Introduction
Activision’s Call of Duty MW2 Remastered (2022) released to much acclaim across the gaming community, but brought with it the age-old question – can my gaming PC run it? Fear not though, as in this piece we’ll be covering off the best graphics cards (GPUs) you can buy to play this mammoth gaming title at 1440P, while achieving top-tier frame rates!
We’ll also be looking to answer the ever-divisive question of Nvidia vs AMD (in the context of whether either is best for MW2), and looking at GPUs to perhaps avoid for cranking those settings up in MW2 at 1440p.
Best GPUs for COD MW2 Remastered:
1. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060Ti
👑 The best budget GPU for COD MW2 at 1440p.
In a win for Nvidia, their GeForce RTX 3060Ti graphics card comes in as our budget pick for playing MW2 at 1440P. This might seem like a surprising choice when looking above graph, given that AMD’s RX 6650XT actually delivers more frame rate for less money.
This is because our testing incorporates the use of Nvidia DLSS and AMD FSR. These are both next-gen resolution scalers, which use technology to offset the visual impact of resolution scaler. While AMD do a more effective job of delivering more frame rate via FSR, than Nvidia do with DLSS in this case, it comes at the impact of visual fidelity.
The image with AMD’s card looked a little too soft for our liking, with Nvidia’s DLSS tech doing a much better job of increasing frame rate, and retaining a good looking image. The RTX 3060Ti delivered a strong 120FPS in our testing, double the crucial 60FPS figure console gamers will be accustomed to. The gameplay is smooth, stutter-free, and this lower-end Nvidia GPU retains its strong reputation as a strong underdog for 1440P gaming across a wide range of titles.
Benchmarks
You can view the visual difference between the RTX 3060 and RX 6650XT below:
Summary
Overall, the RTX 3060Ti is an extremely valuable card that performs well above its pay grade. When DLSS is enabled, this GPU has no issues running a range of competitive titles at 1440p with smooth 120 FPS gaming. It may be limited compared to the other options on this list, but the 3060Ti is a great entry-level to 1440p gaming.
Features: 4.2/5
Design: 4.3/5
Performance: 4/5
Value for Money: 4.5/5
Pros
- Solid 1440p performer
- Great value for money
- Support for superb DLSS 2.0 tech
Cons
- RTX 3070 can be a better buy
- Weak for gaming at 4K
Buy the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060Ti on:
[adrotate banner=”7″]2. AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT
👑 The best value GPU for COD MW2 at 1440p.
The RX 6750 XT comes in with a strong performance that earns it a well justified second place in our roundup. Although FSR has its downsides, apparent with the aforementioned RX 6650XT, it has the upside of allowing cards like this to compete with much higher end GPUs. With a superb 172 frames per second on average, this card is able to satisfy the refresh rate of widespread 165Hz, 1440P gaming monitors and provide an excellent gaming experience.
Plus, with a solid 12GB of video memory and solid increase in performance over the RX 6700XT (the card which this is based off), it’s an impressive release from AMD. You can pick up a wide range of board partner RX 6750XT designs, or learn more about the AMD Radeon edition.
Check out how the RX 6750XT and RTX 3070 compare in MW2 Remastered below:
Summary
Without a doubt, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is one of the best GPUs on the market right now for 1440p gaming in most titles, including COD MW2. Offering framerates well beyond the typical refresh rates on 1440p displays, this GPU is excellent for competitive gaming with improved visual fidelity, all for a very reasonable price.
Features: 4.2/5
Design: 4.3/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Value for Money: 4.8/5
Pros
- Very solid performance at 1080p & 1440p
- Esports-worthy, competitive frame rates
- Solid improvement over the previous RX 6700XT
Cons
- Less mature render scaling tech than Nvidia’s DLSS
- Close in price to the better RX 6800XT
Buy the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT on:
[adrotate banner=”7″]3. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
👑 The best high-end GPU for COD MW2 at 1440p.
Nvidia’s RTX 3080 is a card that never fails to perform well, even in light of the new RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 launches. Continuing to be produced, and at a lower MSRP price point than the 4080 at that, it is still a very solid performer.
Delivering over 160FPS at 1440P with, what has be to said, better visual fidelity than the RX 6750XT, this is a card that never seems to disappoint. Frame rates were butter smooth and Nvidia’s Ray Tracing and DLSS tech remains matured when compared to the competition.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | RTX 3080 |
|---|---|
| Video Memory | 10GB GDDR6X / 12GB GDDR6X |
| Core Clock Speed | 1.22GHz / 1.44GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 1.71GHz |
| CUDA Cores | 8704 |
| RT Cores | 68 |
| Power Consumption | 320W / 350W |
Summary
Despite being somewhat eclipsed by the arrival of the RTX 4000 series GPUs, the RTX 3080 is still a reliable option that is very comfortable at running games at 1440p or 4K. With COD MW2 being a slightly more demanding game, having a card that you can rely is welcomed. Plus, the boosts from DLSS always help.
Features: 4.3/5
Design: 4.3/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Value for Money: 4.2/5
Pros
- Fantastic performance
- Great DLSS and Ray Tracing support
- Strong Ampere architecture
Cons
- No DLSS 3 support
- Ageing a little
Buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 on:
[adrotate banner=”7″]4. Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070
👑 The best high-end GPU for COD MW2 at 1440p.
The RTX 4070 received a mixed reaction when it was first released, suffering from a lot of the same issues that hindered the previous RTX 4000 releases. But despite many consumers complaining about the higher price point, we were impressed with the value that this graphics card provides.
As a GPU intended to run games at 1440p, the RTX 4070 does a great job at providing consistently high framerates in a variety of titles, including COD MW2. Whilst the 137 average FPS is just below the optimal output for a 144Hz gaming monitor, gamers will reap the benefits of the boosted frames compared to the previous-gen alternatives.
Additionally, for any gamers wanting to try their luck at 4K, the RTX 4070 has the power needed to support the jump to a higher visual fidelity, producing above 100 FPS in a selection of games. Finally, picking up a RTX 4070 grants access to the benefits of DLSS 3, including the revolutionary frame generation technology and enhanced image upscaling.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | RTX 4070 |
|---|---|
| Video Memory | 12GB GDDR6X |
| Core Clock Speed | 1.92GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.47GHz |
| CUDA Cores | 5888 |
| RT Cores | 46 |
| Power Consumption | 200W |
Summary
For gamers looking to optimise their 1440p gaming setup with the latest hardware, then the RTX 4070 is the way to go. As one of the best value high-end cards currently available, the 4070 has enough power to enjoy smooth framerates at 1440p, as well as 4K.
Features: 4.3/5
Design: 4.3/5
Performance: 4.8/5
Value for Money: 4.5/5
Pros
- Great performance at 1440p
- Supports DLSS 3 & Ray-Tracing
- Capable of running at 4K
Cons
- Quite expensive
- May not fit in some cases
Buy the MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 4070 on:
[adrotate banner=”7″]Conclusion
Best Graphics Card for COD MW2 (2022) at 1440p: AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT
For COD MW2 players looking for the best performance possible at 1440p at a reasonable price, then the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is our top recommendation. Offering consistent framerates at competitive settings, this card will have no problems running the latest Call of Duty, along with other first-person shooters, at 1440p.
Read our full AMD Radeon 6000 coverage , or Buy the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT on Amazon
COD MW2 Hardware Requirements
Call of Duty MW2 has a pair of specs which look to cover off both the minimum hardware required, and the recommended spec level. It should be noted that both of these configs are geared towards 1080P gaming only, and that you should use these numbers as a starting point only. By modern AAA game standards, the recommended spec level is pretty modest, something which should allow us to have strong mileage at 1440P, without needing to spend a fortune.
| Minimum Specs | Recommended Specs | |
| Operating System | Windows 10 – 64 Bit (latest update) | Windows 10 – 64 Bit (latest update) Windows 11 – 64 Bit (latest update) |
| CPU | Intel: Core i3-6100/Core i5-2500K AMD: Ryzen 3 1200 | Intel: Core i5-6600K/Core i7-4770 AMD: Ryzen 5 1400 |
| GPU | NVIDIA: GeForce GTX 960 AMD: Radeon RX 470 | NVIDIA: GeForce GTX 1060 AMD: Radeon RX 580 |
| VRAM (Video Memory) | 2GB | 4GB |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 75GB | 75GB |
| Graphic Drivers | NVIDIA: Version 516.59 AMD: Version 22.9.1 (We would always recommend updating to the latest GPU drivers, even if these are not strictly required) | NVIDIA: Version V516.79 AMD: Version 21.9.1 (We would always recommend updating to the latest GPU drivers, even if these are not strictly required) |
Testing Methodology
Whenever testing a new graphics card, game release (or in this case, both!), we publish full recordings of our testing runs over on the YouTube channel, ‘Benched! by GeekaWhat’. The aim of doing this is to not only be transparent with our audience and readers, but also to show the kind of visual fidelity you can expect when playing with certain configs.
