades that essentially increase the air flow into the heatsink. The cooling system also makes use of copper heatpipes and a precision-crafted core pipe that makes proper contact with the GPU.
Finding the Best GPU for The First Descendant
Game Resolution and FPS: Depending on what resolution you plan on gaming at and what FPS you are targeting, the choice of GPU can change dramatically. For a 1080p 60 FPS experience, even budget options like the RTX 4060 or the Radeon RX 7600 XT would suffice, but when it comes to gaming at 1440p or 4K, you will have to invest a lot more money to get an RTX 4070 Super or higher. With The First Descendant being a third person looter shooter, you would ideally want to target a higher FPS.
Brand: Both Nvidia and AMD GPUs are more than capable of running Unreal Engine 5 games, but they are definitely more graphically intensive than the games made on the previous generations of the engine. In most cases, depending on the resolution and FPS, you may need to use software technologies like DLSS, FG, FSR, and more to improve the gameplay, but that just means you don’t need to invest in the best-in-class GPU.
Budget: With the different software technologies from Nvidia and AMD, even budget-friendly and mid-tier GPUs have increased in value as they can deliver performance levels much higher than what they would at stock, especially with frame generation. There are a lot of options on different budgets for gamers to choose from and, as mentioned earlier, you don’t have to go with the most premium option.
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FAQ
Q: What type of game is The First Descendant?
The First Descendant is a third person looter shooter much like The Division series, Warframe, Risk of Rain 2, and more.
Q: Is The First Descendant live service?
Yes, The First Descendant is a live service game which means it will have a lot of content for players to remain engaged for a long time. There are 19 ‘descendant’ characters, 22 different ‘ultimate weapons’, and more than 500 possible upgrades which should give longevity to the game.