After a rather convulsive stage in which it made no sense to make a shopping guide for graphics cards, since the price of some models came to triple the level recommended by NVIDIA and AMD, today I can finally share with you an article of this type thanks to the almost total normalization that the market has experienced. This normalization has not yet been completed, but it has meant that we can find more and more products with a price very close to the recommended price.
Some readers may tell me that it is not yet the right time because we have not yet reached that normalization, but I think it is precisely the best time for that reason, because the current market situation leaves us a potpourri of models of different generations with very different prices, and paints a very difficult picture to interpret for the less experienced eye.
So, for example, right now we can find units of the GTX 1660 Super with a price almost identical to the GeForce RTX 3050and we can also find GeForce RTX 2060 units that cost about the same as a GeForce RTX 3060. Both the GTX 1660 Super and the GeForce RTX 2060 would, in those two examples, be a bad buy, as the other two graphics cards are more powerful.
This is the problem with the concurrence of graphics cards of different generations, that in the end we find ourselves with a very complicated panorama where it is very difficult to make the right decision, especially if we are not clear about the performance differences that exist between the models that populate the various ranges within each generation. On this subject, I would like to remind you that our equivalence guide will be of great help.
Preliminary considerations: The world of graphics cards has changed a lot
A few years ago we only had to evaluate performance on one front, but now, with the popularization of ray tracing and the advent of rescaling technologies we have two other fronts to evaluate. Generally speaking, the Radeon RX 6000 graphics cards perform very well in rasterization, but due to their architecture centered around the infinite cache, the Radeon RX 6000 is a very good performer they suffer more when reaching high resolutions, especially in 4K.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 have clearly won the war of this generation in terms of overall performance, as they offer very high and more balanced performance in rasterization, and are much more powerful in ray tracing. This, coupled with the value of the second-generation DLSS, more than justifies this victory, although AMD has done a commendable job with the Radeon RX 6000, and has managed to close the gap with the green giant.
If ray tracing is something fundamental to you, be clear about it, lhe GeForce RTX 30 is your best choice. On the other hand, if this is secondary and you are looking for a better value for money under rasterization, the Radeon RX 6000 is the best choice a very interesting alternativeespecially in the mid-range (Radeon RX 6600 and Radeon RX 6600 XT). Other things to consider before buying a graphics card are:
- Your PC componentsthe components of your PC, since mounting very powerful graphics cards in computers with very old processors is tantamount to creating a huge bottleneck.
- The power supplybecause if the power supply is not powerful enough to properly power your new graphics card you will have a ticking time bomb on your hands.
- The resolution at which you are going to play and your aspirationssince obviously you don’t need the same graphics card to play in 1080p than to play in 4K. We have already talked about this topic at length in this other guide.
- The budget you havealways in relation to your goals. So, for example, if your priority is ray tracing but you have a budget of less than 380 euros the GeForce RTX 3050 would be a more interesting option than the Radeon RX 6600.
- The space available in your computer chassis, as not all graphics cards are the same size and some take up so much space that they may not fit in your computer.
- The interface you are going to use, because certain models are limited to PCIE Gen4 x8 or x4, and if used under PCIE Gen3 they end up losing performance.
- Overall finish quality and power connectorstwo important keys because not all graphics cards have the same build quality, and because even if you appear to meet the power requirements you may not have the necessary cables.
It is important to be clear, before we go into the 10 graphics cards we recommend, that not worth it to buy a model with premium design and construction that costs the same as a higher-end modelbut which has a more discrete design and a more humble build quality. So, for example, it would be absurd to buy a GeForce RTX 3060 with a premium design at the price of a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.
Ten interesting and well-priced graphics cards
1.-Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 6400
- Navi 24 GPU on 6 nm node.
- 768 shaders.
- 48 texturing units.
- 32 raster units.
- 12 cores for ray tracing.
- 64-bit bus.
- 16 MB infinite cache.
- 4 GB of 16 GHz GDDR6 memory.
- 53 watt TBP.
Why is it worth it? Because it is marked down to £159.89, and for that price it offers a fairly balanced value. Its performance is similar to that of a GTX 1650which means that it is capable of running games in 1080p without problems, as long as we adjust the graphics quality. It is important to remember that it is limited to PCIE Gen4 x4, so it will lose performance under PCIE Gen3.
It is ideal for: low-end, compact equipment with very weak power supplies.
2.-Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 3050 Twin Edge OC
- GA106 GPU in 8 nm.
- 2.560 shaders.
- 80 texturing units.
- 32 raster units.
- 80 third generation tensor cores.
- 20 second-generation RT cores.
- 128-bit bus.
- 8 GB of GDDR6 at 14 GHz.
- Requires an 8-pin power connector, and a 450 watt power supply is recommended.
- 130 watt TGP.
Why is it worth it? Because it is well above the GTX 1660 Ti overall and costs only slightly more than the latter. In raw performance, the GeForce RTX 3050 is slightly more powerful than the GTX 1660 Ti, but it accelerates ray tracing, supports second-generation DLSS, and has 2GB more graphics memory. It is one of the best graphics cards NVIDIA has released in the XX50 series. It can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming, although it uses the PCIE Gen4 x8 interface, so it may lose a bit of performance under PCIE Gen3 in some cases.
It is ideal for:Â lower-mid-range equipment, and to assemble a new powerful but affordable last-generation PC. It costs 349.90 euros.
3.-AMD Radeon RX 6600 XFX Speedster SWFT 210
- Navi 23 XL GPU in 7 nm.
- RDNA 2 architecture.
- 1.792 shaders.
- 28 units to accelerate ray tracing.
- 112 texturing units.
- 64 raster units.
- 28 units for accelerating ray tracing.
- 128-bit bus.
- 32 MB infinite cache.
- 8 GB of GDDR6 at 14 GHz.
- Requires a 500 watt power supply, and an additional 8-pin power connector.
- 132 watt TBP.
Why is it worth it?  Because it offers a very good performance in rasterization, can move games in 1080p and 1440p smoothly and has a very attractive price now that it is discounted to 374.89 euros Outperforms the RTX 3050 in rasterizationbut loses in ray tracing and the FSR is still not up to the level of the second generation DLSS. It uses a PCIE Gen4 x8 interface, so it loses performance under PCIE Gen3 as well.
It is ideal for:Â mid-range and mid-low range equipment, and to assemble a new powerful but affordable last generation PC focused mainly on rasterization.
4.-Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT EAGLE
- Navi 23 XT GPU.
- RDNA 2 architecture.
- 2.048 shaders.
- 32 units to accelerate ray tracing.
- 128 texturing units.
- 64 raster units.
- 128-bit bus.
- 32 MB infinite cache.
- 8 GB of GDDR6 at 16 GHz.
- 160 watt TBP, uses an additional 8-pin power connector.
Why is it worth it? This model offers a significant performance improvement over the previous one, and with a very small price difference, since it only costs 419.89 euros. It is very close to its recommended price, and with it we can play anything in 1440p with maximum quality and enjoy total fluidity, as it is at the level of the RTX 2070 Super in rasterization. It also uses a PCIE Gen4 x8 interface, so it loses performance under PCIE Gen3.
It is ideal for:Â powerful mid-range equipment to play in 1080p or 1440p with all the guarantees, but without having to make a large investment.
5.-AMD Radeon Radeon RX 6700 XT XFX Speedster SWFT309
- Navi 22 XT 7nm GPU.
- 2.560 shaders.
- 160 texturing units.
- 64 raster units.
- 40 units of ray tracing.
- 192-bit bus.
- 12 GB of GDDR6 at 16 GHz.
- 96 MB of infinite cache.
- TBP: 230 watts, requires two additional 8-pin power connectors.
Why is it worth it? Because it is one of the best options in its price range, at least as of today. It outperforms the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti in rasterization and manages to get close to the GeForce RTX 3070, which means it is capable of running games smoothly at 1440p and that can go up to 4K if we adjust the graphics qualityalthough its optimal level is 1440p. It does not lose performance under PCIE Gen3. For 584.89 euros, it is an interesting option.
It is ideal for:Â especially for mid-to-high end computers that want to use 1440p monitors with a high refresh rate, and for users who want raw power in rasterization.
6.-MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Ventus
- GA104 GPU on 8 nm.
- 4.864 shaders.
- 152 texturing units.
- 80 raster units.
- 152 tensor cores.
- 38 RT cores.
- 8 GB GDDR6 at 14 GHz.
- 256-bit bus.
- 200 watt TGP, requires an additional 8-pin power connector.
Why is it worth it? Because although it is less powerful in rasterization than the RX 6700 XT it performs better in ray tracingand has the advantage of supporting second-generation DLSS. With such technology enabled, the RTX 3060 Ti is capable of running games in 4K with full fluidityand in maximum quality. A very solid value for 599.91 euros, and with a lot of life ahead of it thanks to its power and specialized hardware. No performance loss under PCIE Gen3.
Ideal for: especially for those who want to build a mid-high end PC prioritizing ray tracing performance, although we can also aspire to 4K without problem, and without having to make a huge investment.
7.-Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 3070
- GA104 GPU on 8 nm.
- 5.888 shaders.
- 184 texturing units.
- 96 raster units.
- 184 tensor cores.
- 46 RT cores.
- 8 GB GDDR6 at 14 GHz.
- 256-bit bus.
- 220 watt TGP. Requires two additional 8-pin power connectors.
Why is it worth it? Because it is discounted to 619,90 euros, and for that price it offers a really good value. It can handle current games in 4K native, performs better than its AMD counterparts in ray tracing and features the added value of second-generation DLSS A much more palatable option than the RTX 3060 Tiif you can afford to invest a little more money. It remains one of the most powerful graphics cards out there, and does not lose performance with PCIE Gen3.
It is ideal for: to assemble very powerful high-end equipment with a long service life, but without having to invest nearly a thousand euros in the graphics card.
8.-PNY GeForce RTX 3080 XLR8
- GA102 GPU on 8 nm .
- 8.704 shaders.
- 272 texturing units.
- 96 raster units.
- 272 tensor cores.
- 68 RT cores.
- 10 GB of GDDR6X at 19 GHz.
- 320-bit bus.
- 320 watt TGP. Requires two additional 8-pin power connectors.
Why is it worth it? Well, because it’s only slightly above NVIDIA’s recommended retail price, something this particular model makes up for with its design and build quality, and because it’s a real monster that can handle anything in 4K at maximum quality, and without having to resort to DLSS. It also performs much better than AMD alternatives with ray tracing, and can work in PCIE Gen3 x16 mode.
It is ideal for: shaping a high-end equipment capable of moving games with all the guarantees in 4K with maximum quality, and to enjoy ray tracing in 1440p while maintaining a high level of performance, thanks to DLSS. It costs 879.90 euros.
9.-Gigabyte Radeon RX 6900 XT GAMING OC
- Navi 21 XTX 7nm GPU.
- 5.120 shaders.
- 320 texturing units.
- 80 units for ray tracing.
- 128 raster units.
- 256-bit bus.
- 16 GB of GDDR6 memory at 16 GHz.
- 128 MB infinite cache.
- 300 watt TBP. Requires a 700 watt supply and two 8-pin connectors.
Why is it worth it? Because it is one of the most powerful graphics cards that exist today in rasterization, and its price has dropped to 999.90 euros. With it we will be able to play any title in 4K and maximum quality while maintaining excellent fluidityalthough it should be noted that it loses a lot of steam when ray tracing is activated. It can work in x16 mode under PCIE Gen3.
It is ideal for: top-of-the-line equipment focused mainly on resolution and fluidity, as it loses a lot with active ray tracing and does not have a solid alternative to second-generation DLSS.
10.-KFA2 GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
- GA102 GPU in 8 nm process.
- 10.240 shaders
- 320 texturing units.
- 112 raster units.
- 320 tensor cores.
- 80 RT cores.
- 384Â bit bus.
- 12 GB of GDDR6X memory at 19 GHz.
- TGP: 350 watts, requires two additional 8-pin power connectors.
Why is it worth it? is one of the most powerful graphics cards available. Its performance is only slightly lower than that of a GeForce RTX 3090, but we can get it for only $1,099.95, a price lower than NVIDIA’s recommended retail price. Yes, you read that right, this model is below its recommended price. It can work in x16 mode under PCIE Gen3, and is capable of moving anything in 4K, with or without ray tracing, although in some cases with DLSS support.
It is ideal for: enjoy almost the same performance as we would have with a top-of-the-range equipment, but without having to pay more than 2,000 euros.
