Graphics Card Buyer’s Guide – October 2017

Our main focus on this website is 144Hz monitors, although we cover all monitors out there that are interesting to us as well. However, in order to take full advantage of a 144Hz refresh rate, you will need a GPU capable of delivering 144 FPS (Frames Per Second) or above too. If you are playing a very demanding game, it may be difficult to reach the desired 144FPS and you may want to upgrade your graphics card or lower the settings to take advantage of your monitor. This buying guide will also be suitable for people who are just looking for a new GPU and want the best recommendations, as new and better graphics card keep getting released.

What is the best graphics card? Looking for NVIDIA graphics cards or perhaps AMD graphics cards? Looking for a new graphics card 2017? Below are the best graphics cards for every purpose, including everyday use, watching movies, working, movie rendering, and 3D graphics rendering – but mostly gaming. So without further ado, we now present the best graphics cards for PC, VR and everything else.

Best Graphics Card 2017

If you still wondering what the best graphics card today is for your budget and expectations, take a look at the table just above. We hope the table above can aid you to pick the best graphics card for your purposes and needs.

A detailed sheet of graphics card specifications and tons of reviews are great without a doubt, but it will surely cost you a lot of time and stress to look through a bunch of graphics cards. We have done the paperwork and collected a list of the best graphics cards, split into several different categories. You simply look at the categories and choose the one that fits your situation best, and then select a GPU accordingly. This is a list of discrete graphics cards for gamers, so if you do not play games, then you are better off using your built-in graphics card or a very cheap card for your everyday usage at home or the office.

In categories where GPU’s that support AMD FreeSync or NVIDIA G-SYNC, we try to include one GPU from each manufacturer that are very much alike and support the respective technology. So if you already have a FreeSync monitor, you choose the AMD card and the NVIDIA card if you have a G-SYNC monitor. Choosing one technology over the other pretty much locks you to that GPU vendor until you purchase a new monitor and it’s not like you are going to replace your monitor every year. On average, a monitor is replaced every 4-5 years.

Disclaimer: Clicking on a product name link will bring to you to the appropriate Amazon.com (.co.uk, .de, etc) product listing, where you can check the price, customer reviews and more information about the product or similar products.

Entry-level Graphics Card

The best NVIDIA graphic card under 100 USD right now is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030. This is the cheapest NVIDIA graphics card that’s based on the Pascal architecture and it’s very good for its price, which is around $70. That’s a very generous amount of money for a 2GB GPU and 1506 MHz core speed in the OC mode which you can effortlessly overclock in the provided software. It comes with the low profile bracket and is only 150mm in length, so you can fit it in mini PCs as well. The recommended minimum power supply wattage is 300W.

If you play low demanding but popular games like League of Legends, Dota 2, and CS: GO, you can easily play those with this card at 1920×1080 resolution. Not on maxed out settings, but on mid to high settings at 60 FPS and above.

If you really want an AMD discrete GPU, then our top suggestion is the AMD Radeon RX 550. In comparison to the GT 1030 card, it features a lesser base core clock of 1219 MHz, but a faster memory at 7000 MHz. It also requires a stronger PSU, recommended 400W. Although it’s a bit more expensive, it’s worth the difference – especially if you have or plan to get a FreeSync gaming monitor. FreeSync will further help with the gameplay performance by eliminating screen stutter and tearing. Unlike, G-Sync monitors, FreeSync doesn’t increase the price of the display and is hence ideal for gamers on a budget.

If you’re in the need of a power supply as well, then you might find our pick for the best PC power supply at this specific category.

Best Budget Graphics Card

A GPU is most likely the most expensive hardware in a powerful gaming rig, but it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to get a decent amount of power so that you can play your favorite games at 1080p resolution. We actually have both an AMD gaming graphics card and a NVIDIA graphics card in this category, where the AMD card is a tiny little bit older and the NVIDIA GPU is a newer bestselling graphics card released back in October 2016 that we highly recommend to anyone wanting the best budget graphics card right now. Our AMD recommendation is the AMD Radeon RX 460, a 4 GB GDDR5 graphics card with a 1220 MHz clock speed,  a 256-bit memory bus, support for 4K UHD resolution, and finally AMD FreeSync.

Now comes the real kicker – the TDP of the AMD Radeon RX 460 can be so low that you won’t even need the power connectors! It’s your choice if you want to use power connectors as a performance headroom or have an efficient card without any power connectors. For gaming, we recommend that you use the power connectors as it allows you to unlock the full potential of this best cheap graphics card. The recommended power supply for the AMD Radeon RX 460 is 400W. The AMD Radeon RX 560, the new and upgraded version, is slightly better but considerably more expensive at the moment.

Our top NVIDIA graphics card in this category, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (04G-P4-6253-KR) needs a recommended minimum power supply of only 300W, and it has a good 4 GB GDDR5 memory and support for DX12 (DirectX 12 OSD). Besides offering G-Sync, you can even achieve 144FPS on many popular and competitive games at 1080p though with tuned down settings; So, be sure to pair this GPU up with a proper 144Hz gaming monitor, if you want to get the edge over your opponents in competitive games. The GTX 1050 Ti (Pascal) has a price sitting at around $150 at the moment (July 2017). The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is more efficient per Watt and clearly the best Nvidia budget graphics card.

As it stands right now, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the overall best choice for consumers on a budget. It offers a better performance than the AMD Radeon RX 460, but the AMD graphics card is also cheaper, so keep that in mind. If you got the extra bucks, we highly recommend the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti for sure, since you will get the best budget graphics card with the greatest performance.

In the end, it’s all up to your preferences – which gaming monitor you have and which best deal you can get on either of them. Either way, you’ll be able to enjoy the latest AAA titles at 1080p, not necessarily at high settings (depending on the game), but certainly at a satisfactory level of graphics details and FPS rate at this price range.

Mid-Tier Graphics Processing Unit

Currently, there’s a big shortage and price inflation of the mid-range graphics card due to the rise in interest for the Ethereum cryptocurrency. Miners are especially targeting the AMD Radeon 570-580 Series and even 470-480 Series which are unfortunately ideal for gaming as well because they offer great performance at a reasonable price. Once back in stock, and after the prices normalize, the AMD Radeon RX 570 should again be the most cost-effective graphics card for ultra settings at 1080p and steady 60 FPS. Naturally, you could also pick an RX 470, RX 480, or even RX 580 graphics card at this price range; 80-series also available as 8 GB models, but due to their unavailability and sky-high prices at the moment, you’re better off saving up a bit more money fora a better GPU – such as the NVIDIA GTX 1060 with 6GB VRAM.

Not only is the NVIDIA GTX 1060-6GB the best mid-tier graphics card, it’s the only currently viable option at this price range. It is just an incredible card with good performance for a fair price. There is a reason that it is one of the best-selling graphics cards on Amazon. It supports DirectX 12, is VR ready and has a good 6GB GDDR5 memory. We recommend that you have at least a 400W PSU to supply power to this beast. The OC version of the card boasts stunning 1873 MHz boost clock in the OC mode, while you can also get the regular version for about $40 less and still enjoy whopping 1708 MHz in boost mode. The ASUS GTX 1060 GPUs also offer the top-level 0db fan technology and catchy ASUS RGB ambient lighting.

Nonetheless, you can enjoy both 1080p and 1440p gaming with any of these cards. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 will allow for ultra settings at 1080p in most of the latest games with decent 60 FPS. You can also enjoy gaming at 1440p, but with medium settings. Or, if you like competitive gaming, you can opt for a 144Hz 1080p display and enjoy the buttery smooth gameplay with proper visual settings. Unlike the mentioned AMD cards, the GTX 1060 is more often available, it’s better, and at the moment, cheaper.

 

Best Value For Money GPU

With the current cryptocurrency mining craze, it’s difficult to determine the best GPU for the money. However, we’ve found the MSI Gaming GTX 1070 X to be of the best value at its price range. At the moment, it’s only around $50 more expensive than the 1060 card and far more affordable than the GTX 1080. It’s an excellent graphics card for SLI option, VR, and gaming at 2560×1440. It’s also known as the best 1440p graphics card. It gives you a choice to run the latest games with maxed settings on either steady 60FPS at 1440p or over 144FPS at 1080p. Powered by 8 GB of VRAM and 1797MHz boost clock in the OC mode, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the best that you can get at this price range by far. While MSI’s version is the most cost efficient at the moment, you can check out our best GTX 1070 article, if you wish to compare it with other models.

Best Graphics Card

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card delivers 8GB of VRAM, 10010 MHz memory clock, and striking 1860 MHz boost clock in the OC mode which makes it viable for gaming at 4K with decent settings and FPS rate as well as for immersive fast-paced VR games. Whether you’re looking to professionally compete or enjoy celestial graphics, the GTX 1080 is a first-class investment. If paired with a G-Sync gaming monitor, it’s unstoppable. Although it’s pricey, currently over 600 USD, the price mark will eventually come down to its last viable price which is an alluring 500 USD. In this article, you can compare our choice for the best GTX 1080 graphics card at the moment with the rest of the models.

4K Gaming Graphics Processing Unit

If you’re looking to achieve the ultimate greatness and reach the pinnacle of PC gaming, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti can offer you perfection. Featuring the impeccable 352-bit 11 GB of VRAM, 11010 MHz memory clock, 1708 boost clock in the OC mode, and 3584 CUDA cores, the GTX 1080 Ti allows you to max out the settings in the latest and most demanding titles, and enjoy smooth gameplay at 4K resolution and fluid 60 FPS. Although the NVIDIA GTX Titan Xp offers an overall better performance with the colossal 12 GB VRAM, it’s also much more expensive, usually over 1,200 USD while the GTX 1080 Ti is available for a more reasonable price of around 700-800 USD.

 

In this guide, we showed you the best gaming graphics card to buy for your needs and budget out there right now. If you have any suggestions, let us know in the comments and we will have a look at it. We hope we helped you choose your next gaming GPU! Some of these graphics cards will surely stay relevant in 2018. We will keep the guide up to date and revisit it as soon as the present cryptocurrency mania is over. Once the prices normalize, we will optimize the article to suit the new prices.

If you are interested in knowing what the best Android TV box is, then check out our buyer’s guide on that topic! And since we’re talking about gaming anyways, be sure to tune in on our guide on the best PC gaming chairs.