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The new generation is here - these are the best graphics cards on the market right now
The discrete sales of the best graphics cards may be down, but that may be about to change. We're hot on the heels of the RTX 4070 releasing, and we now know when the 4060 family will launch. Now that budget buyers are about to get their turn, things might heat up a bit. Not only that but AMD's next entries into the RX 7000 series are heavily rumored to be dropping soon too. Demand may be down compared to previous years, but that means stock levels are much more readily available if you are looking to upgrade. With that said, we've rounded up the best graphics cards for gaming down below.
The latest releases from AMD and NVIDIA feature A.I. upscaling technology, ray tracing support, and can handle high frame rates in 4K. They also might require you to make some serious space in your PC case, especially if you're keen to get an RTX 4090, which is genuinely enormous. Form factor and power requirements are also things to keep note of since an entry-level RTX 3050 will take up far less space than a 4090 that requires a tonne of power to boost your rig into the realms of the best gaming PCs imaginable.
It's worth noting that the newest GPUs are the least friendly on your wallet, although compared to the record-high prices of the 30 series during the pandemic years, we can't complain. The 40 Series cards in particular offer great value compared to last generation, with each new entry offering the last gen's tier-above performance. Meanwhile, AMD is undercutting prices to try and get a foothold on the market. Either way you choose to go, you might be able to find the latest and greatest options without blowing a hole in your pocket.
We're currently working on a review of the Intel Arc A770, so be sure to check back with us to see how it fares on the leaderboard below.
The best graphics cards in 2023
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The best graphics card bar none
Specifications
GPU cores: 16,384
Graphics processor: AD102
Base clock: 2235 MHz
Boost clock: 2520 MHz
Memory: 24GB GDDR6X
Memory clock: 1313 MHz
Memory bandwidth: 21 Gbps
Memory bus: 384-bit
Reasons to buy
+ Best in class performance Not as expensive as the RTX 3090 Ti DLSS 3 with Frame Generation is incredible
Reasons to avoid
- Still wildly expensive 12VHPWR power connection CPU might throttle real-world performance
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is simply put, the best consumer graphics card on the market by a pretty wide margin. It runs circles around the last-gen flagship RTX 3090 Ti and easily chews through any game we throw at it, no matter the settings.
Thanks to a 4nm GPU, the RTX 4090 packs in 52% more graphics processing CUDA cores than the RTX 3090 Ti, and it also runs 43% faster than the RTX 3090 Ti as well — all while drawing the same amount of power as the last-gen card.
In terms of gaming performance, it’s the only graphics card that can confidently game at a native 4K resolution with ray tracing without the help of DLSS. It’s more than 50% faster on average than the RTX 3090 Ti, and with DLSS 3 with full frame generation, the RTX 4090 can get as much as double the frame rate achieved with last gen’s DLSS 2.0.
This is the kind of card that will be able to keep up with the latest titles for many years to come, making it a worthwhile investment. Performance like this doesn’t come cheap, by any means, but if you want the absolute best graphics card out there in terms of raw performance, you won’t find better.
Read more: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 review
The best high-end GPU for gamers
Specifications
GPU cores: 6144
Graphics processor: Navi 31
Base clock: 1855 MHz
Boost clock: 2499 MHz
Memory: 24GB GDDR6
Memory clock: 2500 MHz
Memory bandwidth: 20 Gbps
Memory bus: 384-bit
Reasons to buy
+ Insane performance for money Extremely powerful GPU More affordable than the competition Isn't obnoxiously large
Reasons to avoid
- Ray Tracing isn't as good as the competition No DLSS
The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX had a lot of pressure on its shoulders when it hit the shelves. The latest flagship from Nvidia's biggest competitor needed to be strong to reinstate AMD as a genuine option. After all, PC gamers have heard nothing but demand for Nvidia's 30 Series for the last two years.
AMD's latest flagship is undoubtedly one of the best graphics cards you can buy right now. It undercuts the price RTX 4080 and more importantly, outperforms it. Where Nvidia's cards are pricey, the AMD Radeon 7900 XTX is remarkably affordable in comparison. Where the RTX 4090 is inconveniently large, AMD's heaviest hitter is compact and practical. In all honesty, if it weren't for the obscene power of the RTX 4090, the RX 7900 XTX would be the best GPU out there.
For under a grand (or slightly over when you get to any given retailer), this GPU is pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Yes, there are added bonuses to getting a 40 Series GPU that has superior ray tracing and DLSS 3. But with something this powerful, you won't miss those Nvidia benefits in the slightest.
Don't skip this. Most people, especially gamers, won't need an RTX 4090, so there's no point spending all that money on one. For that type of buyer, this is the graphics card to get.
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The best value high-end GPU
Specifications
GPU cores: 5376
Graphics processor: Navi 31
Base clock: 1500 MHz
Boost clock: 2394 MHz
Memory: 20GB GDDR6
Memory clock: 2500 MHz
Memory bandwidth: 20 Gbps
Memory bus: 320-bit
Reasons to buy
+ Great 4K performance More affordable than the RTX 4080
Reasons to avoid
- The 7900 XTX offers better performance for only ~$150 more
At an MSRP of only $899 in the US and a lowest price of £859 in the UK, the 7900 XT comes in ~$150 cheaper than the XTX. That means it's significantly cheaper than the RTX 4080 while offering similar performance. In short, this is an amazing graphics card for folks who want the best gaming performance on the market at the lowest possible price.
Reviewing the RX 7900 XT was a joy, albeit a bit repetitive after the 7900 XTX. They have a lot of the same strengths, weaknesses, and in truth, the 7900 XT suffers by being in its beefier sibling's shadow. At the higher end of the GPU price range, it's hard to imagine someone not being willing to save just $100 more to get superior performance in the form of the XTX. Regardless, if budgets are just too tight, this is probably the best value performer you'll find.
This GPU has amazing 4K capabilities for the money and smashes 1440p frame rates out of the park. Its ray tracing is strong too, although there obviously isn't DLSS or Nvidia's RT cores here. Regardless, this outperforms the 4070 Ti in terms of raw power and doesn't have to rely on those things to stay competitive.
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Best 1440p GPU
Specifications
GPU cores: 5888
Graphics processor: AD104
Base clock: 1920 MHz
Boost clock: 2475 MHz
Memory: 12GB GDDR6X
Memory bandwidth: 504 Gbps
Memory bus: 192-bit
TDP: 200W
Reasons to buy
+ Great in-game performance Some respectable 4K frame rates Lovely design Performance is not far off a 4070 Ti and it's way cheaper
Reasons to avoid
- PNY model is one of the more expensive ones 4060 Ti is on the way with more VRAM
PNY's Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 feels like an authentic entry in the Lovelace line-up that was overdue after the unattainable prices of the last few years. With the 60 family so close to launch though, and more VRAM being a tempting prospect for less money, there's an interesting buying decision to be made here.That said, the 4070 blows any reason to buy the 4070 Ti out of the water.
Being the centre of the 40 Series family, it'd be all too easy for the 4070 to suffer from middle child syndrome - identity crises where it's the jack-of-all-resolutions and master of none. I don't see it that way at all though, and just in case my last sentence didn't have enough cliches for you, here's another. The RTX 4070 feels like a happy medium in the Lovelace line-up, and to me, that means it's a success.
The RTX 4070 is capable of excellent gaming performance at 1440p, and is probably the best value prospect for that resolution until we get our hands on the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti. More than that, it'll give you really respectable 4K frame rates for your money. Even when that 12GB of GDDR6X VRAM gets swallowed up, the classic Ray Tracing Cores and DLSS tricks Nvidia has up its sleeve will bail it out when needed.
I think it might end up being one of the best of the Lovelace lot when the full range is accounted for.
5. Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti
The best last-gen graphics card for most gamers
Specifications
GPU Cores: 4,864
Graphics processor: GA104
Base Clock: 1,410 MHz
Boost Clock: 1,665 MHz
Memory: 8GB GDDR6
Memory clock: 14 Gbps
Memory bandwidth: 448.0 GB/s
Memory bus: 256-bit
Reasons to buy
+ Takes advantage of 8GB memory Outperforms the RTX 2080 models Makes the most of ray tracing
Reasons to avoid
- Don't expect top-performance in 4K
The RTX 3060 Ti offers performance that was previously thought impossible from an entry-level graphics card only three years ago. The benchmarks don't lie; this video card runs circles around the RTX 2080 Super (the previous high-end GPU to beat) while costing half as much. It really is that simple.If you want to marry price to performance up and down this list, this is honestly one of the best options to go for. the 3050 is solid for budget buyers, but if you can stretch to the 3060 or 3060 Ti, we'd recommend doing so, since it will give you a bit more futureproofing.
Now, 4K is more than possible, but won't be the RTX 3060's strong suit. While achieving UHD visuals is doable, it's geared more towards higher frame rates in 1440p and steamrolling through Full HD games pushed to their absolute limit. Again, that's not to say that the GPU can't benefit from Ultra HD, especially with the benefits of DLSS, but it's not a card built with it this resolution in mind.
If you can find the RTX 3060 Ti for a fair price online, then it's going to be ideal for the vast majority of PC gamers.
6. AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
The best last-gen AMD graphics card
Specifications
GPU cores: 4,608
Graphics processor: Navi 21
Base clock: 1825 MHz
Boost clock: 2250 MHz
Memory: 16GB GDDR6
Memory clock: 16 Gbps
Memory bandwidth: 512.0 GB/s
Memory bus: 256-bit
Reasons to buy
+ Built on RDNA 2 architecture Fast performance in 1440p and 4K 16GB VRAM for futureproofing
Reasons to avoid
- Doesn't quite rival the RTX 3080
At release, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT was poised to take on Nvidia's RTX 3080, and while this card doesn't quite take that GPU's crown, it does position itself as one of the best graphics cards from AMD. In 1440p, there are definitely instances where the RX 6800 XT is neck and neck with the RTX 3080, such as in Watch Dogs: Legion at Ultra settings, though 4K is where the divide starts to show the most.
The ray tracing capabilities of the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT may be admittedly disappointing when stacked up with the higher-end Nvidia GPUs, though, it's in that extra VRAM where the speed of Team Red's video card starts to shine. We're starting to see more Radeon-optimized games demand upwards of 11GB of VRAM, which only the RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3090 are capable of at the time of writing, in titles such as Far Cry 6 with HD textures. This is a big jump, and it's likely that we'll see more developers in the near future wanting to utilize upwards of 12GB in this current PC gaming generation we're in.
7. AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
The best budget graphics card
Specifications
GPU cores: 2,048
Graphics processor: Navi 23
Base clock: 1968 MHz
Boost clock: 2589 MHz
Memory: 8GB GDDR6
Memory clock: 16 Gbps
Memory bandwidth: 256.0 GB/s
Memory bus: 128-bit
Reasons to buy
+ Holds its own against RTX 3060 Seriously fast clock speeds Built for high FPS in 1080p
Reasons to avoid
- Still using 8GB VRAM Its ray tracing isn't great
The RX 6600 XT is built first and foremost with being one of the best graphics cards for PC gamers aiming for fast frame rates in 1080p. It's been geared in the marketing primarily towards the Esports crowd, as the competitive games in the circuit may not be too visually demanding, but require super-high FPS to compensate. The RX 6600 XT is a decent rival to Nvidia's base RTX 3060 model, however, if you're thinking of picking this GPU up for 1440p performance then you may need to cast a wider net in the field of AMD.
While the RTX 3060 Ti generally does ray tracing in Full HD better, the benchmarks for the RX 6600 XT really do speak for themselves. AMD published the full list online, where the GPU managed well above 70 FPS in the likes of Far Cry 6, Hitman 3, Resident Evil Village, Deathloop, and more. If you've wanted to max out the latest titles in Full HD, then this video card will serve you well.
The best entry-level graphics card
Specifications
Graphics processor: GA106
GPU cores: 2560
Memory type: GDDR6
Memory: 8GB
Memory bus width: 128-bit
Reasons to buy
+ 8GB memory Decent 1080p and 1440p performance Ray tracing support
Reasons to avoid
- Reliant on DLSS for higher resolutions and frame rates
The RTX 3050 is the newest budget Ampere video card designed with 1080p60 in mind, making it perfect for those budget-minded PC gamers in 2022. Armed with the same 8GB GDDR6 memory that you'll find in pricier RTX 30-series GPUs in our roundup, the RTX 3050 is the best budget graphics card that you can get right now.
The RTX 3050 gets a lot right and accurately achieves its 1080p60 goal while pushing Nvidia's latest technologies in full force.
In our testing, we found that even more demanding titles such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Control, and Metro Exodus ran at a rock-solid 60 FPS with ray tracing and DLSS enabled in Full HD. 1440p is also decent in many games, though it's usually going to be a toss-up between having visual fidelity and performance, as a 60 FPS average normally means disabling ray tracing and going heavier on the DLSS upscaling options.Regardless of how you push to that that smooth frame rate, this video card can keep up well under most circ*mstances.
You need to keep your expectations in check, of course, as the RTX 3050 is a wallet-friendly GPU designed to replace the likes of the perennially popular GTX 1650 and 1660 lines. 4K is on the cards here, it will just mean your frame rate isn't as high as you may want. If you need a budget GPU that still gives you ray tracing, then you really can't go wrong. The RTX 3050 launched with an MSRP of $250, and at the time of writing, you can find RTX 3050 stock for around the $300 mark if you know where to look.
- Read more: RTX 3050 review
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A capable, albeit pricey higher-end GPU
Specifications
GPU cores: 7680
Graphics processor: AD104
Base clock: 2310 MHz
Boost clock: 2610 MHz
Memory: 12GB GDDR6X
Memory clock: 2500 MHz
Memory bandwidth: 20 Gbps
Memory bus: 192-bit
Reasons to buy
+ Alright 4K performance Better 1440p performance DLSS 3.0 and ray tracing cores
Reasons to avoid
- AMD's flagships are better, faster, stronger DLSS 3.0 acts as a get-out-of-jail-free card Sets a precedent for 40 series over-pricing 12GB is swallowed up easily in 4K
The PNY variant of the RTX 4070 Ti offers a decent price point for this controversial GPU. Although it's harder to recommend this card over the regular 4070, or indeed its AMD rivals that have more VRAM, this is the most affordable high-end Nvidia RTX 40 series card, so it currently offers an affordable route into the best ray tracing performance and DLSS 3.
Initial pricing controversies aside, the 4070 Ti performs great at 1440p, with some fairly manageable 4K performance thanks to its reliance on DLSS. With only 12GB, 4K performance isn't going to be the best without DLSS - Control in 4K, max settings barely scrambled up to 30fps.
While we can recommend the 4070 Ti as a strong graphics card for gaming, we'd do so with the caveat that it might give an inadvertent vote with your wallet. If you think GPUs are too expensive, a purchase of the 4070 Ti will only tell Nvidia that you support its high prices. For those who don't know, this board was originally the 12GB model of the RTX 4080. When it was "unlaunched" and repurposed into the 4070 Ti, it was given a $100 price drop despite having completely unchanged specs. This exposed Nvidia a bit, seeing as it could still make a profit after charging $100 under what it originally wanted to.
We'd recommend AMD's flagships over this any day, but the 4070 Ti still offers high-end in-game performance for much cheaper than last generation.
The best last-gen graphics card, all things considered
Specifications
GPU cores: 8,704
Graphics processor: GA102
Base clock: 1440 MHz
Boost clock: 1710 MHz
Memory: 10GB GDDR6X (FE)
Memory clock: 1188 MHz
Memory bandwidth: 19 Gbps
Memory bus: 320-bit
Reasons to buy
+ Built with 4K firmly in mind Far more affordable than RTX 3080 Ti Now available in 10GB and 12GB versions
Reasons to avoid
- Harder to find since RTX 3080 Ti launch
Until we're done testing the new 4080, the RTX 3080 is still a big one to beat. Having said that, it's getting harder to recommend with every minute that passes given that the RTX 4080 is readily available. As long as you're aware of that, we can proceed.
This Ampere GPU proved super-fast 4K gaming on PC, and gives the best performance for your money against the 3090. With the 4080 now on the shelves you may find it start to get cheaper, and more discount-prone, so that's something to keep an eye on.
Even in 2022, there's nothing that the RTX 3080 can't achieve in 4K, especially when factoring in the benefits of DLSS for the less-well optimized titles on the platform. The numbers are suitably self-evident too. If the RTX 3070 base model could outperform the RTX 2080 Ti (at least in many conditions) then the RTX 3080 absolutely decimates those figures.
A truly fantastic video card, and one that's built to last you through the next few years at the very least
However, for most circ*mstances, the RTX 3080 hasn't just been a flagship GPU, it's a once-in-a-decade performance boost that the majority of players still haven't been able to experience. Also worth considering, is the improved thermal design of the Founders Edition model, and comparatively low temperatures when stacked up against some other RTX 30 series models, meaning it'll tick over like a watch for many years to come.
Read more: RTX 3080 review
11. Nvidia RTX 3090
Still one of the best GPUs if you can afford it
Specifications
GPU cores: 10,496
Graphics processor: GA102
Base clock: 1395 MHz
Boost clock: 1695 MHz
Memory: 24GB GDDR6X
Memory clock: 19.5 Gbps
Memory bandwith: 936.2 GB/s
Memory bus: 384-bit
Reasons to buy
+ 24GB VRAM A behemoth for 4K and even 8K Huge bandwidth
Reasons to avoid
- Very expensive It's massive New-gen is here
The RTX 3090 can easily be considered one of the most powerful video cards, and best graphics cards, ever made, even with the 4090 now on the shelves. The BFGPU utilizes 24GB of GDDR6X memory for unparalleled 4K, and even 8K, performance later down the line. While we test some of the 40 Series cards, we'd still recommend this with the same caveats we provided for the RTX 3080. There is a newer version of this card out, and while it's pricier and harder to get a hold of, it is the newly crowned monarch of the NVIDIA cards. With that out of the way, we can proceed.
When it comes to getting value for money, this GPU sure seemed steep when it was originally released in September 2020. However, considering the sheer power at your disposal here, the RTX 3090 more than justifies its original MSRP. All of that power could honestly be deemed as overkill, since this graphics card is built with the future in mind. This is evidenced by the fact that you're getting a roughly 10% performance increase in 4K over the RTX 3080. With that said, there's nothing else on the market that can compare to what it can do.
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How we test graphics cards
At GamesRadar, we take an encompassing approach to testing the best graphics cards with a strict set of benchmarking tools before the GPUs end up on our list. First and foremost, we use the likes of 3DMark for quantified and comparable figures in our extensive write-ups. Secondly, and arguably most importantly, we use demanding games with ray tracing enabled, if applicable, to see how the graphics cards hold up in real-world performance.
You can find out how we test graphics cards in our full GamesRadar Hardware Policy.
Best graphics cards: Frequently asked questions
What graphics card is best to buy?
The newly crowned best graphics card on the market is the RTX 4090. It's a behemoth that's capable of incredible performance at 4K, and if you're looking to pin the #1GPU in the world medal on something, the 4090 is tough to beat. It is undoubtedly the most expensive, though, so that's worth keeping in mind. For mere mortals, the RTX 3080 will do the trick. For budget buyers, an RTX 3060 Ti is the one to look for, with the 3050 being a strong fall-back.
How many gigabytes of RAM do graphics cards need in 2022?
Our advice is that 8GB GDDR6 memory should be considered the absolute minimum for graphics card gaming performance in 2022. This is because many modern games are pushing the VRAM to new limits due to increased texture sizes, game worlds, and reliance on the speeds afforded by newer storage drives. A good middle ground for futureproofing would be 12GB GDDR6/GDDR6X VRAM, which you can find in some of the best graphics cards from both AMD and Nvidia. This would give you enough overhead for high-FPS 1440p gaming as well as 4K60 in most instances.
How many types of graphics cards are there?
There are two types of best graphics cards when you consider gaming PCs, integrated graphics and dedicated graphics cards. The former is weaker, and usually baked onto the processor chip in the form of an APU or SOC. Dedicated graphics cards, like all of those models listed above, as discrete models that are slotted into your computer's PCIe Express port, most being two-slot, but some taking up three-slots depending on size, to deliver far greater visual prowess.There are two main manufacturers, Nvidia, and AMD Radeon. Nvidia is definitely the most popular, and its GPUs can come in many forms from a lot of different gaming brands out there. Intel is also making its plays into the GPU market with the Intel Arc cards.
Is RTX better than GTX?
If you've followed Nvidia's graphics cards for some time then you may not that the company's GeForce lines have rebranded from GTX to RTX. The latter delegation refers to the ray tracing potential of the video cards, which was first seen in the RTX 20-series (Turing) in 2018. Now, since late 2020, with the RTX 30-series (Ampere), the ray tracing performance has been vastly improved. It's currently unknown as to what the successor generation will be known as.
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Hardware Editor
Ever since playing Journey at the age of 15, I’ve been desperate to cover video games for a living. After graduating from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in Journalism, I contributed to the Scottish Games Network and completed an Editorial Internship over at Expert Reviews. Besides that, I’ve been managing my own YouTube channel and Podcast for the last 7 years. It’s been a long road, but all that experience somehow landed me a dream job covering gaming hardware. I’m a self-confessing PlayStation fanboy, but my experience covering the larger business and developer side of the whole industry has given me a strong knowledge of all platforms. When I’m not testing out every peripheral I can get my hands on, I’m probably either playing tennis or dissecting game design for an upcoming video essay. Now, I better stop myself here before I get talking about my favourite games like HUNT: Showdown, Dishonored, and Towerfall Ascension.
Location: UK Remote
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