Picking up the correct GPU can be a tedious task. Manufacturers are always releasing new models every month. In this guide, I will show you the different options you have available depending on how much you want to spend.
If you see errors, misleading information, or you just don’t agree with me I would really appreciate your comments so we all can improve this post together. Try to be nice with each other and be collaborative.
How To Choose A Graphics Card
Before you start thinking about what graphics card suits you better, you should consider the following:
- The best performance/price models are between the $150 to $250 range. Above that range, the power/price ratio will be considerably lower.
- If you want a graphics card to be used for the next three to five years, playing games at ultra settings, you should consider the $300 to $400 price range models.
- My personal advice is: buy a $200 to $250 card and renew it every two years. You will always have an edge-cutting graphics card, games at best quality settings and you will save a lot of money.
Now that all the new 2016 GPU models are available in the market, it’s time to know how to identify the successors or substitutes of the previous generation.
Unlike previous years, this current generation is much more colorful with the new Polaris architecture from AMD. We could say that Nvidia finally has someone to compete with and this is all good news for us, the consumers. And this means basically one thing: more competitive/adjusted prices.
Every time a new generation is released, the same questions arise once again: what’s the best model? How they perform compared to their respective previous version? Which one should I buy for {name your needs}?
Choosing The Right GPU That Fits Your Needs
Now, the next question is obvious: from all the models mentioned above, which one is the best for my needs? That’s probably the most difficult question to answer as the graphics cards’ specifications can vary a lot from year to year.
But, as always, no matter how complex any matter can be, it can be rewritten or summarized so anyone can understand it. So I will try to put it straight for you:
- For 1080p / 30 fps / high settings: the RX 560 or the GTX 1050.
- For 1080p / 30 to 40 fps / ultra settings: the RX 570 or the GTX 1050 Ti.
- For 1080p / 60 fps / ultra settings: the RX 580 (either 4 or 8 GB) or the GTX 1060 (either 3 or 6 GB).
- For 1440p / 30 fps / ultra settings: the RX 580 8GB or the GTX 1060 6GB.
- For 1440p / 144 fps / ultra settings: the GTX 1070.
- For 4K / 30 fps / ultra settings: the GTX 1080.
- For 4K / 60 fps / ultra settings: the GTX 1080 Ti or 2x GTX 1080 (SLI).
Note that the mentioned models are just the minimum recommended to achieve certain performance levels. Anything above the recommended models will obviously give you better results.
A Bit Of Theory: What Is A Shader?
You will see in this guide that one of the features that I’ve decided to include on each listed GPU is the number of shader cores included. And that is so for a reason: shaders are a reliable marker of GPUs power.
From a low-level perspective, a shader core is a computational resource that receives instructions and processes it in order to manipulate the pixels and polygon vertices within a scene, i.e. graphics rendering. AMD call these shaders cores Stream Processors while Nvidia names it CUDA Cores. Also, each manufacturer builds and configures the shader cores in their own ways, depending on the used architecture and performance goals. So, while there are some similarities, AMD and Nvidia shaders can’t be directly compared to each other.
Shaders are the the computational units used for rendering graphics. So, the more shaders, the better.
So, while there are some similarities, AMD and Nvidia shaders can’t be directly compared to each other. This does not mean that AMD is better/worse than Nvidia. They are just different and the best way to figure out which one is better is through performance tests. What you can actually do is compare GPUs within the SAME manufacturer: Nvidia vs Nvidia or AMD vs AMD.
While you’re here, make sure to check out the best Black Friday GPU deals of 2018!
Buying Guide
Casual – From $65 to $170
Cheapest models to play some games at 1080p. You will be able to play games at mid-high settings on two years old games and low-mid settings on recent titles.
GeForce GT 1030
GIGABYTE GT 1030 2GBlaunch
EVGA GT 1030 SC 2GBlaunch
GeForce GTX 1050
MSI GTX 1050 GAMING OC 2GBlaunch
EVGA GTX 1050 SC GAMING 2GBlaunch
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1050 Mini 2GBlaunch
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
ZOTAC GTX 1050 Ti Mini 4GBlaunch
EVGA GTX 1050 Ti SC Gaming 4GBlaunch
Gigabyte GTX 1050 Ti Windforce OC 4GBlaunch
Radeon RX Series: 550 2GB, 550 4GB
ASUS RX 550 2GBlaunch
Gigabyte RX 550 D5 2GBlaunch
Sapphire PULSE RX 550 4GBlaunch
Radeon RX Series: 560 2GB, 560 4GB
Sapphire PULSE RX 560 2GBlaunch
Gigabyte RX 560 Gaming OC 2GBlaunch
MSI RX 560 AERO ITX OC 4GBlaunch
Standard – From $170 to $235
Recommended price range for most Gaming builds.
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
ZOTAC GTX 1060 Mini 3GBlaunch
EVGA GTX 1060 3GB SC GAMINGlaunch
MSI Gaming X GTX 1060 3GBlaunch
ASUS Dual GTX 1060 OC 3GBlaunch
Radeon RX Series: 570 4GB, 580 4GB
MSI RX 570 GAMING X 4Glaunch
ASUS RX 570 ROG STRIX OC 4GBlaunch
MSI RX 580 ARMOR OC 4Glaunch
Ultra – From $235 to $330
Do you want to play all the latest games at Ultra settings? This is your price range then! In this price range, the GTX 1060 is the best you can get: almost like a GTX 980 for less than half of its price.
GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
The queen of 1080p gaming. The 6GB version of the GTX 1060 is the preferred model to play current games at 1080p and Ultra settings for the coming 2 or 3 years.
MSI GTX 1060 AERO 6GBlaunch
Gigabyte GTX 1060 Windforce 6GB OClaunch
ASUS GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Dual-fan OC Editionlaunch
PNY GTX 1060 XLR8 6GB OClaunch
MSI GTX 1060 Mini OCV1 6GBlaunch
Gigabyte GTX 1060 G1 Rev2 6GBlaunch
EVGA GTX 1060 Gaming Mini 6GBlaunch
ZOTAC GTX 1060 Mini 6GBlaunch
MSI GTX 1060 Mini OCV1 6GBlaunch
Radeon RX 580 8GB
The 8GB Radeon RX 580 is pretty similar to the GTX 1060 6GB in terms of performance. It is an excellent choice for those who want to play current games at 1080p and Ultra settings for the coming 2 or 3 years.
Gigabyte AORUS XTR RX 580 8GBlaunch
ASUS ROG STRIX RX 580 OC 8GBlaunch
Master Race – From $330
Be careful here. The following graphics cards are the more powerful models, but the power/price ratio is dramatically lower compared to the previous price range.
GeForce GTX 1070
Gigabyte GTX 1070 Mini ITX OC 8GBlaunch
ZOTAC GTX 1070 Mini 8GBlaunch
EVGA GTX 1070 SC Gaming 8GBlaunch
GeForce GTX 1070 Ti
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GBlaunch
GeForce GTX 1080
With this GPU, 4K gaming is possible but with some limitations. It will run games at 40 to 50 frames per second and in newer AAA games (2017 and forward) will struggle to keep a stable 30 FPS rate. Eventhough, the GTX 1080 is an awesome graphics card for 1440p at 144 FPS, not to mention 1080p…
EVGA GTX 1080 Gaming 8GBlaunch
ASUS GTX 1080 ROG Strix 8GBlaunch
MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Gaming X 8GBlaunch
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 Gaming 8GBlaunch
Key Facts
Editor's Rating: 4.2/5
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
The GTX 1080 Ti, released on March 2017, is the first graphics card capable of running 4K games at stable 50-60 FPS on its own, that is, wihtout a multiple-GPU configuration (SLI, CrossFire).
EVGA GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 GAMING 11GBlaunch
Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti GAMING OC 11GBlaunch
ASUS GTX 1080 Ti ROG STRIX 11GBlaunch
MSI GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X 11GBlaunch
Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti AORUS Xtreme Edition 11GBlaunch
Changelog
Added Products
- March 19, 2018: ASUS RX 550 2GB, Gigabyte RX 550 D5 2GB
- December 27, 2017: MSI GTX 1060 Mini OCV1 6GB, PNY GTX 1060 XLR8 6GB OC
- December 22, 2017: PNY GTX 1050 Ti 4GB, Gigabyte GTX 1050 Ti Windforce OC 4GB, MSI GTX 1050 TI GAMING X 4G
- December 15, 2017: ASUS GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Dual-fan OC Edition, ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB
- August 7, 2017: GIGABYTE GT 1030 2GB, EVGA GT 1030 SC 2GB
- August 1, 2017: EVGA GTX 1070 SC2 GAMING 8GB, EVGA GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 GAMING 11GB
- June 23, 2017: MSI RX 560 AERO ITX OC 4G, Gigabyte RX 560 Gaming OC 2GB
- June 20, 2017: MSI GTX 1060 AERO 6GB
- May 9, 2017: Radeon 550, 570 and 580 models
- May 7, 2017: Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti GAMING OC 11GB
Removed Products
- June 23, 2017: All remaining Radeon RX 4xx models
- May 9, 2017: Outdated Radeon 4xx models
- March 18, 2017 – All models from the following categories: AMD’s 390x, Nano, Fury and Fury X
- December 23, 2016 – ASUS GTX 750Ti 2GB, Gigabyte GTX 750 Ti WindForce OC 2GB
How did you find this guide? How often do you upgrade your GPU? Do you think +$330 GPUs worth the money? AMD or NVIDIA?
Comment Below!