Best GPU for Black Myth: Wukong in 2026: Ray Tracing & Frame Gen

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Black Myth: Wukong represents 2024-2026’s most visually demanding AAA release, pushing Unreal Engine 5 to extreme quality levels. The game’s ray-traced environments, volumetric lighting, and character detail demand top-tier GPUs for ultra settings. Unlike open-world games, Wukong’s handcrafted dungeon design creates predictable frame rate scenarios—GPUs handle it differently than streaming worlds. DLSS 3.5 Frame Generation (NVIDIA exclusive) provides massive frame rate multipliers, making RTX 50-series the clear choice. This guide identifies which GPUs deliver smooth Wukong performance at 1440p ultra and 4K, with emphasis on ray tracing quality vs frame rate trade-offs.

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Why GPU Matters for Black Myth: Wukong

Wukong is UE5’s most demanding showcase. Ray tracing quality directly impacts visual impact—Wukong’s temple interiors and misty landscapes benefit significantly from realistic reflections and ambient occlusion. DLSS 3.5 Frame Generation elevates frame rates dramatically (80 FPS native + 80 FPS synthetic = 160 FPS perceived). AMD lacks frame generation equivalent, making RTX 50-series the optimal choice. VRAM demand is substantial (12-14GB at ultra), requiring 16GB+ GPUs for safe margin. GPU memory bandwidth determines ray-traced shadow quality—RTX 5080’s superior bandwidth enables highest quality ray tracing without frame cost.

Recommended GPU at Each Resolution

1440p Ultra (Native + DLSS 3.5 FG)

RTX 5070 Ti achieves 100+ FPS native (70-80 with full ray tracing), scaling to 120+ FPS with DLSS 3.5 Frame Generation enabled. RTX 5080 hits 120+ FPS native, 160+ FPS with FG. RX 9070 XT reaches 70-80 FPS native at 1440p ultra, lacking frame generation—must use FSR 4 upsampling instead.

1440p with Ray Tracing (Full RTX)

RTX 5070 Ti maintains 70-80 FPS 1440p with all ray tracing enabled (reflections, shadows, global illumination). DLSS 3.5 FG boosts to 100+ perceived FPS. RTX 5080 hits 100+ FPS native ray tracing 1440p. RTX 5060 Ti struggles below 50 FPS with full ray tracing—requires DLSS 3.5 FG to reach playable 80+ FPS.

4K Ultra (Ray Tracing On)

RTX 5090 sustains 120+ FPS 4K ultra with ray tracing, scaling to 180+ FPS with DLSS 3.5 FG. RTX 5080 reaches 80-90 FPS native 4K, jumping to 120+ FPS with FG enabled. RTX 5070 Ti drops to 60-70 FPS 4K, requiring FG for smooth 100+ FPS.

Top 5 GPUs for Black Myth: Wukong

1. RTX 5080 – Best Overall for Ray Tracing

RTX 5080 ($999) is Wukong’s optimal GPU. Delivers 100+ FPS 1440p ultra with full ray tracing enabled natively (without FG assistance). 32GB GDDR7 handles peak VRAM usage safely. DLSS 3.5 FG capability scales to 140+ perceived FPS for absolute smoothness. 4K performance reaches 80-90 FPS native, enabling cinematic gameplay. Best choice for players valuing ray tracing quality + frame rate balance.

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2. RTX 5090 – Overkill 4K Flagship

RTX 5090 ($1999) crushes Wukong at 120+ FPS 4K ultra with full ray tracing natively. DLSS 3.5 FG scales to 200+ perceived FPS—excessive for 144Hz displays but provides margin for complexity spikes. Only justified if targeting 4K 120Hz+ gameplay or extreme future-proofing. Most players find RTX 5080 sufficient.

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3. RTX 5070 Ti – Best Value with Frame Gen

RTX 5070 Ti ($749) reaches 70-80 FPS 1440p ultra with full ray tracing. DLSS 3.5 FG capability boosts to 100+ perceived FPS—excellent perceived smoothness despite lower native frame rate. Budget option for ray tracing enthusiasts. Trade-off: native frame rate lower than RTX 5080, but FG makes up difference perceptually.

4. RX 9070 XT – AMD Ray Tracing Alternative

RX 9070 XT ($599) achieves 70-80 FPS 1440p high settings (ray tracing limited), requiring FSR 4 quality to reach ultra quality. Lacks frame generation, so FSR 4 mandatory for smooth gameplay. Performance lags RTX 5070 Ti by 15-20% for ray-traced comparison.

5. RTX 5060 Ti 16GB – Budget Compromise

RTX 5060 Ti 16GB ($429) manages 50-60 FPS 1440p high settings (ray tracing off). DLSS 3.5 FG boosts to 80-90 perceived FPS—barely acceptable for single-player campaign. Ray tracing disabled entirely. Not recommended unless budget-constrained and willing to accept compromises.

Comparison Table

GPU | 1440p Ray-Traced FPS | 1440p + DLSS FG | 4K Ultra FPS | Best For
RTX 5090 | 120+ | 200+ | 120+ | Extreme 4K cinematic
RTX 5080 | 100+ | 160+ | 80-90 | Best overall balance
RTX 5070 Ti | 70-80 | 100+ | 60-70 | Best value with FG
RX 9070 XT | 60-70 | N/A | 50-60 | AMD alternative (limited RT)
RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | 40-50 | 75-85 | 30-40 | Budget compromise (high only)

Black Myth: Wukong Graphics Settings Guide

RTX 5080 Recommended: Ultra preset, ray tracing ultra (reflections, shadows, global illumination all on), DLSS 3.5 Quality with Frame Generation enabled. Native 100+ FPS + FG scales to 160+ perceived. This is maximum Wukong visual quality.

RTX 5070 Ti Balanced: Ultra preset, ray tracing high (disable global illumination, keep reflections + shadows), DLSS 3.5 Quality + Frame Generation. Achieves 80+ FPS native → 120+ perceived FPS. Excellent visual quality with smooth gameplay.

RTX 5060 Ti Budget: High preset, ray tracing off, DLSS 3.5 Quality + Frame Generation mandatory. Targets 60+ FPS native → 90+ perceived. Playable but visually compromised.

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Ray Tracing Quality Tier: Ultra (most expensive, most visually stunning), High (good quality, slight savings), Medium (noticeable quality drop but +15 FPS). Start at High, adjust down if frame rate below 60 FPS native.

Build Recommendations for Wukong

1440p Ray Traced Build ($1900): RTX 5080, Ryzen 9 9800X3D, 32GB DDR5 6000MHz, 1000W PSU, 2TB NVMe. Sustains 100+ FPS 1440p ultra ray tracing.

1440p Value with FG Build ($1400): RTX 5070 Ti, Ryzen 7 7700X3D, 32GB DDR5, 850W PSU, 1TB NVMe. Achieves 70-80 FPS native → 100+ perceived via Frame Generation.

Budget Single-Player Build ($800): RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, Ryzen 5 7600X, 32GB DDR5, 650W PSU, 1TB NVMe. Playable at 1440p high with FG assistance.

FAQ

Is DLSS 3.5 Frame Generation reliable for Wukong?

Highly stable. Wukong’s handcrafted dungeon design (not streaming open world) provides consistent frame generation training data. FG reliability approaches 98%—occasional single-frame glitches rare. Enable it without hesitation on RTX 50-series.

Should I disable ray tracing for higher frame rates?

Wukong’s ray tracing is visually impactful (realistic temple reflections, ambient shadows). If you own RTX 5080+, keep ray tracing on. RTX 5070 Ti can handle ray tracing high (skip global illumination) for visual quality + frame rate. Only RTX 5060 Ti users should disable entirely.

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Is RX 9070 XT viable for Wukong?

Yes, but compromised. Lacks frame generation, forcing FSR 4 upsampling. Ray tracing performance lags NVIDIA by 20%. Acceptable for high-settings 1440p 75 FPS gameplay, but not optimal. NVIDIA ecosystem superior for this title.

Does CPU affect Wukong frame rates?

GPU is primary bottleneck. CPU matters for 1% lows (frame time consistency). Pair RTX 5070 Ti+ with Ryzen 7 7700X3D minimum to avoid occasional frame hitches. Budget CPUs (i5-12400) cause 5-10% frame rate loss.

Black Myth: Wukong’s stunning visuals demand capable GPU hardware. RTX 5080 is the optimal choice, delivering 100+ FPS 1440p ultra ray tracing without compromise. RTX 5070 Ti with Frame Generation provides excellent value for perceivably smooth gameplay. AMD players should expect 20% performance reduction and limited ray tracing quality.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should I enable full ray tracing in Black Myth Wukong?

The full ray tracing option is essentially a path tracing mode and carries an enormous cost, roughly halving frame rates even on high-end hardware. It looks stunning in the temple and cave environments, but the very high or medium ray tracing presets deliver most of the atmosphere for far less performance.

How well does frame generation work here?

Very well. The game is a third-person action title with generous dodge windows rather than a twitch shooter, so the latency cost is acceptable while the smoothness gain is large. Combine Quality upscaling with frame generation to make heavy ray tracing settings viable on midrange cards.

What GPU do I need for 4K 60fps?

With ray tracing disabled and Quality upscaling, an upper-midrange current-generation card manages 4K 60. Adding ray tracing at 4K realistically requires a high-end or flagship card plus frame generation. At 1440p the requirements drop substantially and midrange hardware performs well.

Why is there stutter during the first run through a new area?

Unreal Engine 5 compiles shaders on demand, so first encounters with new effects, enemies, or biomes cause brief hitches. Running the in-game benchmark and playing through an area once usually populates the cache. Keeping graphics drivers current also helps, since driver shader caches reduce the effect.

How much VRAM should I plan for?

Twelve gigabytes is the sensible minimum for 1440p with high textures and ray tracing, and 16GB is preferable at 4K. Eight gigabyte cards can run the game at 1080p with reduced textures, but combining 8GB with ray tracing leads to stutter rather than a simply lower frame rate.