The 9 Best Graphics Cards in 2024 – Reviews & Buyer Guide

If you are assembling a new gaming PC, the graphic card is the most important component. It is used to perform all the graphical calculations and, in this case, allows us to reproduce on the screen the three-dimensional environment that is created by the graphics engine of each video game, together with all the elements that compose it.

This operation must be carried out dozens of times every second, requiring considerable computing power to create the simulation of movement within the video game.

The GPU needs several specific components to calculate the polygonal scene, transform it into pixels, and then send it to the monitor, which must work in synergy with each other to ensure a reliable result.

Here we have selected the best graphics cards that are listed below. This card will provide you great gaming experience.

Things to Consider Before Buying Graphic Cards

1. Gpu

The video card is one of the various hardware components that allow the correct functioning of a personal computer: this is directly connected to the computer motherboard and, in essence, has the task of translating the inputs produced by the processor into intelligible video signals and showing them on the display to which the card is directly connected.

This process is very complex in itself but absolutely indispensable for our pc to make images, text, videos, and much more are visible.

A video card can be integrated inside the motherboard or directly on the CPU ( central processor unit ), or it can be dedicated. In this second case, the card operates with its hardware (essentially processor and ram ) and energy resources, not shared with the CPU.

Video Card – Structure

The so-called dedicated video cards achieve much higher performance than the integrated ones. They are mainly used for video-gaming applications or complex graphic elaborations (for example, design or 3 d design).

Exactly as a motherboard, the video card consists of a PCB ( printed circuit board ) or printed circuit where they have placed one processor.

The rams blocks and chip bios ( basic input/output system ), which coordinates the overall operation of the card and runs the diagnostics on the memory, and on the input and output signals at each start.

To better understand the functioning of a video card and to be able to estimate its quality and economic value, we have chosen to analyze this type of product through four distinct factors which – note it well – are closely interrelated with each other. These are:

1. The GPU
2. The Memory
3. The Cooling System
4. The Connectivity

After This First Introductory Lines, We Begin to Explain the First Factor.

By GPU ( graphic processor unit ), we mean the processor of a video card. In essence, this represents one of the most important elements of a video card, on which a large part of the results and performances depend.

Video card – GPU for this reason, the GPU is the first of the factors we consider to assign a rating to a video card.

The GPU is a very powerful microprocessor, specifically created to quickly manipulate and alter the data in memory to achieve a visual output, realizing in a few moments all those complex calculations necessary for graphic processing.

Architecture

For this reason, the processor of a video card has several billion transistors that require high power to function, generating a lot of heat, so there are special cooling systems around the processor (fans, diffusion plates, etc.) which, as we will see later, serve to keep the processor temperature within acceptable levels and preserve its integrity.

The main manufacturers ( Nvidia and AMD ) develop architectures unique and particular for their processors, which have a decisive impact on the capabilities and performance of the GP us: the more modern ones allow, for example, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the GPU, reducing its physical size.

Some Reference Values

With a Certain Approximation, It Is Possible to Evaluate the Performance of A Gpu According to Its Clocking Frequency Expressed in M Hz, Which We Generally Find Expressed as A Base Clock and Boost Clock. in Essence, the First Indicates the Minimum Gpu Performance Guaranteed by The Manufacturer, I.E., when The Load Work Is Minimal, While the Second Refers to Guaranteed Performance at Maximum Load. in Any Case, This Parameter Must Always Be Evaluated About the Gpu Architecture, the Number of Cores, and The Characteristics of The Memory. Two Gp Us with The Same Power but With Different Architecture Will Not Necessarily Have the Same Performance, but With the Same Features, a Higher Clock Frequency Gpu Will Perform Better.

Video Card – GPU and Memory

The Cores

As we said, the number of cores present is another parameter quite important to consider, and, in this case, it is possible to be relatively clear in the evaluation: a greater number of cores equals greater performance.

However, the types of cores on the market (such as NVidia’s Cuda cores and AMD stream processors ) have different capabilities and characteristics, making a direct comparison between different brand products complex.

Also, consider that more cores and a more powerful processor need more power and, therefore, will reach higher temperatures.

In some cases, the GPU is subjected to so-called overclocking, i.e., pushed to the limits of its capacity to have the maximum performance possible from a video card. Of course, this practice can involve serious risks for the product that, however, is up to the user evaluate from time to time.

2. Memory

Video cards also contain ram ( random access memory ) cards that we can imagine as special storage spaces that have two very important tasks: storing information and quickly sending it to the GPU.

These two functions are very important and have a decisive impact on the final rendering of the video card: for this reason memory

Video Card – Ram

It is the second decisive factor that we will take into consideration to evaluate our product correctly.

To better understand the usefulness of ram, think for example of modern video games in which landscapes full of mobile details, complex physics, and much more are developed.

In essence, all this information must then be conserved and made quickly available to be used by the GPU. a first parameter, therefore, will be the amount of memory available in a video card, which in commercial models on the market today varies from 1 GB to 12 GB (in some particular models used for very complex graphic designs, it goes well beyond 12 GB).

In addition to the capacity, another very important factor is the so-called memory bandwidth or the speed with which the data passes through the ram: this aspect is expressed in GB / sec ( gigabyte per second ).

In this case, you can be fairly clear: a higher memory bandwidth corresponds to better performance. To get an idea of ​​the speeds reached, we report that they range from 12/14 GB / sec up to the latest generation models that touch 320 GB / sec. this speed is, in turn, determined by three different elements which are:
The type of ram adopted, for example, SDR (single data rate), ddr5 (double data rate 5), gddr5 (graphic double data rate 5) or the very modern 5 gddr5x
The clocking frequency of the memory also expressed in g Hz
The memory interface width (the amplitude of the memory interface ) whose values ​​range from 128-bit up to 384-bit of the most powerful products

3. Cooling System

The third factor considered for the evaluation of the video cards is the cooling system present on the product, an element that, as you will see, is very important and that you find represented in the image below.

As previously mentioned, the GPU of a video card is a microprocessor that has the precise task of performing very complex calculations in the shortest possible time. To carry out its task, the processor.

Therefore, needs an equally powerful power supply that provides a lot of energy, a quantity that is approximately between 75 watts and 600 watts.

Of course, higher energy consumption will correspond to the tendency to develop higher temperatures, which, if not properly considered, can cause damage and compromise the entire graphics card.

For this reason, different cooling systems have been designed, different according to the manufacturer: systems that adopt passive heat sinks, ventilation systems with one, two, or three blades and combined systems.

As we said, the various solutions adopted by manufacturers in the sector ( Asus, Gigabyte, his, xx, sapphire)

Video Card – Cooling Systems

They are always quite efficient and manage the temperatures of the entire board well, safeguarding their operation and helping to prolong their long-term durability.

It should also be noted that fan cooling systems in themselves produce a certain level of noise that can be annoying. In the more sophisticated models, you can find types of fans designed to be silent and efficient at the same time.

Inside the cooling systems, the materials and the design with which the video card was made must also be considered: these elements also strongly contribute to keeping the GPU temperatures within acceptable levels.

Why Is Cooling System Important?

As we have just seen, having to evaluate this factor, several specific elements must be taken into consideration, such as the energy consumption of the board, the specific cooling systems, and their acoustic pressure.

For this reason, in each of our reviews, these factors will be carefully weighed together to give a more objective judgment of this very important factor.

Finally, one last and necessary consideration must always be made regarding the cooling system. In essence, the dissipation systems present on the video card remove the heat from the system and project it outside, thus increasing the temperature of the rest of the computer.

For this reason, and assessing whether it is already capable of keeping the temperatures of the whole system within acceptable levels.

4. Connectivity

The last factor we are going to consider in evaluating this type of product is the connectivity of this electronic component.

For reasons of simplicity, we have divided the treatment into two distinct profiles: internal connectivity and external connectivity. In internal connectivity.

The compatibility of the card with the motherboard, the connections for the electric current, and the possibility of making two cards work in pairs are considered.

In internal connectivity, on the other hand, the availability of card output ports is analyzed; in other words, the multimedia connectivity of the card.

Internal Connectivity

As for the internal connectivity of a video card, first of all, consider that the interface determines whether a card is compatible or not with the motherboard, therefore a very important feature when we are assembling a pc. for this type of evaluation.

It is necessary to observe the type of PCI-e or PCI express ( peripheral component interconnect express ) of the video card, of which we recommend the PCI-e 3.0 x16 level, which is the one compatible with most of the motherboards existing on the market.

Video Card – Connectivity

If the motherboard and the space of our case allow it, it is possible to work from two up to a maximum of four video cards in synergy. In this case, it is necessary to distinguish between the technologies produced by Nvidia and those AMD, which are incompatible with each other.

If you opt for Nvidia products, it is sli technology that allows two video cards to work in sync, although these must all be of the same model with the same skills. Amd technologies, on the other hand, can be coupled via crossfire technology, and in this case, cards of models with different capacities can also work together.

Finally, the number of cables needed to power the board must be considered: in fact, some very demanding graphics cards require a double power supply to work. In this case, it is specified that two 6-pin or 8-pin cables are required each for the power supply.

In other cases, the video cards work correctly by feeding directly from the video card and have no additional power supply cables. In essence, this is a useful feature for those who want to keep consumption low.

External Connectivity

This second profile takes into account the analog and digital outputs of the video card and the resolution supported by the video card.

The analog outputs of a video card are VGA and y / c and are managed by the Ramdas ( random access memory digital-to-analog-converter ) of the video card: since the analog outputs become increasingly obsolete, in the most modern products it is not surprising that these elements are less and less present.

Another important aspect is the interaction between the graphics card drivers and the applications present on our computer.

This type of interaction is guaranteed by the so-called API ( application programming interface ) interfaces. In the video sector, the most common ap is are direct x, Vulkan, and open gl, which, in turn, are periodically updated.

Therefore, when purchasing a video card, this level of compatibility must also be considered, although it is almost completely standardized.

The digital outputs, on the other hand, are the most relevant ones and are mainly HDMI, DVI, and dual port. On this site, it is appreciable the presence of more than one HDMI output to use the multiscreen function, as long as our video card supports it.

finally, consider the maximum resolution supported by the video card, which, in the top range products, can reach 7680×4320 @ 60Hz.