We rated, reviewed, & compared 13 of the best graphics cards for gaming across various budgets. These top GPUs are perfect for gamers who are looking to max out their favorite games. There is no component that has a bigger direct impact on your gaming experience than your video card will. And, if you’re looking to in 2018 and you want to really take your gaming experience to the next level, then you definitely need to make sure you get yourself a high-end GPU. A graphics card (or video card) basically acts like a second processor. However, the video card is only responsible for processing graphics-related tasks. Therefore, having a high-end video card not only helps your system by improving the quality of visual effects that it can display, but also by relieving your main processor of the responsibility of having to carry out graphics-related tasks.
This gives your computer a significant increase in performance in gaming over system’s that rely on the integrated graphics on their performance. When building a new gaming computer, you want to put a good portion of your budget towards getting the best video card for gaming possible. It’s generally recommended to put at least 20-30% of your total budget into your graphics card.
In this post, we will take a look at the best graphics cards for gaming in 2018 at various price ranges for different budget sizes. I’ve broken down the categories into four different graphics card tiers.
For each video card tier there’s a chart that breaks down the different options and then below a few of those cards are highlighted with an overview. There are definitely other worthy cards made by other manufacturers, but as I update this I try to find the card that’s going to offer the best price-to-performance. So, if a certain reputable manufacturer’s card is on sale when I update this list, then I’ll likely add their card. ENTRY Gigabyte GT 1030. 2-Core CPU.
4-Threads. 3.5GHz Base.
Unlocked 8.0/10.To check out our full overviews on our top GPU choices, just click the “Read Review »” button. You can also scroll down on this post to find more options based on your specific budget. Extreme Graphics Cards ($500-$1,000+) The graphics cards in this section are some of the best options currently available. However, if you don’t have an unlimited budget to spend on one of them, you might get better value by looking at the video cards mentioned in the High-End or Mid-Range sections.
Aug 17, 2016 - Forza Horizon 4 (2018): Best racing game ever! Even in terms of graphics in racing genre! Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018): The graphics of this game are.
Still, though, while these cards will will take a toll on your wallet, they will allow you to max out most games on a or a as well as allow you to get into VR gaming. And, with all of the power that they bring to the table, they will stay relevant for a long time coming. So, if you’re looking for the best GPU for gaming, and you’re planning on using a high-end monitor for better visuals, then one of these cards would be your best option (although, the cards in the section below would be worth considering, too). Right now, you have a bit of a tough selection as NVIDIA’s new RTX cards have shown a small performance increase over the GTX 1000 series cards, but they are coming in at a significant premium. Not to mention, there are have been some apparent quality issues with the RTX 2080 Ti—which isn’t a great sign for a $1,000+ product. On the flip side, though, while the 1080 Ti offers a nice alternative to the RTX 2080, they are currently a bit more difficult to find, which has caused their price to shoot up closer to what the RTX 2080 is currently priced at.
So, if it were me, and I had an unlimited budget, right now I’d probably go with an RTX 2080. Extreme GPU Comparison Chart. Recommendation If the RTX 2080 Ti would have been released with a price under $1,000, I think it would be a more justifiable option. However, most RTX 2080 Tis are coming in at $1,200 or higher and there has been some quality control issues with NVIDIA’s new extreme chips.
So, until those problems get resolved and the prices come down, I feel like the 2080 Ti will only be a viable option for users who have an unlimited budget and who don’t mind the risk that the 2080 Ti may (or may not) come with. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 4352 Cuda CLOCKRATE 1650 MHz MIN. PSU 650W VRAM 11GB LENGTH 10.6″ PNY RTX 2080 Ti Overview NVIDIA’s new ray-tracing technology on their new RTX lineup of cards is a sight to behold. The only problem is that, while ray-tracing can provide a significantly enhanced visual experience for the games that support it, that really wasn’t the kind of feature that gamers were looking for out of the next generation of graphics cards. I think what games wanted most out of the next GPU generation was the ability to play their favorite games on higher resolutions and at higher refresh rates at a reasonable price.
And, while the new RTX lineup does help in that regard, the price that they are now available for isn’t quite justified by the small increase in performance they offer over the previous GTX 1000 series of cards. Still, though, the RTX 2080 Ti and RTX 2080 are the most powerful single GPUs currently available. And, so if you are someone who wants to push a new (technically, 4K 120Hz) or just run a 1440P 144Hz monitor at higher framerates, the 2080 Ti and the 2080 are currently your best options.
Right now, for the available 2080 Tis out there, we like EVGA’s XC ULTRA Gaming edition as it is currently one of the better priced 2080 Tis. It has a boost clock of 1650MHz, sports 11GB of GDDR5 memory, and comes in at a length of 10.6″. It does require a hefty 650W power supply to run, though, so if you’re upgrading your current system, make sure you have enough power to accommodate it. Ultimately, the RTX 2080 Ti is going to allow you to max out games at 4K resolutions, or will let you run a 1440p/144Hz monitor with no problems.Just note, though, that if you are considering buying a RTX 2080 Ti, that there have been a higher-than-normal number of users that have had issues with their RTX 2080 Ti card.
Recommendation If you don’t want to pay over $1,000 for a graphics card, but you still want an extreme option, your best bet right now is either the RTX 2080 or the GTX 1080 Ti. Up until recently I would recommend the GTX 1080 Ti as it has been about $100+ cheaper than the RTX 2080 on average since the RTX lineup released. However, there is currently a shortage of 1080 Tis, which have driven their price up closer to what the RTX 2080s are going for—so, as of right now, for the same price, the newer RTX 2080 makes more sense. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 2944 Cuda CLOCKRATE 1515 MHz MIN.
PSU 650W VRAM 11GB LENGTH 11.5″ PNY RTX 2080 Overview You really have two options if you want the best video card, but you don’t want to spend over $1,000 to get it. And, those options are the GTX 1080 Ti and the new RTX 2080. In terms of in-game performance, the RTX 2080 narrowly edges out the 1080 Ti in the majority of games.
However, when the RTX lineup first released, you could pickup a 1080 Ti for $100+ less than the 2080 Ti and, because of that, many enthusiasts were option for the 1080 Ti instead. As of right now, though, there seems to be a shortage of 1080 Tis, which have driven up their price, and now both the 1080 Ti and 2080 Ti cost about the same. So, right now it makes more sense to go with the RTX 2080 to get the same performance and NVIDIA’s new ray-tracing technology for the same price. Just be sure that if you want to fully take advantage of this card that you pair it with a in order to take advantage of NVIDIA’s variable refresh rate technology. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 3584 Cuda CLOCKRATE 1569 MHz MIN.
PSU 600W VRAM 11GB LENGTH 11.8″ Zotac GTX 1080 Ti Overview While the GTX 1080 Ti isn’t NVIDIA’s latest high-end GPU offering, because of the high prices of their new RTX series cards, the 1080 Ti still is a viable option for anyone that is looking for a top tier graphics card. I’ve listed Zotac’s AMP GTX 1080 Ti as it is a solid card and is typically one of the more affordable options. Zotac’s card has a base clock of 1569MHz, sports 11GB of, and comes in at a length of 11.8″. It does require a hefty 600W power supply to run, though, so if you’re upgrading your current system, make sure you have enough power to accommodate it. Ultimately, the GTX 1080 Ti is going to allow you to max out games at 4K resolutions, or will let you run a 1440p/144Hz monitor with no problem. It also easily meets Oculus‘ and HTC’s VR-headset requirements. So, if you’re looking for the best GPU on the market for your new gaming PC, then you’ll definitely want to consider the GTX 1080 Ti.
Right now, there does seem to be a shortage of 1080 Tis available, which has driven up their price to levels that are similar to the newer RTX 2080s. So, as of right now, I’d recommend going with an RTX 2080 for the same price, but if you can grab a 1080 Ti for $700 or less, it would at least be an option to consider over getting an RTX 2080.
TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 2304 Cuda CLOCKRATE 1569 MHz MIN. PSU 550W VRAM 8GB LENGTH 11.0″ Gigabyte RTX 2070 Overview The RTX 2070 is a solid graphics card option that will allow you to game on a 4K monitor or a 1440P 144Hz monitor with good framerates. And, in terms of how it stacks up against NVIDIA’s previous generation GTX 1000-series cards, the 2070 slightly outperforms the GTX 1080 in terms of in-game performance. Right now the cheapest GTX 1080 costs about $100 less than the cheapest RTX 2070, so there still is an argument to be made for choosing the GTX 1080 over the RTX 2070. However, right now, this Gigabyte RTX 2070 comes in at $530, and, at that price, that is lower than GTX 1080s were going for during the height of the GPU shortage crisis during the cryptocurrency boom.
So, I can imagine that there are a lot of gamers out there who were waiting for GPU prices to settle who will see a $530 RTX 2070 as a steal. In the end, the RTX 2070 is a great video card option at its current price range and if you don’t mind spending an extra $100 over the GTX 1080, you’ll get a small in-game performance boost as well as the ability to utilize NVIDIA’s new ray-tracing technology. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 4096 Stream CLOCKRATE 1247 MHz MIN. PSU 750W VRAM 8GB LENGTH 14.3″ ASUS RX Vega 64 Overview Of the available RX Vega 64’s on the market, the ASUS RX Vega 64 is currently one of the better priced options.
In terms on in-game performance, the Vega 64 is capable of running games at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor, or pushing games at a high framerate on a 1440P 144Hz monitor. However, for quite a bit less than the Vega 64, you can get either an RTX 2070 or a GTX 1080, both of which will perform on par with—or exceed—the Vega 64 in the majority of games. The only reason why you might want to consider a Vega 64 over the 2070 and/or 1080, though, is if you are planning on getting (or already have) an AMD Freesync monitor. The fact that Freesync monitors are cheaper than G-Sync monitors will help makeup for the higher price tag of the Vega 64 over the 2070 and 1080. The bottom line, though, is that, in terms of price-to-performance, the RTX 2070 and GTX 1080 are better options. For AMD diehard fans, though, the Vega 64 is your best option for a high-end AMD graphics card.
High-End Video Cards (Under $500) These graphics cards in this price range bring a lot of performance to the table. While they aren’t as powerful as the video cards listed above, they aren’t that far behind either. These graphics cards will easily max out any game on a 1920×1080 monitor and will even give you high-end performance on a 2560×1440 monitor in some non-demanding games. All of the GPUs in this section can actually serve as decent options for 4K gaming as well.
And, they all easily meet, so they will work for a VR-ready setups as well. Ultimately, though, if you don’t want to spend over $500, but you are looking to get one of the best video cards for the money, these cards will give you a ton of power at a more reasonable price.
High-End GPU Comparison Chart. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 2560 Cuda CLOCKRATE 1657 MHz MIN. PSU 500W VRAM 8GB LENGTH 11″ ZOTAC GTX 1080 Overview The price of the GTX 1080 has finally reached a price level that it probably would have been at had it not been for the cryptocurrency-GPU shortage crisis earlier this year.
However, part of the reason for the GTX 1080s latest price drop is likely due to the release of NVIDIA’s new RTX lineup of video cards. So, while the prices on the GTX 1080 are currently better than they have been since they were first released, the reality is that NVIDIA will likely stop producing them in the near future in order to push buyers to their new lineup of cards (which seems to be what is currently happening with their 1080 Tis.) Still, though, if you don’t want to spend over $500 to get a new RTX 2070, you can currently grab a GTX 1080 for close to $450. That’s not a bad deal considering that the GTX 1080 only slightly trails behind the 2070 in terms of in-game performance. Also, a GTX 1080 has a minimum requirement of 500W compared to the RTX 2070s minimum requirement of 550W.
So, you can save a little bit on a power supply if you opt for the 1080 as well. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 2432 CLOCKRATE 1607 MHz MIN. PSU 500W VRAM 8GB LENGTH 10.5″ EVGA GTX 1070 Ti Overview NVIDIA’s GTX 1070 Ti wedges right between the GTX 1080 and 1070 in terms of price and performance.
And, if you were looking at a GTX 1070, you might want to consider bumping up your budget and grabbing the 1070 Ti, because the jump in price at the moment isn’t too significant. GTX 1070 cards have made their way down into the upper $300s, but you can grab a 1070 Ti for just a little over $400. So, there really isn’t that big of a price difference between the two cards. In any case, the 1070 Ti is a decent option if your budget is specific enough and at a level to where you have a little more to spend than what the 1070s come in at, and a little less to spend on what the 1080s come in at. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 3584 Stream CLOCKRATE 1156 MHz MIN. PSU 650W VRAM 8GB LENGTH 10.7″ Gigabyte RX VEGA 56 Overview Another possible option in the $400-$500 price range is AMD’s RX VEGA 56. And, while it doesn’t perform quite as well as the cheaper GTX 1070 Ti, the RX Vega 56 will offer solid performance for the price for anyone who needs an AMD graphics card to pair with their AMD Freesync monitor.
Most benchmarks have it trailing behind the GTX 1080 and 1070 Ti and not far ahead of the GTX 1070 in most games, so if you already have a non-Freesync monitor (or you have a G-Sync monitor) you’ll likely want to look at the options from NVIDIA. Hopefully, the price drops a bit and there are some third party cards out in the near future and, if so, these cards might offer better value. But, unless you only choose AMD products, you’d probably be better off going with a GTX 1080, 1070 Ti, or 1070.
TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 1920 CLOCKRATE 1518 MHz MIN. PSU 500W VRAM 8GB LENGTH 8.3″ EVGA GTX 1070 Overview Don’t have quite enough to get the GTX 1080 or 1070 Ti? No worries, the new GTX 1070, which was released alongside the 1080 (or, rather a couple of weeks after) offers a better price-to-performance ratio and is definitely one of the top graphics cards in terms of value and performance currently available. For a little under $400, the GTX 1070 gives you the ability to build a VR-ready gaming machine that can also push higher resolution monitors with ease.
So, whether you want to get an Oculus Rift, or if you want to game at 4K, the 1070 will allow you to do so. And, with the holiday season approaching, expect to see a price drop in the near future. If the price reaches the lower or mid $300s—which is what the original MSRP was—these will easily be one of the better price-to-performance cards on the market. Mid-Range GPUs (Under $300) The sub-$300 video cards are the sweet spot for gamers playing on a 1920×1080 monitor. These cards are powerful enough to max out pretty much any game at 1920×1080 resolution and they’re much more reasonable in price. They will struggle with more demanding games at higher resolutions, but overall they are excellent options if you are sticking with a 1080p monitor.
Of the cards in this group, the RX 580 8GB and GTX 1060 6GB. Both are capable of handling anything on medium-to-higher settings on a 1080p monitor and it can meet the requirements for VR-gaming (or, at least the Oculus Rift).
The other two options in this section are excellent choices as well if you are trying to build a budget-friendly gaming PC. Ultimately, though, the good news is that even though you don’t have a few hundred or more to spend on getting the best GPU available, these options serve as amazing and they will allow you max out most games on a 1920×1080 monitor. Mid-Range GPU Comparison Chart.
TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 2304 Stream CLOCKRATE 1366 MHz MIN. PSU 500W VRAM 8GB LENGTH 10.6″ PowerColor RX 580 Overview If all you want to do is get a graphics card that will allow you to max out games on a 1080P monitor with high framerates, then your best bet is probably an RX 580 8GB card.
You could make a case for the GTX 1060 6GB card, but since the RX 580 will perform similarly to the GTX 1060 in most games (if not outperform it) and it currently comes in at a lower price, in my opinion it is the better option. Not to mention, if you want to get a new monitor that has a high refresh rate, you’ll likely want to get a display that comes with a variable refresh rate technology.
And, since AMD’s variable refresh rate technology is a lot cheaper to obtain than NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology, going with an AMD graphics card is a better option for budget-oriented gamers. So, not only does the RX 580 8GB cost less than the GTX 1060 6GB, but it also offers a lower cost of entry into high refresh rate gaming. In the end, the RX 580 8GB graphics card is the perfect option for 1080P gamers who are working with a moderate budget, but who still want high framerates in their games.
TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 1280 Cuda CLOCKRATE 1506 MHz MIN. PSU 400W VRAM 6GB LENGTH 6.8″ EVGA GTX 1060 Overview The GTX 1060 is an excellent graphics card for people who have a moderate budget and who want to be able to max-out games on a 1080P monitor. However, the main downside of the GTX 1060 is the fact that its main competitor, the RX 580 8GB, offers pretty much identical performance (if not even better performance) while costing less. The other problem with the GTX 1060 is that, if you want to pair it with a higher refresh rate monitor, you’ll want to get a G-Sync monitor in order to take advantage of NVIDIA’s variable refresh rate technology. Unfortunately, NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology costs more to implement in monitors than AMD’s variable refresh rate technology does (Freesync). And, so, the combined cost of pairing a GTX 1060 6GB graphics card with a G-Sync monitor is significantly more than pairing an RX 580 GB graphics card with a Freesync monitor.
So, overall, while the 1060 is a great card for the price, if you’re looking for the better all-around option, the RX 580 would be the way to go. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 2048 Stream CLOCKRATE 1264 MHz MIN.
PSU 500W VRAM 4GB LENGTH 9.6″ PowerColor RX 570 Overview The PowerColor RX 570 is one way to add not only a pop of color to your gaming set up but a boost to your graphics performance. The 4 GB, 256-bit GDDR5 memory will eliminate screen tears and long rendering times while you’re gaming, and has a 1750MHz (7.0 Gbps) memory clock. The GPU uses the AMD Radeon RX 570 GPU and has a boost clock of 1284 MHz. This GPU features 2048 stream processors, PCI Express 3.0, and has one DL-DVI-D, one HDMI, and three DisplayPort ports to give you several connectivity options.
Now that AMD’s RX lineup of cards are back and stock and aren’t overpriced due to cryptocurrency miners, they fit right between the GTX 1060 6GB and GTX 1060 3GB cards in terms of price and performance. So, if you dont’ quite have the budget to reach up and get an RX 580 8GB or GTX 1060 6GB, but you don’t want to be limited in certain games by the GTX 1060 3GB’s lower VRAM, you might want to consider an RX 570. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 768 Cuda CLOCKRATE 1354 MHz MIN. PSU 300W VRAM 4GB LENGTH 5.7″ MSI GTX 1050 Ti Overview The GTX 1050 Ti gets outperformed by the RX 570, but it does come in at a slightly lower price tag. The coolest feature of the GTX 1050 Ti (and the GTX 1050, too) is the fact that you don’t need to hook it up to your power supply. It runs completely off of the power it draws from the PCIe port.
And, the minimum required power supply to run the 1050 Ti is a quality 300W unit. That’s incredible! That means that most people with an older desktop can upgrade to the 1050 Ti and enjoy being able to max out most games on a 1080p monitor. Not too shabby for that price, considering you won’t also have to upgrade your power supply as well. Entry-Level Video Cards (Under $150) The graphics cards in the sub-$150 price range are perfect for any gamer who is working with an extremely tight budget and who either just wants to be able to play games on a 1080p monitor on lower settings, or for those eSports-oriented gamers who want to play less-demanding games that are more competitive in nature. Games like League of Legends, Dota 2, Team Fortress, Overwatch, etc.
Can all be handled easily by the video cards in this tier. And, while the GPUs listed below aren’t good long-term options, they are still the best options in their price range.
Ultimately, while in the past budget-friendly cards could barely be expected to handle 1080p games on medium settings, nowadays these cards will provide you with a solid gaming experience at 1920×1080 resolution. Budget GPU Comparison Chart.
TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 1024 Stream CLOCKRATE 1196 MHz MIN. PSU 400W VRAM 4GB LENGTH 6.1″ ASUS RX 560 AERO Overview The RX 560 trades blows with the GTX 1050 in most games and offers an additional option to choose from in the $100-$120 price range. However, where the MSI RX 560 stands out is the fact that it comes with 4GB of VRAM as opposed to the GTX 1050’s 2GBs. This is important because newer games are starting to utilize more and more VRAM, and going with a lower VRAM card can force you to turn down settings in your favorite games. So, while the GTX 1050 listed below is a bit less expensive, you may want to spend a little more to get some extra VRAM. Ultimately, both cards are solid, but if you want better performance in today’s newer games, you’ll probably want to go with an RX 560. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 640 Cuda CLOCKRATE 1417 MHz MIN.
PSU 300W VRAM 2GB LENGTH 5.7″ EVGA GTX 1050 Overview The GTX 1050 is the less powerful and more affordable version of the GTX 1050 Ti. It is the perfect option for gamers who are on a tight budget, but who still want to be able to play most games on a 1080p monitor on higher settings.
Like the GTX 1050 Ti, the 1050 also draws all of its power solely from the PCIe port and, thus, doesn’t need to be hooked up directly to a power supply with 6 or 6+2 pin PCIe connectors. It also only requires a 300W power supply to run, which means that even if you have an older pre-built machine, you can likely plug-in the GTX 1050 and get a significant upgrade in performance. If you don’t quite want to spend $150 on a new GPU, you can definitely save a few bucks and get the GTX 1050. Ultimately, if you don’t have much over $100 to spend, the GTX 1050 is a solid option.
Although, because it only has 2GB of VRAM, it might not be as good of an option as the RX 560 listed above. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 512 Stream CLOCKRATE 1203 MHz MIN. PSU 350W VRAM 2GB LENGTH 6.7″ XFX RX 550 Overview The XFX RX 550 isn’t a high-performance graphics card. Rather, it’s an affordable option for lightweight gaming that gets the job done for 1080p gaming. It’s also a good option if you have an older system in need of an upgrade before going all out for a higher-end solution.
The RX 550 has three outputs including a Dual Link DVI, and two HDMI ports. It also comes with 2GB of VRAM, which is nice considering older sub-$100 video cards typically came with only 1GB of VRAM It has 512 stream processors and it is compatible with DirectX 12 on Microsoft Windows 10. Ultimately, if you’re looking for a cheap card that will let you run your favorite games on a 1080P monitor, then this RX 550 will serve you well—at least until you have enough to upgrade up to a higher-end option. TECH SPECS CUDA/STREAM 384 Cuda CLOCKRATE 1265 MHz MIN. PSU 300W VRAM 2GB LENGTH 6.6″ Gigabyte GT 1030 Overview The Gigabyte GT 1030 competes with the RX 550 in that both are super budget-friendly graphics cards that will work well if you are building a barebones entry-level system, or if you have an older system that needs to be upgraded in order to keep up with some of today’s newer games.
The 1030, like the RX 550, should be able to handle most games on a 1080P monitor on at mediumish settings. Although, for more demanding games, you will likely have to turn the settings down to low.
Also like the RX 550, the 1030 comes with 2GB of VRAM which should help it a bit more in newer games. Ultimately, this card isn’t a long-term solution, but it will serve well as a last resort option if you have a super low budget. Which Graphics Card is Right for You? This is not a list of every graphics card on the market.
There are certainly quite a bit of lower tier video cards that can be had. However, a lot of them are comparable to the integrated graphics you can get on a newer CPU. And, while NVIDIA has held the high-end of the market on lockdown for the past few generations, it is always at least worth looking into newer architecture before you make your decision. However, the performance difference, if any, is usually negligent between AMD and NVIDIA’s offerings at the same price level. And, so if you’re ready to build now, the options listed here should fit your needs based off of the price range you are looking to choose from.
In the end, the graphics card you choose for your gaming computer will be the biggest determining factor in what games you can play, at what resolution you can play them at, and how high you can turn up the settings. Filed Under:, Reader Interactions. Brent Hale did a great job with this article. Well organized and the active links made it easy to comparison shop the items, which I realize was the reason behind doing the article. With that said, I am building/ rebuilding my old Cooler Master Tower and have spent all week and week end catching up and educating myself of where the PC technology is today and where it is heading.
It’s been a mind bending experience as I pulled out my old parts of a Sound Blaster Card from 2007 and a later addition XFX Radeon R7 240 Graphic Card with 4 1 GB Memory sticks. It’s been a tough challenge to absorb how much peripherals have advance and seeing how quickly the industry in general progresses. Articles from 2014 forward educate and enlighten one appreciation for all of the innovation. I’ve added much from this article to my Research Note Files in WORD & Excel as I fill in my charts and graphs as I edge towards my purchases.
Now that heavy hitters like the and have arrived, the best graphics cards are more powerful (and expensive) than ever before. So, do you splurge on an expensive flagship? Or, do you go for a more budget friendly graphics card like the – perfect for 1080p gaming? No matter what you go for, you’ll be able to use the best graphics cards to play the from to. Remember that the best graphics cards can vary wildly depending on what kind of PC you’re planning to build, so finding the best one can be hard. Luckily, we went ahead and gathered together all the best graphics cards on the market, at every price point and use case.
So, before you go out to pick up one of the best graphics cards, we’ll help you find the perfect one for your rig. Best graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060. More expensive than previous gen One of the biggest complaints we had about Nvidia Turing when it first launched was the astronomical prices. But, with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060, Nvidia brings value to the Turing lineup – or, at least, more value than was there already. With the RTX 2060, you’ll be able to run pretty much everything at 1080p with max settings, comfortably experience 1440p and you’ll even be able to break into 4K.
And, then there’s the RTX features – even at this level, ray tracing is possible at 1080p. Read the full review: Best 4K graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Extremely expensive If you’re looking for the best graphics card, and you’re not ok with compromising, you may want to consider the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Without a doubt, this is the most powerful graphics card you can buy without going for a professional solution. And, especially now that games like Battlefield V and Metro Exodus actually use the RTX features, there’s never been a better time to jump on the raytraced bandwagon. Just brace yourself for that price tag. Read the full review: Best QHD graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070.
Too expensive If you want to stick to QHD, with some brief forays into 4K, you might want to check out the RTX 2070. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 brings the new Turing architecture to the mid range with performance that dwarfs the GTX 1070 that came before. Not only will you be able to play everything at 1440p, but you’re going to get insane performance – up to 120fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. However, you should consider that the RTX 2070 is significantly more expensive than its predecessor, so that trade off in price-to-performance may not be worth it – especially if you’re coming from a Pascal card. Read the full review: Best Full HD graphics card: PNY GeForce GTX 1660 Ti XLR8 Gaming OC.
Limited memory bandwidth When Nvidia first launched its Turing lineup, it was hard to find a model that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. However, with the launch of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, and specifically the PNY XLR8 Gaming OC model, next-generation performance is attainable for everyone. You won’t be able to do 4K 60 fps gaming with this card, but it’s absolutely perfect for anyone still using a 1080p panel. At that resolution, you’ll have trouble running into any title that slows you down. There aren’t any RTX features here, but since there are only a few games that use them, that’s not really a dealbreaker. Read the full review: Best graphics card for creatives: AMD Radeon VII.
Weak DirectX 12 performance AMD hasn’t put out a high end consumer graphics card since 2017’s Radeon Vega 64, and a lot has happened in the GPU world since – namely Nvidia Turing. And, with the Radeon VII, AMD wanted to reclaim a piece of the high-end graphics card market, and it certainly did, but maybe not in the way AMD intended. The AMD Radeon VII holds its own in gaming, but where it really shines is content creation. Packed with 16GB of HBM2 memory, the AMD Radeon VII is going to excel in creative applications, and will easily compete with much more expensive cards. Read the full review: Best VR graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. Expensive If you’re trying to play the best VR games, you’re going to need the best graphics card for the job. And, these days, that’s going to be the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080.
Packed with the latest Turing architecture and the VirtualLink VR connector, you won’t have to worry about choppy VR performance making you sick. And, outside of VR, you should be able to play all your favorite PC games at 1440p and 4K without breaking a sweat. Read the full review: Best mini graphics card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini. Runs hot and loud If you’re setting out to build a microATX or a mini-ITX gaming PC, you shouldn’t have to settle for a low-end GPU. You can find mini graphics cards like the Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini. And, sure it’s not the latest and greatest GPU out there anymore, but the 1080 Ti has a lot of life left in it. Plus, when you can get that power in a card that’s just 211 x 125 x 41mm, the loss in performance is totally worth the beautiful mini PC you’ll get.
Best Budget graphics card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6G. GDDR5 memory These days, with all the expensive graphics cards, more budget-friendly products sometimes slip through the cracks. We think that’s a shame. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 deserves all the spotlights, delivering fantastic 1080p performance at a budget price. With the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6G, you’re also getting a healthy factory overclock and all the outputs you’ll ever need, so you can play all your favorite games and have plenty of monitors attached.
We’d call that a bargain, maybe the best we’ve ever had. Read the full review: Best eSports graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. Greater than 75W TDP Any eSports player will tell you that high frame rates are far more important than beautifully rendered graphical details – and that’s where the Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti shines. In a time where graphics cards cost as much as rent, it’s an affordable, but potent GPU that can play most eSports games well above 60fps. It’s a bit pricier than the lower-end Nvidia GTX 1050, but you’ll appreciate the extra power behind this card to play future eSports titles, as well as the odd AAA title. Read the full review:. These are the to go with your shiny new GPU.
Images Credit: TechRadar.
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