Best Graphics Cards
Update: AMD has confirmed the specs of its insanely affordable new Polaris graphics cards, complete with support for both VR and high-dynamic range color standards.
As PC gamers, we know the importance of a capable graphics card. Sure, your monitor and even your mouse matter. But nothing determines how high you can bump your visual settings up quite like the GPU. Problem is, there are so many different cards to choose from with each one claiming pixel-pushing perfection, even when that’s drastically untrue.
The simple solution is to go for the best of the best, the cream of the crop. In other words, the most expensive. For those of us whose money in fact does not grow on trees, this means shooting for the best bang-for-buck deal on a set budget. Keep in mind that you’ll need to choose the rest of your parts wisely once you’ve found your perfect match GPU.
If you have a 4K, or even 1440p, monitor for instance you’re going to need a high-end graphics card to make the most of it. But, equally, there’s little point unloading on the finest GPU money can buy if it’s being bottlenecked by an old CPU or feeding a feeble screen.
With all that in mind, here’s our guide to the fastest cards for the dollar money can buy. And, if you want to see how your own card compares, check out our benchmarking guide!
1. EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition
Unparalleled performance
Stream Processors: 2,560 | Core Clock: 1,607MHz | Memory: 8GB GDDR5X | Memory Clock: 7,010MHz | Power Connectors: 1 x 6-pin, 1 x 8-pin | Length: 266.7mm | Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI
EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition
Great all around performance Makes 4K gaming viable Great all around performance Makes 4K gaming viable
If you want proper entry into 4K gaming, the Titan X no longer reigns supreme. With the launch of Nvidia’s Pascal architecture, you can get the performance of two 980Tis for a fraction of what you’d spend on an EVGA Titan X SuperClock. Of course, no graphics card is perfect. This GTX 1080 falls prey to an early adoption tax in what Nvidia calls the “Founders Edition” model, based on the reference set by the company and manufactured by EVGA. Though you may want to wait for the inevitable launch of more affordable, more powerful GTX 1080 GPUs from third parties, the GTX 1080 is undoubtedly the best in its class right now – as if it’s even a contest.
2. Zotac GeForce GTX 980Ti AMP Extreme Edition
Nearly 1080 power without the 1080 cost
Stream Processors: 2816 | Core Clock: 1253MHz | Memory: 6GB | Memory Clock: 7220MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Length: 267mm | Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI
Zotac GeForce GTX 980Ti AMP Extreme Edition
Nearly equal to GTX 1080Even closer to GTX 1080 with OCNearly costs as much as GTX 1080 Only worth it for high-res gaming
Though it can’t match the GTX 1080 in terms of video memory (6GB versus 8GB GDDR5X), the GTX 980Ti offers a higher clock speed. And, with the right amount of overclocking, it can even beat that card. Cards with the “AMP” moniker usually mean business, and this card lives up to its name. It’ll let you game in resolutions up to 4K, even if can’t reach that glorious 60 fps standard at that pixel count. The 980Ti AMP Extreme Edition may be better value than the GTX 1080 Founders Edition, but it’s far from cheap, costing around the same as a budget (or entry level, mid-range) gaming PC.
3. Gigabyte Radeon R9 Fury X
Uses an all-in-one liquid cooling system and new High-Bandwidth Memory
Stream Processors: 4096 | Core Clock: 1050MHz | Memory: 4GB | Memory Clock: 1000MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Length: 195mm | Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI
Gigabyte Radeon R9 Fury X
High bandwidth memory Over 4,000 stream processors Only 4GB of HBM, struggles at 4K Water-reservoir takes up space
If you’re urging for a GPU that does it all, the R9 Fury X is the best AMD has to offer. Hauling an all-in-one liquid cooling system and the latest high-bandwidth memory technology may seem like a heavy workload, but Gigabyte’s Radeon R9 Fury X pulls it off all the same.
There is a catch, however, to what appears to be a future-proof gaming spectacle. Not only will you need space for an extra radiator-fan combo a la the liquid cooler, but 4GB of HBM memory is awfully limited compared to the 8GB of GDDR5X you can get with the GTX 1080 for a similar price.
On the upside, the Fury X can easily handle anything at 1080p and in most cases even 1440p. Throw a 4K game in the mix, though, and it’s a different story altogether.
4. Sapphire Radeon R9 Nano
Tiny graphics card packs a big punch
Stream Processors: 4096 | Core Clock: 1000MHz | Memory: 4GB | Memory Clock: 1000MHz | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Length: 152mm | Outputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI, 2 x DVI
See more Sapphire Radeon R9 Nano deals
Beautifully small Low power consumption Small size doesn’t make it cheaper Not quite as powerful as the Fury X
Building a small PC no longer means passing on power thanks to new graphics cards like the Sapphire Radeon R9 Nano. AMD’s dinky video card is short enough to squeeze into the smallest of PC cases without sacrificing the raw grunt that you get from high-end cards. Highly efficient for a Fiji GPU, it has the same 4GB of 4096-bit HBM memory found in the Fury X, with an identical number of texture units and ROPs. The clock speed is 5% lower, but on the plus side you won’t need as huge power supply to go with it due to the power envelope dropping to just 175W.
5. MSI GeForce 1070 Gaming X
Titan X performance at a GTX 980 cost
Stream Processors: 1,920 | Core Clock: 1,607MHz | Memory: 8GB GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 8,108MHz | Power Connectors: 1 x 6-pin, 1 x 8-pin | Length: 279mm | Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DVI
See more MSI GeForce 1070 Gaming X deals
Strong 1440p performance Affordable reference card Founder’s Edition still too pricey
We all know that 1440p is the new 1080p, and so does Nvidia. That’s why it’s taken the new Pascal architecture and devised the GTX 1070, complete with a 1,607MHz base overclock and 8GB of 8,108MHz, GDDR5 RAM. What’s more, this VR-ready card is more powerful than a Titan X for a fraction of the price. Still, while you’ll be able to play everything at the highest settings at humblebrag-worthy frame rates at either 1080p or 1440p resolution, the £410 (around $584 or AUS$792) price tag of the MSI’s ‘Founders Edition’ Gaming X card is notably more expensive than what we’ll see in the coming months from AIBs, or add-in boards.
6. Sapphire Radeon R9 Tri-X 390X
AMD’s card has the GTX 980 in its sights
Stream Processors: 2816 | Core Clock: 1055MHz | Memory: 8GB | Memory Clock: 6000MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Length: 308mm | Outputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI, 2 x DVI
Sapphire Radeon R9 Tri-X 390X
Lower price than GTX 980 Triple-fan cooler from Sapphire GDDR5 memory rather than HBM 375W power consumption
When it comes to cost, the Radeon R9 Tri-X 390X sits somewhere between Nvidia’s GTX 970 and 980 cards. It often gets the better of the former card, though the 970 performs better in some games. The Tri-X 390X produces blistering frame rates at resolutions up to 2,560 x 1,440 with all graphic details dialled up to 10. Featuring 2,816 stream processors and a core clock speed of 1,055MHz, it doesn’t quite pack the muscle required for 4K gaming unless you’re playing lesser demanding titles.
7. MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming Edition
Value meets performance in Nvidia’s capable card
Stream Processors: 1664 | Core Clock: 1140MHz | Memory: 4GB | Memory Clock: 7010MHz | Power Connectors: 1 x 6-pin, 1 x 8-pin | Length: 269mm | Outputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI, 2 x DVI
MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming Edition
Best performance for under £300 Still equipped to handle 1440p Struggles with high detail at 4K Still a whole lot of cash
A variant of one of the most popular graphics cards around, the GTX 970 Gaming edition is a 1080p monster. You could even get away with gaming at 2,560 x 1,440, though you’ll have to temper expectations when it comes to 4K. Featuring 1,664 stream processors, a core clock of 1,140MHz and 4GB of memory, the GTX 970 offers the mainstream performance you may be looking for without breaking the bank.
8. Asus Radeon R9 380X OC STRIX
Consoles beware, the OC STRIX delivers stunning 1080p performance
Stream processors: 2,048 | Core Clock: 1,030MHz | Memory: 4GB GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 1,425MHz | Power connections: 2x 6-pin | Length: 271mm | Outputs: 2x DVI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI 1.4
Asus Radeon R9 380X OC STRIX
Great 1080p performance Excellent Asus cooling Middling 1440p prowess Quicker GPUs aren’t much pricier
In a similar vein to the MSI GTX 970 card above, the Asus Radeon R9 380X OC Strix handles 1080p gaming with ease, and can deliver impressive frame rates at QHD too. AMD’s mid-range card is closer positioned to the GTX 960 in terms of raw performance, which is impressive considering the cost. And because it uses Asus’ STRIX cooling design, the card stays relatively quiet when being put through its paces, with the fans only kicking in when it tops 60 degrees C.
9. Asus GeForce GTX 960 DirectCU2 OC Strix
On a budget? The affordable GTX 960 still delivers the goods
Stream Processors: 1024 | Core Clock: 1253MHz | Memory: 2GB | Memory Clock: 7200MHz | Power Connectors: 1 x 6-pin, 1 x 8-pin | Length: 215mm | Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI
See more Asus GeForce GTX 960 DirectCU2 OC Strix deals
Absolutely fine for gaming at 1080p Short and easy to fit into most cases Lags behind AMD’s R9 380X Only 2GB video memory
The GeForce GTX 960 is an affordable card and a great option if you’re looking to game on a budget. With a short design that makes it easy to slip into PC cases, the card delivers great gaming performance at 1080p thanks to its 1,024 stream processors, core clock speed of 1,253MHz and 2GB of video memory. Performance-wise, Nvidia’s card lags behind ones in the price bracket above, so things start to get choppy when you begin to raise the resolution. Still, you can’t go wrong if you’re looking to game at what is still the most popular resolution today.
10. EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti SC
A graphics chip that’s super (and super cheap)
Stream Processors: 640 | Core Clock: 1176MHz | Memory: 2GB | Memory Clock: 5400MHz | Power Connectors: None | Length: 170mm | Outputs: 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI, 1 x VGA
EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti SC
Great value at under £100 Fine to at run 1080p games More cash spent = more performance
Can’t handle the latest games
Based on Nvidia’s Maxwell architecture, the GTX 750Ti SC is an affordable card that still packs the latest technology. This entry-level offering is still up to the task of playing the latest games if you’re happy with playing on Low or Medium quality settings at 1080p resolution, and because it’s small it’s easy to drop into a basic PC to give it some extra graphical grunt. Just don’t expect it to work miracles.
Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article
Source: techradar.com
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Not true, the limiting factor on the Titan X is is lousy reference cooler. Once it's fitted with an aftermarket cooling solution it wins out against the 980ti in benchmarks (I've switched out the Titan X cooler for EVGA's air cooling solution for it) and it is consistently able to boost above the 980ti in both benchmarks and gaming performance as a whole. I will agree that the price point is steep, but they are the king of performance (If they have the cooling overhead that they deserve >.> C'mon nvidia stop giving us this lousy stock cooler)
clearly you did not get what he said..by 2 titanx & 2 295x, he meant, he already used 2 titanx, sli.. and 2 295x crossfire on a different time in the same machine.,did you get it???
Agreed. 390/390x are really good offerings, and I'd put the 390s just above the 970, at least price to performance wise.
Ok, I didn’t realise that there were two stupid people here. Sorry.
Yes, I understand that he said 2 x Titans SLI and 2 x 295X2 in Quadfire, but I call utter bullshit. Who has that type of hardware available to them? The review is also looking at single cards and not SLI or Crossfire, so the comment is invalid on that basis alone! That said, the 295X2 is essentially using onboard Crossfire, but it is a discreet card in its own right.
Just have a look here: http://www.extremetech.com/ext…
The 295X2 smashes the Titan out of the park on almost all benchmarks. The big deal will be when the 395X2 comes out. With 16GB of DDR5 RAM and slightly faster cores it’s going to dominate even harder.
The problem is, you're stupid. You're crossfiring 4 GPU's if you have twin 295X2's. Plus I think you're full of crap. I have been lucky enough to have 295X2's in crossfire because my friend and I bought one at the same time. Who on earth happens to have had two titans and two 295X2's!?
Plus this review is looking at single boards. Not crossfire or SLI (in which case you could get 2 x 295X2;s for almost the same price as one Titan and completely monster it.
It says "True Top 10 (Nvidia) [One of each type]:"
It would be near the bottom of this list though. Another site put it between AMD 390 and and GTX 980. Cheap, yeah, but you should already have that level of graphics or what are you even doing with your life?
u r one dumb person wittzi. you are comparing one titan to a 2 in 1 card? are you that thick and silly. 2 titans in sli beat the 295×2 hands down and thats a spot on comparison. Secondly, amd and stuttering is like a fly and crap, they love each other. nvidia makes 'proper' cards that are less patch and more game. choose quality bro, quit the cheapness
Where is the AMD Radeon R9 390? Its faster than the GTX 970.
seriously?? i have 2 gtx 970s in sli and i play 4k games with ease with NO stuttering. only thing with 970 is low memory otherwise sli doesnt give any micro stuttering. amd cards tbh are not really comparable to nvidia, its just price that keeps them alive. trust me, i have used both and the stuttering is very present in the amd cards. what a shame
A lot of 3d modelling software uses GPU for rendering
make that A LOT of 3d modelling software can use the gpu
Are you kidding me the geforce gtx 1080 founders edition from ASUS is much better then EVGA
lol when a windows patch is applied…amd is all about that patchy life…lmbo
pretty decent list, but going to wait for the RX480, looks like being unreal value card.
Why aren't GTX 690 and GTX 780ti on this list? They are older but still outperform some of the GPUs on this list.
A lot of people have moved on from pony 1080p monitors, so the extra VRAM is needed for the higher resolutions. How that Titan is top though is beyond me. The 295X2 rips its throat out AND is half the price.
I accept that both cores don't kick in on some older games, but overall it's an absolute monster … plus it's water cooled!
Nice article but not updated from long time. I found latest list of best Graphics Cards in 2016 Here: http://www.brandreviews.org/best-graphics-cards-reviews-in-2016. You should read it before buying one for you!
I agree that the above list consists of good graphics cards. However, I think it was a little early to release a list of the "best" cards of 2015 in May. The AMD R9 Fury X has outperformed all of the cards on this list which came out towards the middle of 2015. Also, this list fails to mention the non-mainstream cards such as workstation graphics or rarer cards as some other comments have mentioned. Thanks for compiling a list of the popular ones.
You're clearly hard of understanding Olisa. I am indeed comparing 1 Titan to a dual GPU card because they are still ONE CARD. One happens to have 2 cores, but it's one card.
2 x Titans in SLi would beat one 295X2. However, that would be stupidly expensive and if you had 2 x 295X2's it would only cost slightly more than 1 Titan and you'd have a HUGE amount of GPU processing power.
I'm not going to bother commenting on your AMD vs Nvidia point. That's for people to decide themselves. I'm just giving the facts. In summary:
1. 1 x 295X2 will ruin a single Titan on price and performance.
2. 2 x 295X2's will utterly destroy 2 x Titans on price and performance.
I love that you commented on this discussion months afterwards too. At this point valid comments should be around GTX 1070, 1080's and RX 480's. However, as you will never get to look at these cards I suppose it makes sense you're behind the times.
You do know that 3D Animation Industry Uses CPU And Ram only and the GPU is only for the interface display?
True. However the point I think he was making was the price. (It doesn't make it right, but still I think that was the point) The 770 I played around with wasn't satisfying enough for me to keep using :/
Why is my card Sapphire R9 280x tri-x not on the list.?
its certainly better than 960 and 750ti.
Some 3d modeling software can use GPU for rendering, which is faster than CPU.
Not only that, but with graphicall mods a computer can easily run out of graphical memory. Check youtube for Battlefront real life graphics. and see just how insane that mod is.