5 Graphics Cards For Gaming That You Can't Afford To Ignore
What's the best graphics card for gaming? We don't know for sure because everyone has different needs. But we can tell you about five of the best you won't regret buying.
The graphics card industry may be the most competitive it has been in a long time, thanks to Nvidia's powerful Ampere GPUs and AMD's designs employing a 7nm technology.
That competition implies excellent value for you as a customer, mainly because there are solutions to meet almost any need. So, if you want to equip your gaming PC with one of its most essential components, you've come to the proper spot.
You can get one that can handle 1080p gaming for a little over $300, and you won't need to spend a lot to experience 1440p at high frame rates or even an utterly playable 4K. Thanks to such wide varieties as Nivida's Ti and AMD's XT cards, you can locate something that will ideally combine with your gaming display.
Remember that a worldwide chip shortage makes graphics cards more difficult to obtain and maintain in stock. Keep checking back if your favorite option is unavailable. We'll guide you through the best possibilities so you can choose precisely what you need for your PC.
1. ZOTAC RTX 3080 Trinity
Because this is an MSRP card, NVIDIA's recommended retail price of $699 will be honored. Because it retains NVIDIA's default clock, this card will not outperform OC variants. Trinity is more than an excellent option at the default price, especially when considering the performance enhancements of those cards and their prices.
Trinity is among the best temperature performers, mainly owing to Zotac's IceStorm 2.0 cooler. Remember how we claimed Trinity is comparable to the Founders Edition? That is true for the most part, but when it comes to performance, Trinity surpasses NVIDIA's card, although by a small margin.
Results from benchmarks should be interpreted with caution since they are prone to variation from system to system and from tool to tool.
It's easier to see the temperature benchmark. Trinity surpasses the FE, although both are behind cards like MSI's Gaming X Trio and ASUS' TUF Gaming. Another aspect of Trinity that stands out is the absence of sound. It's significantly quieter than the FE or TUF.
The cooler, naturally, is the coolest aspect of this card. Zotac can regulate the three fans separately, but unless you're really into managing the airflow, this will only help you a little. The choice is excellent, and you could find it beneficial when attempting to overclock it.
2. Radeon RX 6800 XT
The best cards for Team Red are AMD's Navi 21 GPUs, such as the Radeon RX 6800 XT. The RX 6800 XT outperforms the RX 5700 XT in terms of speed and functionality while also providing ray tracing capabilities owing to the RDNA 2 architecture.
The RX Radeon 6900 XT and RX 6800 are also worth considering at current rates, which have decreased significantly in recent months. For example, the 6900 XT now costs 17% more for around 5% more performance, and the RX 6800 reduces performance by 7% while still costing 7% less.
The enthusiast community called the Navi 21 GPU 'Big Navi' before its release, and we got precisely what we expected. It's more than double the size of the previous generation Navi 10, with double the shader cores and RAM.
Clock rates have also increased to 2.1-2.4 GHz (depending on the card type). AMD accomplished so without significantly raising power requirements: The RX 6800 XT features a 300W TBP, somewhat lower than the 320W TBP of the RTX 3080.
The massive 128MB Infinity Cache contributes significantly to AMD's speed. According to AMD, it increases adequate bandwidth by 119%. Few games need more than 16GB of RAM, so the 6800 XT performs well.
3. EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 SC Ultra Black
EVGA is notorious for releasing many models of the same graphics card that compete in the same price range, and the RTX 2060 was no exception. The EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 SC Ultra Black is the model we believe makes the most sense. The card is not the most premium or high-end option available from EVGA, but it covers most of the basics.
The EVGA SC Ultra Black performs well in terms of thermal performance. While it may not have the lowest raw figures in this area, its cooling system can handle the RTX 2060's GPU and the VRM components and memory modules.
EVGA has also chosen a 2-fan design for this one, which makes sense, given the card's price point and thermal needs. The EVGA RTX 2060 SC Ultra Black does not disappoint in thermal and acoustic performance.
When looking for the most cost-effective choice, aesthetics are usually not a top priority. In this regard, the EVGA 2060 SC Ultra Black is unexceptional.
It provides a basic and modest aesthetic that may appeal to enthusiasts who dislike the theatrics of RGB lights. Because it lacks RGB illumination and is mainly black in appearance, the 2060 SC Ultra Black may also be ideal for blackout projects.
While the EVGA RTX 2060 SC Ultra Black is not the most powerful or visually appealing version of raw stats, it covers all the basics very well. It is the choice that most people overlook, but gamers searching for the best bargain should undoubtedly consider this variation.
4. MSI Gaming Geforce RTX 3050
Finally, the RTX 3050's MSRP has been returned to its former splendor. It is a somewhat more costly alternative than the GTX 1660 Super, but it is still an excellent price.
For starters, the RTX3050 is a superior choice since it boasts the most current Ampere architecture, which enables Ray Tracing in high-end games. If you're using an Intel Core i5 12400F, this is easily one of the ideal graphics cards you can get.
The RTX3050 also includes 8GB GDDR6 RAM and 2560 Cuda Cores. It enables it to do quicker graphics operations and optimize most visual settings at 1080p. If you can afford it at the MSRP, this is the most dependable 1080p gaming card on the market.
The i5 12400F/RTX 3050 combination can get 60+ frames per second in practically every game! However, a few exceptions demonstrate the necessity for tweaking specific parameters.
The RTX3050 averaged 98 frames per second in regions that did not tax the 8GB VRAM. It also outperformed AMD's RX6500 XT by 26%, the GTX 1650 6GB by 69%, and the GTX 1060 6GB by 56%. Surprisingly, it also outperforms the GTX 1660 SUPER by 6%.
5. ASUS RTX 3080 ROG Strix OC
It is the one to consider if you're seeking the best RTX 3080 graphics card. ASUS' ROG Strix version has consistently ranked well in the AIB rankings, and this generation's model is no exception.
In terms of performance, this is the best graphics card available outside the RTX 3090 area. The clock speed of 1935 MHz is almost 200 MHz faster than the standard RTX 3080 FE and comparable MSRP cards, which should be a decent sign of its capabilities.
The excellent cooling system gives plenty of space for overclocking, which is strongly advised if you want to get the most bang for your buck.
Conclusion:
To summarise, the optimal CPU/GPU combination causes no bottlenecking or slowdowns on either the GPU or the CPU. It also saves the most money without losing performance. If you've been tracking their graphics cards, Nvidia's GeForce lines have been renamed from GTX and RTX.
With all of our years of testing and buying graphic cards, we can state that ray-tracing performance has significantly increased since the RTX 30-series (Ampere) in late 2021. Now all that's left is for you to decide which graphics processing unit (GPU) is best for your needs and budget. We hope this list helps you make the best decision possible!