While there are plenty of components to consider when building the ideal gaming PC, nothing is more important than the tenacity of your graphics card, and we’ve highlighted the best of them to make sure that you’re paired with the one that’s right for you.
Even though we recommend spending a good amount of time searching through the best CPUs, not to mention key accessories like the best gaming monitor, best gaming mouse and best gaming keyboard, there’s no denying that when it comes to pure prowess in a gaming rig, a capable graphics card will always stand out as the most important part.
The problem is, if you take a quick gander at any of the major online retailers selling graphics cards, it becomes abundantly clear just how much choice is out there for PC gamers. While that’s great for pushing innovation through competition, it can make things tricky especially if you’re not versed in all the details. Thankfully, this is where Trusted Reviews’ team of experts come in to help.
To establish the competency of a graphics card, our team uses a combination of both industry standard benchmarking (via 3DMark and Blender) alongside in-game testing, noting the frame rate levels in triple-A games across a multitude of genres. All of this combines to give you, our readers, a comprehensive understanding of how a GPU actually performs in daily use. Only the absolute best graphics cards, as verified by our experts, find their way on to this list.
You can also check out our round-ups of the best gaming CPU and the best Intel processor for more PC building advice. Alternatively, if you’d rather go down the ready-made route then we’ve also got you covered with the best gaming laptops and the best desktop PCs.
Best graphics cards at a glance
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How we test
rnrnLearn more about how we test graphics cardsrnEvery graphics card we review goes through a series of uniform checks designed to gauge key things including performance, features, thermals, power consumption and overclockability.
rnrnThese include formal synthetic benchmarks with third-party software, plus a series of in-games tests from some of the most recent AAA PC titles, with optimised picks for both AMD and Nvidia.
We also make sure to use the GPU for everyday tasks and gaming to make sure there are no real-time performance issues.
Pros
- Solid frame-rates at 1440p and 4K
- 16GB VRAM futureproofs it somewhat
- DLSS 4 delivers at 4K
Cons
- Still in the $800-1000 price range
- 5070 technically a better value proposition
Pros
- Impressive 4K performance
- Twin-slot shroud on FE is a dream
- Multi-frame gen is solid
Cons
- Availability is non-existent
- Not a huge leap compared to the 4080 Super
- MFG can be controversial
Pros
- The best gaming GPU on the planet right now
- Available in twin slot designs, and relatively cool
- Massive upgrade on last gen
Cons
- Stock is practically non-existent
- MFG tech can induce latency for some
- Bottlenecks at 1080p
Pros
- Exceptional value for money
- Twin slot, quiet design
- Impressive AI showing
Cons
- In high demand
- Limited AIB options
Pros
- Incredible gaming power
- Easily hits 4K in every game we tested
- Far more affordable than Nvidia RTX 4090
- More than enough power for creatives
Cons
- Very expensive
- Nvidia has the benefit of DLSS 3.5
Pros
- Easily hits triple figure frame-rates at 1440p
- Affordable 4K gaming graphics card
- Power draw isn’t quite as intense as its siblings
Cons
- Ray tracing performance still slightly worse
- FSR is catching up, but not on par with DLSS
- AIB cards only
Pros
- Average 4K framerates above 60
- Good overall pricing
- 16GB of VRAM should give it longevity
Cons
- Not quite as potent as RTX 4070 Super
- Ray tracing still lags behind Nvidia
Pros
- Incredible value for money at 1080p
- Decent performance at 1440p too
- Acer card is super quiet
Cons
- 8GB VRAM will be limiting later on
- Card design could use work
Solid frame-rates at 1440p and 4K
16GB VRAM futureproofs it somewhat
DLSS 4 delivers at 4K
Still in the $800-1000 price range
5070 technically a better value proposition
As you’ll no doubt know if you’ve already scoured the various options on this list, there are plenty of great high-end graphics cards to buy right now, if you’re the type of person who’s ready to fully move on from 1080p gaming and needs a GPU that’s futureproof enough to do away with any notion of needing to upgrade until many years down the line, then the Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti is the option to go for.
The thing that surprised us the most when testing the RTX 5070 Ti was seeing just how proficient the graphics card is when it comes to playing triple-A titles at 1440p and 4K. For reference, we put the GPU through its paces by playing Black Myth Wukong and Cyberpunk 2077, both of which at 1440p, came out swinging with rates of 59fps and 54.8fps respectively.
Kicking things up a notch to 4K gameplay, Cyberpunk came in at just over 30fps, but we saw incredible performance for less demanding titles such as Final Fantasy XIV which saw a frame rate of 101.5fps. What really helps performance at this level is the outstanding DLSS 4 software which, when toggled, boosted Cyberpunk to a whopping 50.7fps in quality mode.
Of course, if you do decide that you’re happy to drop down to 1080p for some games, which we do recommend on fast-paced titles that rely more on reaction times than visual fidelity, then you can anticipate a truly next-gen experience. Booting Final Fantasty back up at this level saw a jaw-dropping 223.2fps recorded, so for titles like Ranbow Six Extraction or Rocket League, you’ll have a serious leg-up on the competition.
Thanks to the inclusion of 16GB GDDR7 RAM, the 5070 Ti has more than enough headroom here to accommodate for any future games that really look to push the boundaries of what’s possible with PC gaming. If you’re worried about the GPU heating up under pressure then fear not as we only clocked a high of 72.5°C, which is very efficient compared to the highs of certain competitors.
Impressive 4K performance
Twin-slot shroud on FE is a dream
Multi-frame gen is solid
Availability is non-existent
Not a huge leap compared to the 4080 Super
MFG can be controversial
While there are more affordable options on this list, if you’re a gamer who values visual fidelity and graphical prowess above all then the search for your next graphics card starts and ends with the super powered Nvidia RTX 5080.
Where the RTX 5080 really shines is in 4K performance. If you’ve had to put up with running games at 1080p for years, just for the sake of maintaining a stable frame rate when playing the latest triple-A titles, then the 5080 is the upgrade you’ve been waiting for. Thanks to Nvidia’s all-new Blackwell architecture, which operates on TSMC’s 4NP manufacturing process, we simply couldn’t take our eyes off the results.
When running the RTX 5080 through the gamut of our five testing games, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong, we were able to track an average of 61.56 FPS across those titles in 4K, and the frame rate never dropped below 43.49 either. That’s outstanding power, and exactly what’s needed to show off these types of games in their best light. Trust us, Cyberpunk’s Night City has never looked better.
Part of what helps these statistics is the RTX 5080’s brilliantly upgraded DLSS4 capabilities. Using AI, the graphics card is able to inject new frames into an image on the fly, and while the technology has taken some time to really mature, it feels as though it’s finally hit its stride in Nvidia’s new GPU.
Thankfully, with everything that’s going on under the hood, Nvidia has made sure to make the process of cooling the RTX 5080 easier than ever with a twin-slot cooler design which, from our testing, made it far more efficient to keep the temperature in check, so you won’t have to worry when you’re being wowed by all the aforementioned graphical fidelity.
The best gaming GPU on the planet right now
Available in twin slot designs, and relatively cool
Massive upgrade on last gen
Stock is practically non-existent
MFG tech can induce latency for some
Bottlenecks at 1080p
Even though trying to get your hands on one can be a tricky task in some regions given how quickly they’ve flown off the shelves, it’s still worth holding out to pick up your very own Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 because, simply put, you won’t find gaming performance quite like it anywhere else. For a truly uncompromised experience, this is the GPU to go for.
Just so you can appreciate what the GeForce RTX 5090 is working with, Nvidia has managed to cram in 32GB of GDDR7 RAM which is capable of delivering a staggering 1.8 TB/s of bandwidth which is unreal. That’s more memory than most CPUs have at their disposal, so it’s highly unlikely that you’ll reach full capacity here.
There are also 92.2 billion transistors and 21,760 CUDA cores which makes the competition seem practically minimal by comparison. Even the RTX 5080 boasts only 10,752 cores whilst the 5090’s direct predecessor, the RTX 4090, caps at 16,384. It’s just a massive leap in capability.
Of course, to the average person who isn’t fully up to date on all the lingo, this might just seem like jargon, so what does it actually translate to in terms of raw power? Well, it’s an experience unlike any other. Across five triple-A titles, we clocked an average of 90fps when playing said games at 4K which is just unreal, and that’s before toggling DLSS.
This only gets even better when you do bring DLSS into the mix and from our experience, we saw an uptick of 24fps when playing Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K which just goes even further towards making Night City feel like a living, breathing world that can genuinely be inhabited. It all adds up to making your gaming sessions feel more immersive than ever, which is exactly what any gamer wants.
Exceptional value for money
Twin slot, quiet design
Impressive AI showing
In high demand
Limited AIB options
Given just how much of a push there is from competing manufacturers like Nvidia to really push the boat out in terms of raw performance, it does sometimes feel as if brands are overlooking the more entry-level part of the market where value is the most crucial aspect. Thankfully, we do not count Intel as being part of this crowd because of what a stunning package the Intel Arc B580 has turned out to be.
Because of its $250 price tag, the Intel Arc B580 has now also become quite tricky to track down because of the sheer value for money on offer, but it’s still worth holding out for one if you have the patience to go looking for one. By having a dual-slot design, the Intel Arc B580 does an amazing job at managing heat when in operation, and we never came across any moments for concern whilst testing.
On the specs front you’ve got 12GB GDDR6 RAM alongside 2560 cores which are able to run at 2850MHz when under pressure which is just exceptional. Again, it’s all quite impressive given the relatively affordable price point, and it paved the way for some truly outstanding results when playing the latest games.
It is possible to run games at both 1080p and 1440p here, so you can decide whether or not you want to have a bit more graphical grunt for a visually arresting experience or sacrifice a bit of fidelity to ensure a higher frame rate that complements more fast-paced titles. For example, we were able to register 39fps when playing Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p and Ultra settings which would have once been unimaginable for a GPU down the more budget-end of the spectrum.
You can dive into DLSS here as well which paved the way for a smooth experience at 4K. Booting up Cyberpunk again, this time we clocked 39.9fps as the average. We saw even better performance when playing Black Myth Wukong as we were able to play with ray tracing enabled and still see respectable performance in-game.
Incredible gaming power
Easily hits 4K in every game we tested
Far more affordable than Nvidia RTX 4090
More than enough power for creatives
Very expensive
Nvidia has the benefit of DLSS 3.5
The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the best graphics card we’ve reviewed, striking a sweet balance between price and performance for those who want to play in 4K.
Our benchmark results with this card were highly impressive. With the highest graphics preset setting and resolution cranked up to 4K, the RX 7900 XT was able to hit 99fps in Horizon Zero Dawn, 90fps in Borderlands 3 and 56fps in CyberPunk 2077. What’s more, the card supports ray tracing for high fidelity visuals, and the use of FSR 2 provides a welcome boost to performance.
Nvidia clearly still has the edge when it comes to AI performance boosting however, with DLSS 3.5 able to provide a far greater uplift, while also seeing improvements made to the ray tracing quality. But since such technology is limited to a modest selection of games, we still feel that the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the more appealing option for the vast majority of gamers.
If you want an even better 4K performance, then it’s worth checking out the slightly more expensive AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX too, which also saw a glowing review. Otherwise, we feel that the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT offers up the best balance of price and power.
Easily hits triple figure frame-rates at 1440p
Affordable 4K gaming graphics card
Power draw isn’t quite as intense as its siblings
Ray tracing performance still slightly worse
FSR is catching up, but not on par with DLSS
AIB cards only
Although the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE spent some time as a China-only exclusive, the GPU has now made its way to the rest of the world and frankly, we’re all better off for it. Simply put, if you’re looking to get the best value 4K gaming experience possible then this is the option to go for.
Even though it’s technically meant to sit between AMD’s 7800 XT and 7900 XT, its specs are something of an amalgamation of the two. For instance, the performance is closer to the 7800, but it’s based on the Navi 31 superstructure which is also found within the 7900 range.
When putting performance to the test, the 7900 GRE did incredibly well by scoring an average of 58fps in 4K gaming across six titles, while we were able to achieve roughly 111.67fps running those same games at 1440p.
For consistent frame rates and detail, you can’t ask for much more than that, although we did find the GPU’s ray tracing abilities to be eclipsed by similarly priced options from Nvidia. On that same thread, AMD’s FSR upscaling technology just isn’t quite up to the same standard as Nvidia’s DLSS. Still, for what you do get here (particularly at the price offered), there’s plenty to like about the RX 7900 GRE.
Average 4K framerates above 60
Good overall pricing
16GB of VRAM should give it longevity
Not quite as potent as RTX 4070 Super
Ray tracing still lags behind Nvidia
If you’re looking for the best graphics card for a 1440p gaming performance, but don’t want to spend over the odds, then the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is your best bet.
According to our 1440p tests, AMD’s mid-range card was able to play Horizon Zero Dawn at 137fps, Borderlands 3 at 130fps and Red Dead Redemption II at 106fps. These are all remarkable speeds, especially for a graphics card that priced at just $499 at launch.
This card does have some limitations, as running Cyberpunk 2077 in 1440p with ray tracing activated sees the performance fall down to 27fps. For such use cases, the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super is a more tempting option, as it’s able to run Cyberpunk at 43fps with the same settings, while the use of DLSS boosts the performance even further.
If you’re not too fussed about ray tracing though, then we think the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is a fantastic graphics card choice, representing outstanding value for money.
Incredible value for money at 1080p
Decent performance at 1440p too
Acer card is super quiet
8GB VRAM will be limiting later on
Card design could use work
Even though the likes of Nvidia and AMD have come to dominate the conversation surrounding GPUs (as well most of the spots on this list), the Intel Arc A750 proves that the CPU giant shouldn’t be overlooked in this category.
Where the Arc A750 excels is in delivering outstanding value for money performance when running games at 1080p. If you’re desperate to make the jump to 4K then the Radeon RX 7900 GRE is the one to go for, but for those who have no issues with 1080p gaming, or would rather spend money elsewhere, this is your best bet.
Part of the A750’s magic is down to the fact that it utilises TSMC’s N6 7nm manufacturing process which results in a combination of traditional rasterisation hardware and ray tracing/tensor hardware, allowing it to work seamlessly with AI upscaling to deliver impressive results.
Speaking of results, when put through our rigorous testing process, the A750 was able to comfortably reach between 70-80fps when gaming at 1080p. 1440p is available here but just expect the frame rate to take a hit if you do go down this route.
Test Data
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090
Intel Arc B580
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE
AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
Intel Arc A750
Power consumption
–
–
–
–
526 W
–
–
–
Peak temperature
–
–
–
–
–
93 °C
84.4 °C
84 °C
Horizon Zero Dawn frame rate (4K)
–
–
–
–
–
–
75 fps
41 fps
Horizon Zero Dawn frame rate (Quad HD)
–
–
–
–
–
–
137 fps
72 fps
Horizon Zero Dawn frame rate (Full HD)
–
–
–
–
–
–
165 fps
87 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (4K)
27.3 fps
34.7 fps
54.9 fps
5.2 fps
–
16 fps
13 fps
2 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Quad HD)
54.8 fps
63.5 fps
95 fps
24 fps
–
32 fps
27 fps
12 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Full HD)
85.9 fps
92.9 fps
108.2 fps
39 fps
–
51 fps
42 fps
25 fps
F1 22 (4K)
–
–
–
–
–
38 fps
33 fps
18 fps
F1 22 (Quad HD)
–
–
–
–
–
71 fps
66 fps
40 fps
F1 22 (Full HD)
–
–
–
–
–
112 fps
101 fps
62 fps
Total War: Warhammer 3 (4K)
–
64.3 fps
80 fps
–
–
53 fps
46 fps
27 fps
Total War: Warhammer 3 (Quad HD)
–
81.7 fps
84.6 fps
–
–
106 fps
97 fps
49 fps
Total War: Warhammer 3 (Full HD)
–
86.9 fps
86.6 fps
–
–
161 fps
137 fps
70 fps
Power consumption (idle)
–
–
–
–
–
165.4 W
184.8 W
195.1 W
Power consumption (under stress)
–
–
–
–
–
596.9 W
606.5 W
604.3 W
Full Specs
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Review
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Review
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Review
Intel Arc B580 Review
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Review
AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE Review
AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT Review
Intel Arc A750 Review
UK RRP
£802
£1000
–
–
£1049
£530
£380
£200
USA RRP
$749
$1000
–
–
$999
$550
$499
$250
EU RRP
–
–
–
–
€1049
–
–
–
AUD RRP
–
–
–
–
AU$1789
–
AU$725
AU$375
Manufacturer
Zotac
Nvidia
–
–
AMD
AMD
AMD
Intel
Size (Dimensions)
x x INCHES
x x INCHES
x x INCHES
–
x 267 x MM
17.13 x 9.61 x 3.58 INCHES
x x INCHES
117.9 x 267.0 x 73.7 MM
ASIN
–
–
–
–
–
B0CRFBD7JK
B0CGHQ32S2
B0CCSZ7NDP
Release Date
2025
2025
2021
–
2022
2024
2023
2022
First Reviewed Date
13/08/2025
–
–
–
–
30/06/2024
15/04/2024
15/04/2024
Model Number
–
–
–
–
–
11325-04-20G
–
APBF-IA750-8G-OC
Ports
–
–
–
–
DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1, USB-C
2x DisplayPort, 2x HDMI
DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1
1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 2.0
Power Consumption
–
–
–
–
526 W
–
–
–
Video Memory
–
–
–
–
24 GB
16 GB
16 GB
8 GB
Boosted Clock Speed
2512 MHz
–
–
–
2500 MHz
2293 MHz
2430 MHz
2200 MHz
CUDAcores
8960
–
–
–
–
5120
3840
3584
Architecture
NVIDIA Blackwell
–
–
–
SMD RDNA 3
RDNA 3
RDNA 3
Intel Alchemist
Ray Tracing?
Yes
–
–
–
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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What is ray tracing?
Ray tracing is an advanced rendering technology that can create realistic lighting and shadow effects. Only modern GPUs and select games support this technology.
What is DLSS?
DLSS is Nvidia’s temporal image upscaling technology which boosts the frame rate performance of supported games without compromising on the image quality. Only Nvidia’s RTX 20-Series, 30-Series and 40-Series GPUs support the technology.
