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The benchmark figures below come from Notebookcheck’s historical test, originally published on February 15, 2024; the page displays a February 18, 2026 update, but the visible material does not establish that every result was rerun on a current 2026 game build. Treat these figures as launch-era reference data, not a universal September 2026 forecast.
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What PC do you need for Helldivers 2?
Steam’s surfaced recommended specification lists Windows 10, 16 GB of RAM, an Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, an RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 6600 XT, and an SSD. The listing showed 40 GB of available storage in the recommended block. Check the live Steam listing before buying because requirements and storage figures can change.
That specification is a baseline, not a 60-fps guarantee. It does not promise stable frame times, High settings at 1440p, consistent performance in four-player firefights, or equivalent results from a low-power laptop GPU with the same model name.
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| Target | Practical hardware interpretation |
|---|---|
| Minimum playable | 30 fps at 1080p Low, reduced render scale or upscaling where necessary. |
| Comfortable mainstream | 60 fps at 1080p Medium/High on a discrete-GPU laptop or mainstream desktop. |
| High-refresh 1080p | 90–120 fps is possible on faster hardware, but CPU and combat load can limit consistency. |
| 1440p/60 | RTX 4060-class laptop hardware with compromises, or RTX 4070-class laptop hardware for a more comfortable native-resolution experience. |
| 4K/60 | High-end desktop hardware, usually with carefully selected settings or upscaling. |
These are editorial performance tiers inferred from the available benchmark evidence, not verified current measurements.
How the benchmark was conducted
Notebookcheck used CapFrameX and a repeatable 30-second run-around sequence on the player’s ship at 1080p, 1440p and 4K using the game’s presets. The systems included RTX 4050, 4060, 4070, 4080 and 4090 laptops, an RX 7600S laptop, Radeon 780M integrated graphics, and desktop RTX 4080 and RX 7900 XT systems. Listed CPUs included the Core i9-13900K, i9-13900H, i9-13950HX and Ryzen 9 7940HS.
This is useful for comparing the tested machines, but it is not a complete CPU-scaling test or a representative worst-case mission benchmark. The ship scene contains none of the full combination of enemies, explosions, fire, smoke, turrets, orbital strikes, physics and AI activity found in demanding four-player missions. Do not assume a ship result guarantees the same FPS in combat.
The source does not identify a current game build, driver version or exact test patch in the visible article text. A modern retest should document the game build, Windows version, driver, laptop power mode, RAM configuration, GPU wattage, temperatures and whether upscaling or frame generation is enabled.
1080p Ultra laptop and desktop benchmarks
These are the reported results from the historical ship-based test. “Minimum” is the source’s reported minimum, while 1% and 0.1% lows describe the slower portions of the captured run.
| GPU/system | Average | Minimum | 0.1% low | 1% low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4080 desktop | 200.0 fps | 82.7 | 154.1 | 167.3 |
| RTX 4090 Laptop | 130.2 fps | 50.3 | 100.1 | 107.8 |
| RTX 4080 Laptop | 106.4 | 37.1 | 45.1 | 77.5 |
| RTX 4070 Laptop | 105.3 | 38.4 | 72.4 | 84.7 |
| RTX 4060 Laptop | 82.3 | 12.0 | 47.4 | 68.6 |
| RTX 4050 Laptop | 72.1 | 47.9 | 48.3 | 59.4 |
| RX 7600S Laptop | 54.3 | 14.2 | 14.6 | 44.1 |
| Radeon 780M integrated GPU | 16.7 | 14.3 | 14.4 | 15.0 |
Notebookcheck’s complete test shows why average FPS is not enough. The tested RTX 4060 Laptop GPU averaged 82.3 fps but recorded a 12-fps reported minimum. The RX 7600S averaged 54.3 fps yet had especially weak low-percentile results. Conversely, the RTX 4050 system averaged less than the RTX 4060 system but recorded a higher reported minimum. Different CPUs, drivers, power limits, cooling systems and scene behavior can produce results like these.
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1440p Ultra benchmarks
| GPU/system | Average | Minimum | 0.1% low | 1% low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4080 desktop | 162.4 fps | 76.8 | 137.0 | 147.8 |
| RX 7900 XT desktop | 122.5 | 67.0 | 108.0 | 113.5 |
| RTX 4090 Laptop | 105.5 | 52.4 | 85.2 | 96.4 |
| RTX 4080 Laptop | 96.8 | 37.8 | 51.5 | 65.2 |
| RTX 4070 Laptop | 75.2 | 42.8 | 46.8 | 68.1 |
| RTX 4060 Laptop | 54.0 | 8.75 | 13.8 | 47.5 |
| RTX 4050 Laptop | 44.5 | 9.88 | 18.2 | 24.2 |
| RX 7600S Laptop | 36.7 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 28.0 |
The RTX 4070 Laptop GPU was the first tested laptop tier to clearly exceed 60 fps on average at 1440p Ultra. The RTX 4060 Laptop GPU was closer to a 45–60-fps solution and would benefit from lower settings or upscaling. RTX 4050 and RX 7600S laptops are better considered 1080p systems than native-1440p Ultra systems.
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4K Ultra benchmarks
| GPU/system | Average | Minimum | 0.1% low | 1% low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4080 desktop | 96.3 fps | 78.7 | 86.2 | 89.1 |
| RTX 4090 Laptop | 66.9 | 41.6 | 58.5 | 61.4 |
| RX 7900 XT desktop | 65.1 | 57.7 | 60.0 | 60.8 |
| RTX 4080 Laptop | 59.6 | 36.2 | 46.0 | 53.0 |
| RTX 4070 Laptop | 40.0 | 16.8 | 21.0 | 32.9 |
| RTX 4060 Laptop | 29.6 | 10.1 | 11.6 | 16.3 |
| RX 7600S Laptop | 18.8 | 7.6 | 8.38 | 10.1 |
| RTX 4050 Laptop | 17.8 | 11.1 | 12.3 | 13.5 |
For a strong 4K/60 target, the tested RTX 4080 desktop is the clearest option in this dataset. The RTX 4080 Laptop averaged just under 60 fps, while the RTX 4090 Laptop averaged 66.9 fps. That does not mean every RTX 4080 laptop reaches 4K/60: wattage, cooling, CPU limits and display configuration all matter.
Laptop versus desktop: the GPU name is not enough
Laptop GPUs are constrained by total graphics power, cooling and the laptop’s shared CPU/GPU power budget. Two RTX 4060 laptops can perform very differently if one runs at a substantially lower wattage or throttles under sustained load.
- Power limit and cooling: Higher sustained wattage and better cooling generally allow steadier clocks, but the exact implementation matters.
- Performance mode: Plug the laptop in and select its performance or turbo profile before benchmarking.
- Memory: 16 GB should be treated as a practical floor, preferably in dual-channel configuration. Single-channel RAM can hurt performance and frame-time consistency.
- CPU allocation: Some thin laptops reserve more power for the CPU, reducing GPU headroom during long sessions.
- MUX and display routing: A MUX switch or direct-discrete-GPU mode can reduce the overhead of routing frames through integrated graphics. An external monitor may use a different display path, so test the arrangement you actually play on.
- Model equivalence: An RTX 4090 Laptop GPU is not equivalent to a desktop RTX 4090. Laptop parts use different power and thermal envelopes.
For buying decisions, ask for the exact laptop model and GPU power configuration rather than relying on “RTX 4060” or “RTX 4070” alone.
CPU and combat performance
The available benchmark does not establish that Helldivers 2 is universally CPU-bound, because it lacks a controlled CPU-scaling matrix and uses relatively powerful test processors. Large battles can nevertheless stress CPU work such as enemy AI, physics and effects. Lowering graphics settings may do little if the processor is the limiting component.
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Settings that matter
The game offers resolution selection, render scale, optional upscaling, display mode, V-Sync, four presets and individual detail controls. Settings can reportedly be changed without restarting. Texture quality is not changed by the presets and must be adjusted separately.
The in-game menu reportedly gives approximate VRAM guidance of 3 GB for Low, 6 GB for Medium, 8 GB for High and 10 GB for Ultra. Treat these as menu guidance, not guarantees: VRAM capacity and rendering performance are separate limits.
Best starting points by hardware tier
- Integrated graphics or very low-end laptop: Use 720p or a low render scale, Low settings and a 30-fps target. The tested Radeon 780M managed about 40 fps at 720p/Low but only 16.7 fps at 1080p/Ultra. This is an emergency option, not a normal 1080p recommendation.
- RTX 4050 Laptop: Target 1080p Medium/High. Keep textures within available VRAM, reduce effects-heavy settings first and use a sensible frame cap if frame times fluctuate.
- RTX 4060 Laptop: Use 1080p High for the best 60-fps balance. At 1440p, begin with High or Medium and test render scale or upscaling rather than assuming native Ultra will remain smooth.
- RTX 4070 Laptop: Start at native 1440p High/Ultra. At 4K, reduce settings or use upscaling; the historical result averaged 40 fps at 4K Ultra.
- RTX 4080/4090 Laptop: These are strong 1440p high-refresh options. 4K may require reduced settings, and the exact laptop’s wattage and cooling remain decisive.
- Mainstream desktop: Choose 1080p or 1440p according to the GPU, but investigate CPU utilization if lowering quality fails to improve FPS.
- High-end desktop: An RTX 4080-class desktop was comfortably above 60 fps in the historical 4K Ultra ship test, leaving useful headroom for demanding scenes.
Which settings should you lower first?
Test render scale or upscaling when the GPU is saturated and you need the largest FPS improvement. Then reduce fog, lighting, reflections, object/detail quality and particle-heavy effects, checking image quality after each change. Texture quality primarily affects VRAM use and may not deliver the same FPS gain as reducing scene complexity. Anti-aliasing, V-Sync and frame limiting affect presentation and latency rather than solving every underlying bottleneck.
Lowering render scale is often the least expensive performance fix, but it makes distant objects and edges softer than native resolution. If the game becomes CPU-limited after reducing GPU-heavy settings, further visual reductions may provide little benefit.
AMD versus NVIDIA
In this particular Notebookcheck test, the RX 7900 XT was slower than the RTX 4080 desktop at 4K, and the RX 7600S had weak low-percentile results. Notebookcheck also reported poor AMD performance and user-reported crashes at the time. That evidence should not be converted into a permanent claim that AMD GPUs are unsupported or always slower.
The comparison reflects the tested hardware, driver, game state and benchmark scene. Later patches and drivers can change results. Anyone choosing between AMD and NVIDIA should seek a current, same-scene retest rather than treating this historical table as a universal brand ranking.
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Troubleshooting low FPS, stutter and crashes
- Confirm the dedicated GPU is active. Check Windows or the laptop manufacturer’s graphics settings and verify that the game is not running on integrated graphics.
- Plug in the laptop. Battery mode commonly reduces CPU and GPU power.
- Select performance mode. Use the system’s performance profile and make sure fans and cooling are working correctly.
- Check the bottleneck. Record GPU utilization, CPU package usage, per-core load, VRAM and system RAM. Low GPU utilization with heavy CPU load points away from a graphics-setting solution.
- Test render scale and upscaling. If GPU utilization is near maximum, lower render scale or use an available upscaling mode.
- Verify files. Use Steam’s installed-game properties to run file verification after corrupted updates or unexplained launch failures.
- Test drivers methodically. Update the GPU driver, or test a rollback if the problem began immediately after an update. Record the exact driver and game build.
- Separate rendering issues from online issues. Rubber-banding, delayed enemy behavior or disconnects may be network-related rather than local FPS problems.
The available research does not verify a current universal crash fix. Treat shader-cache resets, launch options and community workarounds as version-specific or anecdotal unless confirmed by fresh testing or an official source.
Storage and installation caveat
The historical review mentioned roughly a 20 GB download and about 70 GB installed space at the time of testing, while the surfaced Steam listing showed 40 GB available storage. These may represent different listing revisions or installation stages. Use the live Steam page’s current requirement and leave additional room for updates rather than planning around the older figures.
Buying advice by resolution
Best target for 1080p/60
An RTX 4050 Laptop GPU can be a budget starting point, but an RTX 4060 Laptop GPU or comparable desktop GPU offers more useful headroom. Prioritize 16 GB dual-channel RAM, a capable H/HX-class CPU, good cooling and a performance-mode setting over a thinner chassis with the same GPU label.
Best target for 1440p/60
An RTX 4060 laptop can work with reduced settings or upscaling. An RTX 4070-class laptop is the more comfortable native-1440p target in the available results. A desktop is preferable when sustained power, upgradeability and high-refresh performance matter more than portability.
Best target for 4K/60
Favor a high-end desktop GPU. The tested RTX 4080 desktop averaged 96.3 fps at 4K Ultra, while the RTX 4070 Laptop averaged 40 fps. A high-end RTX 4080/4090 laptop can approach the target, but verify its power limit, cooling and CPU before paying the laptop premium.
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Helldivers 2 is not difficult to start at 1080p, but it is demanding enough that “60 fps” needs context. Mid-range laptops can deliver good 1080p results; 1440p is where RTX 4070-class laptop hardware becomes more attractive; and 4K/60 is most credible on a high-end desktop. The most important buying mistake is comparing GPU names without checking laptop wattage, cooling, memory and CPU behavior.
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Finally, the historical benchmark is best used as a performance map, not a current guarantee. For a definitive 2026 recommendation, repeat the ship test and add a fixed four-player combat run while recording frame-time graphs, GPU wattage, utilization, temperatures, VRAM, system RAM, driver version and game build.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an RTX 4050 laptop run Helldivers 2?
Yes, the tested RTX 4050 laptop averaged 72.1 fps at 1080p Ultra, but that is one configuration and a ship-based historical test. For steadier mission performance, use 1080p Medium/High and verify the laptop’s wattage, cooling and RAM.
Is an RTX 4060 laptop enough for 1440p?
It can be, with reduced settings or upscaling. The tested RTX 4060 Laptop GPU averaged 54 fps at 1440p Ultra, with weak reported low-percentile figures, so native Ultra at a locked 60 fps should not be assumed.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsCan integrated graphics run Helldivers 2?
Only with major compromises. The tested Radeon 780M produced about 40 fps at 720p/Low and 16.7 fps at 1080p/Ultra. Integrated graphics are not a sensible normal 1080p solution for this game.
Does lowering graphics quality always increase FPS?
No. If the CPU is limiting performance during enemy-heavy encounters, lowering resolution or graphics settings may provide little improvement. Check GPU utilization and individual CPU-core load before changing settings.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Buy for the resolution you actually use: RTX 4050/4060-class hardware is sensible for 1080p, RTX 4070-class laptop hardware is a stronger 1440p target, and high-end desktop hardware is the safer route to 4K/60. Treat the cited numbers as historical, configuration-specific evidence and judge smoothness by lows and frame times, not average FPS alone.
Quick Recap
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