Looking to buy or even build your own gaming PC? The graphics card is one of the most significant considerations you’ll need to make. In fact, it is even more important than the CPU as it is responsible for rendering your visuals, lighting effects, and other visual elements. However, choosing one is not easy as the market is filled with endless model names and lots of big words that can that prove too much even for seasoned PC users.
That said, the process can become significantly easier if you understand the basics behind those spec sheets. We’ll give you the main guidelines to work with in this guide.
Assess Your Gaming Needs
For a start, take a minute to evaluate the kind of gamer you are. This is important as graphics cards are built with different capabilities, and you will need to balance what you need with the amount you spend. So, are you a casual gamer who only plays occasionally to unwind after a long day, or are you more of a dedicated gamer?
If you fall in the latter category, you will need to go for higher-end GPUs specifically built for gaming. Some good examples here are NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX series and AMD’s Radeon RX series. These will offer you excellent levels of performance, although you will also need to dig deeper into your pockets.
But besides looking at how big of a gamer you are, you also need to consider the types of games you tend to play. This is important as different game genres typically have different demands. For example, online multiplayer games will demand higher frame rates for you to enjoy smooth gameplay. On the other hand, open-world games and others that are more story-driven will give more emphasis on ensuring the environment is detailed.
Consider the Resolution and Refresh Rate
You’ll always come across the terms resolution and refresh rate when talking about gaming graphics. The resolution is a measurement of the number of pixels – picture elements – that can be contained on a display screen. The ones you’ll often come across are 1080p (Full HD), 1440p (Quad HD), and 4K (Ultra HD). But while they are on the monitor side, they require rendering, and that’s the work of a GPU. The higher the resolution your GPU can render (and monitor can produce), the more detailed and immersive your gaming visuals will be. So, are you okay with the standard 1080p resolution or do you want more detail?
On the other hand, the refresh rate of your gaming monitor will determine how fluid your gameplay is and how well it responds to your actions. This rate is usually measured in Hertz (Hz), and the number given shows the number of times per second the image on the screen is refreshed. The higher this number is, the smoother the display of your game.
When shopping for the graphics card, the standard is 60Hz. But if you want to go higher, there’s still 144Hz and even 240Hz. However, one thing you need to keep in mind is that these two go hand in hand with the monitor you have. Ensure that yours supports the resolution and refresh rate offered by your GPU. Otherwise, you may not need the higher power (or you will have to upgrade your monitor).
Compare Performance and Features
Once you have the basics sorted out, it’s now time to get more technical. Since there’s something for every price, you can narrow down by selecting a price range. You can then start looking at various cards in respect to their features and the preferences you already have. So what should you focus on?
The main features when it comes to comparing graphics cards are the GPU Architecture, CUDA Cores or Stream Processors (depending on the brand), Clock Speeds, and Memory Type and Size. If you want to look deeper, you can also consider things such as ray tracing, DLSS (NVIDIA)/FSR (AMD), and the cooling solutions used. However, ensure you keep in mind that it’s not just about raw power. Give priority to the features you feel are more valuable to you, and then try to balance this with your budget.
