What is a Good Gaming Graphics Card?

What is a Good Gaming Graphics Card?

Gaming is probably the most hardware-intensive task regular people perform on their PC – and perhaps the main reason they’d use a graphics card. What’s good about computers today is that you don’t have to buy a separate graphics card to run a game.

Nearly 76% of all GPUs sold are integrated units built into your computer. Still, many gamers turn to dedicated cards to boost visual performance.

If you are looking to upgrade, keep reading. This article will guide you through the process and help you make an informed choice. We’ll answer multiple questions you may have, from “What are graphics cards?” to “How to pick the best?”

The GPU

Firstly, what does a graphics card do? To explain this, we need to start with one of its main components – the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).

A GPU is a chip that renders graphics and images for an electronic device. The tasks that fall onto the graphics card today were initially performed by the Central Processing Unit (CPU).

Over time, we developed applications with much more intense graphic demands that would put immense strain on the CPU, lowering performance quality. Today, GPUs are used for precisely this reason – better performance. They’re widely known to provide smoother graphics in modern video games and can be used for other tasks that require a lot of complex computations, like machine learning or AI.

What Are Graphics Cards?

You’ll often see the term “GPU” used interchangeably with “graphics card”. However, the GPU is merely one part of a graphics card.

It’s important to remember that there are two types of GPUs:

• Integrated GPU (iGPU) – This type’s embedded on the motherboard alongside the CPU and uses the computer’s RAM. It’s commonly found in laptops and lower-cost PCs
• Discrete GPU – It’s placed on its own card and has a separate video memory (VRAM) as well as other hardware parts.

Discrete GPUs are useless unless they’re mounted on graphics cards. But what does a graphics card look like?

Well, the graphics card is similar in appearance to a computer motherboard but smaller. Modern-day graphics cards are exceptionally advanced and can be a PC’s most impressive and sophisticated part.

The Lifespan of a Card

The lifespan of a graphics card can end in 2 different circumstances:

1. The card doesn’t work any more.
2. The card has become outdated.

The first case isn’t too concerning. Graphics cards can last many years and remain functional, although this will depend on the hardware and frequency of use.

The second case is a more common problem, and it makes sense. After all, what will graphics look like in 10 years? We can only speculate, but one thing seems very likely – your card will need an upgrade along the way if you hope to experience the future of graphics fully.

Tips for Buying Graphics Cards

Although more expensive products tend to deliver better performance, chances are you won’t always need these high-end products. The specifications of a graphics card are important, not the price. Consider the types of games you play, programs you use, and whether a device will work for you.

The CPU and monitor should be able to keep up with your gaming needs and the card. If you don’t have a suitable set-up that can make the most of advanced features, there’s no use in spending too much on a GPU.

The Best Products at Various Price Points

At Inside Tech, you can find the gaming products you need at different price points.

For example, the Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 6600 is a good choice for consumers looking for a superb gaming experience at a more affordable price. It can run games at 1080p with immersive visuals and high frame rates.

At a higher price, you can find models with higher-performing components, like the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3060 V2 OC Edition, that’s equipped to handle intense thermal loads and comes with 12GB of DDR6 memory.

The Big Leagues

Then, moving up to the big leagues, we have some of the most expensive graphics cards that can exceed £1000. The ASUS TUF GAMING Radeon RX 6900 XT contains impressive and enduring components, from the advanced GPU to the hardware.

If you want to go all out on a graphics card, the very best will be the priciest. The TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3090 Ti OC Edition, for example, costs around £2000, but it performs at the top level with an Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti chipset, which is considered one of the best GPUs.