The world of PC gaming demands a powerful graphics card to deliver breathtaking visuals and smooth gameplay. With so many GPUs available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. We’ve scoured the market, reviewing every graphics card released in recent generations from industry leaders like Nvidia, AMD, and Intel. Based on our extensive testing and analysis, here are the 12 standout GPUs that deserve your attention.
Now is a prime time to find incredible deals on graphics cards as we approach the end of the current generation. However, if you’re not in a hurry, it might be wise to hold off on purchasing a GPU. We anticipate the launch of new graphics cards later this year or early next year, with Nvidia’s RTX 50-series, AMD’s RDNA 4 offerings, and Intel’s Battlemage graphics cards on the horizon.
If you’re new to the world of graphics cards and PC gaming, be sure to check out our guide on how to install a graphics card and our comprehensive guide on the best GPU deals currently available.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super:
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Why You Should Buy It:
The RTX 4070 Super is a significant upgrade over the original model, offering enhanced performance at the same price.*
Who It’s For:
Gamers seeking a midrange to high-end GPU capable of handling demanding games at 1440p resolution.*
Our Thoughts:
The RTX 4070 was already a fantastic graphics card, but the Super refresh takes it to the next level. In our testing, it consistently delivers a 10% to 15% performance boost over the base model while retaining all the features that made the original version so impressive. Now, you’ll enjoy frame rates consistently above 100fps, often significantly higher. The RTX 4070 Super boasts enough power to push up to 4K resolution, albeit with some compromises in the most demanding titles. It’s truly a versatile GPU, excelling as a gaming workhorse in virtually any situation. It even outperforms AMD’s RX 7800 XT, despite being slightly more expensive. Additionally, it benefits from Nvidia’s excellent DLSS 3.5 technology, which shines in games like Alan Wake 2 with path tracing enabled, making even demanding titles playable at 4K. The combination of DLSS 3, robust raw performance, and an attainable price makes the RTX 4070 Super a standout choice, exceeding expectations in a way that many other graphics cards fail to achieve.Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super:
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Why You Should Buy It:
The RTX 4080 Super may be expensive, but it’s a perfect match for 4K gaming.*
Who It’s For:
Gamers who prioritize 4K gaming and require frame rates above 60fps in the most demanding titles.*
Our Thoughts:
While the original RTX 4080 suffered from its high price, the RTX 4080 Super remedies this issue. At $200 less, it represents the premium 4K gaming graphics card we’ve been eagerly anticipating, and it delivers consistent performance across a wide range of games. While not as powerful as the RTX 4090, features like DLSS 3 help bridge the gap, making ray tracing possible at 4K, even at high frame rates. The card is large and bulky, but unlike the RTX 4090, it doesn’t require excessive power. It maintains the same wattage as the previous generation, and in real-world usage, it actually consumes about 50W less. For video editing, the RTX 4080 is tough to beat. Although there are better value options for gaming, Nvidia remains the undisputed leader in video editing, significantly accelerating tasks in applications like Adobe After Effects and DaVinci Resolve, a feat that AMD graphics cards simply cannot match.AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX:
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Why You Should Buy It:
The RX 7900 XTX delivers some of the best 4K gaming performance available today at a reasonable price.*
Who It’s For:
High-end gamers seeking high frame rates without prioritizing ray tracing.*
Our Thoughts:
The current generation of GPUs shares one common trait: high prices. This makes choosing the best GPU challenging, but AMD presents a compelling option. The RX 7900 XTX offers flagship performance at an exceptional value in the current inflated GPU market. In terms of raw performance, the RX 7900 XTX effortlessly runs the most demanding PC games above 60 frames per second (fps), and in titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn, it can even reach around 100fps. It goes head-to-head with the RTX 4080 Super, although it has dropped a few positions in the rankings since Nvidia lowered the price of its 4K GPU. It’s also smaller and uses standard 8-pin power rather than the 12-pin connector found on Nvidia’s latest GPUs. However, the RX 7900 XTX isn’t without flaws. It can get loud and run hot, and compared to Nvidia, it lacks proficiency in ray tracing games. Even with these drawbacks, the RX 7900 XTX remains an excellent graphics card capable of powering high-end gaming in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077.AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE:
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Why You Should Buy It:
The RX 7900 GRE is the best AMD graphics card we’ve seen this generation.*
Who It’s For:
Gamers who prioritize great 1440p and 4K performance without placing a high value on ray tracing.*
Our Thoughts:
The AMD RX 7900 GRE seems like a stroke of brilliance. Originally released in China several months ago, it initially seemed unlikely to reach the US market. Now, it’s finally here, priced affordably at $550. It’s a direct response to Nvidia’s competition in this price range, delivering slightly better performance than the RTX 4070 Super overall for a lower price. In our review, we declare it the best AMD GPU of this generation. It manages to match the RTX 4070 Super at a lower price, while outperforming the RTX 4070 by around 15% at the same price. For frame rate enthusiasts, the RX 7900 GRE is the best GPU in this price bracket, and we highly recommend it over the base RTX 4070. The main reason the RX 7900 GRE falls short of the top spot is the RTX 4070 Super – for a slight premium, you gain access to superior ray tracing performance and DLSS.AMD RX 7700 XT:
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Why You Should Buy It:
It’s an exceptional value, especially with recent price drops.*
Who It’s For:
Gamers who want triple-digit frame rates at 1440p without breaking the bank.*
Our Thoughts:
As with many AMD GPUs this generation, the RX 7700 XT is a much better buy now than it was at launch. You can find it for around $380, which is an incredible price considering its performance. Based on our testing, it’s approximately 23% faster than Nvidia’s competing RTX 4060 Ti, including games with ray tracing. While Nvidia offers some excellent GPUs at other price points this generation, there aren’t many options around $400. The RX 7700 XT flawlessly fills that gap, offering significantly better performance than Nvidia’s competition in this price range, and it even approaches the performance level of the $550 RTX 4070 in some titles. The RX 7700 XT is ideal for those on a strict budget, however. Slightly more expensive cards like the RX 7800 XT or RTX 4070 Super deliver a noticeable performance boost at 1440p. For those seeking a sub-$400 option, nothing beats the RX 7700 XT.AMD Radeon RX 7600:
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Why You Should Buy It:
It’s a solid 1080p graphics card at a reasonable price.*
Who It’s For:
1080p gamers on a tight budget.*
Our Thoughts:
The RX 7600 may not be a groundbreaking graphics card, but it comes closest to a true budget offering this generation. Priced at $270, the GPU delivers over 60fps in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p. That’s what you expect from a graphics card under $300. The RX 7600 consistently meets and often surpasses the 60fps mark for demanding titles at 1080p. It also supports AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), allowing it to scale up to higher frame rates in games like Starfield and Alan Wake 2. The card’s main weakness lies in ray tracing. AMD cards haven’t excelled in ray tracing, and this budget-focused offering doesn’t change that narrative. It can handle some lighter ray tracing in games like Resident Evil 4, but you’ll need to disable the feature in anything more demanding.Nvidia RTX 4060:
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Why You Should Buy It:
It’s the most affordable way to unlock Nvidia’s impressive DLSS 3 technology.*
Who It’s For:
Budget gamers who still desire access to the latest technologies.*
Our Thoughts:
While the RX 7600 remains our top recommendation for 1080p gamers on a budget, the RTX 4060 is still a formidable option. It offers comparable performance at a $30 premium, but spending a bit extra unlocks faster ray tracing performance and Nvidia’s highly sought-after DLSS 3.5. The frame generation feature can make a significant difference. At this price, you wouldn’t expect to run Cyberpunk 2077 above 60fps at 1440p, but DLSS 3 allows the RTX 4060 to reach almost 100fps with ease. While not applicable to every game, you’ll appreciate the frame generation when it’s available. Nvidia’s technology is the primary draw to the RTX 4060. But if you prioritize raw value, the RX 7600 delivers comparable and sometimes superior performance for a similar price, and Intel’s Arc A750 is remarkably value-driven. The RTX 4060 falls behind these options if you disregard Nvidia’s advantage in ray tracing and frame generation.Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090:
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Why You Should Buy It:
It’s the most powerful graphics card you can buy today, hands down.*
Who It’s For:
High-end enthusiasts seeking the best of the best regardless of price.*
Our Thoughts:
The RTX 4090 is a graphics card that defies reason, and we mean that in the most positive way possible. At $1,600, it’s a hard pill to swallow for any graphics card. But if you demand the absolute pinnacle of performance, the RTX 4090 is it, and by a significant margin. The previous GPU champion, the RTX 3090 Ti, pales in comparison. In our testing, the RTX 4090 is nearly 70% faster than the RTX 3090 Ti and almost 90% faster than the RTX 3090. It’s a 4K graphics card that enables features like ray tracing in the most demanding games available today. It’s overkill for most people and comes with some hefty requirements. You’ll need a power supply with ample wattage and a case large enough to accommodate the card’s massive size. However, for high-end enthusiasts, it’s a reasonable trade-off, especially with features like DLSS 3 on offer. Furthermore, it’s an absolute beast when it comes to AI. The massive GPU certainly helps, but the real draw is the 24GB of VRAM for running Large Language Models (LLM) and other AI applications.AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT:
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Why You Should Buy It:
It’s a powerful 4K GPU, and it supports DisplayPort 2.1 for high-end VR headsets.*
Who It’s For:
VR enthusiasts who want to drive high-end headsets.*
Our Thoughts:
The AMD RX 7900 XT wasn’t a stellar GPU at launch, but it’s significantly improved since then. It has experienced a wave of price drops, bringing the $900 list price down to around $700. At this price, it’s a fantastic deal, especially for those seeking high-end VR gaming. The RX 7900 XT’s primary standout feature is its DisplayPort 2.1 support. High-end VR headsets often boast insanely high resolutions and refresh rates, necessitating DisplayPort 2.1. The RX 7900 XT is compatible with these headsets due to its connection. It’s no slouch of a GPU, either. Although the RX 7900 XTX is more powerful for 4K, the RX 7900 XT has enough horsepower to play most demanding games at 4K and 60fps. You may need to lower settings in a few titles, but those situations should be rare.Intel Arc A750:
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Why You Should Buy It:
It’s an excellent graphics card for the price, with a few bugs.*
Who It’s For:
Gamers seeking an incredible deal who are willing to work around a few bugs.*
Our Thoughts:
Intel’s Arc A750 has significantly improved since launch, now boasting solid DirectX 9 support and much faster drivers. It has always been competitive with Nvidia’s RTX 3060 while costing around $100 less, but it looks even more appealing now that Intel has reduced the A750’s price to $250. AMD typically serves as the budget alternative to Nvidia, and that remains true, but Nvidia has been the preferred option if you want to enable ray tracing. The Arc A750 offers competitive ray tracing, unlike its AMD counterparts, meaning it truly goes toe-to-toe with the RTX 3060. Furthermore, the card supports Intel’s XeSS upscaling feature, which uses AI to upscale your games and enhance performance. While not available in many games yet, Intel is expected to add support to more titles in the coming months.Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile:
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Why You Should Buy It:
It’s the sweet spot of Nvidia’s current mobile lineup of GPUs.*
Who It’s For:
Gamers on the go who need the perfect balance of power.*
Our Thoughts:
If you want the ultimate mobile gaming experience, it’s hard to beat the RTX 4070 mobile. It’s not the fastest laptop graphics card Nvidia currently offers, but it’s by far the best overall. It’s available in a wide array of laptops, including the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Razer Blade 14, and all of them deliver exceptional performance at a 1440p resolution. What’s truly impressive about the RTX 4070 mobile, however, is its scalability. You can boost its power in a large, 16-inch laptop for a slight performance gain, but the GPU’s efficiency allows it to thrive in thinner machines like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. It also has access to DLSS 3.5, enabling features like ray tracing on a laptop. You won’t find the RTX 4070 in more budget-friendly machines, but if you have the financial means, it strikes the perfect balance of efficiency and power for a laptop.Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super:
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Why You Should Buy It:
It’s only okay on its own, but the RTX 4070 Ti Super shines with DLSS 3.*
Who It’s For:
Gamers who desire flagship performance but don’t have an unlimited budget.*
Our Thoughts:
The RTX 4070 Ti wasn’t a perfect graphics card. The RTX 4070 Ti Super addresses some of the base model’s shortcomings. It comes in at the same $800 price but boasts a solid 10% performance boost over the base model. Still, the standout feature for this GPU is DLSS 3. DLSS 3 adds DLSS Frame Generation, allowing you to dramatically improve your frame rate in games like Atomic Heart, Cyberpunk 2077, and Warhammer 40:000: Darktide. It’s exclusive to Nvidia’s latest generation, and while DLSS 3 isn’t available in every game, it’s a significant selling point in the few demanding titles that feature the technology. In standard performance, the RTX 4070 Ti Super delivers 4K gaming performance on par with last-gen flagships, narrowly outperforming cards like the RTX 3090. It’s still a very capable GPU, even if it’s a bit pricey for the current generation. The good news is that this Super refresh has pushed prices down to the $800 list price.Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the best graphics card for most people?
For the majority of gamers, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super represents the sweet spot between performance and price. It offers excellent 1440p gaming and can even handle 4K gaming with some compromises.
What graphics card is best for 4K gaming?
For the ultimate 4K experience, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super stands out as the top choice. It’s designed specifically for 4K gaming and delivers impressive frame rates in demanding titles.
What graphics card is best for VR gaming?
If you’re serious about VR gaming, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the best option. It supports DisplayPort 2.1, which is crucial for driving high-resolution VR headsets.
What is the best budget graphics card?
The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the most affordable option for 1080p gaming, offering solid performance at a budget-friendly price.
What is the best graphics card for ray tracing?
Nvidia currently holds the lead in ray tracing performance, with their DLSS 3 technology significantly boosting frame rates in ray tracing-enabled games. The RTX 4070 Super and RTX 4080 Super are excellent choices for ray tracing.
