Best Graphics Cards for Gaming
April 2024
If you’re considering upgrading your graphics card, you should know that there are several great options available. This article will compare Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and AMD’s Radeon RX 6800 XT and more, and then tell you which one is best for your budget.
The first factor to consider is performance. If you’re looking to buy a new graphics card, then you’ll want to get the best GPU you can afford. AMD has been the leader in the market for several generations, but is now losing its lead to NVIDIA. The difference between AMD and NVIDIA’s offerings at the same price point is minimal. You’ll need to make a decision based on the price range you want to spend on your new graphics card.
1. Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
Fastest Graphics Card, Great for Creators
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is the newest and most powerful graphics card, offering dazzling 4K performance and heavy-duty content creation. This card, however, is a bit overpriced and may not be the best option for most gamers. Its top-notch performance and DLSS 3 support help make it one of the most capable graphics cards on the market today.
The RTX 4090 comes with redesigned ray tracing cores that help the GPU handle ray tracing operations faster. These new cores work with a hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling method, which matches the instruction with the power it has at any given time. The new card is also highly capable of handling full-ray-traced lighting, as demonstrated in the new game Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition.
The RTX 4090 was tested in a number of games, including the popular game Shadow of the Tomb Raider. In a test with a 4K display at heightened refresh rates, the RTX 4090 saw a 74% improvement. In addition, it was able to improve performance in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla by 47%, and in Horizon Zero Dawn, it boosted the framerate by 107fps with the Ultra High preset.
The GeForce RTX 4090 supports the underlying Ada Lovelace architecture, which promises enhanced ray tracing performance. It also supports Shader Execution Reordering, which lets RTX 40 GPUs crunch numbers more efficiently. As for Metro Exodus’ performance, ray tracing accounted for a 25% decrease compared to non-RT performance. In contrast, the Ampere-based RTX 3090 Ti reduced from 83fps to 53fps in the same test. A loss of 36% is significant.
2. GeForce RTX 3080
Last Generation’s Best Overall Pick
The GeForce RTX 3080 is a high-end gaming GPU, delivering ultra-performance. It features enhanced RT Cores, Tensor Cores, streaming multiprocessors, and super-fast G6X memory for maximum speed and efficiency. It also features powerful Ampere power.
Powered by a new generation of Ampere architecture, GeForce RTX 3080 GPUs offer unmatched performance and efficiency. The new GPUs boast a staggering 68 CUDA cores, which triples from the GeForce RTX 2080. The tripled CUDA core count translates into three times the theoretical FP32 throughput.
In terms of price, the RTX 3080 is a little expensive compared to its closest competitors. But when you consider the price tag, the RTX 3080 is an excellent value for money. While it is not the cheapest graphics card, you can find similar cards for nearly double the price. And since it replaces the RTX 2080, the MSRP is reasonable.
The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a stunning addition to the Founders lineage. If you are interested in playing 4K games, this video card is an absolute monster. However, the Founders Edition is priced disproportionately higher than the GeForce RTX 3080.
Despite its size, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is quiet, cool, and quiet. It is another example of how Nvidia has carved out a position for itself in the graphics card market. And with its Founders Edition, you get a card that is almost flawless in every way.
3. Gigabyte’s RTX 3090 Ti Suprime X 24G
The MSI RTX 3090 Ti SuprimeX 24G graphics card is equipped with a powerful graphics processor and 24GB of GDDR6X memory. It also supports PCIe Express 4.0, which makes it ideal for gamers with demanding demands. It supports high frame rates and fluid gameplay up to 8K resolution.
This Gigabyte’s flagship graphics card has a boost frequency of 1905MHz and has more shaders than the reference design. It also has an impressive TGP of 465 Watts. Its cooler is larger and ten millimeters wider than the reference design. It also has a dual-BIOS that shuts off automatically when the graphics card’s temperature reaches 55degC.
If you’re a professional and count renders, the RTX 3090 Ti is the right choice. In our benchmarks, it was 5% faster in Blender 3.0 Open Data, a benchmark that tests performance of graphics cards. However, the Ti model’s boost in many applications may be a lagging factor.
This graphics card is incredibly thick. It measures 13.3 inches in length, 5.5 inches in width and 2.7mm in thickness. It won’t fit into an SFF gaming PC. The MSI RTX 3090 Ti Suprime X is one of the thickest graphics cards available.
The RTX 3090 Ti is the first graphics card in the industry to use a 16-pin PCIe power connector. While many other graphics cards use 8-pin PCIe power connectors, a 16-pin PCIe connector is more efficient and neatly tucked away.
The Gigabyte RTX 3090 Ti SuprimeX 24G graphics card is priced around $2,000. However, EVGA’s FTW3 Ultra is priced closer to $2,200. Although the difference between the two cards is not huge, it’s still worth keeping in mind that the RTX 3090 Ti is a powerful graphics card, with a 450W TDP.
The GeForce RTX 3090 Ti has more shader cores than any previous model. The new GPU is much faster than previous generations, and PC games have never looked so good. The 2nd-generation RT cores, as well as new stream multiprocessors, deliver 2x the performance of previous-generation cards.
4. Radeon RX 6800 X16G
Best Overall AMD GPU, Forget About DLSS and DXR
Radeon RX 6800 X16G graphics cards provide competitive and immersive 4K gaming experiences. Powerful, ultra-vivid visuals deliver elevated experiences in every game. Designed for gamers of all skill levels, these cards deliver the kind of performance that makes you want to play harder.
The new graphics card offers 16GB of memory. This is an impressive amount for a consumer card. The RX 6800 XT is a strong competitor to Nvidia’s RTX 3080, and is a worthy purchase if you’re planning on playing 4K games. However, if you don’t intend to play games at 4K, it may not be worth the extra money.
The AMD Radeon RX 6800 Xt features a triple fan cooling system. The card is able to cool itself using three fans, which are integrated into the GPU’s heatsink. The triple fans help keep the card cool and allow for increased bandwidth.
The RX 6800 XT is able to play games at 144Hz and 1080p at a high resolution. In the 1440p gaming benchmark, the AMD RX 6800 XT comes close to Nvidia’s RTX 3080, which is $1,499. However, it falls short in games where ray tracing is enabled. In games such as Control and Metro Exodus, full ray tracing makes games unplayable in many areas. The RX 6800 XT’s lack of DLSS does not make up for the performance gaps.
The RX 6800 XT is a good replacement for an aging Radeon RX 2080. It has a few advantages over its competitor, including a slightly greater IPC. However, a more competitive RX 6800 XT should be available before New Year’s.
5. Radeon RX 6700 XT
Excellent Performance at a Reasonable Price
The Radeon RX 6700 Xt is a budget graphics card with a lot of advantages. Its RDNA 2 GPU architecture adds ray tracing, which helps your GPU render light more realistically. Until now, this feature was only available for PC gamers with Nvidia’s RTX cards.
To test its performance, we ran a game like Doom Eternal. It’s an AAA first-person shooter with large environments, many NPCs, and complicated lighting effects. There’s no built-in benchmark, but we ran the game at multiple resolutions and frame rates, and the RX 6700 XT delivered a solid performance. In this benchmark, the RX 6700 XT exceeded the 60fps mark on the opening section of the first level.
The Radeon RX 6700 Xt features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory. The graphics card’s clock speed is 2321 MHz and can be boosted to 2581 MHz. It has 16 Gbps of effective memory bandwidth, which is more than enough for some 1440p games.
The Radeon RX 6700 Xt has a slimmer form factor than most of its predecessors, and it only features two fans to keep the GPU cool. As a result, it feels premium compared to its beefy siblings. But it lacks the sleek blower coolers that adorn the Nvidia 30-series GPUs. It has three DisplayPort 1.4 ports and one HDMI 2.1 port. The RX 6700 XT is better suited for ATX mini-sized PC builds.
8. Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Good for 1440p and Ray Tracing
Nvidia’s GeForce ‘RTX’ 3060 Ti graphics card uses the Ampere architecture, which is the second generation of the RTX architecture. It also features new streaming multiprocessors and enhanced Ray Tracing Cores. It also comes with high-speed G6 memory.
In our testing, we were able to play AAA games in 1440p resolution with the RTX 3060 Ti, with only minor framerate drops. In games such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Total War: Three Kingdoms, the RTX 3060 Ti managed to average around 55 fps. These results make the card an excellent choice for gaming. The price of the card is also very reasonable.
Both cards have a similar GPU, but the RTX 3060 Ti is faster. The GPU has more than 4,000 CUDA cores, which is more than double the RTX 2060. The new model also features improved ray tracing and tensor cores.
While the RTX 3060 Ti looks similar to its predecessor, the RTX 3070, the RTX 3060 Ti has a much larger cooling solution. Its dual fans work in tandem to keep the graphics card cool. The right fan pushes air through the card, while the left fan cools the GPU cores. It can also exhaust the air at the rear of the chassis.
The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a midrange graphics card, which means it is perfect for people who think the flagship cards are too expensive. As of this writing, the RTX 3060 Ti will be available starting December 2, 2020, and starts at $399. The RTX 3070 Ti was $349 a few months ago, so the new RTX 3060 Ti is an excellent value for this price.
The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GPU offers the latest in NVIDIA Ampere architecture with a blend of style and performance. The design is clean, minimalist and well balanced, with an integrated cooling system. It comes with two Axial-tech fans. They have a smaller hub and longer blades, and the barrier ring makes for increased downward air pressure. The card also supports G-SYNC display technology, which enables it to provide smooth variable refresh rate gaming.
9. GeForce RTX 3060
Great Bang for the Buck Without Breaking the Bank
Compared to the RTX 2060 Super and RTX 5700, the GeForce RTX 3060 will offer 15% more performance for the same price. This isn’t a bad deal, but the GeForce RTX 3060 isn’t an upgrade for mainstream gamers. There’s no denying the graphical quality of this new card, but it’s not enough to convince me to upgrade my gaming PC.
The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti features 12GB of GDDR6 memory, while the cheaper model has 8GB. This is a marketing move from Nvidia, which wants to compete with AMD’s higher VRAM offerings. Despite the lower memory capacity, the RTX 3060 Ti is still a superior graphics card.
The GeForce RTX 3060 is a great choice for those who need a high-end graphics card for gaming. It is also more affordable than its predecessor, the GTX 1060. If you’re a casual gamer, the GeForce RTX 3060 is a great choice, but it may be difficult to find stock at this price. Retailers may be tempted to mark up the price because the GPU market is so hot right now.
10. Radeon RX 6650 XT
Good Mainstream Performance, Weak RT
The AMD Radeon RX 6650 Xt is the best performing card in its class, offering the best 1080p gaming experience. This model adds four frame-per-second to gaming performance over the previous generation AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT. In fact, this graphics card is only slightly slower than NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU. For example, it averages 81FPS when playing Forza Horizon 5, while Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is more friendly to this GPU.
The Radeon RX 6650 Xt comes with a large feature set, including a ray-tracing GPU. However, the graphics card is not without its flaws. It shows occasional weaknesses in some games, including Resident Evil Village and Metro Exodus Enhanced. Nevertheless, it still managed to outperform the GeForce RTX 3060 in these games.
Unlike GeForce RTX 3060 and GeForce RTX 3070, the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XP has a lower price. While Nvidia has been leading with its top-end products, AMD is filling the gap with a lower-cost graphics card. The Radeon RX 6650 Xt is not a game-changer, but it is an excellent option for gamers who want to play games at 1080p or 1440p.
The GPU uses a new design that allows it to run cooler. This design also improves the performance of the GPU. The new card also comes with a dual-fan cooling system that ensures low temperatures and noise.
11. Radeon RX 6600
Best Overall Value
The Radeon RX 6600 is a new graphics card that is significantly faster than its predecessors. If you’re looking to buy a graphics card for a low price, the RX 6600 is the perfect option. But as with any other graphics card, there are pros and cons. Here are some factors to consider before buying.
The Radeon RX 6600 is based on the same physical GPU as its older cousin, the Radeon RX 6600 XT, and has 11.1 billion transistors. But the RX 6600 doesn’t have the four compute units found on the XT. Instead, it has 1,792 stream processors and 28 Ray Accelerator. The RX 6600’s memory interface is 128-bit wide. And it supports up to 14 Gbps of memory.
While the AMD Radeon RX 6600 isn’t the reference version, it is a capable gaming card that can play 1080p games. However, its ray-tracing performance is below par compared to its counterparts, and it cannot take advantage of NVIDIA’s DLSS technology, which uses AI to boost performance. Regardless of its drawbacks, the Radeon RX 6600 will last for a long time if used for less demanding games.
The AMD Radeon RX 6600 has the same price tag as the Nvidia RTX 3060 at $329. The performance of the new AMD graphics card is nearly identical to the Nvidia GPU, and you can expect to play games such as Far Cry 5, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Division 2 at well over 70 frames per second.
12. AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT
AMD’s Fastest GPU, for Now
The AMD Radeon RX 6950 Xt is a triple-slot video card with a 335 watt TDP. The card has one HDMI 2.1 port, two DisplayPort 1.4a ports, and a PCI-Express 4.0 x16 interface. It measures 267 mm x 120 mm x 50 mm, and is cooled by triple-slot fans. It launched at a price of 1099 US dollars.
The AMD Radeon RX 6950 Xt is designed for enthusiasts and features the Navi 21 graphics processor. It also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, ensuring full hardware raytracing. The card has 320 texture mapping units (TMUs), 128 ROPs, and 80 raytracing acceleration cores.
AMD and Nvidia have been battling each other in the market for a long time, and Nvidia was often the favored brand. However, AMD has caught up with their RDNA 2 cards in recent years and has now taken the performance crown. AMD is also planning to release a new flagship video card, the RTX 4090, which is expected to be significantly better than the RX 6950 XT.
13. GeForce RTX 2060
Decently Fast With Bargain Pricing
The GeForce RTX 2060 is a powerful gaming GPU with over 1,920 CUDA cores, 240 Tensor Cores, and 30 raytracing acceleration cores. This graphics card also boasts 6GB of GDDR6 memory and a 192-bit memory interface. It runs at 1365 MHz and has an effective memory bandwidth of 14 Gbps.
While the RTX 2060 isn’t as powerful as the GeForce RTX 2070, it has more memory bandwidth than the GTX 1070 and is able to maintain the same frame rate at high resolutions. In terms of power consumption, the 2060 is slightly more efficient, with a peak of 66oC. However, the 2060 still requires a decent power supply, which is slightly higher than the GTX 1070. The RTX 2060 is still an impressive graphics card, and it’s a much better value than the GTX 1070 or GTX 1080 Ti.
In addition to its speed and power, the GeForce RTX 2060 offers excellent DLSS capabilities. It is also backed by a comprehensive ecosystem of NVIDIA technologies, such as NVIDIA Ansel, which enables custom screenshots in hundreds of games, and NVIDIA Highlights, which allows users to record the most important gameplay moments in games. Additionally, GeForce Experience offers one-click Optimal Playable Settings, ShadowPlay gameplay recording, and GeForce Freestyle, which lets gamers adjust the look of games.
The GeForce RTX 2060 is an excellent choice for gamers who enjoy 1080p resolutions. It costs about $100 more than the GTX 1060, but the additional $100 will help you get more bang for your buck. The RTX 2060 also has the benefit of being future-proof. In terms of performance, the 2060 matches the GTX 1070 in terms of game performance.
14. GeForce RTX 3050
Good 1080p Graphics With DXR and DLSS
The GeForce RTX 3050 is a new high-end graphics card from Nvidia. It offers a huge boost in performance over the GeForce GTX 1650. Among its main features are its eight GB of standard GDDR6 memory and 143 teraflops of performance. In addition, it also features an Ampere architecture for 224 GB/s peak bandwidth.
The RTX 3050 is not the cheapest GPU, but it can be found at a lower price. In fact, it is more affordable than the RTX 2060, which is a higher-end model. However, due to the high demand for gaming graphics cards, the RTX 3050 will be sold out in a matter of weeks. The price of the card will remain relatively high until 2022, when it will be replaced by the RTX 2070 and 2060 Super. In addition to being priced well below the RX 6500 XT, the RTX 3050 is only adequate for 1080p AAA games. It will also struggle to keep up with high graphics settings in a few years.
The GeForce RTX 3050 has a 130W TDP and one 8-pin PCI Express power connector. However, some NVIDIA partners may add additional power connectors to the card. The card also features triple full-sized DisplayPorts (1.4a) and a single HDMI 2.1 output.
15. MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1650
Budget Gaming for Under $200
MSI’s new 1650 series graphics cards are based on Turing architecture and feature a cut down GPU and 4GB of GDDR5 (8 Gbps) memory. They also have a 128-bit wide bus and 896 active shader processors. This card also comes with a dual-slot TwinFrozr 7 cooler. MSI claims the card has a fan speed of up to 12,000 RPM. There is also a single power connector on the card.
The MSI GTX 1650 Gaming X 4G is based on the Turing TU117 GPU. It has four (1GB) GDDR5 RAM modules from Micron and 16x PCIe 3.0 connectors. This card features MSI’s Twin Frozr 7 cooling system and features 90mm fans for better airflow than previous models.
The MSI GeForce GTX 1650 is a budget-friendly gaming graphics card with award-winning Turing architecture that delivers brilliant visuals and smooth performance in the most popular games. It’s also incredibly fast in many modern titles, and you can overclock it with the included software. The MSI GeForce GTX 1651 D6 GAMING X PLUS comes factory overclocked for a faster performance in OC mode. In addition to a dual-fan cooling system, the GeForce GTX 1650 D6 GAMING X PLUS features DisplayPort and HDMI connectivity for seamless compatibility with most modern displays.
MSI’s GeForce GTX 1650 is built on award-winning “TU117” silicon from NVIDIA and has a base clock speed of 1400 MHz. It also features a 128-bit memory bus and a new Turing architecture for faster graphics.
Great Alternatives
Choosing the Best Graphics Cards For Your PC
Despite the high price tag, AMD’s Radeon HD 7970 has 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM, making it the best graphics card for gaming. This is an incredible amount of VRAM and is ideal for demanding games or simulators. Even heavily modded games like Microsoft Flight Simulator can eat up a lot of VRAM. So, while AMD’s top-end card is priced at nearly $1000, you can still get a good graphics card for under $500.
When it comes to features, AMD has some great cards on the market. The GeForce RTX 3070 is one of the best gaming graphics cards, offering 1440p gaming and more. However, it struggles to maintain a 60 FPS in some games, so you need to decide how much VRAM you need. When it comes to VRAM, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 has the most. A card with this much memory is ideal for demanding games like Microsoft Flight Simulator, and even a heavily modded game like World of Tanks.
When it comes to price, AMD has long had a competitive edge over Nvidia in the high-end graphics card market. While AMD has lower-priced cards, the former has the best performance-to-price ratio. Its RX 6800 XT is the best graphics card for gaming right now. Compared to the RTX 3080, it’s neck-and-neck with the RTX 3080 in 1440p and Watch Dogs: Legion on Ultra settings, it’s the clear winner.
If your budget is tight, a more affordable option is the AMD Radeon HD 7970. This card has 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM, which is significantly more than any other graphics card on the market. It is an excellent choice for demanding games and simulations. If you’re looking to save money, you should purchase a card with 16GB of GDDR6X. Its low price is worth the performance.
Choosing the right graphics card for your needs can be a daunting task, but luckily, AMD and Nvidia produce new series of graphics cards every two years. The new generation of graphics cards usually has better cores, memory, and bandwidth, but it is also more expensive. For this reason, it’s always wise to compare different models. Those that are similar in price are likely to be the best option for your needs.
When shopping for a graphics card, don’t forget to look for the maximum VRAM it supports. This is essential for games that require high resolution, including most simulators. Additionally, a high-end graphics card with more VRAM is better for gaming, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s website to find out which one has the highest VRAM. It’s also wise to consider the size of the monitor you’re using, as it can limit the size of the screen.
If you’re looking to play games on your PC, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the right graphics card. A high-end card will offer the highest resolutions, but a low-end model won’t drive high frame rates at 4K resolution. Regardless of the type of game you’re playing, you’ll want to select the best graphics card for your needs. A great graphics card will improve your gaming experience, as it can boost your PC’s performance and boost its framerate.