12 best graphics cards in 2024: tested and review | Digital Trends (2024)

If you want peak performance, you need one of the best graphics cards in your gaming PC. We've reviewed every release from AMD and Nvidia, as well as Intel's latest offerings, to find the best GPUs for everything from light 1080p gaming to maxed-out 4K gaming with ray tracing enabled.

Now is a great time to score a deal on a graphics card as we're winding down the current generation. If you don't mind waiting, however, it might be worth holding out on picking up a GPU. We expect to see new graphics cards launch this year or early next year. Nvidia has its RTX 50-series GPUs, AMD is working on its RDNA 4 offerings, and Intel's Battlemage graphics cards are right around the corner.

If you're new to graphics cards and PC gaming in general, make sure to check out our guide on how to install a graphics card and on the best GPU deals currently available.

The best graphics cards at a glance

• Nvidia RTX 4070 Super: The best graphics card for most people.
• Nvidia RTX 4080 Super: The best GPU to pick up if you have a 4K gaming monitor.
• AMD RX 7900 XTX: An excellent alternative to the RTX 4080 Super.
• AMD RX 7900 GRE: The best graphics card AMD has released this generation.
• AMD RX 7700 XT: A great value-focused GPU for 1440p gamers.
• AMD RX 7600: The cheapest GPU from AMD.
• Nvidia RTX 4060: A great GPU for 1080p gaming due to DLSS 3.
• Nvidia RTX 4090: The fastest graphics card money can buy.
• AMD RX 7900 XT: An excellent GPU for VR due to DisplayPort 2.1.
• Intel Arc A750: A budget GPU that punches far above its weight class.
• Nvidia RTX 4070 mobile: More than enough for a gaming laptop.
• Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti Super: A great option if the RTX 4080 is too expensive.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super

The best graphics card for gaming

Why should you buy this: It's much faster than the original model, and it comes in at the same price.

Who's it for:Midrange to high-end gamers looking for a GPU that can handle the most demanding games at 1440p.

What we thought of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super:

The RTX 4070 was already a great graphics card, but Nvidia made it even better with a Super refresh. This new version is between 10% and 15% faster than the base model based on our testing, and it still comes with all of the features that made the original version so impressive.

Now, you're getting frame rates at the target resolution that are consistently above 100 fps, and often much more. On top of that the RTX 4070 Super has enough power to press up to 4K, assuming you make a few compromises in the most demanding games. It's the Swiss Army Knife of graphics cards, filling its duty as a gaming workhorse in just about any situation.

It comes with Nvidia's excellent DLSS 3.5, as well. It's a huge asset in games like Alan Wake 2 with path tracing turned on, and it can make demanding games more playable at 4K. Between DLSS 3, solid raw performance, and an attainable price, the RTX 4070 Super nails a sweet spot that most graphics cards miss.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super

The best graphics card for 4K gaming

Why should you buy this:The RTX 4080 Super is expensive, but it feels tailor-made for 4K gaming.

Who's it for:4K gamers who need above 60 fps in the most demanding games.

What we thought of the Nvidia RTX 4080 Super:

The original RTX 4080 was a bit of a disappointment due to its high price, but the RTX 4080 Super corrects that. Coming in at $200 less, it's the premium 4K gaming graphics card that we've been begging for, and it delivers stable performance across a wide swath of games.

Although the RTX 4080 Super isn't quite as powerful as the RTX 4090, features like DLSS 3 help fill in the gap. That makes ray tracing possible at 4K, even at high frame rates. DLSS isn't new, but the addition of frame generation and ray reconstruction on the RTX 4080 Super can massively boost your frame rate in demanding titles.

The card is big and bulky, but unlike the RTX 4090, it doesn't require a ton of power. It stays at the same wattage as the previous generation, and in real-world use, it actually consumes about 50W less.

For video editing, it's tough to beat the RTX 4080. Although there are better value options for gaming, Nvidia still has a massive lead in video editing, and it accelerated tasks in apps like Adobe After Effects and DaVinci Resolve in a way that AMD graphics cards just can't.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX

The best AMD graphics card for 4K gaming

Why should you buy this: It offers some of the best 4K gaming performance you can find today, and at a reasonable price.

Who’s it for: High-end gamers who need high frame rates, but don't care much about ray tracing.

What we thought of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX:

The lineup of current-gen GPUs all have one thing in common: they're expensive. That makes choosing the best GPU tough, but AMD has a compelling offer this time around. The RX 7900 XTX offers flagship performance at an excellent value amid the inflated landscape of GPU prices right now.

For raw performance, the RX 7900 XTX is capable of running the most demanding PC above 60 frames per second (fps), and in the case of titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn, it can even hit around 100 fps. It can go toe-to-toe with the RTX 4080 Super, though it has lost some rankings since Nvidia dropped the price of its 4K GPU.

In addition, it's smaller, and it calls for standard 8-pin power rather than the 12-pin connector featured on Nvidia's most recent GPUs. That doesn't mean the RX 7900 XTX is without faults. It gets loud and it runs hot and compared to Nvidia, it lacks prowess in ray tracing games.

Even with those caveats, the RX 7900 XTX is an excellent graphics card that can power high-end gaming in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE

The best AMD graphics card

Why should you buy this: It's the best AMD graphics card we've seen this generation.

Who's it for: Gamers who want great 1440p and 4K performance and don't care much about ray tracing.

What we thought of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE:

The AMD RX 7900 GRE seems like a mistake. The card was originally released in China several months ago, and it never seemed like it would come to the U.S. Now, it's finally here, and with a bargain bin price of $550.

It's a direct response to Nvidia's competition at around this price, delivering slightly better performance than the RTX 4070 Super overall for a lower price. In our review, we call it the best AMD GPU we've seen this generation. It manages to match the RTX 4070 Super at a lower price, while outclassing the RTX 4070 by around 15% at the same price.

For frame chasers, the RX 7900 GRE is the best GPU at this price. The main reason the RX 7900 GRE loses out from a top slot is the RTX 4070 Super - for a slight premium, you have access to better ray tracing performance and DLSS.

AMD RX 7700 XT

The best graphics card for 1440p

Why should you buy this: It's a great deal with recent price drops.

Who's it for: Gamers who want 1440p gaming in the triple digits without breaking the bank.

What we thought of the AMD RX 7700 XT:

As we've seen with a lot of 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 a great price considering the performance. Based on our testing, it's around 23% faster than Nvidia's competing RTX 4060 Ti, and that includes games with ray tracing.

Although Nvidia has some excellent GPUs at other price points this generation, there aren't a ton of options around $400. The RX 7700 XT fills that gap perfectly. It offers much better performance than the Nvidia competition at this price, and it even nears the performance level of the $550 RTX 4070 in some titles.

The RX 7700 XT is best if you're on a strict budget, however. A slightly more expensive card like the RX 7800 XT or RTX 4070 Super gains you a lot of extra performance at 1440p. For those trying to stay under $400, though, nothing beats the RX 7700 XT.

AMD Radeon RX 7600

The best graphics card under $300

Why should you buy this: It's a solid 1080p graphics card at a reasonable price.

Who’s it for: 1080p gamers on a tight budget.

What we thought of the AMD Radeon RX 7600:

The RX 7600 isn't a showstopper graphics card, but it's the closest we've seen to a true budget offering this generation. Arriving art $270, the GPU offers above 60 fps in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p.

That's what you want out of a graphics card under $300. The RX 7600 manages to meet, and often exceed, the 60 fps mark for demanding titles at 1080p. It also supports AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), so it can scale up to higher frame rates in titles like Starfield and Alan Wake 2.

The card only really loses out when it comes to ray tracing. AMD cards aren't great when it comes to ray tracing, and this budget-focused offering doesn't change that story. It can handle some lighter ray tracing in games like Resident Evil 4, but you'll need to turn off the feature in anything more demanding.

Nvidia RTX 4060

The best graphics card for 1080p

Why should you buy this: It's the cheapest way to unlock Nvidia's impressive DLSS 3 tech.

Who’s it for: Budget gamers who still want access to the latest tech.

What we thought of the Nvidia RTX 4060:

Although the RX 7600 remains our recommendation for 1080p gamers on a budget, the RTX 4060 is still a potent option. It offers similar performance at a $30 premium, but spending a little extra unlocks faster ray tracing performance and Nvidia's coveted DLSS 3.5.

The frame generation can make a massive difference. At this price, you wouldn't expect to run Cyberpunk 2077 above 60 fps at 1440p, but DLSS 3 allows the RTX 4060 to hit almost 100 fps with ease. It doesn't apply in every game, but you'll appreciate the frame generation when it pops up.

Nvidia's tech is the main draw to the RTX 4060. But if you're looking for raw value, the RX 7600 offers similar and sometimes better performance for around the same price, and Intel's Arc A750 is off the charts when it comes to value. The RTX 4060 falls behind those options if you ignore Nvidia's advantage in ray tracing and frame generation.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090

The best graphics card for AI

Why should you buy this: It's the most powerful graphics card you can buy today, hands down.

Who’s it for: High-end enthusiasts that want the best of the best regardless of price.

What we thought of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090:

The RTX 4090 is a nonsense graphics card, and we mean that in the best way possible. It's $1,600, which is hard to justify spending on any graphics card. But if you want the best of the best, the RTX 4090 is it, and by a significant margin.

The previous GPU champion, the RTX 3090 Ti, looks puny by comparison. Based on 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 it comes with some high demands. You'll need a power supply with a lot of wattage, and you'll need a case to accommodate the card's massive size. It's a reasonable trade-off for high-end enthusiasts, though, especially with features like DLSS 3 on offer.

On top of that, it's an absolute monster when it comes to AI. The massive GPU helps, but the real draw is 24GB of VRAM for running Large Language Models (LLM) and other AI applications.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT

The best graphics card for VR

Why should you buy this: It's a powerful 4K GPU, and it supports DisplayPort 2.1 for high-end VR headsets.

Who's it for: VR enthusiasts who want to drive high-end headsets.

What we thought of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT:

The AMD RX 7900 XT wasn't a great GPU when it released, but it's become much better since. It's seen a wave of price drops, bringing the $900 list price down to around $700. It's a great buy at that price, espeically if you're in the market for high-end VR gaming.

The big reason the RX 7900 XT stands out so much is its DisplayPort 2.1 support. High-end VR headsets often come with insane resolutions and refresh rates, which require DisplayPort 2.1. The RX 7900 XT is able to work 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 grunt to play most demanding games at 4K and 60 fps. You may have to turn down settings in a few titles, but those situations should be few and far between.

Intel Arc A750

The best graphics card under $200

Why should you buy this: It's a great graphics card for the price, minus a few bugs.

Who's it for: Gamers looking for a great deal that don't mind dealing with a few bugs.

What we thought of the Intel Arc A750:

Intel's Arc A750 has gotten much better since launch, now sporting 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 enticing now that Intel has slashed the A750's price to $250.

AMD usually is the budget alternative to Nvidia, and although that's still true, Nvidia has been the way to go if you want to turn on ray tracing. The Arc A750 has competitive ray tracing, unlike its AMD counterparts, meaning it can truly go toe-to-toe with the RTX 3060.

On top of that, the card also supports Intel's XeSS upscaling feature, which uses AI to upscale your games and improve performance. It's not available in a ton of games, but Intel should add support in more titles over the coming months.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 mobile

The best graphics card for laptops

Why should you buy this: It's the sweet spot of Nvidia's current mobile lineup of GPUs.

Who's it for: Gamers on the go that need the perfect balance of power.

What we thought of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 mobile:

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. It's available in a massive number of laptops, including the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Razer Blade 14, and all of them offer great performance at a 1440p resolution.

What's most impressive about the RTX 4070 mobile, however, is that it's scalable. You can pump it with power in a large, 16-inch laptop for a small performance boost, but the efficiency of the GPU means it has a home in thinner machines like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

It also has access to DLSS 3.5, making things like ray tracing possible on a laptop. You won't find the RTX 4070 available in more budget-focused machines, but if you have the cash to spare, it definitely strikes the perfect balance of efficiency and power for a laptop.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super

The best graphics card with DLSS 3

Why should you buy this: It's only OK on its own, but the RTX 4070 Ti Super shines with DLSS 3.

Who's it for: Gamers who want flagship performance but don't have an unlimited budget.

What we thought of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super:

The RTX 4070 Ti wasn't a perfect graphics card. The RTX 4070 Ti Super corrects some of the mistakes of the base model, however. It comes in at the same $800 price, but with a solid 10% boost in performance over the base model. Still, what really stands out for this GPU is DLSS 3.

DLSS 3 adds DLSS Frame Generation, allowing you to massively improve your frame rate in games like Atomic Heart, Cyberpunk 2077, and, Warhammer 40:000: Darktide. It's exclusive to Nvidia's most recent generation, and although DLSS 3 isn't available in every game, it's a selling point in the few demanding titles that feature the tech.

In standard performance, the RTX 4070 Ti Super delivers 4K gaming performance on the level of last-gen flagships, narrowly beating out cards like the RTX 3090. It's still a very powerful GPU, even if it's a bit expensive for the current generation. The good news is that this Super refresh has pushed prices down to the $800 list price.

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