Black Myth: Wukong is the latest action role-playing game (RPG) to hit PC,PS5, and Xbox Series consolesand there has been a lot of hype around it. The so-called souls-like genre of games does invoke a sense of challenge and opportunity, which draws people to them, and Black Myth: Wukong is just that. It is set in a mystical landscape inspired by the classical Chinese novelJourney to the West. The game was first showcased in 2020 and the graphics, as well as the gameplay, showed a lot of potential.
Along with being arguably a Soulslike game (there is an ongoing debate about the game’s genre), it is a visually stunning project developed on Unreal Engine 5, and to experience the game in all its glory,you will need a capable GPU. Judging by the minimum and recommended requirements for Black Myth: Wukong, and of course your CPU combination, any one of these six GPUs should allow you to enjoy the game at different resolutions.
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 7900 XT GAMING OC 20G
ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC
TBefore browsing the options, take a quick look at the minimum and maximum requirements, shared by developer Game Science:
OS:Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB
Storage: 130 GB available space
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i7-9700 / AMD Ryzen 5 5500
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT / INTEL Arc A750
DirectX: Version 12
The minimum and recommended requirements were curated with DLSS/FSR/XeSS enabled. Expect lower performance with these features turned off. Furthermore, because it is a UE5-based game, Nvidia GPU’s have been prioritized in this guide.
Game Rant’s Picks for the Best GPUs for Black Myth: Wukong
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 in addition to its 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.
TheNvidia RTX 4070 Supertops most lists of best GPUs, but here the reason is based on more than just price to performance. Because Black Myth: Wukong has been developed using Unreal Engine 5, it tends to favor Nvidia GPUs more than AMD cards (especially with Ray Tracing turned on), and for that reason, the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER GAMING OC 12G stands as the best GPU overall for Black Myth: Wukong. It will allow you to enjoy the game at a comfortable 60+ FPS at 2K resolution, which is a great place to be.
The action RPG nature of the game means you do not need the absolute fastest frame rates and anywhere between 60 and 100 FPS will be ideal. This means you can focus on gaming at 2K 60+ FPS, which the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER GAMING OC 12G can do with the help of DLSS/FG and other assistive graphical technologies. The GPU comes with 12GB of GDDR6X VRAM, a triple-fan cooler, and a boost clock speed of 2565 MHz, which is not only faster than the reference card, but also other RTX 4070 Super offerings.
The WINDFORCE cooling system works efficiently thanks to the clever engineering by GIGABYTE, and it works seamlessly with software optimizations such as the 0dB mode wherein the fans will not turn on till it reaches a certain load. It comes with the newer 16-pin power connector and allows for both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a connections.
If you are gaming at 1080p, the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER GAMING OC 12G will be more than enough. At 1440p, you may expect a solid 60+ FPS experience with the aid of DLSS. You can even hit 4K, but you will need to enable Frame Generation, and possibly turn some settings down.
MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X BLACK 16G OC
The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X BLACK 16G OC is a fairly compact GPU with a dual-fan cooling system and solid gaming performance. It features 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, a boost clock speed of 2625 MHz in Extreme Performance mode, and is powered by a single 8-pin connector. The GPU has an all black design with no RGB lighting.
Thanks to the extra VRAM and solid performance gains over the regular RTX 4060, the RTX 4060 Ti 16GB is the best budget offering for Black Myth: Wukong, which is a heavy title to run. You will have to make some compromises on the visual settings and rely heavily on DLSS and FG to get the optimal experience.At 1080p, the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X BLACK 16G OC can deliver a solid 60+ FPS experience but will struggle at 2K resolution, so you will need to drop to the medium to high range.
The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X BLACK 16G OC stands out from the competition because of its higher boost clock speed of 2625 MHz in its Extreme Performance mode. There is a dual-fan cooling system on top of the GPU to bring cool air to the heatsink. The TORX FAN 4.0 system helps direct airflow as pairs of blades are linked together with an outer ring. There is also a Zero Frozr mode that keeps the fans from turning on till the GPU reaches a certain load or temperature.
It is a compact GPU so it will fit in a larger number of cases and only requires a single 8-pin connector along with a 550W PSU. For connectivity, you get three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1a port. The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X BLACK 16G OC is a solid budget offering that beats out theAMD Radeon RX 7800 XT, which is also a solid budget alternative.
MSI GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16G VENTUS 3X OC
The MSI GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16G VENTUS 3X OC features 16GB GDDR6X VRAM, 2595 MHz boost clock, 256-bit memory bus, and is powered by a single 16-pin connector. There is no RGB lighting, but the face plate is white and silver, and there are three fans keeping the GPU cool.
The MSI GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16G VENTUS 3X OC is a great performer for most AAA titles, including Black Myth: Wukong. You can expectsolid performance at 1440pand with DLSS and FG, even at 4K. The RTX 4080 Super from MSI comes with 16GB VRAM, which seems relatively low compared to AMD’s offerings at this price point, but it should be enough for the high-quality textures of Black Myth: Wukong.
As for clock speeds, MSI offers some of the fastest on the market and the RTX 4080 SUPER 16G VENTUS 3X OC can boost up to 2580 MHz in its default mode and reach 2595 MHz in Extreme Performance mode through the MSI Center app. It is a power-hungry card and can draw about 320W under load, so MSI and Nvidia recommend a 750W PSU at least. All this power can be supplied to the GPU through a single 16-pin connector.
To keep the components cool, there is a triple-fan cooling system with TORX FANS 4.0, similar to the Ventus 2X RTX 4060 Ti. The software optimizations allow the fans to only start spinning under a certain load or when the card reaches a certain temperature. MSI is using premium components including sheet metal construction for extra rigidity, and on top of that there is an included support bracket that prevents overtime sag.
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 24GB GDDR6X OG OC Edition
The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 24GB GDDR6X OG OC Edition is a top-of-the-line graphics card that is capable of running most games at 4K at playable frame rates. This beast of a GPU comes with 24GB GDDR6X VRAM, a boost clock speed of 2595 MHz, and a solid triple-fan cooling system. The GPU has a solid industrial design and components that can endure heavy loads.
For a no compromise experience in Black Myth: Wukong, you will need to invest in an RTX 4090 and the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 24GB GDDR6X OG OC Edition boasts higher clock speeds than the competition. It comes with 24GB GDDR6X VRAM and a boost clock speed of 2565 MHz in its Default mode and 2595 MHz in OC mode. It supports the latest technologies from Nvidia and is a beast when it comes to raw performance.
The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 24GB GDDR6X OG OC Edition is built on the TUF platform, which means solid build quality and endurance. There is a triple fan cooling system that only kicks in when the temperatures cross 50 degrees C. Even with all this performance, you will still need to make use of DLSS or FG or both to get a60+ FPS experience at 4K. That being said, anything below 4K will be much easier to run.
With the RTX 4090, you get 24GB VRAM, which definitely helps when dealing with 4K textures. This level of performance does come at a cost, and you will have to make sure you have a capable enough PSU to supply constant power to this beast of a GPU. ASUS recommends an 850W PSU but when pushed to its limits, the RTX 4090 can draw a lot more power.
The GIGABYTE Radeon RX 7900 XT GAMING OC 20G is a high-performance AMD GPU that can deliver an excellent gaming experience at 1440p. It comes with 20GB GDDR6 VRAM, a game clock speed of up to 2175 MHz and a boost clock speed of up to 2535 MHz. It requires two 8-pin connectors for power and carries a triple-fan cooling system that is efficient and silent.
Team Red fans will have to go for top shelf options, because when it comes to enjoying Black Myth: Wukong,the Radeon RX 7900 XT is the best option, though it doesn’t cross the $1000 mark. The GIGABYTE Radeon RX 7900 XT GAMING OC 20G features 20GB of GDDR6 VRAM and a Game clock speed of 2175 MHz, along with a boost clock speed of 2535 MHz.
GIGABYTE’s WINDFORCE cooling system keeps the GPU cool here as well, which includes three 100mm fans, nine composite copper heat pipes, and a large vapor chamber. The central fan spins in the opposite direction to the other two to increase airflow pressure and this, in combination with the vapor chamber, ensures cool performance during long gaming sessions. There is also minimal RGB lighting, which may work better for some setups.
The GIGABYTE Radeon RX 7900 XT GAMING OC 20G comes with a metal backplate which makes it more rigid, but to compensate for the weight, GIGABYTE includes an anti-sag bracket. The GPU also has a dual-BIOS and LED power indicators that notify you in case of power supply issues. All this to say that you can play Black Myth: Wukong at 1440p at 60+ FPS, with the help of FSR and Frame Generation, and even hit 4K, albeit with a few settings turned down.
The ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC features 12GB GDDR6X VRAM, a boost clock speed of 2490 MHz, and a compact dual-fan cooling system. It also has a rounded edge design which makes it look even smaller. It still comes with three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1a port. It is a fairly low power-consuming GPU with 220W at load.
With a smaller size comes a few compromises, but the ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC makes all the right ones. It delivers similar performance numbers as the best overall GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER GAMING OC 12G GPU, but with a smaller form factor that would fit in most cases. It has the same 12GB GDDR6X VRAM and connectivity options. But where it fails to match up with the GIGABYTE offering is the clock speeds and cooling potential.
The ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC has a boost clock speed of 2490 MHz, which is higher than reference, but not by a lot. The GPU uses the company’s IceStorm 2.0 Enhanced Cooling system that includes two fans and nine precision-machined copper heatpipes for better heat dissipation. It has support for SPECTRA RGB Lighting, 0dB cooling, Active Fan control, and is also SFF-ready.
For power, it uses the newer 12VHPWR standard and is recommended to use with a 650W PSU as it can consume about 220W under load. You get three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1a port. This two-slot GPU has a metal backplate and a rounded design that makes it seem even smaller than it is.
How to Choose the Best GPU for Black Myth: Wukong
There are a few factors you can consider before making the purchase decision:
Brand
Your two best options to get the best experience in Black Myth: Wukong at different budgets are Nvidia or AMD. However, considering that it is an Unreal Engine 5-based game, going with an Nvidia offering would be ideal. Do note that turning on Ray Tracing will have a significant hit on performance on both Nvidia and AMD offerings, and you will have to make use of DLSS and FG or FSR andAFMF to get the optimal experience.
Resolution
If you are targeting 1080p gaming, an Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti or even an RTX 4060 can suffice, and you may get a 60+ FPS experience in Black Myth: Wukong. However, for anything higher than 1080p, at least an RTX 4070 Super or RTX 4070 Ti Super is recommended. You can experience the game at 4K with the RTX 4070 Super by tweaking the settings, but going with an RTX 4080 Super or RTX 4090 would be ideal for 4K gaming.
Form Factor
While having a beefy heatsink with a triple-fan cooling system would be ideal, those GPUs are bulky and do not fit in smaller gaming PC builds. This would require you to go with a more compact GPU like the ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Twin Edge OC or a dual-fan cooler offering from ASUS. But do note that the performance will not be the same as the triple-fan offerings as they can maintain higher clock speeds for longer.
FAQ
Q: What games has Game Science made?
Game Science, the developer of Black Myth: Wukong has previously worked on 100 Heroes (2015) and Art of War: Red Tides (2017). Black Myth: Wukong has been in development since 2017.
Q: Who is Wukong inspired by?
Black Myth: Wukong is inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West and its protagonist, Sun Wukong.
