It’s true that at times people are unable to understand the difference between the most CPU and GPU intensive games, and it’s okay. In short, GPU intensive games rely more on your GPU, whereas, for the CPU intensive games, then lean more towards the CPU (self-explanatory by the phrase itself).
Well, the article is not about using 4k settings or making your game look more photorealistic, but about all those most graphically demanding pc games that you can look into—for example, Red Dead Redemption 2. The majority of the time, the GPU’s usage dwindles between 90% to 100%.
This means that it’s not required to run any other task/application like the blender (if you are a renderer) in the background. Otherwise, your game will be crashing now and then. That’s why we will be shedding light on what sort of games exist to date and how to play at 60FPS without any degrading performance.
In general, you get to hold three different types of games. These three include GPU intensive games, CPU intensive games, and neutral games. The latter equally shares both the components and does not stress out the other one. In contrast, GPU demanding games and CPU demanding games consistently strain the component to their maximum potential. At times, when your CPU is lacking, but the GPU is working all fine, it could lead to ultimate bottlenecking. Usually, it’s not the case, so don’t worry about it. When we talk about the most graphically demanding pc games, it usually ends up proposing a great theory of resolution. Yes, to run such games, you need a decent pair of components. Otherwise, you might not be able to have an immaculate gaming experience.
Before I proceed to the enumeration procedure, I would love to pitch in that we tested these games on a single gaming rig. You might ask for authenticity, and here it is. I believe that the rendered frames rate per second might differ on your systems unless you have the same gaming rig. I would recommend having at least a Core i7 8th generation processor and GTX 1660 Ti for 4k gaming.
List Of Most Graphically Demanding PC Game in 2023
It’s time to move towards the enlisting session of our article. Without any further ado, let’s begin!
12/12
Grand Theft Auto V
Yeah, I understand what you are trying to think at the moment: How Grand theft auto V can be on the list? It doesn’t matter how old a game is. As long as it has sub-components that use more textures and detailing to render the world, it will use a large proportion of your GPU nonetheless. Since the fantasy of the world of San Andreas is portrayed in GTA V, the game requires a decently working GPU to render those graphics. The world is vast and huge and is playable by three different protagonists. Not to mention, the online segment of GTA V has a huge impact on the CPU as well, since both the components (GPU and CPU) work along to give you the best detailing/outlining of the game.
If you are considering running the game on 4k resolution, you need a GTX 1060 or 1080 Ti. It was recorded that the game was able to put forward 60+ FPS on ultra-high settings on these GPUs. It’s worth mentioning that you can run the game on the lowest settings with the help of GTX 660 or AMD HD 7870. Yes, you will be able to run it, but the detailing wouldn’t be there anymore.
11/12
Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon 4 is one of the GPU intensive games, and not because of the textures and rendered objects, but because of using a completely new Windows platform to generate linkages. The game indeed uses detailed pixelated objects with no null-pointers-thrown, hence making the game more visually attractive and appealing. While playing the game, you have the opportunity to faze and cause distress among enemy drivers. You can go in a frenzy, hit some poles, and do whatever as long as you stay within the given limits.
You can tune in to ultra-placing for the maximized settings and kick your card into a performative mode. It was recorded that the game runs sufficiently on GTX 970 and AMD R9 290X with medium settings turned on. Not to mention, the game’s usage dwindled above 90% most of the time because it’s a GPU heavy game. If you want to turn on the 4k settings, you would at least need a GTX 1080 Ti card and 16 GB RAM. Well, RAM helps create virtual page filing for your GPU, hence increasing the overall performance even on 100% GPU usage.
10/12
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the favorite game of everyone. It came in 2019 and was surprisingly released on PC as well. Although the first part never came on PC, somehow 2 made its way. Let me remind you that the world of Red dead redemption 2 is huge and vast. It will take you 100+ hours to just finish the main story + side quests. Now imagine, to render such a magnificently encompassing world, you would need a decent GPU to render the in-game objects. From the recently recorded data, it was apparent that most users weren’t able to catch locked 60 FPS. It was because they had outdated GPUs.
The recommended requirements to run the game at decent locked 60 FPS is to have at least GTX 1060 or a 1660 Ti for rendering objects at 4k. On top of that, you need a threadripper from AMD. Ryzen 5 1500X might work well with the GTX 1060 6GB. All in all, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game that relies heavily on GPU. So, if you need the FPS to be smoothed out, then get yourself a functioning GPU before the game dies away.
9/12
Control
Control is my favorite game since it uses discrete and unique elements. It’s a psychological thriller game that uses psychic powers to control time and elements of the game. On early predictions and tests, the game turned out to be functioning well and nice on cards like AMD RX 580 and GTX 1070. But, when the game officially released on PC, it turned out it needs more to maximize the effects, visuals, and shadows in the game. It was also noted that the game had gruesome and goofy edges all around on the screen, which makes gaming a bummer. That’s why developers brought a working patch to fix the problems, and somehow the requirements went a notch further. For fruitful outcomes, it’s better to have GTX 1660 Ti for rendering at 4k or an AMD RX 590 GPU. Not to mention, you also need an 8th generation processor to make the majority of the features work well.
8/12
Crysis 3
What were those days when I used to play Crysis 3 while my card used to boil and simmer! I remember changing paste soon after killing the final boss, but unfortunately, it turned out that my Quadro FX died because of long gaming sessions of Crysis 3. Yes, it’s a game that is one of the most graphically demanding pc games to date. On benchmark results, it hardly touched the 60 FPS markup on lower-end cards. You do need a GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 5870 to run it on a constant 60 FPS. The visuals of the game are enticing, hence require a lot of rendering and calculations for projection. Not to mention, you also need a decent CPU like an i5 6th generation to run the game without any lags and freezes.
Finally, if you want to play Crysis 3 on 4k settings (which is now available), you need a GTX 1060 and an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 processor to make it work. All in all, it’s an amazing and wonderful game that shouldn’t go untouched.
7/12
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
We all are aware of Witcher 3 and its enigmatic world. It was such a masterpiece and the visuals. Don’t get me started on that. The game has an enticing aura to it, and I still crave all those decisions and choices I made in the entirety of the game. Well, when we talk about MODDING and detailing the world of Witcher 3, it doesn’t mean that you need a pair of two RTX cards. Although the game indeed requires a fantastic GPU to function properly with zero lags. For the HairWorks feature and HBAO+ light occlusion, you need at least a GTX 1660 Ti. It will easily crunch 6 VGRAM of your GPU if you turn on all the options to their highest possible value.
If you are planning to run the Witcher 3 on the lowest settings, you will need a GTX 770. It’s worth mentioning that even the latest cards like RTX 2060 won’t be able to set up the game at 1440P (locked on 60 FPS). Developers are still working on that, so fingers crossed.
6/12
Project CARS 2
I completely understand how useless this game is for people who don’t like racing. But the thing is, it doesn’t make sense how a racing game is claiming that much of a VRAM for rendering. Regardless, Project CARS 2 is an Autosport game that requires at least 4 GB of VRAM for proper rendering. It also requires a decent working processor for linear functioning. It’s worth mentioning that the game does not admire traditional racing games. Rather, it takes on a different narrative and style to paint a unique simulation game style. Hence, needing a lot of physics for driving. The recent reports can be extracted that the game will need at least a GTX 1080 card and i7 6700K for 4k gaming.
If you want to play it on mediocre settings, then the GTX 1060 and i7 3rd generation processor will work out. Nonetheless, it’s a great game if you are into an absolute simulation and driving nuts.
5/12
Final Fantasy XV
In 2018, we saw Final Fantasy XV making its way on PC. It was truly exciting because I’m a die-hard fan of the Final Fantasy series. But the problem is, for 2018 standards, it was such a humongous game-not only in GPU but also in collectively stressing out all of your components. The game uses high standards of gaming and visuals to paint the enigmatic world of final fantasy. Not to mention the game uses advanced physics for mechanics and in-game depth details to render fascinating and eye-catching pictures.
If you want to run this GPU intensive game, I would say free around 160 GB storage and get an RTX card, especially RTX 2080. Do you know what the bummer is? Still, you won’t be able to attain 60 FPS on 4k. It’s an extremely GPU dependent game, and maybe you would need to wait for the RTX 3000 series to come into the market to attain that 60FPS figure. For the processor, get a 9th generation processor since it equally stresses out your CPU and makes it a CPU intensive game. Not to mention, you would need at least 16 GB RAM for proper page filing.
4/12
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
Where are my Assassin’s Creed fans? Well, I’m such an Assassin’s Creed enthusiast and have played every title so far. In my opinion, Odyssey takes the series a notch further in terms of giving it RPG mechanics and top-notch visuals. Yes, Origins was a fantastic game, but for me, Odyssey was something out of this world. Let me tell you Assassin’s Creed is all about graphic power. You get to dive into the prehistoric era, and for extreme simulation, you need identical/clone prehistoric objects. Thus, making it another GPU intensive game. You traverse the world of Ancient Greece and maneuver power to combat your nemesis in the dark world of Greece.
From the recent reports, the game stays on 100% GPU usage. For that, you need a GTX 1080 Ti and i7 8th generation for proper 4k rendering. Not to mention, you will also need to clear up around 50 GB of space and will be in dire need of having around 16 GB of RAM.
3/12
Shadow of The Tomb Raider
Shadow of the Tomb Raider has my heart not because it has another gripping narrative, but because of Lara Croft. The only problem with the game is that it will be the last title to the anthology that was started in 2013. We might not hear from Lara Croft ever again. Hence people went full emotional and felt the presence of Lara in the fictional world of Mayan Civilization. The environment is interactive and has stunning visuals, hence making the game munch on your GPU more than ever before. On top of that, you also need a proper CPU to ensure less bottlenecking.
The recent reports show that the game will need at least GTX 1080 and i4 4770K for 4k gaming and constant. 60 FPS. Not to mention, even the lowest settings will require you to have GTX 1060 3GB, so keep that in mind before purchasing the game.
2/12
Far Cry 5
The Far Cry franchise is ever-expanding. This time, they have brought you a new title known as Far Cry 5. The game takes on a narrative of a character whose motives co-inside with that of different NPCs in the game. The world is fictional and arbitrary but requires a lot of GPU power to render the objects. Not to mention, the world of Far Cry 5 has beautiful and stunning visuals, which makes the game more attractive and enticing. However, if you are looking forward to running this game on locked 60 FPS, you need to get at least a GTX 1080 and i7-6700, with 16 GB RAM. For 4k settings, get GTX 1660 Ti or RTX 2060.
All in all, it’s a wonderful game with mesmerizing and spell-bounding mechanics and visuals. Grab it already!
1/12
Metro Exodus
It’s the last title on the list, and it only took the first sweet spot is not because I’m a fan of the Metro series but because it’s an exclusively high-end game that shatters your GPU’s existence. The game relies heavily on the GPU, hence making it the most GPU intensive game on the list. On top of that, the game uses real-time ray tracing, which is absent from all the games on the list. This requires the game to use more resources from the GPU. The game brings in the same protagonist’s narrative but is situated in a densely populated world of monsters. The visuals are on par with the standards of today. If you want to play the game on 4k, you will need an RTX 2080 Ti, or if in a decent setting, then GTX 1070. Not to mention, RTX cards are also not able to fulfill the standard of locked 60 FPS. You will need to wait for a couple of months to get a hold of the RTX 3000 series card.
Hey, I’m Muhammad Bilal. I’m a tech fanatic (also read: Gamer), who loves scrutinizing fine details. I aim to strive hard in my respective fields (as a writer and software programmer). Before pursuing my majors in a university (right now in A-levels), I want to spend time exploring and reviewing the latest technology.