Does It Really Matter Which GPU You Buy?
When it comes to graphics cards, you’ve got two options: AMD or Nvidia. These two tech behemoths have dominated the graphics card conversation for nearly two decades, and it’s been a long time since any other tech outfit took a good shot at the two.
Intel’s upcoming Arc Alchemist graphics card aside, choosing between the two is difficult. If you buy a new GPU, you’re either buying from Team Red or Team Green. So, does it really make a difference who you buy from? Isn’t all GPU performance roughly similar? Can’t you expect a similar level of gaming performance, no matter if you buy an Nvidia or an AMD GPU?
AMD vs. Nvidia: Does It Really Matter?
PC hardware enthusiasts worldwide are spitting coffee across their screens as they read. Debates about the merits of each GPU manufacturer are a never-ending source of conversation, especially since AMD rolled its socks up and clawed back Nvidia’s considerable advantage with the launch of its Ryzen GPUs.
Then there are advanced memory caches, differences in superscaling implementation, development of Compute Units and CUDA Cores, and on and on it goes.
However, for many would-be gamers, those (admittedly very interesting) specs don’t actually mean much. The raw figures and processing power on paper don’t marry to real-world performance, and not everyone has the time (or want) to learn about the differences between AMD’s Compute Units and Nvidia’s CUDA Cores.
For most users, the simple question is, will this graphics card make my games look better? Will installing an AMD GPU give me better frame rates than an Nvidia GPU? And even then, that’s assuming you’re using gaming hardware that allows you to swap your hardware out and make that decision. If your primary gaming machine is a console like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, the conversation will wash over you, as both machines use AMD hardware. There, you’re an AMD fan, and you didn’t even know it—welcome to Team Red.
AMD vs. Nvidia: Who Makes the Best GPUs?
Perhaps the question is best broached from another perspective. Who makes the best graphics cards out of Nvidia and AMD?
Again, answering the question isn’t easy without getting involved with specs and costs. But if you’re building out or buying a new PC, these are valid questions, and understanding at least some of what’s being sold to you is important. At the very least, you’ll understand more about what to expect from your graphics card, and you could save yourself some extra pennies when PC hardware prices continue to rise.
So, let’s look at a few factors that might help you figure out which graphics card you want to buy.
1. Performance
At the top end of the GPU market, you’ll find incredible hardware like the Nvidia RTX 3090 and the AMD RX 6900 XT, and the RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT. The Nvidia RTX 3070 and RTX 3060 Ti bookend AMD’s RX 6700 XT, but they’re all there in the mix.
All of these equivalent cards offer similar performance, give or take a few frames per second, along with the other hardware in your machine.
However, Nvidia typically edges just ahead in terms of outright power, boosted by the additional tech it brings to the table, such as DLSS, which is undoubtedly better than AMD’s Fidelity FX.
Related: Nvidia DLSS vs. AMD FidelityFX: What’s the Difference & What Looks Better?
So, in terms of gaming performance, an Nvidia GPU is likely the better option, but you won’t go wrong with an AMD card either.
2. Price
Next up, price. If performance is similar outside of advanced features like ray tracing and upscaling, the next best metric is price. Even if you think it doesn’t matter which GPU manufacturer you choose, the difference in price between AMD and Nvidia may cause you to reconsider.
Price is one aspect where AMD typically beats out Nvidia. For example, Nvidia’s RTX 3080 has an MSRP of $699, while the equivalent AMD card, the RX 6800 XT, has an MSRP of $649.
Now, what’re 50 bucks when you’re already spending that much on a GPU? The difficulty is that currently, GPU prices are drastically inflated due to chip shortages, manufacturing issues, energy inflation, crypto mining, scalpers, and so on.
Where there was just a $50 gap between these two equivalent GPUs at launch, the current price is much, much higher—and with a larger gap between the two.
According to Tom’s Hardware, the average price for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 on eBay was $1,783 in December 2021, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT was substantially cheaper, averaging $1,387. That difference of around $400 is significant, maybe allowing you to spend extra on other hardware components such as more or faster RAM.
Related: Why PC Hardware Prices Are Set to Rise Again in 2022
3. Availability
Following on from that, availability is another problem facing both GPU manufacturers. As Nvidia’s GPUs are better for cryptocurrency mining and hold a slight edge when it comes to gaming performance, they’re harder to get hold of (due to global shortages, as above). As a result, you’ll struggle to find an Nvidia at MSRP. Whereas, you stand a better chance of picking up an AMD GPU at a lower price, with wider availability in general.
So, does it matter which GPU you buy? When it comes to availability, it may come down simply to what is available when you have the funds to spend and not much else.
Which GPU Should You Buy? AMD or Nvidia?
When it comes down to it, the current state of the GPU market doesn’t make it easy for anyone to buy new hardware, let alone be picky when it comes to choosing between Nvidia and AMD. If you can hold out or splash the extra cash required for the GPU you really want, go for it. Otherwise, don’t get too hung up on the smaller details.
Remember, if you’re upgrading from an older GPU, say an Nvidia GTX 980 or an AMD RX 580, to a sparkling RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT, your graphics experience is going to improve an unfathomable amount, regardless of extra features, cache size, upscaling, or otherwise. Sure, Nvidia’s ray tracing tech is streets ahead of AMD’s equivalent. But a top-end AMD GPU will still play your games at the highest settings at 4K, which is more than enough for most people.
AMD vs Nvidia, Which is Better? (Updated 2023)
The never-ending war between Team Green and Team Red.
How many times have you heard people fighting over which graphics card maker is the best? There has always been Team Green or Team Red, so in the never-ending battle of the GPU, who wins? AMD or Nvidia?
One thing is true – never ask a group of gamers whether NVidia is better than AMD or the other way around because you’ll probably start a fight. All jokes aside, let’s see which video card maker is the best in 2020.
In 2021, AMD is better than NVidia because of superior price per performance. The technical capabilities are similar, but AMD is simply more affordable.
AMD vs Nvidia – Price Per Performance
The debate can always be settled when you look at price per performance. And since both Nvidia and AMD have released the latest GPU’s, let’s take a look at some numbers.
AMD has released Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs and will soon be available for purchase online or in stores.
There are two versions of RX 6800 and an RX 6900. The three RX 6000 series GPUs come with the same RAM, Infinity Cache and the option Rage Mode, but have different clock speeds and compute units.
The most powerful video card from AMD is the RX 6900 XT, which starts at $999. Then, the second best AMD GPU is the RX 6800 XT ($679), which has more compute unites than the RX 6800 ($579).
Meanwhile, Nvidia has launched the RTX 30-series – RTX 3090 ($1,500), which is the flagship, RTX 3080 ($700), the mid-tier GPU and the low-range RTX 3070 ($500), which should replace the insanely expensive RTX 2080 Ti.
Most consumers would choose the mid-tier RX 6800 XT since it’s more accessible in terms of its price. Sure, the RX 6800 is $100 cheaper, but here’s why it may not be the greatest choice.
Both the RX 6800 and the RTX 3070 offer great performance at 4k and 1440p. But what should we choose?
AMD’s RX 6800 is $579, while Nvidia’s cheapest GPU – the RTX 3070, which directly competes with AMD’s, starts at $500.
The two GPU’s are nearly the same in terms of performance, so the $79 extra makes the RX 6800 a loser in terms of price per performance.
The $679 RX 6800 XT however, should lead the fight since it directly competes with the RTX 3080, which is $700. So, there’s a $20 difference – a thing that shouldn’t be an issue since both GPUs offer great performance.
AMD wins in the flagship battle since its top tie GPU is $500 cheaper than Nvidia’s RTX 3090.
AMD vs Nvidia – GPU Architecture
Now, when it comes to calculations, both AMD and Nvidia GPUs have the same ones but differ in the implementations.
Nvidia shines at secondary calculations, where PhysX and most GameWorks libraries can only be used with Nvidia video cards.
The latest AMD architecture is RDNA 2, which powers the recently released RX 5000 series. Meanwhile, Nvidia’s latest architecture is Ampere, which is found in the latest GeForce 30 series that was released this fall.
The AMD and NVidia History
Here’s a short look at the two companies’ history.
AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) was founded in 1969 and started making microchips. Over the years, the company had acquired some businesses, including ATI Technologies in 2006, which became their GPU division. Both producing CPUs (Ryzen) and GPUs (Radeon), AMD is definitely a household name.
Nvidia is a younger company, as it was formed in 1993. Since it was founded, it began producing graphics cards, with the Riva TNT being the first major product (released in 1998). The GeForce brand has been around for nearly two decades. Nvidia has been producing 17 generations of GPUs so far.
Even though both AMD and Nvidia have been producing chips for different devices, even mobiles, most of the discussions revolved around their graphics products.
AMD vs Nvidia- Final Thoughts
There’s one aspect we should all take into consideration before deciding which GPU to choose: availability. If you’re not necessarily a Team Red or Team Green geek, the best GPU on the market right now is the GPU that is actually… on the market!
For an in-depth look on how AMD fares against Nvidia, we have three reviews of each Radeon RX 6000 series GPU compared to each Nvidia 30-series GPU.
Check this Radeon RX 6800 review here, the Radeon RX 6800 XT review here and click this link to read the Radeon RX 6900 XT review. You’ll be able to see benchmark tests and more details about the last gen GPUs.
We looked through the benchmarks provided by AMD and we have to admit that Nvidia should be a bit worried. As we mentioned in our reviews liked above, with both Rage Mode and Smart Access Memory, the RX 6000-series surpasses the GeForce 30-series GPUs by at least 5 FPS and up to 30 FPS. But this is only thanks to a system that contains a Ryzen CPU and a 500-series chipset. So if you’re looking to build a similar setup, the RX 6000-series is a great choice.
So we see AMD rising to challenge Nvidia with the latest RX 6000-series. However, we will have to see more tests before placing the crown on AMD’s head.
What we do know is that AMD and Nvidia will never stop competing against one another. But this is something we should be happy about, because competition is what leads to innovation.
And, let’s not forget that competition will also mean getting the best performance for the right price.
Which side are you on? Are you planning on upgrading your system? Did you choose an AMD GPU or an Nvidia GPU? Let us know in the comments below, and tell us what made you choose that GPU.
0027
Why is Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 better than AMD Radeon RX 550?
- GPU frequency 292MHz higher?
1392MHz vs 1100MHz - 0.52 TFLOPS higher than FLOPS?
1.73 TFLOPS vs 1.21 TFLOPS - 17.5 GPixel/s higher pixel rate? higher number of textured pixels?
72.86 GTexels/s vs 37.9 GTexels/s - 335MHz faster GPU turbo speed?
1518MHz vs 1183MHz - 256 more stream processors?
768 vs 512 - 1100million more transistors?
3300 million vs 2200 million - 16 more texture units (TMUs)?
48 vs 32
Which comparisons are the most popular? nine0092
AMD Radeon RX 550
vs
Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
vs
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8
AMD Radeon RX 550
vs
AMD Radeon RX 6400
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
VS
NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650
AMD Radeon RX 550
VS
NVIDIA GEFORCE GT 1030 DDR4
NVIDIA NVIDIA GTX 10500003
AMD Radeon RX 550
vs
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
vs
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop
AMD Radeon RX 550
vs
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
VS
AMD Radeon RX 580
AMD Radeon RX 550
VS
NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 960
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
VS
NVIDIA GEFORCE MX3550003
AMD Radeon RX 550
vs
AMD Radeon Vega 8
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
vs
Nvidia GeForce MX330
AMD Radeon RX 550
vs
AMD Radeon RX 470
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
VS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
AMD Radeon RX 550
VS
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10503
VS
000 NVIDIA GEFORCE MX150
Comparison prices
Users reviews
General rating
AMD Radeon RX 550
4 Reviews of users
AMD Radeon RX 550 9000
NVIDIA GTXE GTXE User reviews
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
6.
0 /10
2 User reviews
Features
Value for money
7.3 /10
3 Votes
6.5 /10
2 Votes
Games
7.5 /10
4 VOTES
6.0 /10 9000 VOTES
7.5 /10
4 Votes
6.0 /10
2 VOTES
Naughtiness of work
8.3 /10
Votes
9000 9000 /10
2 Votes
Reliability
/10
4 Votes
6.0 /10
2 Votes
Production
clock frequency GP
1100MHz
1392MHZ 9000 9000) has a higher clock speed.
turbo GPU
1183MHz
1518MHz
When the GPU is running below its limits, it can jump to a higher clock speed to increase performance. nine0003
pixel rate
18.93 GPixel/s
36.43 GPixel/s
The number of pixels that can be displayed on the screen every second.
FLOPS
1.21 TFLOPS
1.73 TFLOPS
FLOPS is a measure of GPU processing power.
texture size
37.9 GTexels/s
72.86 GTexels/s
Number of textured pixels that can be displayed on the screen every second. nine0003
GPU memory speed
1750MHz
1752MHz
Memory speed is one aspect that determines memory bandwidth.
Shading patterns
Shading units (or stream processors) are small processors in a graphics card that are responsible for processing various aspects of an image.
texture units (TMUs)
TMUs take texture units and map them to the geometric layout of the 3D scene. More TMUs generally means texture information is processed faster. nine0003
ROPs
ROPs are responsible for some of the final steps of the rendering process, such as writing the final pixel data to memory and for performing other tasks such as anti-aliasing to improve the appearance of graphics.
Memory
effective memory speed
7000MHz
7008MHz
The effective memory clock is calculated from the size and data transfer rate of the memory. A higher clock speed can give better performance in games and other applications. nine0003
maximum memory bandwidth
112GB/s
112.1GB/s
This is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored in memory.
VRAM (video RAM) is the dedicated memory of the graphics card. More VRAM usually allows you to run games at higher settings, especially for things like texture resolution.
memory bus width
128bit
128bit
Wider memory bus — this means it can carry more data per cycle. This is an important factor in memory performance, and therefore the overall performance of the graphics card. nine0003
versions of GDDR memory
Later versions of GDDR memory offer improvements such as higher data transfer rates, which improve performance.
Supports memory troubleshooting code
✖AMD Radeon RX 550
✖Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
Memory troubleshooting code can detect and fix data corruption. It is used when necessary to avoid distortion, such as in scientific computing or when starting a server. nine0003
Features
DirectX version
DirectX is used in games with a newer version that supports better graphics.
OpenGL version
The newer the OpenGL version, the better graphics quality in games.
version of OpenCL
Some applications use OpenCL to use the power of the graphics processing unit (GPU) for non-graphical computing. Newer versions are more functional and better quality.
Supports multi-monitor technology
✔AMD Radeon RX 550
✖Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
The video card has the ability to connect multiple screens.
This allows you to set up multiple monitors at the same time to create a more immersive gaming experience, such as a wider field of view.
GPU temperature at boot
Unknown. Help us offer a price. (AMD Radeon RX 550)
Lower boot temperature means the card generates less heat and the cooling system works better. nine0003
supports ray tracing
✖AMD Radeon RX 550
✖Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
Ray tracing is an advanced light rendering technique that provides more realistic lighting, shadows and reflections in games.
Supports 3D
✖AMD Radeon RX 550
✔Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
Allows you to view in 3D (if you have a 3D screen and glasses).
supports DLSS
✖AMD Radeon RX 550
✖Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is an AI based scaling technology.
This allows the graphics card to render games at lower resolutions and upscale them to higher resolutions with near-native visual quality and improved performance. DLSS is only available in some games.
PassMark (G3D) result
Unknown. Help us offer a price. (AMD Radeon RX 550)
Unknown. Help us offer a price. (Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050)
This test measures the graphics performance of a graphics card. Source: Pass Mark.
Ports
has HDMI output
✔AMD Radeon RX 550
✔Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
Devices with HDMI or mini HDMI ports can stream HD video and audio to an attached display.
HDMI connectors
More HDMI connectors allow you to connect multiple devices at the same time, such as game consoles and TVs. nine0003
HDMI version
HDMI 2.0
HDMI 2.0
Newer HDMI versions support higher bandwidth, resulting in higher resolutions and frame rates.
DisplayPort outputs
Allows connection to a display using DisplayPort.
DVI outputs
Allows connection to a display using DVI.
mini DisplayPort outputs
Allows connection to a display using mini DisplayPort. nine0003
Price comparison
Which graphics cards are better?
AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti
comparison
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti
AMD Radeon RX 6850XT
VS
WINNER
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti
Rating: 0 points
AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT
Rating: 0 points
Performance
Memory
General information
Functions
Top specifications and features
- GPU base clock
- RAM
- Memory Bandwidth
- GPU memory frequency
- FLOPS
GPU base clock
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti: 1895 MHz
AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT: MHz
RAM
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti: 20 GB
AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT: GB
Memory bandwidth
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti: 848 GB/s
AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT: 576 GB/s
GPU Memory Clock
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti: 1325 MHz
AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT: MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti: 56.
9 TFLOPS
AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT: TFLOPS
Description
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti graphics card is based on the Lovelace architecture. AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT based on RDNA 2.0 architecture. The first has no data million transistors. The second is 268 million. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti has a transistor size of 5 nm, versus 7.
The base clock frequency of the first video card is 1895 MHz versus No MHz data for the second.
Let’s move on to memory. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti has 20 GB. AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT has 20 GB installed. The bandwidth of the first video card is 848 GB / s versus 576 GB / s for the second. nine0003
FLOPS for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti is 56.9. AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT No data available.
Moves to tests in benchmarks. In the Passmark benchmark, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti scored No data points. But the second card No data points. In 3DMark, the first model scored No data points.
Second No data points.
For interfaces. The first video card is connected using No data. Second — No data. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti graphics card has Directx version 12. OpenGL version 4.6. The AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT graphics card has Directx version 12. OpenGL version 4.6. nine0003
How NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti is better than AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT
- Memory bandwidth 848 GB/s vs 576 GB/s, 47% more
- Process 5 nm vs 7 nm, -29% less
- Memory bus width 320 bit versus 256 bit, 25% more
- OpenCL version 3 vs 2.1 , up 43%
- Maximum memory 20 GB vs. 16 GB, 25% more
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti vs AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT Comparison: Highlights
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti
AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT
GPU base clock
The graphics processing unit (GPU) has a high clock speed.
1895MHz
max 2459
Average: 1124.
9 MHz
MHz
max 2459
Average: 1124.9 MHz
GPU memory frequency
This is an important aspect calculating memory bandwidth
1325MHz
max 16000
Average: 1468 MHz
MHz
max 16000
Average: 1468 MHz
FLOPS
The measurement of processing power of a processor is called FLOPS.
56.9TFLOPS
max 1142.32
Average: 53 TFLOPS
TFLOPS
nine0003
max 1142.32
Average: 53 TFLOPS
RAM
20GB
max 128
Average: 4.
6 GB
GB
max 128
Average: 4.6 GB
Texture Speed
1.002
max 940
Average: 185.4
648
max 940
Average: 185.4
Number of threads
16128
max 18432
Average: 1326.3
4608
max 18432
Average: 1326.3
Turbo GPU
If the GPU speed drops below its limit, it can switch to a high clock speed to improve performance.
Show in full
2000MHz
max 2903
Average: 1514 MHz
2250MHz
max 2903
Average: 1514 MHz
Architecture name
LoveLace
RDNA 2.
0
Graphic processor name
AD103
Navi 21
memory capacity
This is the speed that the device retains or reads information. nine0003
848GB/s
max 2656
Average: 257.8 GB/s
576GB/s
max 2656
Average: 257.8 GB/s
RAM
20GB
max 128
Average: 4.6 GB
GB
max 128
Average: 4.6 GB
Maximum memory
20GB
nine0003
max 128
Average: 6.2 GB
16 GB
max 128
Average: 6.
2 GB
GDDR Memory Versions
Latest GDDR memory versions provide high data transfer rates to improve overall performance
Show all
6
Mean: 4.9
6
Mean: 4.9
Memory bus width
A wide memory bus indicates that it can transfer more information in one cycle. This property affects the performance of the memory as well as the overall performance of the device’s graphics card.
Show all
320bit
max 8192
Average: 283.9bit
256bit
max 8192
Average: 283.9bit
Heat dissipation (TDP)
Heat dissipation requirement (TDP) is the maximum amount of energy that can be dissipated by the cooling system.
The lower the TDP, the less power will be consumed.
Show all
450W
Average value: 160 W
325W
Average value: 160 W
Process technology
The small size of the semiconductor means it is a new generation chip.
5 nm
Average: 34.7 nm
7 nm
Average: 34.7 nm
PCIe version
Considerable speed is provided by the expansion card used to connect the computer to peripherals. The updated versions have impressive throughput and provide high performance.
Show all
four
Average: 3
four
Average: 3
Purpose
Desktop
Desktop
Standing date
2022
2022 9000
12
max 12.
2
Mean: 11.4
12
max 12.2
Mean: 11.4
OpenCL version
Used by some applications to enable GPU power for non-graphical calculations. The newer the version, the more functional it will be
Show all
3
max 4.6
Average: 2.2
2.1
max 4.6
Average: 2.2
opengl version
Later versions provide better game graphics
4.6
max 4.6
Average: 4.2
4.6
max 4.
6
Average: 4.2
Shader model version
6.6
max 6.6
Average: 5.9
6.5
max 6.6
Average: 5.9
version Vulkan
1.2
1.3
version CUDA
No data
Number
1
Average: 1
Average: 1
HDMI output available
HDMI output allows you to connect devices with HDMI or mini HDMI ports. They can transmit video and audio to the display.
Show in full
Yes
n/a
Number of HDMI connectors
Show all
1
Average: 1.
1
Average: 1.1
HDMI
Yes
Yes
FAQ
How does the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti perform in benchmarks? nine0514
Passmark NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti scored No data points. The second video card in Passmark scored No data points.
What is the FLOPS of video cards?
FLOPS NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti is 56.9 TFLOPS. But the second video card has FLOPS equal to No data TFLOPS.
What is the energy consumption?
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti 450 Watt. AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT 325 Watt.
How fast are NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT? nine0514
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti runs at 1895 MHz. In this case, the maximum frequency reaches 2000 MHz. The base clock frequency of the AMD Radeon RX 6850 XT reaches No MHz. In turbo mode it reaches 2250 MHz.
What kind of memory do graphics cards have?
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti supports GDDR6.