Best Graphics Cards for Gaming 2023

Intel Arc A770 Limited Edition

PROS:

• Faster than RTX 3060 and 6650 XT
• Lots of VRAM (get a 16GB model)
• AV1 encoding and XeSS upscaling
• Player three has joined the game

CONS:

• Drivers and inconsistent performance
• Needs modern PC with ReBAR
• Not especially power efficient

It has been maybe unfair of us to not cover it more in our blog, so it deserves a mention here. The Intel Arc A770 Limited Edition graphics card truly is a mixed bag of performance. At times, it excels and can even match the performance of the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, but in other instances, it falls short of expectations and trails behind the RTX 3060 (it's closest comparison). However, Intel is continuously working on improving the drivers, working closely with their customer base and developers, which should unlock more potential in the future. There's no doubt the technology has room to improve, and the build quality has so far been there.

One of the standout features of the A770 Limited Edition is its memory capabilities, with 16GB of GDDR6 running at 17.5 Gbps and a 256-bit memory interface, which surpasses the same level of competition from AMD and NVIDIA. Additionally, Intel has a strong Ray Tracing performance, often matching the 3060, with the exception of Minecraft. We shouldn't forget that Intel were also the first company to offer hardware accelerated AV1 encoding and decoding support, and QuickSync continues to offer a great balance of encoding performance and quality. Great news for budget-focused streamers, then.

On the downside, the A770 has inconsistent performance due to those pesky driver issues, and it requires a modern PC with ReBAR support. Whilst it limps along in some cases, it cannot be discounted due to developer support - that will come soon. Additionally, it's not the most power-efficient option on the market, with NVIDIA and AMD walking away with much hardier efficiency ratings at 1080p, 1440p and of course, 4K.

The real interesting release could be the Intel Arc Battlemage GPUs, which are likely to be released in 2024, which could put an end to inefficiencies in Intel cards, as well as see them claw back some market after working with developers in the interim.

Performance

Gaming performance is roughly on par with the NVIDIA RTX 3060 and AMD's RX 6600 XT at 1080p and 1440p, but the A770 LE is more than happy beating the RTX 4090 into submission on AV1 decoding. For video editors, it is worth keeping an eye on Intel to see how they increase performance on that score.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

PROS:

• Outstanding performance at 1080p resolution
• Good Ray Tracing capabilities
• Keeps cool during operation
• More than adequate for content creators

CONS:

• Limited power at stock specifications - OC preferred
• Power connector placement is not ideal on FE models
• 8GB of memory
• RTX 3070 offers better performance for 4K gaming
• Overclocking can be difficult due to power constraints
• Difficulty in finding stock and availability issues.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers great value with its price to performance ratio, delivering performance that rivals the second user hero, the RTX 2080 Super, while keeping its price tag mostly affordable.

It excels at 1080p gaming and has solid Ray Tracing performance, but the RTX 3060 Ti only has entry-level 4K performance. For system builders, the 12-pin power connector can be a nuisance, but overall, it's a great option for most people at the entry level to mid-tier slice of the market.

Performance

The RTX 3060 Ti is capable of taking on the Radeon RX 5700 XT in 1080p and 4K, with around 20% gains, but will suffer at the hands of the AMD 6000 series - often by around 25%.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

PROS:

• Excellent performance across the board
• Great value gaming and creator spec for the price
• Impressive Ray Tracing capabilities

CONS:

• Prices are still inflated compared to previous architecture
• Requires a 12-pin power connector

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is rapidly becoming a firm favourite graphics card for most PC enthusiasts, offering performance mostly around 15% lower than the RTX 3080, at a much more affordable price. This card brings 4K gaming to the mainstream market and allows for high-quality settings without compromising performance, thanks to DLSS technology. It also has a smaller form factor compared to the RTX 3080, making it a great option for those with space constraints.

Performance

Expect 25% better performance over the RX 5700 XT at 1080p, and only 35% lesser performance than the RTX 3080 in 4K gaming. Realistically this means you will see the RTX 3070 achieve 57 FPS vs the RTX 3080 at 76 FPS in Horizon Zero Dawn at 4K, and 74 FPS vs 110 FPS respectively in Metro Exodus which is going to be fine for most gamers.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX

PROS:

• Exceptional gaming performance
• Reasonable price for a high-end card
• Compact design that fits in most cases
• Does not require a 16-pin connector

CONS:

• Average performance for creative tasks
• Ray Tracing capabilities lag behind newer NVIDIA cards
• Consumes a lot of power
• Low stock levels

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX truly is a powerful gaming GPU that has the ability to outperform NVIDIA's RTX 4080, while being quite smugly priced 20% less with some retailers. AMD are very happy with their rollout of the RDNA 3 cards, and the RDNA3 24GB RX 7900 XTX means business.

With its 2nd-gen ray accelerators, the RX 7900 XTX makes for serious 4K gaming with Ray Tracing now an honest-to-goodness competitor on an AMD card. However, it does fall behind the NVIDIA RTX 40-series in terms of Ray Tracing and has some unresolved creative workload performance. Although, with further driver updates, this could be sorted by AMD in the near future. Despite these issues, this card is still an excellent option for those looking to upgrade their GPU, without going too far into the high budget stakes.

Performance

For 4K gaming, a total of 15 reviewers which include the likes of KitGuru, TechSpot, Tweakers and Tom's Hardware have seen the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX perform almost 30% better than the 6950 XT, up to 10% better than the RTX 4080, and around 25% better than the RTX 3090.

For 1440p gaming, the RTX 4080 performs much better, with only very little difference in benchmarks. The RX 7900 XTX still beats the Radeon RX 6950 XT by around 20%, and the RTX 3090 by around 15%.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

PROS:

• Significant jump in performance from previous generation
• Efficient design
• DLSS 3 feature may prove useful
• Good Ray Tracing hardware
• Ideal for creators (video editing, 3D rendering, etc.)

CONS:

• High price point for a mid-tier and high-end graphics card
• DLSS 3 feature increases latency
• The 16-pin power connector may not be necessary

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is - to be fair - often described as a mid-tier and high-end graphics card. It is priced to enable mid-tier buyers access to the new generation, but it steps up performance to high-end standards, offering a significant jump in performance from the previous generation.

The RTX 4070 Ti is an efficient card and offers next level Ray Tracing capabilities, making it a great option for gamers. DLSS 3 is where the real performance lives, with increased framerates and no system performance loss.

Performance

Our 4070 Ti vs 4080 performance comparison shows that in benchmarks, the RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 Ti are quite evenly matched at the top end, with a paltry 10 - 30 FPS difference here and there. Watch Dogs: Legion at 1440p Very High manages 146 FPS, and F1 2022 performs at 100 FPS with RTX On, 1440p Ultra settings. These are amazing numbers, and very close to the RTX 4080 when you consider the difference you would actually see on screen at these framerates. For a list of 7 games benchmarked for the RTX 4070 Ti, check out our RTX 4070 Ti guide.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

PROS:

• Exceptional performance - bodies most cards in the market
• DLSS 3 feature is groundbreaking
• Perfect for high-end creators and gamers alike
• Makes 8K gaming a reality

CONS:

• Extremely expensive
• Requires a 16-pin connector or adapter
• Large size may be an issue for some PC builds

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a powerful graphics card that can handle any task thrown at it. The incredible DLSS 3 feature has the potential to revolutionise gaming, and has already made its mark for performance increase. However, it is important to note that this is a high-end GPU that may be more than what most people need. Not only is it a chonky card which will be difficult to get in most bedrooms, let alone PC cases, but it draws as much system resources as a nuclear submarine at full tilt. In all seriousness, the Nvidia RTX 4090 has an official power draw of 450W TBP, which means an 850W power supply is going to be required for best results, along with a newer generation CPU to combat bottlenecks. Forget smaller, compact builds, and think plenty of chassis room and airflow.

Performance

The RTX 4090 is best suited for creatives and will be of interest to those future thinkers interested in 8K gaming, achieving 81 frames per second at 8K in Microsoft Flight Simulator with DLSS 3 enabled (Source: Tech Chap). For 1080p, 1440p and the majority of 4K worthy games, the 4090 is king of the hill.

Against every card in the market, the RTX 4090 does not trade blows - it vanquishes. Overall, the card that competes closest is the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, where the 4090 offers 36% better performance in a 4K geomean average (Source: Digital Trends).

Of course, the RX 7900 XTX does come out on top to the tune of a few frames per second in some titles, but the feature-rich and Ray Tracing powerhouse RTX 4090 is outstanding over many titles.

In practical terms, Assassin's Creed Valhalla at 1440p with Very High Quality comes out at 183 FPS, and 116 FPS in 4K. Horizon Zero Dawn will perform at 212 FPS at 1440p (Ultimate Quality) and 157 FPS in 4K. At 1440p, Cyberpunk 2077 hits 145 FPS in High quality, and 83 FPS in 4K. Note, these are using a 5800X3D, where bottlenecks have been found. These are still incredible numbers, and likely will get better as Game Ready drivers begin to unfold.