Conclusion & GPU/PSU Recommendations
Starfield is a demanding game in the hours you need to spend to finish it and in hardware. You will need a modern and strong GPU, preferably by AMD, to play it unless you don’t have a problem dialing down the graphics details to gain more FPS. You should also enable FSR, especially if using a mid-level GPU. The game’s concept is interesting and will “lure” both FPS and RPG fans, especially those who love huge open-world games. I wish I had time for more gaming hours, but this period is crazy, and the few free hours that I have, I prefer to use to gain some power through sleeping.
An AMD RX 7900 XT and the soon-to-be-released RX 7800/7700 XT will be able to handle Starfield at QHD resolution, with some adjustments to the graphics details. The not-high GPU utilization in all NVIDIA GPUs I tried troubled me since it shows that the game’s code doesn’t fully exploit the hardware. Moreover, there is no ray tracing option in the game’s engine or DLSS since Bethesda had AMD as a launch partner. I cannot know if these two features will be added afterward, but since the engine is already taxing, ray tracing will trouble even the NVIDIA RTX 4090 without code optimizations. It seems this is a title with the future GPU generations in mind.
Even with an RTX 4090, paired with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the fastest gaming processor in today’s market, the overall power consumption didn’t exceed 600W. If your system has several fans, drives, and LED lighting, a 750W PSU could cover you, but the problem is that the 12+4 pin connector on this wattage level cannot be set to deliver 600W or at least 450W, following Intel’s ATX v3.0 spec. So, if you plan to use an RTX 4090 and need up to 600W of power at the card’s connector, you must get a PSU with 1000W or more. I should also note that most PSUs achieve peak efficiency at 40-50% loads of their max capacity, and on top of that, it is not good to have the PSU operating at 80% and above of its max power for prolonged periods unless you plan on replacing it soon.
To check all PSU offerings, read our Best ATX v3.0 PSUs article before investing in a new power supply. You help us a lot by using my affiliate links, which don’t increase the product’s price.
