Current GPUs from Nvidia and AMD

The most important and at the same time most expensive component in a gaming PC is almost always the graphics card. Therefore, you should carefully consider beforehand what demands you have on your gaming computer. GIGA presents the best models from different manufacturers and price ranges and explains what needs to be considered before buying.

Gaming graphics cards 2022: All recommendations at a glance

It doesn’t matter whether it’s Nvidia, AMD or Intel: Each manufacturer either advertises special features or sells particularly inexpensive models to make PC gaming even more accessible. The choice of your next graphics card should not only depend on the respective price. Depending on which additional functions you want to benefit from and for what purpose you primarily use your graphics card, it is worth comparing the individual brands with each other. To make the process a little easier for you, we present a selection of current cards and explain what else you need to consider before you buy.

Nvidia recently introduced the new RTX 4000 series. WYou can find out why buying the previous generation is currently the better choice in the related article:

AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT

GIGA tip We start our list with the Gigabyte Radeon RX 6600 XT Gaming OC, which currently offers the most value for money. The model listed here forms the middle class of the current graphics card generation from “Team Red”. With 8 GB of video RAM and a boost clock of up to 2,607 MHz, you are well equipped for the coming years. In current AAA games, the RX 6600 XT easily cracks the magical limit of 60 FPS if you limit yourself to gaming in Full HD. Accordingly, less demanding titles – i.e. almost every competitive shooter – can be played beyond 144 FPS.

With “FidelityFX Super Resolution”, AMD now also has its own solution up its sleeve, which, like DLSS, is intended to tease out more FPS from your games. In the past, however, the numerous software errors that players regularly had to deal with were less pleasing. Fortunately, AMD is constantly improving this and is constantly expanding its application with useful functions. Nevertheless, in my opinion, Nvidia still has the edge here, although the gap is getting smaller and smaller.

advantages

• Perfect for gaming in Full HD with 60 FPS and more
• Current AAA games run effortlessly
• More performance thanks to AMD FSR 2.1

Disadvantages

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050

price tip Budget-oriented gamers can breathe easy. the Asus Dual GeForce RTX 3050 is Nvidia’s latest entry-level GPU, which finally comes with useful features such as DLSS or ray tracing. If you want the maximum FPS for the money, you should probably do without the latter. In contrast to its predecessor in the form of the GTX 1650, this model also has a whopping 8 GB of video memory, which makes the card a little more future-proof.

If you’re looking for a cheap entry point to be able to play long-running favorites like Fortnite or Apex Legends smoothly, you’ve come to the right place. Especially with DLSS switched on, the card should deliver all the more amazing results and also make more demanding titles playable. If you have a very limited budget and only play in Full HD anyway, you can hardly avoid the RTX 3050 at the moment.

advantages

• Mainstream titles run smoothly in high details and Full HD
• Ideal for budget PCs
• More FPS thanks to DLSS

Disadvantages

• Too little performance for demanding games
• Not really suitable for activated ray tracing

AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT

the Asus Radeon RX 6800 XT TUF Gaming is one of the current high-end models from AMD. What is special about the model shown here is the ample video memory of 16 GB. As a result, it has more than enough power to easily play all titles with maximum graphic details – be it in Full HD (1080p) or WQHD (1440p). At 4K it will probably get tight again and you would probably be better off with a more powerful card.

Although AMD graphics cards now support FSR 2.1, the standard is far from being as widespread as its counterpart from Nvidia. The best argument for the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is probably the price anyway, since there is currently hardly anything better in the range between 600 and 700 euros. Another bonus is the Infinity Cache and Smart Access Memory technology, both of which in combination should provide a significant increase in performance. However, the latter only works in conjunction with a suitable Ryzen CPU.

advantages

• Best suited for current AAA games in WQHD with 60 FPS or more
• A whopping 16 GB of video memory
• More performance with AMD Infinity Cache and Smart Access Memory
• Supports AMD FSR 2.1

Disadvantages

• Error-prone drivers
• No DLSS

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti

With the Asus ROG Strix RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC we’re making two huge leaps at the same time: in terms of performance and therefore (unfortunately) also in terms of price. Nvidia originally marketed the model as an affordable mid-range model, but the reality is still very different. With 8 GB VRAM and a boost clock of 1,875 MHz, the GPU delivers plenty of performance, but in terms of price it is more in the realm of high-end graphics cards of the time. Fortunately, prices seem to be falling more and more at the moment, especially since the RTX 4000 series cards are gradually replacing the current models.

If you need further arguments for the purchase: Since it is a graphics card from the RTX series, it supports ray tracing and DLSS accordingly. In addition, the latest generation of the in-house Nvidia encoder (NVENC) makes the card ideal for streaming or anyone who wants to get started with it.

advantages

• Ideal for AAA titles in WQHD with at least 60 fps
• Suitable for e-sports titles beyond 144 FPS
• Supports ray tracing and DLSS
• Latest NVENC standard for streaming

Disadvantages

• Requires a sufficiently large housing
• high price

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti

In the Zotac Gaming GeForce 3090 Ti AMP Extreme Holo it is the current flagship from Nvidia. The GPU therefore offers enough power so that you don’t have to worry about frame rates that are too low for a long time. Theoretically, it is topped by the RTX 4090, but this is hardly available at the moment. In addition, it is disproportionately expensive and is only worthwhile if you want to enjoy current AAA games with maximum graphics settings in 4K resolution and with activated ray tracing.

So if you want maximum performance these days, you should be ready to invest accordingly: Even this “outdated” variant of the RTX 3090 Ti costs over 1,500 euros as much as an entire gaming PC. Another factor is the immense power consumption of such cards. Especially in times of energy shortages, this point should probably also be included in the purchase decision.

Our tip: If you have the wherewithal, you should probably be patient and buy an RTX 4000 series card instead. In contrast to the 3000 series, this also supports the frame generation, which should provide a significant increase in performance compared to the previous generation, especially with ray tracing.

advantages

• Excellent performance
• Best suited for 4K gaming and ray tracing
• Supports ray tracing and DLSS
• Latest NVENC standard for streaming

Disadvantages

• Extremely expensive
• High power consumption
• No DLSS 3

This is how we selected the recommendations

We conduct intensive research for every article of this type so that we can then pass on the knowledge we have gained to our readers in a compact and, above all, understandable way. Likewise, all listed products are always selected with care and different applications and price segments are taken into account.

I myself have been enthusiastic about video games and the necessary hardware since my childhood. I assembled my first own gaming computer in 2012 and since then numerous others have followed. So over the years I have acquired all the knowledge related to games and (PC) hardware myself – often to the delight of my family or friends. There I am usually the first point of contact when it comes to repairing something or advising you on the purchase of new equipment.

How we test at GIGA and why you trust our judgement we have explained here:

I was also greatly assisted in this article by valuable input from my esteemed colleague Robert Kohlick. He is always up to date when it comes to gaming hardware and therefore always has an answer ready when it comes to technical questions. In order to give you the best possible overview, we have included external user opinions in our selection in addition to our own experiences.

You can find more information about the best processors for your gaming PC in the related article:

Don’t want to miss any more news about technology, games and pop culture? No current tests and guides? Then follow us
Facebook
or Twitter.