Selecting the greatest graphics card can improve your gaming PC tenfold, enabling you to take pleasure in lofty resolutions and body charges. Whereas GeForce RTX 4000 and Radeon RX 7000 GPUs will quickly struggle for the crown, Intel might win over avid gamers on a price range with its Arc Alchemist vary.
With that in thoughts, what makes the greatest GPU? In the event you’re rocking a high-spec rig, you’ll possible need a powerhouse card that may run the most recent video games at 4K and nonetheless enhance fps. In fact, premium elements come at a value, as flagship RTX 4000 choices just like the Nvidia RTX 4090 value greater than a whole system.
Fortunately, you don’t want a GPU kaiju to construct the perfect gaming PC to your wants, and there’s a vary of various Nvidia, AMD, and Intel choices on the market to select from. So to assist unmuddy the ocean of specs, we’ve compiled an inventory of the perfect graphics card decisions available on the market proper now.
Listed here are the perfect graphics playing cards in 2022:
1. The most effective graphics card for gaming
The greatest graphics card for gaming is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti.
Anticipate to pay $1,199 USD / £1,049 GBP.
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti specs | |
| GPU Mannequin | GA102-225 |
|---|---|
| CUDA cores | 10,240 |
| Tensor cores | 320 |
| RT cores | 80 |
| VRAM | 12GB GDDR6X |
| Reminiscence bandwidth | 912GB/s |
Professionals
- RTX 3090 efficiency at a less expensive value level
- Higher ray tracing efficiency than the RX 6900 XT
Cons
- Much less VRAM than the RTX 3090
- Barely slower enhance clock speeds
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is likely to be essentially the most highly effective GPU you should purchase, however it arguably gives extra efficiency per greenback than the RTX 3090 Ti. Not solely is it $800 cheaper than its flagship sibling, however it’s nonetheless able to working the most recent video games with settings cranked as much as max.
An AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT could value much less, at simply $999 USD, however the RTX 3080 Ti will deftly outperform staff crimson’s flagship with regards to ray tracing. It’s no slouch with regards to conventional rendering both, making it the proper card for 4K excessive refresh charge gaming.
In fact, the RTX 3080 Ti comes with reminiscence caveats, as the cardboard comes outfitted with 12GB. Not each recreation is ravenous with regards to VRAM, however it’s one thing to bear in mind when you’re planning on utilizing a native 4K show.
Our Nvidia RTX 4080 evaluation covers why it’s a killer 4K card, however its value prevents it from changing the RTX 3080 on this checklist. A value minimize might earn it a spot sooner or later, however the inexperienced staff will possible launch the RTX 4070 earlier than that occurs.
2. The most effective low-cost graphics card
The greatest low-cost graphics card is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050.
Anticipate to pay $249 USD / £239 GBP.
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 specs | |
| GPU Mannequin | GA106-150 |
|---|---|
| CUDA cores | 2,560 |
| Tensor cores | 80 |
| RT cores | 20 |
| VRAM | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Reminiscence bandwidth | 224GB/s |
Professionals
- Entry to Nvidia DLSS and Nvidia Reflex at a extra reasonably priced value
- Stable 1080p ray tracing efficiency
Cons
- May age quicker than different GPUs
- Customized fashions may cost a little the identical as RTX 3060
At simply $249 USD, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 makes placing Ampere in your gaming PC a extra reasonably priced prospect. Regardless of its cheaper price tag, the RTX 3050 doesn’t miss out on options like Nvidia DLSS. This upscaling know-how may help the price range card considerably enhance fps in even essentially the most demanding video games, with little-to-no affect on picture high quality.
It’s additionally able to ray tracing, and affords larger efficiency than its primary competitors, the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT. In the event you predominantly play esports titles like Name of Responsibility: Warzone, Fortnite, or Valorant, the RTX 3050 is an ideal match to your system with assist for Nvidia Reflex as nicely.
It’s value noting that GPU costs are nonetheless somewhat bizarre in the meanwhile, and a few customized RTX 3050 fashions value virtually as a lot as an RTX 3060. We’ll be holding an in depth eye available on the market to be certain costs keep cheap, as drastic adjustments might value the entry-level card its place on the checklist.
That stated, if you will get one for close to MSRP, the RTX 3050 is a terrific price range possibility that gives a contemporary gaming expertise. It’d age quicker than higher-end options, however it’ll nonetheless run video games at a fraction of the worth. 
3. The most effective AMD graphics card
The greatest AMD graphics card is the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT.
Anticipate to pay $999 USD/ £799 GBP.
| AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT specs | |
| GPU Mannequin | Navi 21 XTX |
|---|---|
| Stream processors | 5,120 |
| Compute items | 80 |
| Ray accelerators | 80 |
| VRAM | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Reminiscence bandwidth | 512GB/s |
Professionals
- 4K gaming at lower than $1000 USD.
- Can generally outperform the RTX 3080 Ti.
Cons
- Ray tracing efficiency.
- Isn’t as quick as RTX 3080 Ti.
Sitting on the high of its RX 6000 collection playing cards, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is staff crimson’s frontrunner for the GPU efficiency crown. At $999 USD, it’s a lot cheaper than both the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti or RTX 3090 Ti, and may flip in very related body charges to these playing cards.
Sadly, it can’t fairly compete with staff inexperienced’s flagships with regards to ray tracing, with Nvidia’s RT cores wiping the ground with AMD’s ray accelerators. If commonplace rendering is your precedence, the RX 6900 XT is the perfect of the bunch from staff crimson and must be in your shortlist.
Finally, the RX 6900 XT doesn’t pack fairly as a lot of a punch as high-end Nvidia playing cards. Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless a powerful AMD different that gives spectacular 4K efficiency for much less.
AMD RDNA 3 is scheduled to reach in December, and we’ll hear extra about Radeon RX 7900 XT quickly. In principle, it ought to substitute the RX 6900 XT as the perfect AMD graphics card, however rumours recommend that the badge could go to the beefier Radeon RX 7900 XTX.
4. Essentially the most highly effective graphics card
The strongest graphics card is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
Anticipate to pay $1,599 USD / £1,679 GBP.
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 specs | |
| GPU Mannequin | AD102 |
|---|---|
| CUDA cores | 16,384 |
| Tensor cores | 512 |
| RT cores | 128 |
| VRAM | 24GB GDDR6X |
| Reminiscence bandwidth | 1,008 GB/s |
Professionals
- Essentially the most highly effective GPU available on the market
- Staggering gaming efficiency
- Spectacular DLSS 3.0 capabilities
Cons
- Premium value level.
- Ridiculously giant.
- Ravenous for energy.
The Nvidia RTX 4090 has formally booted the RTX 3090 Ti from the efficiency throne, and it’ll take rather a lot to slay the Lovelace leviathan. The AD102 GPU’s uncooked skills alone are value ranting about, however extra DLSS 3.0 tips will assist defend the next-gen card’s place on the high.
Our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 evaluation places the GPU kaiju by its paces, and its gaming PC capabilities are staggering. The flagship makes brief work of demanding video games like Hitman 3, Whole Battle: Warhammer 3, and Cyberpunk 2077, even with ray tracing and extremely settings switched on.
With nice energy comes larger caveats, and the RTX 4090 is much from flawless. For starters, you’ll have to pair the ravenous RTX 4000 card with the perfect energy provide, and older PSUs should depend on a PCIe 5.0 adapter.
Value can be a little bit of an RTX 4090 sore spot, because it is available in at $100 greater than the RTX 3090 did at launch. In fact, now you can seize the latter card for below $1,000 USD, so except you’re seeking to enhance body charges for funsies, ready for the RTX 4080 is likely to be a greater possibility.
5. The most effective worth graphics card
The greatest worth graphics card is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080.
Anticipate to pay $699 USD / £649 GBP.
Professionals
- Generational leap even over the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
- Higher options and efficiency than the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
Cons
- Energy hungry
- Nonetheless costly
- Much less VRAM than high-end options
In the event you’re in search of the candy spot between value and efficiency, you then’ll need the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. It comes from the identical GA102 household as its greater, costlier siblings, the RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3090, however is considerably cheaper at $699 USD.
Even these with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti can anticipate a major uplift in body charges, and it solely will get higher for these nonetheless holding on to GTX 10 collection playing cards. It additionally helps Nvidia software program options like Nvidia DLSS, Nvidia Reflex, and Nvidia ShadowPlay for a splendidly sturdy toolset.
The RTX 3080 is not at all an inexpensive GPU, and you’ll pay greater than Founder Version MSRP for overclocked variants. But, it’s nonetheless a bit cheaper than the upcoming RTX 4080, as even the now canceled 12GB mannequin was set to value a whopping $899 USD.
Certain, the RTX 4080 boasts DLSS 3.0 AI upscaling, however its lofty value solely provides to the RTX 3080’s attraction. Who is aware of, maybe the RTX 4070 will finally supply extra bang to your buck. Till then, Ampere is a wiser funding.
