Best Graphics Cards for Gaming in 2018

At least least until the launch of Nvidia’s RTX 2070 in October, the best balance between performance, pricing, and power comes from Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1070. Of course, if price is no object and you own a 4K monitor, the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is our top pick. At the other end of the spectrum, Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1050 3GB takes the place of AMD’s Radeon RX 560 for solid budget-oriented performance at 1080p in your favorite games. Although it costs $10 more, the GeForce is significantly faster. See below for our full list of graphics card recommendations.

Best GPUs For Gaming

News and Product Updates

This week we finally got to take a look at the performance of Nvidia’s most-affordable RTX card, the GeForce RTX 2070. And while it consistently outperforms a GTX 1080, the Founders Edition model sells for $600, making it tough to recommend, especially since we still don’t know the oh-so-important details about how it—and the other RTX cards—perform in games that take advantage of the company’s ray tracing and AI features. In other words, we’re still waiting on too many of Nvidia’s Turing promises.

Why Trust Us

Tom's Hardware has been reviewing PC components for more than two decades. We put each graphics card through a bevy of benchmarks that quantify everything from performance in real-world games to power consumption, noise, and operating temperatures. We've tested every major model, along with third-party configurations based on the same GPUs.

Quick Shopping Tips

When choosing a graphics card, consider the following:

• First, identify your monitor’s native resolution. That’s a good target to aim for when you go graphics card shopping. We call out optimal resolutions with each of our recommendations.

• Ensure the rest of your platform is up to snuff. If you upgrade to a Radeon RX Vega 64, for instance, AMD suggests owning at least a 750W power supply. Double-check to be sure your PSU has the six- or eight-pin connectors to support your card of choice.

• On-board memory matters, kind of. In general, we recommend at least a 4GB card for 1920 x 1080 and 2560 x 1440 at the highest quality settings, and 8GB of memory for gaming at 4K.

• If your monitor supports AMD's FreeSync variable refresh technology, you need a Radeon card to enable it. Similarly, G-Sync-capable displays must be paired with a GeForce card for the feature to work.

MORE: AMD Radeon RX 480 Roundup

MORE: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Roundup

MORE: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Roundup

MORE: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Roundup

Best Budget Pick

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

Pros

• Generally faster than GeForce GTX 1050 2GB (and Radeon RX 560)
• Board power rating does not require auxiliary power
• Playable 1080p performance at reduced detail settings

Cons

• Trails GeForce GTX 1050 2GB in certain workloads
• Current on PCIe slot’s 12V rail can exceed PCI-SIG specification
• Prices on mainstream graphics cards are still higher than we’d like

Verdict

Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1050 3GB is mostly an upgrade over the 2GB version, offering reasonable performance at 1920x1080 (so long as you're willing to dial back quality). Recently, examples of the 3GB card began showing up for sale at about $10 higher than Radeon RX 560. Consistently better frame rates mean we’re willing to spend a bit more money for the GeForce GTX 1050 3GB card.

3.5/5

Review

$169.99Newegg

Best For FHD

AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB

Pros

• Smooth frame rates at 1920x1080 with top quality settings
• Low power consumption with multiple monitors attached and during video playback
• 4GB model is less expensive than 8GB version and still plenty for FHD gaming

Cons

• High power consumption under load compared to GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
• Pricing remains higher than when Radeon RX 580 launched

Verdict

Radeon RX 580 is based on the same Polaris 10 GPU as the Radeon RX 480 that preceded it. AMD simply dialed in higher clock rates to improve performance. While we’re always appreciative of higher frame rates, this also had the side-effect of increasing power consumption. Still, Radeon RX 580 generally outperforms the similarly-priced GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, particularly in DirectX 12 games, earning it a spot on our list.

4/5

Review

$279.99Newegg

Best For QHD

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070

Pros

• Great performance at 2560x1440 with best-looking quality settings
• Good starting point for enthusiasts with VR headsets
• 150W board power only requires one 8-pin auxiliary connector

Cons

• Aging architecture will likely be replaced later in 2018
• Partner cards priced higher now than when they debuted in 2016

Verdict

Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1070 gives us very little gripe about. It’s an excellent card for gaming at 2560x1440. Not only does it use less power than AMD’s competing Radeon RX Vega 56, but also the lower-end Radeon RX 580. The 1070’s high performance, cool temperatures, and quiet fans were revolutionary when it launched in 2016. Our only hesitation buying one now would be an impending next-gen replacement.

4.5/5

Review

$409.99Newegg

Best For VR

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080

Pros

• Loaded with features for improving performance in VR
• Higher frame rates than GeForce GTX 1070 at 2560x1440
• 180W board power significantly lower than competition
• Only modern card that sells for less today than it did at launch

Cons

• Not quite fast enough for 4K gaming
• Aging architecture will likely be replaced later in 2018

Verdict

Enthusiasts with VR headsets need to achieve a certain level of performance to avoid jarring artifacts. A GeForce GTX 1080 is fast enough to keep up with the 90 Hz refresh rates of modern HMDs. Moreover, it includes a number of features designed to improve the efficiency of rendering VR environments. Although $550 is still a lot of money to spend on high-end graphics, remember that GeForce GTX 1080 once sold for $700.

4.5/5

Review

$499.99Newegg

Best For 4K

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti FE

Pros

• Smooth performance at 4K with top quality settings
• Improved thermal solution performance helps sustain higher GPU Boost clocks
• Packed with future-looking tech to accelerate next-gen games with ray tracing and AI support

Cons

• $1200 price tag is out of reach for most gamers
• Dual axial fan design exhausts heat back into your case

Verdict

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is the first card we’ve tested able to deliver smooth frame rates at 4K with detail settings maxed out. Its halo features aren’t used in any games yet, but as those come online, the Turing architecture is expected to shine even brighter.

4.5/5

Review

$1,199Nvidia

For even more information, check out our Graphics Card Buyer's Guide.

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