Introduction
For those who’re constructing a high-performance PC for gaming or artistic work, then a graphics card is usually crucial element to contemplate. However what’s one of the best graphics card you should purchase?
It’s close to not possible to guage a graphics card solely on its spec sheet, so our workforce of specialists have made certain to place every graphics card to the check, with a slew of industry-standard benchmark checks and in-game evaluations.
We additionally be certain to check options comparable to ray tracing, DLSS and FSR when reviewing a graphics card, whereas additionally noting the ability consumption to see the way it will have an effect on your vitality payments.
Don’t see a graphics card you want? Then be certain to return at a later date, as we’re presently within the means of testing graphics playing cards such because the Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX.
And in the event you’re searching for extra particular choices, then be certain to take a look at our Greatest Nvidia graphics card roundup.
Greatest graphics playing cards at a look
How we check
Each graphics card we evaluate goes via a sequence of uniform checks designed to gauge key issues together with efficiency, options, thermals, energy consumption and overclockability.
These embrace formal artificial benchmarks with third-party software program, plus a sequence of in-games checks from among the most up-to-date AAA PC titles, with optimised picks for each AMD and Nvidia.
We additionally be certain to make use of the GPU for on a regular basis duties and gaming to ensure there aren’t any real-time efficiency points.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
Strongest graphics card
Execs
- Strongest graphics card but
- Unbelievable 4K gaming efficiency
- DLSS 3 provides substantial enhance
- Very good possibility for content material creators
Cons
- Absurdly excessive worth
- Overkill for many video games, even in 4K
- Very excessive energy consumption
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is the very first graphics card to launch from the brand new RTX 4000 Collection, and it’s additionally essentially the most highly effective GPU we’ve ever examined.
Within the overwhelming majority of video games we examined, it was able to hitting over 100fps at a 4K decision. It’s much more spectacular for eSports video games comparable to Overwatch 2, because it practically reached a 500fps efficiency. You may’t get these sorts of speeds wherever else.
We additionally discovered that the brand new DLSS 3 software program helps to spice up body charges even additional for suitable video games, permitting for a smoother efficiency in Cyberpunk 2077 when set to a 4K decision with ray tracing activated. And whereas the RTX 4090 is arguably overkill for many players, it’s a improbable possibility for content material creators that have to render 3D fashions at a lightning tempo.
The RTX 4090 gained’t be for everybody because it prices an absolute fortune and in addition has a excessive energy consumption as well. However in the event you’re craving the quickest efficiency potential from a graphics card, then that is your best possibility.
Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Full evaluate: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 evaluate

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
The very best worth graphics card for 4K gaming
Execs
- Wonderful 4K efficiency
- Ray tracing is superior
- Far cheaper than RTX 2080 Ti
- HDMI 2.1 assist
Cons
- Very energy hungry
- Not massively overclockable
The Nvidia RTX 3080 is one of the best worth graphics card for 4K gaming. Whereas the brand new RTX 4090 GPU is considerably sooner, it’s additionally overkill for many players and ridiculously costly. The RTX 3080 is a good possibility for individuals who wish to play video games in Extremely HD, however don’t wish to spend effectively over a grand.
The Nvidia RTX 3080 managed to play each Management and Battlefield V in 4K, throughout our newest checks, with a efficiency over 60fps with their graphics maxed. On prime of that, the RTX 3080 Ti usually solely renders video games round 5-10 frames sooner than the bottom RTX 3080 in 4K with ray tracing and DLSS on. Whereas these beneficial properties aren’t to be ignored, we nonetheless suggest most patrons go for the far more fairly priced RTX 3080 because it represents superior worth.
Nonetheless, our checks did present that the cardboard can run a bit of scorching and, based mostly on our expertise, doesn’t have a lot room for overclocking. Smaller builds will even wish to keep away from it as a result of card’s excessive thermals, which exceeded 90 levels frequently when taking part in demanding titles in our check rig’s open case. This, plus its massive dual-fan design, make it an ungainly match for smaller builds.
You also needs to keep in mind that the RTX 3080 has now been changed with the RTX 4080. Whereas we haven’t examined this new card but, we all know it’s constructed on the brand new Lovelace structure and boasts extra CUDA Cores than its predecessor. Consequently, we suggest ready for our RTX 4080 evaluate earlier than taking the plunge.
Reviewer: Alastair Stevenson
Full evaluate: Nvidia RTX 3080 evaluate

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
Greatest graphics card for 1440p gaming
Execs
- Wonderful 1080p and 1440p efficiency
- Smaller design than RTX 3080
- Wonderful worth
Cons
- No actual room for overclocking
- Makes use of older VRAM
For those who’re not that bothered about 4K or have a 1440p monitor as a substitute, then the Nvidia RTX 3070 is one of the best graphics card we’d suggest to players. The cardboard shares the identical Ampere structure and high-end options as its dearer sibling, however isn’t fairly as highly effective.
Throughout testing, we couldn’t reliably get demanding video games (like CyberPunk 2077) operating in 4K with ray tracing on and the graphics settings maxed. However with ray tracing off, the cardboard typically carried out excellently and proved improbable worth for cash. Elden Ring ran easily in 1080p, 1440p and 4K with zero challenge, as did Cyberpunk 2077 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderland.
Nonetheless, we discovered the RTX 3070 typically performed video games round 15-20 fps slower than the RTX 3080. This meant video games, together with Cyberpunk 2077 and Management, didn’t constantly hit 60fps when ray tracing was activated, averaging between 40-50fps throughout our checks. These body charges are nonetheless comfortably playable, however they don’t supply the sleek expertise you get on the dearer RTX 3080.
The compromise is forgivable because the 3070 additionally manages to outperform its AMD rival’s efficiency. Placing the RTX 3070 face to face with the marginally cheaper AMD RX 6700XT, the Nvidia card was consistently 10fps forward in our in-game benchmark checks. This provides as much as make it our beneficial card for a 1440p decision, and anybody who doesn’t care about ray tracing in 4K.
However earlier than you hit checkout, it could be value ready for our evaluate of the next-gen Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti, which ought to see an excellent higher efficiency at a barely dearer worth.
Reviewer: Alastair Stevenson
Full evaluate: Nvidia RTX 3070 evaluate

Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti
Greatest graphics card for 1080p gaming
Execs
- Stable 1080p Ray Tracing efficiency
- Lowest energy consumption of all Ampere playing cards
- Least expensive present gen’ card available on the market
Cons
- Nonetheless not massively overclockable
- Solely 20% cheaper than an RTX 3070
For those who nonetheless use an 1080p gaming monitor, then each the RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 are overkill choices based mostly on our expertise. As a substitute, we suggest choosing the cheaper RTX 3060 Ti. This isn’t the most affordable Nvidia card we’ve examined, with the RTX 3050 costing significantly much less. However the RTX 3060 Ti is the most affordable we’ve benchmarked to supply dependable post-60fps efficiency with ray tracing on in 1080p.
The cardboard shares the identical perks and structure because the RTX 3070, with the principle modifications being reductions to its clock speeds and basic specs. Particularly, it has much less tensor cores and RT cores (the components of the cardboard that run ray tracing and DLSS).
However we didn’t discover any severe points operating video games in 1080p. The graphics card ran each sport in our checks, even with ray tracing activated and their graphics settings maxed out. Management zoomed alongside at 84fps and Borderlands 3 by no means dipped beneath 60fps. Consequently, we’d say that is the cardboard to get in the event you care about ray tracing and different cutting-edge options, however are nonetheless gaming at a 1080p decision.
The one draw back is that the Founders Version mannequin we examined continues to be pretty massive, making it a poor match for ITX builds. If that’s what you’re after, you’re higher off checking a single-fan card, just like the Nvidia RTX 3050, regardless of often struggling to hit 60fps, even in 1080p, throughout our checks.
Reviewer: Alastair Stevenson
Full evaluate: Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti evaluate

AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
Greatest price range graphics card
Execs
- Sturdy 1080p efficiency
- Low energy consumption
- Wealth of options for Ryzen builds
Cons
- Struggles with ray tracing with out FSR activated
- Not as highly effective as Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti
The AMD RX 6600 XT is our present prime beneficial card for these on a strict price range. It’s the most affordable possibility in AMD’s earlier technology and is constructed on the identical RDNA 2 structure as its dearer siblings.
Throughout our checks, we discovered the cardboard can’t match the efficiency of Nvidia’s dearer RTX 3060 Ti, particularly on the subject of ray tracing. However for the worth, it’s nonetheless a really succesful card for 1080p gaming.
Fashionable video games, together with Doom Everlasting, Future 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 all ran over 60fps in our 1080p benchmarks, whereas FSR suitable titles (like Godfall) can see the efficiency boosted even additional because of some upscaling smarts.
For those who don’t care about sky-high body charges or ray tracing when taking part in video games in 1080p, the budget-friendly worth makes the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT a strong alternative. Nonetheless, AMD RDNA 3 graphics playing cards are proper across the nook, so it could be value ready for his or her launch earlier than settling for one in every of AMD’s current choices.
FAQs
Ray tracing is a sophisticated rendering know-how that may create reasonable lighting and shadow results. Solely trendy GPUs and choose video games assist this know-how.
DLSS is Nvidia’s temporal picture upscaling know-how which boosts the body fee efficiency of supported video games with out compromising on the picture high quality. Solely Nvidia’s RTX 20-Collection, 30-Collection and 40-Collection GPUs assist the know-how.
Lovelace is Nvidia’s newest GPU structure.