Best graphics card 2024

2 months ago 90

What is the best graphics card for gaming? Shopping for a new GPU can mean wading through an often baffling set of numbers in specs lists, as well as weighing up the pros and cons of the different feature sets from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel. That’s where we can help, as we’re not only genuine PC hardware enthusiasts who know our stream processors from our stream decks, but we’re also gamers.

Your choice of GPU will have a bigger impact on your gaming experience than any other PC component and by a long, long way. Yes, it’s always worth making sure you have the best gaming CPU in your system, as well as the best gaming RAM you can afford, but it’s the mighty graphics card that really sits on the throne in your gaming rig, so you need to make sure you nail this choice.

Your GPU is the primary driving force behind the frame rate in your games, and it also determines the resolution and graphics settings you’ll be able to use, including ray tracing and some GPUs are much better at handling these settings than others. There are also features that are exclusive to Nvidia GeForce and AMD Radeon GPUs, such as Nvidia DLSS and AMD FSR, which also need to be considered.

We’ve tested all the graphics cards listed in this guide in a number of different games ourselves, so we can say authoritatively which GPU you should buy for your needs, and why. There are also some new GPUs looming on the horizon, with Nvidia’s new RTX 5090 soon expected to be the new king of the graphics card world, and the new RTX 5080 hopefully offering decent 4K gaming performance for a much cheaper price when it launches.

The new AMD RDNA 4 GPU lineup is also expected to launch later in 2025, although AMD is rumored to be mainly focusing on mid-range performance rather than high-end 4K gaming with this range.

In the meantime, these graphics cards are the very best ones you can buy for gaming right now, with prices starting at just $249.99 for a great 1080p card, and going all the way up to the mammoth Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 if you want to play games at 4K with all the eye candy enabled.

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Best graphics card in 2024:

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super specifications:

GPU die	AD104
CUDA cores	7,168
Tensor cores	224
RT cores	56
Base clock	1,980MHz (1.98GHz)
Boost clock	2,475MHz (2.48GHz)
VRAM	12GB GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth	504GB/s
TDP	220W

Reasons to buy

RTX 4070 Ti-like performance for $600
Better value than RTX 4070
DLSS 3 support

Reasons to avoid

Rasterization performance could be better
Can’t quite cope with 4K gaming

The GeForce RTX 4070 Super is a remarkable midrange graphics card. It gives you unparalleled ray tracing performance for its price and isn’t bad at rasterization either. Naturally, frame rates for both types of rendering get significantly boosted thanks to Nvidia DLSS 3, to say nothing of its unbeaten image quality via upscaling.

The non-super GeForce RTX 4070 is still available to buy for less, but going for the GeForce RTX 4070 Super will ultimately provide more bang for your buck. You’re getting GeForce RTX 4070 Ti-like performance, which is hard to argue with.

The main pitfall of the GeForce RTX 4070 Super is its VRAM capacity, topping out at just 12GB. This is more often than not enough for both 1080p and 1440p, but it can sadly present problems at higher resolutions, such as 4K.

Read our GeForce RTX 4070 Super review.

AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

Best graphics card under $500

AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT specifications:

GPU die	Navi 32 XT
Stream processors	3,840
RT cores	60 (Second Gen.)
Base clock	1,624MHz (1.62GHz)
Game clock	2,124MHz (2.12GHz)
Boost clock	2,430MHz (2.43GHz)
VRAM	16GB GDDR6
Memory bandwidth	624GB/s
TBP	263W

Reasons to buy

Unparalleled memory bandwidth for $500
Smashes the GeForce RTX 4070 in rasterized scenarios
Better value than the Radeon RX 7700 XT

Reasons to avoid

Large ray tracing performance gaps vs the RTX 4070
Still no sign of FSR 3 frame generation
Some generational downgrades

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT may have been a long time coming, but it was certainly worth the wait. For those who aren’t too fussed about ray tracing, this is the graphics card to get.

With 16GB of VRAM attached to a 256-bit memory interface, you get a decent memory configuration for the money. This uniquely positions the 7800 XT as the only card at the $500 mark that’s capable of 1080p, 1440p, and even some 4K gaming.

It’s the more sensible buy vs the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, given that there’s only $50 separating the two. In our testing, the RX 7800 XT actually beat the more expensive RTX 4070 at every resolution up to 4K with ray tracing disabled, sometimes by as much as 17% on average. However, as soon as ray tracing effects enter the frame, it falls behind and has no answer for DLSS 3 either.

Read our AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT review.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE

Best mid-range graphics card

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE specifications:

GPU die	Navi 31XL
Stream processors	5,120
RT cores	80
Game clock	1,880MHz
Boost clock	2,245MHz
VRAM	16GB GDDR6
Memory bandwidth	256-bit
TBP	260W

Reasons to buy

Amazing price for the spec
Beats RTX 4070, even in ray tracing
16GB of memory

Reasons to avoid

Not hugely quicker than RX 7800 XT
FSR can’t compete with quality of DLSS
Super is faster at ray tracing

Previously exclusive to the Chinese market, the sudden international launch of the Radeon RX 7900 GRE (the GRE stands for Golden Rabbit Edition) has shaken up the mid-range GPU arena. This graphics card is based on the same Navi 31 GPU used in AMD’s top-end Radeon RX 7900 XT and XTX, but with some of the parts disabled, and it’s an immensely powerful GPU for the price, even if it has much lower clock speeds than AMD’s two front runners.

At $550, it has the same MSRP as the Nvidia RTX 4070, but the 7900 GRE eats the RTX 4070 for breakfast in every way, even including ray tracing in most of our game tests. If you don’t turn on ray tracing, the RX 7900 GRE is even faster than the more expensive RTX 4070 Super. AMD has priced this GPU aggressively, and the outcome is a $550 GPU that nails all our game tests at 2,560 x 1,440 and can also cope with some 4K gaming, thanks to its 16GB of VRAM.

The only downer is that AMD’s FSR upscaling technology can’t compete with Nvidia’s DLSS Super Resolution when it comes to image quality, and AMD’s FSR 3 frame generation tech isn’t supported by nearly as many games as Nvidia’s DLSS 3 frame generation. Plus, the market is now very crowded in this price segment. If you can’t go higher than $550, the Radeon RX 7900 GRE is the card to buy right now.

Read our AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE review.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090

Best ray tracing graphics card

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 specifications:

GPU die	AD102
CUDA cores	16,384
Tensors cores	512 (Fourth Gen.)
RT cores	128 (Third Gen.)
Base clock	2,235MHz (2.24GHz)
Boost clock	2,520MHz (2.52GHz)
VRAM	24GB GDDR6X
Memory bandwidth	1,008GB/s
TDP	450W

Reasons to buy

Unmatched ray tracing performance
24GB GDDR6X VRAM
Excellent 4K gaming option

Reasons to avoid

Intimidatingly expensive
Requires a suitably big PC case
Worse value than RX 7900 XTX in rasterization

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is an absolute monstrosity of a graphics card, in every sense of the word. There is no other GPU out there that can compete with its price, performance, or size.

If you’re the kind of person who wants to play the best PC games at the highest settings, at the biggest resolution, and with minimal fuss, the RTX 4090 is for you. That is, of course, if you can stomach its staggeringly high $1,599 MSRP and have room enough in your case to house it.

Ray tracing or rasterization, the RTX 4090 cannot be beaten, especially when combined with the frame rate boosting powers of DLSS 3. It isn’t the best value option in the RTX 40 series, but that’s nothing new when it comes to flagships.

Read our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 review.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super

Best graphics card under $1,000

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super specifications:

CUDA cores	10,240
RT cores	80
Base clock	2.29GHz
Boost clock	2.55GHz
VRAM	16 GB GDDR6X
Memory bandwidth	256-bit
TBP	320W

Reasons to buy

Best ray tracing speed under $1,000
Excellent rasterization frame rates
Supports DLSS 3

Reasons to avoid

Slightly slower than RX 7900 XTX outside ray tracing
Small gains vs original RTX 4080
Large generational price jump

The RTX 4080 Super replaces the original RTX 4080, providing a slightly higher level of performance but, more importantly, a significantly more affordable price tag. With an MSRP of $999, there is simply no better GPU out there for less than a grand.

The only graphics card capable of outperforming the RTX 4080 Super in ray tracing is the much more expensive RTX 4090, making it the best choice for RT effects if you’re hoping to spend around $1,000. This does still make it much more expensive than the RTX 3080, but its value remains high.

The RTX 4080 Super is slower than the RX 7900 XTX in standard rasterization, but this gap isn’t nearly as wide as when ray tracing enters the picture for these two cards. Combined with DLSS 3, though, we’re talking a whole new level of performance.

Read our GeForce RTX 4080 Super review.

AMD Radeon RX 7600

Best cheap graphics card

AMD Radeon RX 7600 specifications:

Stream processors	2,048
RT cores	32 (Second Gen.)
Base clock	1,720MHz (1.72GHz)
Game clock	2,250MHz (2.25GHz)
Boost clock	2,655MHz (2.66GHz)
VRAM	8GB GDDR6
Memory bandwidth	288GB/s
TBP	165W

Reasons to buy

Less than $300
Surprisingly good rasterization performance
Decent TBP

Reasons to avoid

8GB of VRAM
Subpar ray tracing performance
No answer to DLSS Frame Generation

If your budget can’t stretch to a midrange graphics card, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the way to go. There isn’t a perfect GPU in the budget space right now, but the Radeon RX 7600 is the least compromised option for the money.

Both the RX 7600 and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 come with just 8GB of VRAM. This capacity is fine for esports titles at 1080p but can create problems when higher-resolution textures are enabled. Naturally, 1440p and 4K are off the table for this GPU.

Given its low price, we’re surprised how perky this pixel pusher is in the right circumstances. Frame rates are impressive at 1080p with ray tracing disabled, largely beating the GeForce RTX 4060, although we don’t recommend turning on ray tracing effects in demanding games with this graphics card.

Read our AMD Radeon RX 7600 review.

How to choose a graphics card

The first step to figuring out which graphics card is right for you is the same as every other component: budget. The RTX 4090 is only the fastest option for your system if you can afford it, and knowing how much you can spend on a pixel pusher will help greatly narrow down your options.

Your target resolution, frame rates, and rendering priorities should also guide you. While Nvidia GeForce graphics cards will offer superior ray tracing performance, AMD Radeon GPUs may provide greater value in standard rasterization.

You can get a general sense of what frame rates you can expect from each graphics card performing at different resolutions by reading our reviews. Here are some guiding principles though, to get you started:

1080p: 60 and 600 class graphics cards (e.g. RTX 4060 and RX 7600).
1440p: 70 and 700/800 class graphics cards (e.g. RTX 4070 and RX 7800 XT)
4K: 80/90 and 900 class graphics cards (e.g. RTX 4090 and RX 7900 XTX)

FAQs

What does a graphics card do?

Graphics cards are an essential component of any PC, especially gaming PCs. It’s your graphics card that enables your PC to render and display images. They play a huge role in a PC’s ability to play any specific game.

The more powerful graphics cards use ray tracing technology and AI to process information as quickly as possible and make your games visually stunning.

What is VRAM?

VRAM is an acronym for ‘video random access memory’ and refers to the built-in memory used by graphics cards. Its purpose is to provide your GPU with a separate, high-speed pool of memory that it can use to store data.

More VRAM at your disposal is always a positive as it makes your system less reliant on standard RAM to plug any gaps should your graphics card’s capacity become saturated, thereby reducing the chance of stutters. However, capacity is only part of the story, with the speed of your GPU’s memory and its bus width influencing memory bandwidth.

Most modern graphics cards now come with at least 8GB of VRAM which is usually enough for 1080p gaming, with some exceptions. Higher-quality effects and textures demand higher pools of video memory, though, so we’d suggest opting for a 12GB option if you can afford it.

For those of you gaming at 1440p, 16GB is ideal but 12GB will suit you for the most part. Likewise, 20GB is recommended for 4K, but 16GB will serve.

What is ray tracing?

Ray tracing refers to real-time light tracing to produce more realistic and higher-quality lighting effects than typical rasterized techniques. It has several use cases, including improved shadows, ambient occlusion, reflections, and global illumination.

The first ray-tracing-capable graphics cards arrived in 2018, with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 20 series. AMD joined in on the fun with its Radeon RX 6000 series in 2020, with Intel following with its Arc discrete GPUs in 2022.

Toggling on ray tracing options greatly increases GPU load and can dramatically impact frame rates. As such, it’s typically wise to use them in conjunction with performance-enhancing tools such as Nvidia DLSS, AMD FSR, or Intel XeSS.

What is rasterization?

Rasterization is the process through which 3D models are converted into the pixels you see on the screens of the best gaming monitors. The better a graphics card is at doing this, the smoother your experience of playing your favorite games – when done well, games will look fantastic, when done poorly, games can look blurry and washed out.

Is a GTX or RTX graphics card better?

GeForce RTX graphics cards offer a more feature-rich experience than those sporting a GTX badge and provide superior performance. Comparing GPUs of the same class (e.g. a GTX 1080 against an RTX 2080) will always favor the newer RTX model.

The main distinctions between GTX and RTX graphics cards are ray tracing and DLSS support. Every RTX GPU is capable of using DLSS Super Resolution to boost frame rates via upscaling, in addition to improving visuals through ray-traced effects. Meanwhile, GTX pixel pushers don’t have access to either.

As such, we don’t recommend picking up a GTX graphics card if it can be helped as RTX options provide better value.

Does ray tracing work on all games?

Real-time ray tracing has only been a part of games since 2018, meaning that every game released before then won’t feature the technology unless it’s been patched in since then. However, it’s not a given that every game release after that time will feature ray-traced effects.

Many big games, such as Fortnite and Cyberpunk 2077 offer ray-tracing options, and the number of examples continues to grow. With the advent of RTX Remix, it won’t be long before many classics join newer releases in basking in the light of ray tracing.