Ray Tracing Explained: What Hardware Do You Need?

How ray tracing works

Traditional game graphics use rasterization: the GPU draws triangles and applies lighting tricks that approximate how light behaves. Ray tracing flips the process. Instead of computing where light lands, the GPU traces rays from the camera into the scene and simulates how those rays bounce off surfaces. Each reflected ray carries information about color, brightness, and direction, which lets the renderer build shadows, reflections, and global illumination that match real physics.

That accuracy comes at a price. A single frame can require billions of ray intersection tests. GPUs with dedicated ray tracing cores, such as NVIDIA's fourth-generation RT cores in the GeForce RTX 50 Series, handle these tests in hardware. The RTX 5090, for example, offers 318 TFLOPS of ray tracing performance, while the more mainstream RTX 5060 delivers 58 TFLOPS. These numbers show the wide range of ray tracing capability across one product family, and they explain why ray tracing performance is not uniform across a lineup.

The alternative is to compute ray intersections on general-purpose shader cores, which is what older or entry-level GPUs must do. That approach works for simple scenes but quickly becomes too slow for modern games with dynamic lighting.

• Ray tracing simulates light paths rather than approximating them
• Dedicated RT cores accelerate ray intersection math
• More RT cores translate to higher ray tracing throughput

Which GPUs support ray tracing

NVIDIA introduced ray tracing cores with the Turing architecture in the GeForce RTX 20 Series. Every RTX card since then has included dedicated RT cores: the 20 Series with first-generation cores, the 30 Series with second-generation, the 40 Series with third-generation, and the 50 Series with fourth-generation cores. The GTX 16 Series and GTX 10 Series have no RT cores and cannot accelerate ray tracing in hardware.

Intel Arc GPUs also support ray tracing. Intel lists ray tracing acceleration as a recommended feature on Arc B-Series desktop GPUs and Arc GPU-based laptops, describing it as delivering immersive reflections and shadows. That makes Intel Arc a viable alternative for budget-conscious buyers who still want hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

The task of matching a GPU to your ray tracing needs depends on more than just having RT cores. Older cards with first-generation cores, such as the RTX 2060, can run ray tracing but only at 1080p with compromises. Newer cards with third- or fourth-generation cores handle heavier workloads, including full path tracing in titles that support it. If you plan to play recent ray-traced games at 1440p or above, a current-generation card is the safer choice.

For most buyers, the starting point is an 8GB graphics card. Ray tracing at 1080p with DLSS can fit in 8GB, but for more headroom at higher resolutions, consider a 16GB model if you also do creative work.

• NVIDIA RTX 20, 30, 40, and 50 Series all have RT cores
• Intel Arc B-Series GPUs include ray tracing acceleration
• GTX 10 and 16 Series lack RT cores
• Ray tracing quality scales with generation and core count

The performance impact of ray tracing

Enabling ray tracing typically lowers frame rates because the GPU must do additional work on top of the normal rendering pass. The impact varies by game, resolution, and the intensity of the ray tracing effects. A single reflection or shadow can be cheap, but full global illumination with multiple bounces can cut performance by half or more compared to the rasterized version.

GPU makers build their products with this cost in mind. The RTX 50 Series pairs fourth-generation RT cores with DLSS 5, which includes multiple AI-driven performance features. DLSS Super Resolution renders the game at a lower internal resolution and then reconstructs a higher-resolution image, which offsets the ray tracing cost. DLSS Ray Reconstruction replaces hand-tuned denoisers with an AI network trained to generate higher-quality pixels between sampled rays. Multi Frame Generation, available on 50 Series cards, can generate up to five frames per rendered frame.

These technologies change the practical picture. A game that runs at 30 FPS natively with ray tracing enabled may reach 60 FPS or higher when DLSS is turned on. That is why performance comparisons that ignore upscaling tell only part of the story. The feature stack matters as much as raw rasterization speed.

For a deeper look at how upscaling interacts with ray tracing, read our explainer on DLSS and FSR. For insight into how resolution and refresh rate interact with GPU choices, see resolution and refresh rate.

How much memory do you need?

Ray tracing does not directly consume much additional video memory compared to rasterization, but the games that implement it tend to be graphically demanding. High-resolution textures, detailed geometry, and large open worlds are what fill your VRAM. A 6GB card can run light ray tracing at 1080p with lowered settings, but it will struggle with modern titles. An 8GB card is the entry point most gamers should consider, especially when paired with an entry-level RTX card.

For 1440p ray tracing, 12GB to 16GB gives you comfortable headroom. For 4K with heavy ray tracing and DLSS, 16GB is a good target, and 32GB is overkill for nearly all games but useful for creators. Our guide to 16GB cards can help you decide based on your resolution and habits.

Memory bandwidth also matters. Ray tracing workloads often involve many small memory reads, so a wider bus and faster memory help. Read our explainer on memory bandwidth and bit width for the details.

What to pick based on your use case

The right GPU for ray tracing depends on the resolution you play at and the games you care about. A budget gamer at 1080p who wants to enable ray tracing in a few titles can get away with an 8GB card such as the RTX 5060 or an Intel Arc B-Series GPU. A more demanding player at 1440p should look at the RTX 5070 or RTX 5070 Ti with 12GB or 16GB. At 4K, the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 are the clear options, with the 5090 offering the highest RT throughput at 318 TFLOPS.

Consider also the DLSS features you get. Every model in the RTX 50 Series supports DLSS 5 with 3D-Guided Neural Rendering and Dynamic Multi Frame Generation. That means even the entry-level RTX 5060 can leverage AI to keep ray-traced games smooth. NVIDIA also provides Frame Generation on 40 Series cards, but not on older generations, which is an important distinction if you plan to keep your card for several years.

For those who prefer AMD Radeon products, the best AMD graphics cards guide covers the current alternatives, though AMD cards do not have NVIDIA's RT core branding or DLSS. Intel Arc is another option; the best generic graphics cards guide includes a range of vendors. If you are building a small form factor system, check our small form factor GPU guide for size constraints.

What to pick for your use

Questions

Can I run ray tracing on a GTX card?

No. GTX 10 and GTX 16 Series cards lack dedicated ray tracing cores, so they cannot accelerate ray tracing in hardware. Games that require ray tracing will not run properly on those cards. You need at least an RTX 20 Series card or an Intel Arc GPU.

Do I need an RTX 50 Series card for ray tracing?

No. The RTX 20, 30, 40, and 50 Series all have RT cores and support DLSS. But performance varies widely. Older cards with first-generation cores, like the RTX 2060, can handle light ray tracing at 1080p, while the 50 Series offers fourth-generation cores and DLSS 5 for much smoother results.

Does DLSS make ray tracing playable?

Yes, in most cases. DLSS Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction reduce the performance cost of ray tracing by rendering at lower resolution and using AI to reconstruct the image. On the RTX 50 Series, Multi Frame Generation can multiply frame rates further. Without DLSS, ray tracing remains demanding even on high-end hardware.

How much VRAM do I need for ray tracing?

8GB is the minimum for 1080p ray tracing, but 12GB or 16GB is preferable for 1440p and future titles. Ray tracing itself uses little VRAM, but the games that offer it often have large texture and geometry data. Check our VRAM size guide for deeper guidance.

Is ray tracing worth the performance hit?

It depends on your priorities. Ray tracing provides more accurate reflections, shadows, and lighting, which improve immersion in visually rich games. If you value image quality and can use DLSS to recover performance, it is often worth enabling. If you prefer maximum frame rates in competitive shooters, you may want to leave it off.