A Complete Guide to Graphics Card Rankings
We have tested nearly all the current and older graphics cards that are available in the market. We will be ranking them performance-wise.
The performance of your system depends largely on the GPU whether you are pc gaming or creating content in 4K. The best CPU also becomes secondary when considering the overall performance of the system.
It’s been quite an eventful couple of months as we have had Nvidia RTX 4090 launched into the market and it has been dominating all the benchmarks no matter what we throw at it. We have had launches from Intel as well who launched the Intel Arc A770 and Intel Arc A750 which don’t hold a candle to the 4090 but still they give you a cheaper option for a GPU.
Our GPU hierarchy includes cards that are ranked based on their rasterization performance and then we have got the Ray tracing enabled hierarchy which only includes the RTX series cards such as the RTX 2080 ti, RTX 3060 ti, and AMD Radeon RX 6000 series cards such as the 6800XT.
How to Choose a Graphics Card
If you are looking for the top-performing graphics card then I advise you to go for something like the Nvidia Geforce RTX 4090 or the Nvidia Geforce RTX 3090. If you want something for a high value then you should go for either an Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 or the Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 ti. You can also look to settle for an Nvidia Geforce RTX 2070 as well. Although if you want to go for AMD then the AMD Radeon RX 6800 is also a good choice when choosing a performance-for-value card depending on your budget and use case.
Budget
When choosing a graphics card the first and most important factor is your budget. The more budget you have, the better GPU you can get it’s as simple as that. The less budget you have the less performance you get. However, there are older GPUs out there that offer a great price to performance value but we’ll discuss them later in the article.
Moreover, every new generation of GPUs has brought in better performance than the previous generation, for instance, the RTX 30 series has got much better performance than its predecessor the RTX 20 series.
The same goes for the RX 6000 series and the RX 5000 series.
VRAM
VRAM is the video memory that a GPU has. Currently, the modern GPUs are running GDDR6X memory. VRAM plays a big part in determining the performance of a particular GPU. When running gaming applications the more VRAM you have the better the applications will run. However, GPUs come with varying VRAM capacities for example the RTX 3090 has got a humongous VRAM of 24 GB, while a GTX 1660 super has got a meager 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM. Both GPUs have got a big gaming performance gap.
AMD vs Nvidia
Currently, Nvidia and AMD are running the GPU market. Although Intel has also entered the fray, however, it hasn’t been as impactful as these two. If you want the best performance and can afford an expensive GPU then you should go for Nvidia as it has the best-performing cards for every generation, such as the RTX 4090, RTX 3090, and the RTX 2080 ti. Meanwhile, AMD is all about delivering price-to-performance products that lag a little behind their Nvidia counterparts.
Still, AMD has come up with high-performance GPUs over the years that have enhanced the rivalry between the two companies. Both companies have pushed each other to dish out better graphics cards and ultimately gamers have benefitted from this competition as they have been able to play the most demanding games at ultra settings.
GPU Hierarchy 2023
Before we dive into the benchmarks of the GPU hierarchy you should know that you should take these benchmarks with a grain of salt, while they give you a pretty good idea of the capability of a GPU they don’t offer the whole picture.
The GPU hierarchy consists of several tiers based on their respective performance.
S tier — Enthusiast Class
The S-tier graphics cards are ones that belong to the enthusiast class and they are the top performers in their generation. They are powerful GPUs that are usually targeted towards enthusiasts who want the best hardware that money can buy so they can play the latest games at ultra settings.
These cards are also capable of running ray tracing games as they contain hardware that is capable of running ray tracing in games in real-time. They can also be used to give the best experience in VR gaming.
Currently, the RTX 4090 is ruling the benchmark world but it comes with a price tag starting from $1599 making it one of the worst-valued graphics cards out there.
But since it offers the best performance it is the best graphics card out there and enthusiast-class PC gamers won’t care about the price tag.
These GPUs are capable of running the more demanding titles at 4K 60 FPS at the ultra preset and 100+ fps at 2K ultrawide resolution.
| Graphics Card | VRAM | Memory Type |
|---|---|---|
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 4090 | 24 GB | GDDR6X |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 3090 Ti | 24 GB | GDDR6X |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 Ti | 12 GB | GDDR6X |
| AMD Radeon RX 6950XT | 16 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 3090 | 24 GB | GDDR6X |
| AMD Radeon RX 6900XT | 16 GB | GDDR6 |
A tier — High-End Performance
The A-tier list of GPUs are the ones that give you high-end performance for value but they don’t cost you an arm or a leg.
The products belonging to the A-tier are powerful GPUs that are usually found in high-performance builds which will be running modern games at high settings and they can also be used for running professional applications for content creation as well. They can also be used to power rigs that will be used for VR gaming.
They are designed to give you 4K 60 FPS and 60+ FPS at 1440p ultrawide and 100 FPS + at 1440p and they cost less than $1000 thus cementing their place in the top performance-to-value tier list in the GPU hierarchy.
Compared to the S tier these GPUs offer better value for money.
| Graphics Card | VRAM | Memory Type |
|---|---|---|
| AMD Radeon RX 6800XT | 16 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 | 10 GB | GDDR6X |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 Ti | 8 GB | GDDR6X |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 | 8 GB | GDDR6X |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 ti | 11 GB | GDDR6 |
| AMD Radeon RX 6800 | 16 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 ti | 8 GB | GDDR6 |
B tier — Mid-Range Gaming
The B-tier list of GPUs is for builds that have been designed for pc gaming at 2K ultrawide and 1080p these GPUs are able to achieve 60 FPS at 2K ultrawide and 2K as well.
Moreover, these GPUs are capable of achieving 100+ FPS at 1080p too although you might have to run games by doing settings adjustments. The performance is slightly worse as compared to S or A tiers but that doesn’t mean they won’t perform well in games.
Still, they will be able to run most modern titles without any problems. These GPUs are the ones that give you the best value when it comes to price to performance.
| Graphics Card | VRAM | Memory Type |
|---|---|---|
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 SUPER | 8 GB | GDDR6 |
| AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT | 12 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 | 8 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 2070 SUPER | 8 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | 11 GB | GDDR5X |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 2070 | 8 GB | GDDR6 |
C tier — Budget Friendly Option
Next up is the C-tier GPUs belonging to the older GPU generations.
These are mid-range GPUs that are designed to give around 60 FPS at 2K resolution but with adjusted settings. Gamers usually choose these GPUs when they are on a tight budget.
Nonetheless, these C-tier cards will able to run demanding titles at low settings at 2K or mid to high settings at 1080p. Still, their ray tracing performance is quite bad even though they contain RT cores so don’t expect a lot when running modern titles on these GPUs.
| Graphics Card | VRAM | Memory Type |
|---|---|---|
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER | 8 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 | 8 GB | GDDR5 |
| Nvidia Geforce GTX 1070 Ti | 8 GB | GDDR5 |
| AMD Radeon RX 6600 | 8 GB | GDDR6 |
| AMD Radeon RX 5700 xt | 8 GB | GDDR6 |
| AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 | 8 GB | HBM2 |
D tier — Professional Use
The D-tier graphics cards are the lower-end GPUs that are used by Esports players who are playing professionally mostly.
The performance of these GPUs is more or less at the same level. They are used to dish out the maximum FPS at the settings turned to lowest since they don’t need graphics but more frames.
They are used for high refresh-rate gaming on high-refresh-rate monitors. In modern story mode titles, the GPUs have got average performance. They are preferred by gamers who are on a tight budget as well. While these GPUs are on the lower end of the graphics card rankings they offer excellent performance for value.
| Graphics Card | VRAM | Memory Type |
|---|---|---|
| Nvidia Geforce GTX 1070 | 8 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia Geforce RTX 3050 | 8 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia Geforce GTX 1660 Super | 6 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia Geforce GTX 1660 | 6 GB | GDDR6 |
| Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 Super | 4 GB | GDDR6 |
| AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT | 4 GB | GDDR6 |
There are some graphics cards such as the RX vega 56 and other Max-Q design GPUs that haven’t been included.
This is due to the fact that they have lower performance than the different tiers of GPU belonging to the GPU hierarchy 2023 and 2023. We haven’t tested GPUs designed for laptops and industrial use.
Also as mentioned above the specific game performance will vary among all these GPUs but they have been placed on this list due to the overall score that they achieved.
Some RTX-enabled GPUs such as the Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 will perform better in the latest games with ray tracing enabled. While other games will benefit from the large VRAM size of the GPU such as the Nvidia Geforce RTX 3090 but then again it belongs to the top tier of the graphics card tier list.
How We Test Graphics Cards
The Test system that we are using contains a Gigabyte Aorus X570 Motherboard, a Ryzen 9 5900X processor, a 3600MHz 32 Gigs of DDR4 RAM, a Cougar Aqua 360 AIO, a Prime TX fully modular 80 Plus Titanium 1600w PSU. This PC configuration of our test bench is more than enough to test the different tiers of GPUs from the S tier to the D tier without any performance bottlenecks.
GPU generations should be kept into consideration when you are going out to buy a new GPU. Also, a higher bit rate such as 256-bit or 352-bit, and higher VRAM doesn’t automatically mean that a graphics card is better and will give you better gaming performance.
Both Nvidia and AMD have come up with newer generations of GPUs which have been better than the previous generation’s architecture and generally, the newer generation cards perform better than their older counterparts still older gen cards can perform better than the newer cards such as 1080 Ti vs RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 ti vs Geforce RTX 3060 ti.
Conclusion
Due to the competition between the Rival tech companies Nvidia and AMD, there has been a lot of innovation on the GPU front which has taken pc gaming to the next level and has really stretched the level of immersion and realism found in games. Nvidia has recently launched the 4000 series GPUs and AMD has responded in kind with the launch of their own 7000 series GPUs.
Currently, the 4000 series is ruling the benchmark world and holding the top positions but the flagship cards from the 7000 series will be challenging those positions and taking their place in the S tier and A tier of the GPU hierarchy 2023 pretty soon. Right now, the RTX 4090 is the performance king of this gen of GPUs but AMD will surely come in with big guns of its own to challenge its position with products like the Radeon RX 7900 XTX and the Radeon RX 7900XT.
The competition between the rivals spells aggressive pricing for the top-end cards as they will be trying to get the larger market share and this means accessible high-end GPU technology for consumers. Right now the RTX 4090 has a hefty price tag of $1600 but due to AMD’s own top-end offering 7900XTX being priced at around $1000 will surely make Nvidia bring the price down.
Still, this is the GPU hierarchy of 2023 and while we don’t have the data on the Radeon RX 7000 series we will update the list accordingly once we get our hands on them as they seem to be in short supply right now but once launch day comes we will update this graphics card tier list so make sure you visit us again at that time.
Best RTX 3070 Graphics Cards Right Now
by Dylan Rana
In this buyer’s guide, we’ve covered some of the best RTX 3070 graphics cards on the market to help you choose the right option for your needs and budget.
When it was released a few years ago, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 was one of the best bang-for-your-buck graphics cards ever made—offering significant leaps in performance over the RTX 2070 at the same price point.
The card is based on the ground-breaking Ampere architecture, featuring improved hardware-accelerated raytracing, NVIDIA’s second-generation RT Cores and 3rd-gen Tensor Cores. At its MSRP of $499, the RTX 3070 offers faster gaming performance than the older RTX 2080 Ti at a fraction of the MSRP price.
Also Read:
- RX 6700 XT vs RTX 3070: Which GPU is Best Value?
- RTX 3070 vs 3080: Which NVIDIA GPU is Right for You?
And, in this list, we’ve showcased our picks for the four best RTX 3070s right now.
NOTE: For a prebuilt gaming PC option, check out our recommendations for the best RTX 3070 prebuilt gaming PCs.
Table of Contents
– Best RTX 3070 Graphics Cards
1. ASUS ROG Strix RTX 3070 OC (Top Pick)
2. EVGA RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra (Runner-Up)
3. ASUS Dual RTX 3070 V2 OC (Cheapest Option)
4. ZOTAC RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC (Compact Option)
MORE FROM THIS SERIES1. Best RTX 3090 Graphics Card2. Best RTX 3080 Ti Graphics Card3. Best RTX 3080 Graphics Card4. Best RTX 3070 Ti Graphics Card5. Best RTX 3070 Graphics Card6. Best RTX 3060 Ti Graphics Card7. Best RTX 3060 Graphics Card8. Best RX 6900 XT Graphics Card9. Best RX 6800 XT Graphics Card10. Best RX 6700 XT Graphics Card
A Quick Look at the Best RTX 3070 Video Cards
The table below lists our choices for the best RTX 3070 graphics cards currently available.
| NAME | SPECS | RATING | |||
|
TOP PICK |
ASUS ROG Strix OC |
|
8.7/10 |
Check Price Read Review » |
|
|
RUNNER-UP |
EVGA FTW3 Ultra |
|
8.7/10 |
Check Price Read Review » |
|
|
CHEAPEST |
ASUS Dual V2 OC |
|
8.6/10 |
Check Price Read Review » |
|
|
COMPACT |
ZOTAC Twin Edge OC |
|
8.6/10 |
Check Price Read Review » |
5″ Long*For our full overview on each of the RTX 3070 video cards listed above, click on the “Read Review »” and you’ll be taken to our write-up on it.
1. ASUS ROG Strix RTX 3070 OC
The top RTX 3070 video card right now
Our Rating: 8.7/10
Check Price on Amazon
Or, Get A Custom RTX 3070 PC »
We’ve picked out the ASUS ROG Strix time and time again in our round-ups of the best NVIDIA graphics cards—and at so many price points we’re drawn in by its excellent performance and value offerings.
The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3070 OC is by many metrics the most powerful RTX 3070 on the market. This card packs in 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM and 5888 CUDA Cores. The ROG STRIX OC firmly lives up to its name, reaching boost clocks of 1935 MHz in OC mode.
Also Read: How Much VRAM Do I Need for Gaming?
For cooling, ASUS has opted for the same excellent triple axial-tech fan design found in most of their ROG STRIX OC offerings – delivering quiet air-cooling and maximum performance.
This card’s 2.9 slot design gives this card even more surface area to conduct heat—improving thermal performance and overclocking headroom.
It even features a metal backplate to add extra protection and increase cooling surface area.
How does the ROG STRIX OC perform? In the FP32 single-precision benchmark, this card churns out a theoretical performance of 22.79 TFLOPS—not too far off some overclocked RTX 3070 Tis.
According to GPU Monkey, this card performs an average of 86ps Battlefield 5’s 4K benchmark and 54fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider 4K benchmark. Weirdly, the Battlefield 5 score is on par with ASUS’s ROG STRIX RTX 3070 Ti, although the Shadow of the Tomb Raider shows the Ti version flexing its muscles a tad more.
Overall, the ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3070 OC is the most powerful RTX 3070 out there—and also the best. It’s our top recommendation for an RTX 3070 for your dream mid-tier gaming PC.
2. EVGA RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra
Our runner-up pick for the best RTX 3070
Our Rating: 8.7/10
Check Price on Amazon
Or, Get A Custom RTX 3070 PC »
Whilst the EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra Gaming doesn’t reach the same heights in performance as the ASUS ROG STRIX OC, the FTW3 Ultra is still a capable gaming powerhouse in its own right.
Powered by 8GB of 256-bit GDDR6 VRAM and the same 5888 CUDA Cores, the graphics chip in this card reaches a boost clock of 1815 MHz Boost Clock. The FTW3 Ultra Gaming is topped with a beautiful triple-fan ICX3 air cooler.
Airflow pockets in this card’s heat sink allow air to move more freely, removing heat faster. This technology also allows EVGA to make this card fractionally shorter than other RTX 3070—with a length of 11.81 inches or 300mm.
How does this card perform? In the FP32 single-precision benchmark, this card churns out a theoretical performance of 21.2 TFLOPS.
According to GPU Monkey, this card performs at an average of 81 fps in Battlefield 5’s 4K benchmark. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the FTW3 delivers an average of 52 fps in its 4K benchmark.
As you can see, it’s a notch below the ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3070 OC—but still perfectly capable. That’s the story of the EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra Gaming—not the best value but still a good pick for anyone looking for a great RTX 3070.
3. ASUS Dual RTX 3070 V2 OC
A more affordable RTX 3070 option
Our Rating: 8.6/10
Check Price on Amazon
Or, Get A Custom RTX 3070 PC »
If you’re looking to get anywhere close to the RTX 3070 FE’s original value proposition given its competitive MSRP, budget cards like the ASUS Dual RTX 3070 V2 OC and the Zotac RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC are great choices.
Also Read: The Best Budget Graphics Cards Right Now
Like the Zotac RTX 3070 graphics card listed below, this ASUS card sports a smaller dual fan cooling array. And, while it won’t provide as much cooling as the two options above, the dual fan design will still hold up well and it also helps bring the cost of this card down.
In terms of performance, the ASUS Dual RTX 3070 V2 OC won’t quite match the options above. However, the in-game difference will be minimal and, so, if you aren’t looking to spend extra money to eek out small average FPS gains, then this is a worthy option.
GPU Monkey found this card produces an average of 79 fps in Battlefield 5’s 4K benchmark. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the ASUS Dual V2 OC provides an average of 51 fps at 4K resolution.
If you’re looking to save a few bucks, the ASUS Dual RTX 3070 is a solid option to consider. On the other hand, you could also take a look at an RTX 3060 Ti for a cheaper option that will still provide excellent in-game performance.
4. ZOTAC RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC
A compact RTX 3070 for mini PCs
Our Rating: 8.6/10
Check Price on Amazon
Or, Get A Custom RTX 3070 PC »
For a more compact option that will fit in a mini-ITX or micro-ATX case, the Zotac RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC is worth checking out.
The Zotac Twin Edge OC offers the same standard 8GB 256-bit GDDR6 and 5888 CUDA cores as the majority of the RTX 3070 line-up. This card swaps out the triple-fan air cooler seen on higher-end 3070’s for a dual fan setup.
This offers less performance headroom and overclocking potential than some of the other picks on this list—but the IceStorm 2.
0 air cooler is still perfectly capable and quiet. For added aesthetic appeal, Zotac has lit up its logo with a white LED—but there is no RGB lighting.
Also Read: The Best Mini & Low-Profile Video Cards
Also, with its small footprint and 2-slot design, the Zotac NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC is also a perfect GPU for a small form factor PC.
How does our budget pick perform when put to the test? In the FP32 single-precision benchmark, this card delivers a theoretical performance of 20.67 TFLOPS.
In their testing, GPU Monkey found this card runs at an average of 79 fps in Battlefield 5’s 4K benchmark. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the Zotac Twin Edge OC delivers an average of 51 fps in the 4K benchmark.
If you’re looking for a smaller RTX 3070 video card, the Zotac NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC is an excellent pick that doesn’t skimp on performance.
Is an RTX 3070 the Right Video Card for You?
If you want to forego building your own PC, you could always opt for a prebuilt gaming PC or a gaming laptop.
You can check out our recommendations for the best RTX 3070 desktops here and our recommendations for the best RTX 3070 laptops here.
However, with prices returning to normal levels, it is once again possible to save a lot of money by building your own PC.
Also Read: How to Build A Gaming PC (Step-by-Step)
So, if you’re looking to build your own gaming computer and you need a solid mid-range GPU, then the four RTX 3070 graphics cards listed above are worth considering.
SPECviewperf 12 — Energy — benchmark results ► Comparison of laptop and PC graphics cards by performance
The SPECviewperf 12 benchmark is the basis on which we based our rating of laptop and PC graphics cards. The best gaming GPUs are featured in our list of all popular models sorted from best to worst. There are hundreds of video card models and dozens of brands on the market, so a beginner can get confused. Thanks to the table with the results of comparing video cards, you will understand which one is worth taking this year, and we have included the main models from different manufacturers.