The Best Graphics Cards You Can Buy In 2024

With the advent of the RTX 4000 series that shook up the entire GPU market and the subsequent RX 7000 series launch by AMD, we live in exciting times for new graphics cards. It is difficult to navigate a market where there is an abundance of last-generation graphics cards at a large discount, even as newer GPUs vie for a greater balance between power and price to compete in an increasingly price-sensitive PC market.

Since the launch of the RTX 4060 and 4060TI as well as AMD’s RX 7600, RX 7700XT, and RX 7800XT GPUs, much of the focus of late has been on the entry-level or mid-range market for users from aging GPUs like the Nvidia GTX 1660 Super and the ever-popular AMD RX 580. Whether one wants the best of the best RTX 4090 SKUs possible, something that offers the best value in the current market or something to get started with, Game Rant has them covered on all aspects of their purchase, helping enthusiasts and gamers alike make an informed choice while navigating a choice-heavy graphics card market.

How To Choose The Best Graphics Cards

There are several things that buyers should consider when looking for a graphics card. Consider these factors before making a purchase:

• Performance: Raw performance or rasterization is a central part of any GPU’s value-addition and what sets it apart from considerably weaker Integrated Graphics (iGPU) options. While newer AI sharpening techniques, such as FSR and DLSS, do skirt around this significantly thanks to powerful software solutions, a large segment of what a GPU is capable of is determined by the raw processing power it offers under the hood, especially when it comes to older, less-optimized titles.
• Software Support: Drivers and software support are what make the world go round for GPUs. This can be specific to proprietary AI sharpening tech, specific game optimizations, and software such as Nvidia’s Hairworks, all of which contribute to a better experience for gamers and professionals alike. This also means that newer entrants to the market, like Intel, have their work cut out for them when it comes to catching up with decades of experience from their competition, which translates to poorer performance in older titles.
• Value: With modern GPU prices pushing well into the sub-$1k region for the mid to high-end tier, finding value is a task with moving goalposts this generation. Finding the right value-for-money purchase is a hard task, but it’s one that can be achieved simply by finding the perfect price-to-performance ratio while meeting certain performance targets.
• Memory/VRAM: Modern games, benchmarks, and simulations require copious amounts of VRAM. While modern operating systems do offer solutions, they are significantly slower than onboard VRAM for GPUs. Users need to find an adequate solution for their target resolution and fidelity requirements. The higher they move on either scale, the higher the recommended requirements in terms of VRAM speeds and capacity, making this an important metric to track to avoid significant performance impediments.

Game Rant’s Picks for the Best Graphics Cards

Released in Jan, the RTX 4070 Super didn’t spare the chance to replace the mid-range and high-end GPUs by providing the highest possible value in those categories. RTX 4070 Super uses the same GPU chip AD104 as used in the RTX 4070 but comes with 20% more Cuda Cores, more Tensor, and Cuda Cores for providing a significant uplift in games. The card is roughly 19% faster than the non-Super edition and costs just $50 more officially.

This is why the RTX 4070 Super is possibly the best gaming card for 1440p gaming monitors that can last for several years and has all the necessary gaming tech to boost the frame rates even further. The Dual OC edition provides higher boost clocks compared to the FE edition and comes with a dual fan design with 0db technology for silent operation. Had it featured 16GB of VRAM on a 256-bit memory bus, it would have made future-proofing even easier.

Initially, the RTX 4070 received a lot of criticism for its price tag and also for its memory configuration. As time passed, the RTX 4070 became hugely popular, becoming not only one of the best-selling GPUs on desktops, but also one of the most used GPUs on gaming laptops. The reason is quite obvious. The GPU doesn’t have a solid competitor at its price tag of $550. The only close competitor is the RX 7800 XT, but that loses easily in both rasterization and RT performance.

The RTX 4070 provides a 12GB VRAM on a 192-bit bus that offers excellent performance even on higher resolutions. Asus Dual OC edition is a 2.5-slot card, featuring a 75MHz higher boost clock than the FE edition, and has Axial-tech fans for dissipating heat quickly. The fans come to a halt completely once the temperature of the GPU drops to a point where active cooling is no longer needed, resulting in a completely quiet operation. The RTX 4070 manages to almost join its Super edition in providing an excellent price-to-performance ratio, though it does fall a bit short.

The Asus RTX 4090 Strix OC needs no introduction. It’s currently named the best performance RTX 4090 on Game Rant’s RTX 4090 comparison guide and to date is the fastest Ada Lovelace-based card money can buy. It is therefore of little surprise that it tops the list as the best overall graphics card that money can buy. The monolithic design around the vapor chamber has found mass appeal with system builders, who praise its build quality and RGB lighting.

What is not up for debate is the fact that the Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 is packed with genuine top-of-the-line specs. Built with a 24-phase VRM, excellent thermals, and a full 600W power limit, the Strix OC is expected to push boundaries on a chip that has already pushed the definition of what is possible in this generation of graphics cards. The RTX 4090 graphics card additionally features 4th Generation Tensor Cores and 3rd Generation RT Cores, doubling both the AI and ray-tracing performance from previous versions. At the same time, the framing and backplate are more durable than ever, pairing well with an overall improved design that maximizes airflow and heat dissipation.

The Asus RTX 4090 Strix OC Edition has seen further supply limitations, driving prices up. This is primarily due to a large amount of AI-centric demand in the face of a ban on multiple countries centering around China, given the RTX 4090’s AI use cases, resulting in export restrictions. While supply should normalize, they do currently result in a large premium for Nvidia’s highest-end consumer-grade GPU and, by proxy, arguably its most premium SKU of the same.

The Sapphire Pulse 6700XT 12GB is the newest contender for the best budget gaming GPU. The previous 6600XT SKU was considerably underwhelming in terms of value, combined with it ceding market space to the RX 7600. The Radeon RX 6700XT outpaces both the competing RTX 4060 and the RX 7600 in raw rasterization benchmarks while offering more memory in tow.

It also happens to be the most aggressively priced GPU currently on the market from Nvidia or AMD in terms of price to performance. The deep discount makes this an even more appealing purchase than its successor, even as the Pulse 6700XT offers an adequately cooled low-profile design for a GPU that more than holds its own for FHD or 2K gaming in 2024.

All in all, while the 6700XT isn’t the newest kid on the block, it happens to pack a significantly better price-to-performance ratio. That makes it a viable option to consider alongside much newer GPU considerations from both Team Red and Team Green.

For Nvidia lovers, the RTX 4060 comes out to be the top choice for a clean, white PC rig due to its stylish design, capability in Ray Tracing, and support for DLSS 3. In rasterization, the RX 6700 XT beats the RTX 4060, but when Ray Tracing is turned on, things go in the opposite direction. However, it isn’t behind the AMD GPU in every game and can close the gap significantly in some intensive titles like Microsoft Flight Simulator. That said, the RTX 4060 is actually the main competitor to the RX 7600, but outperforms the latter convincingly.

The 4060 is not only a good performer on the screen, but also consumes significantly less power than its counterparts from AMD and Intel. Rated at 115W, it’s ultra-power efficient and provides more fps per watt than any other budget GPU. The Gigabyte Aero OC Edition is even better due to a larger cooling solution and a 90MHz higher clock speed than the standard edition. It not only performs well; it looks fabulous with a completely white shroud and fans.

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Gaming OC 12G currently commands the sweet spot for high-end GPUs. While it is slightly slower in rasterization benchmarks versus the competing AMD 7900XT (which is more competitive given the fact that it currently trades at a discount), it does even the odds. Sometimes it even gains a lead thanks to DLSS 3 ‘frame generation’ technology coming into play. In its current iteration, it is far superior to AMD’s own proprietary FSR solution.

The RTX 4070TI, however, is more power-efficient than its AMD counterpart. It also has a considerable lead when it comes to rendering ray-traced content. Nvidia’s current RT hardware solutions are at least a generation ahead of AMD’s own offerings, and this tends to show when handling medium-to-high ray-tracing workloads. The 4070TI does have a tough upsell though for its features, as the RX 7900XT tends to be a more compelling upgrade for users looking for better rasterized performance.

As gaming continues to be more accessible to consumers at all price points, part of the driving force has been immensely better value cards at the low-end or the entry-level GPU market. This is a market that AMD has been spearheading for a while, whether one considers the extremely well-priced RX400 and RX500 lineups or simply AMD’s overall value proposition with the RX 6000 series lineup.

The XFX-badged RX 6600 is one such entrant that clocks in at the sub-$250 price bracket while sitting somewhere between the Nvidia RTX 3050 and the 3060 in terms of performance metrics. It can regularly trade blows with the latter in some games. However, it does have limited ray-tracing potential, given that AMD lags behind in this department.

Currently, though, neither the RTX 3050/3060 nor the RX 6600 are great ray-tracing cards given their performance limitations as well as the target market, which somewhat allows us to ignore ray-tracing performance as a major factor or selling point for the RTX 3000 series cards. Also, while the RX 6600 does run slightly hotter than similar SKUs, it stays within proscribed thermal limits with ease.

Due to the lack of competition in newer current-generation AMD and Nvidia GPU lineups in the entry-level market, the RX 6600 still happens to be one of the best GPUs one can get on a strict budget. As a result, its price has remained more or less unchanged since it was last considered by Game Rant. It remains one of the top choices on offer for its price bracket.

FAQ

Q: What GPU is best for ray-tracing?

All Nvidia RTX series cards generally outperform their AMD counterparts for ray-tracing. If there is a comparable RTX card, it generally will deliver more favorable performance out of the box.

Q: Should buyers wait to get a new GPU in 2023?

The computer hardware landscape is ever-changing. However, the uptrend in prices has been visible since the last generation as GPUs move to higher price points. Part of this is due to more expensive silicon, more elaborate cooling, and higher profit margins for the chipmakers. That does mean that prices might not necessarily drop significantly throughout 2023, despite higher initial prices for most GPUs.