Buying Guide
The Best GPUs for Black Desert
From the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend to the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge: five graphics cards ranked on video memory and cooler thickness, with who should skip each one.
By The PC Journal editorial team
12 min read5 products evaluated
Black Desert's remastered mode and crowded towns push both GPU and memory. Every pick has 16GB of video memory and cost $900 or less, ordered from the lowest price.
This is a research roundup, not a lab test: GPU, VRAM and memory come from each maker's published specs; nothing here was tested in-house, and a missing thickness is flagged, not filled in.
Quick Picks
Our 5 recommendations at a glance. Tap a pick for the full verdict.
Lowest Price Here
ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Steel Legend 16GB OC
The lowest price of the group at our last check.
Best for: Getting white-and-silver Steel Legend finish for the least money.
Our take Check price for ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Steel Legend 16GB OC (opens in a new tab)
Lowest Recommended Power Supply
ASRock Radeon RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB OC
The lowest recommended power supply here (550W).
Best for: Buyers who put recommended power supply first.
Our take Check price for ASRock Radeon RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB OC (opens in a new tab)
Largest Video Memory
ASRock Radeon RX 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White 20GB OC
The largest video memory here (20GB).
Best for: Buyers who put video memory first.
Our take Check price for ASRock Radeon RX 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White 20GB OC (opens in a new tab)
Also Consider
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7800 XT Gaming OC 16G
Two HDMI and two DisplayPort outputs.
Best for: Buyers who want two HDMI and two DisplayPort outputs.
Our take Check price for Gigabyte Radeon RX 7800 XT Gaming OC 16G (opens in a new tab)
Premium Pick
ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge OC
The highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with two 90mm fans with FREEZE fan stop.
Best for: Buyers who want the most complete package.
Our take Check price for ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge OC (opens in a new tab)
Our Picks
Lowest Price Here1 of 5
ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Steel Legend 16GB OC on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
The Steel Legend adds a white-and-silver finish and a 2520MHz boost, and it has a 700W recommended power supply.
Best for
- Getting white-and-silver Steel Legend finish for the least money.
Skip if
- Choose another pick if you can't accept this: needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables.
Why we like it
On video memory it ties with the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB, the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC and the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge at 16GB. On recommended power supply it ties with the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC at 700W. No other pick in this guide offers a 2 x 8-pin power connector; compare the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB, which has a 1 x 8-pin power connector.
It is the only pick here with a 2520MHz boost clock; the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB has a 3290MHz boost clock instead. No other pick here cost less at our last price check, and the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB was closest. If you want a confirmed cooler thickness, look to the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB instead: it comes in at 2-slot, while this one gives no figure.
Key dimensions & specs
- GPU: RX 7800 XT
- VRAM: 16GB
- Memory: GDDR6
- Recommended PSU: 700W
- Power connector: 2 x 8-pin
- Boost clock: 2520MHz
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- White-and-silver Steel Legend finish
- 700W recommended PSU
- 2 x 8-pin power connector, the only one here
Cons
- Needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables
- Video memory of 16GB, behind the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White (20GB)
Lowest Recommended Power Supply2 of 5
ASRock Radeon RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB OC on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
ASRock's Challenger gives the RX 9060 XT a full 16GB of memory in a two-slot, 249mm card.
Best for
- Buyers who put recommended power supply first.
Skip if
- If budget leads, the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend was cheaper at our last price check.
Why we like it
The maker offers a 550W power supply and a single 8-pin plug, so it drops into most existing builds. It matches the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC and the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge on video memory (16GB). Nothing else here matches its 550W recommended power supply; the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend comes closest at 700W.
No other pick in this guide offers an RX 9060 XT gpu; compare the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC, which has an RX 7800 XT gpu. It shares a 1 x 8-pin power connector with the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge; the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend goes with a 2 x 8-pin power connector. On price it sat second of 5, between the cheaper ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the pricier ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White, at the time of writing.
Key dimensions & specs
- GPU: RX 9060 XT
- VRAM: 16GB
- Memory: GDDR6
- Length: 249mm
- Thickness: 2-slot
- Recommended PSU: 550W
- Power connector: 1 x 8-pin
- Boost clock: 3290MHz
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- Short 249mm length suits compact cases
- Dual-slot cooler leaves the next slot free
- A modest 550W PSU recommendation
Cons
- Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing
Largest Video Memory3 of 5
ASRock Radeon RX 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White 20GB OC on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
The Phantom Gaming White is ASRock's white 7900 XT, with a white shroud and backplate on a 320-bit memory bus.
Best for
- Buyers who put video memory first.
Skip if
- Its recommended power supply is not published, which rules it out if you need that number.
Why we like it
A reinforced metal frame keeps the card from sagging in the slot. Its 20GB video memory is the largest here; the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend comes next at 16GB. No other pick in this guide offers an RX 7900 XT gpu; compare the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC, which has an RX 7800 XT gpu.
No dimensions are published for the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White with the maker. On price it sat third of 5, between the cheaper ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB and the pricier Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC, at the time of writing. The maker doesn't give its cooler thickness; if that figure matters, the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB comes in at 2-slot.
Key dimensions & specs
- GPU: RX 7900 XT
- VRAM: 20GB
- Memory: GDDR6
Pros
- 20GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- White shroud and backplate
- 320-bit memory bus
- RX 7900 XT gpu, the only one here
Cons
- No published recommended power supply
- Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing
Also Consider4 of 5
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7800 XT Gaming OC 16G on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Gigabyte's Gaming OC offers a 2565MHz boost and two HDMI plus two DisplayPort outputs under a triple-fan Windforce cooler.
Best for
- Buyers who want two HDMI and two DisplayPort outputs.
Skip if
- Skip it if recommended power supply matters most to you; the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB offers 550W.
Why we like it
It matches the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB and the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge on video memory (16GB). It matches the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend on recommended power supply (700W). A 2565MHz boost clock is unique to it among these picks, while the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB uses a 3290MHz boost clock.
No dimensions are published for the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC: the maker suggests a PSU of 700W or more. Its price falls between the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White and the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge, based on our last check. Buyers who need a confirmed cooler thickness should compare it with the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB, which comes in at 2-slot.
Key dimensions & specs
- GPU: RX 7800 XT
- VRAM: 16GB
- Memory: GDDR6
- Recommended PSU: 700W
- Boost clock: 2565MHz
- Outputs: 2 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- Two HDMI and two DisplayPort outputs
- WINDFORCE triple-fan cooler
- 2565MHz boost clock, the only one here
Cons
- Recommended power supply trails the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB (550W)
- Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing
Premium Pick5 of 5
ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge OC on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Zotac's RTX 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge OC is a 2-slot, SFF-Ready card powered by a single 8-pin connector.
Best for
- Buyers who want the most complete package.
Skip if
- Skip it if video memory matters most to you; the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White offers 20GB.
Why we like it
It matches the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC on video memory (16GB). No other pick in this guide offers an RTX 5060 Ti gpu; compare the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White, which has an RX 7900 XT gpu. GDDR7 memory is unique to it among these picks, while the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB uses GDDR6 memory.
It shares a 1 x 8-pin power connector with the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB; the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend goes with a 2 x 8-pin power connector. It was the highest-priced of the 5 picks at the time of writing, so the case for it rests on what it adds over the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC and the rest. The trade-off is video memory; for more, the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White offers 20GB.
Key dimensions & specs
- GPU: RTX 5060 Ti
- VRAM: 16GB
- Memory: GDDR7
- Thickness: 2-slot
- Power connector: 1 x 8-pin
- SFF-Ready: Yes
- Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort 2.1b, 1 x HDMI 2.1b
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- Faster GDDR7 memory
- Dual-slot cooler leaves the next slot free
- A single 8-pin power connector
Cons
- Video memory trails the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White (20GB)
- No published recommended power supply
- Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing
How We Chose
Each pick was assessed across 4 criteria weighted for real-world use.
- The figures behind the order
- We compared five cards on GPU, video memory, memory and cooler thickness, using each maker's published specs. We did not test them in-house.
- The shared baseline
- All 5, from the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend to the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge, state GPU, video memory and memory.
- Where the specs have gaps
- The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC give no cooler thickness; the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White and the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge give no recommended power supply.
- Price range
- At our last check the picks ran from the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend ($250 to $500) to the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge ($500 to $1000).
What to Look for in a GPUs for Black Desert
Key buying criteria so you get the right fit the first time.
How much video memory you need
Here video memory runs from 16GB on the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge to 20GB on the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White. The ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White is the pick for video memory.
Recommended power supply across these picks
Here recommended power supply runs from 700W on the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC to 550W on the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB. Start with the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB if recommended power supply decides it. No figure for the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White and the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge.
Memory
The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB, the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC list GDDR6; the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge lists GDDR7. Rule out the mismatches before looking at price.
Power connector
The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend lists 2 x 8-pin; the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB and the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge list 1 x 8-pin.
What to check at home
No dimensions are published for the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. Measure for 249mm and 2 slots before ordering the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB. The Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge occupies 2 slots, but no length is published, so check the maker's spec page against your case.
Treat 8GB of VRAM as the floor
Some recent games already push past 8GB at high texture settings. Cards with 12GB or 16GB give more room, especially at 1440p and above.
Two versions of the same chip can differ only in memory; check the capacity in the exact model name.
How to Choose a GPUs for Black Desert
By priority
| Priority | Consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Getting white-and-silver Steel Legend finish for the least money | ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend | The lowest price of the group at our last check |
| Buyers who put recommended power supply first | ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB | The lowest recommended power supply here (550W) |
| Buyers who put video memory first | ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White | The largest video memory here (20GB) |
| Buyers who want two HDMI and two DisplayPort outputs | Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC | Two HDMI and two DisplayPort outputs |
| Buyers who want the most complete package | Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge | The highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with two 90mm fans with FREEZE fan stop |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Key specs side by side
The ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White leads on video memory at 20GB, ahead of the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at 16GB. "Not listed" means the maker leaves that figure out.
| Card | GPU | VRAM | Memory | Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend | RX 7800 XT | 16GB | GDDR6 | Not listed |
| ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB | RX 9060 XT | 16GB | GDDR6 | 2-slot |
| ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White | RX 7900 XT | 20GB | GDDR6 | Not listed |
| Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC | RX 7800 XT | 16GB | GDDR6 | Not listed |
| Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge | RTX 5060 Ti | 16GB | GDDR7 | 2-slot |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
By price at the time of writing
The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend was the lowest-priced pick and the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge the highest when we checked; tiers move with Amazon pricing.
| Price tier | Cards |
|---|---|
| About $250 to $500 | ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend |
| About $500 to $1000 | ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB, ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White, Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC, Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend compare with the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White on video memory?
The ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White leads at 20GB, with the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at 16GB.
Is the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB ahead of the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend on recommended power supply?
The ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB comes out best at 550W, with the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at 700W. The ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White and the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge don't state a figure, so they sit outside this comparison.
What makes the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB the Lowest Recommended Power Supply?
It earns the label for the lowest recommended power supply here (550W). It suits anyone who put recommended power supply first.
Do the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB differ on GPU?
The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC use RX 7800 XT; the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB uses RX 9060 XT; the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White uses RX 7900 XT; the Zotac 5060 Ti 16GB Twin Edge uses RTX 5060 Ti.
What should I check before buying the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend?
No dimensions are published for the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. Power for the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend comes through 2 x 8-pin, with 700W the maker's minimum PSU. In this guide it ranks first of 5, as our Lowest Price Here pick.
Beyond the specs, what sets the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB apart?
The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend: a white-and-silver Steel Legend finish. The ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB: 32 compute units. The ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White: a white shroud and backplate.
Bottom Line
Our first pick is the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, chosen for the lowest price of the group at our last check. Look at the ASRock RX 9060 XT Challenger 16GB for the lowest recommended power supply here (550W), the ASRock 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White for the largest video memory here (20GB) and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC for two HDMI and two DisplayPort outputs if those matter more to you.
Use the game's optimization mode in large siege battles.