The Best Graphic Card in 2022 | Review by Bestcovery

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links. The LA Times editorial staff was not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more

Get Incredible Detail from the Best Graphics Card

  1. EVGA GeForce 210 1024 MB DDR3 Graphics Card
  2. Sapphire AMD FirePro W5000 2GB Graphics Card
  3. VisionTek Radeon HD 7750 Graphic Card
  4. XFX Speedster QICK319 AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT Graphics Card
  5. EVGA 1GB GeForce 8400 GS DirectX 10 64-Bit Graphics Card
  6. EVGA GeForce 6200 LE 512 MB DDR2 AGP 8X VGA/DVI-I/S-Video Graphics Card, 512-A8-N403-LR
  7. EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Super Sc Ultra Gaming, 6GB GDDR6 Graphics Card
  8. ASUS GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5 Graphics Card
  9. Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 580 8GB 256-Bit GDDR5 Graphics Card
  10. HIS R9 280X iPower IceQ X2 Boost Clock 3GB Graphics Card H280XQM3G2M
  11. EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC ACX 2.0+ 4GB GDDR5 256bit, DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, DP SLI Ready Graphics Card
  12. Sapphire R9 FURY X 4G D5 Graphics Card
  13. EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Super Sc Ultra Gaming, 6GB GDDR6 Graphics Card
  14. Gigabyte Radeon R9 390X Video Card
  15. Buyer's Guide

PC gaming has become increasingly popular in recent years, and graphics software is more available for a wide range of computer users. As a result, graphics/video cards are now more important than ever before. To keep up with such demands, manufacturers offer an array of different models to fit just about any need. Gamers looking for incredible detail and blistering frame-rates can find a wide range of gaming-oriented video cards. "Budget" video cards cater to casual users and amateur multimedia editors looking for a more affordable price point. For power users who want more performance than a single card can achieve, we even looked at the best video cards for SLI and Crossfire setups. Regardless of your needs, there's some essential product information everyone should know which is covered below in our list of the best graphics card in 2022 and our graphics card buyer's guide.

Detailing the Best Graphic Card of 2022

EVGA GeForce 210 1024 MB DDR3 Graphics Card - Best Graphics Card Overall

There is a lot to like about this value video card, starting with 4GB of GDDR5 video memory which runs at a clock speed of 7.0GHz. That’s a great amount of memory in a value card and the speed just can’t be beat. You also get a core GPU clock speed on this card of 1304MHz, which you can boost to up to 1367MHz, and this model has 1,024 CUDA cores, making it a great option for PC gaming, streaming HD media, and even doing video editing and rendering.

If you're looking to set up a really powerful system, this is a great choice as it includes SLI support and even works with NVIDIA’s 3D Surround technology. This is ideal for a professional or gaming rig since it has five output ports including a DVI-I port, three DisplayPort connectors, and an HDMI port. You can connect up to four monitors to this card and the three-year warranty from EVGA gives you great protection for your investment in this card.

Sapphire AMD FirePro W5000 2GB Graphics Card - Runner Up

While there is a lot to like about this video card, there are just other models on the market that give you better performance for about the same price. This card has 2GB of 128-bit GDDR5 memory, which has a clock speed of 6.6GHz for fast performance that can handle a wide range of PC games and other media. The clock speed of the GPU itself is 1150MHz, which certainly offers excellent performance, but you can find faster video cards for about the same price.

This model has four output connections which include a DVI-I port, DVI-D port, an HDMI port, and a DisplayPort connector, and it supports up to three monitors at a single time. This is a pretty good model if you're interested in a CrossFire setup, thanks to great cooling and pretty low power demands, but it ultimately just costs a bit more than it should. For the same price, you can get slightly better performance, though this is a great option if you find it on sale.

VisionTek Radeon HD 7750 Graphic Card - Honorable Mention

This value video card offers some great performance for the price, but there are just a few other models that are simply better and cost about the same price. You get 2GB of GDDR5 memory on this laptop and it can handle a wide range of PC games and other programs. With that in mind, there are some weaknesses with this video card to consider, as it is a somewhat older model. It supports up to DirectX 11 and OpenGL 3.2, which are not the latest versions of those standards. However, this is an excellent choice if you're interested in running multiple monitors together. This card has six DisplayPort connectors and can support as many as six monitors connected to it simultaneously, with different resolutions and color controls for each one. If you don’t mind an older card and need five or six displays connected to your system, then this is an excellent choice at a great value.

XFX Speedster QICK319 AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT Graphics Card - Consider

This budget video card from XFX is pretty hard to beat, and you certainly won’t find more memory from a comparable card in this price range. You get 4GB of 256-bit GDDR5 memory, which runs at 5.6GHz. This is the only budget model that includes 256 bit memory, which takes the performance you get to a higher level. That's an excellent amount of fast video RAM at this price range; and with over 1,000 Stream processors, it should work well even for PC gaming or other demanding programs. The core speed on this card is rather low, unfortunately, and is the only thing really holding it back. It has a core GPU clock speed of 995MHz, which is slower than some other, similarly priced cards. It's probably not a huge difference that you're likely to notice while using your computer, but it is worth mentioning if you're looking for the best performance for your money. Otherwise, this is a great card with an HDMI port, DisplayPort connection, and two DVI ports that can support up to 4K resolution through a digital connection.

EVGA 1GB GeForce 8400 GS DirectX 10 64-Bit Graphics Card - Best Budget Video Card

There's definitely a lot to like about this video card and it comes in right around $140, making it ideal for just about any budget. It has 2GB of GDDR5 memory, which is quite good for this price range. With that in mind, the memory has a clock speed of 5400MHz, which is not as fast as the RAM in some other cards, so that is one weakness of this model. The card itself has a core clock speed of 1176MHz, with a boosted speed of 1255MHz, which is quite fast for a card at this price. It has an HDMI port, a DisplayPort connection, and a DVI-I port, plus it supports up to three displays at once. There are other budget cards that have four output connections, usually a DVI-D port, which gives you more options and flexibility when connecting your computer to a monitor. That’s a pretty minor deficit, however, but still worth considering as you look at video cards and the type of monitor you have.

EVGA GeForce 6200 LE 512 MB DDR2 AGP 8X VGA/DVI-I/S-Video Graphics Card, 512-A8-N403-LR - Best AGP Video Card

For the most part, Nvidia has abandoned the AGP video card market in favor of newer, faster technologies. However, this GeForce 6200 has half a gig of memory, but it's older DDR2 RAM which is substantially slower than what you'll find on modern video cards. The performance from this AGP video card is alright but you certainly won't be running any of the latest games on it.

This card only supports up to DirectX 9 and Shader 3.0, which is going to be a major issue if you want to play newer PC games. Some older games definitely work well with DirectX 9, but anything from the last few years will require 10 or even 11; this card simply won't run such titles. It has ports for VGA, DVI-I, and S-Video, which makes it handy for a wide range of setups, but lacks any kind of HDMI support.

EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Super Sc Ultra Gaming, 6GB GDDR6 Graphics Card - Best nVidia SLI Graphics Card

For the absolute peak of performance, this is the way to go, but buying two or more of these will definitely tax most computer budgets. One of these cards alone has 12GB of 384-bit GDDR5 memory, which runs at 7.0GHz for incredible performance whether you are running a PC game or rendering your own 3D scenes and videos. The core GPU clock speed on this card is 1127MHz, which can be boosted up to 1216MHz, and this card has over 3,000 CUDA cores. Additionally, it supports up to four monitors and can easily handle HD 4K resolution.

Power requirements for this card are not as high as you might expect, though one does require at least a 600 Watt power supply, so you will need a very powerful PSU to handle two or more of these together in SLI. At a little more than $1,000 for just one of these cards, it is impractical for most computer budgets but two or more of these in a single system will definitely take you to the bleeding edge of performance.

ASUS GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5 Graphics Card - Best nVidia SLI Graphics Card

If you need to pick up a couple of graphics cards to run together in SLI, but you're on a moderate budget, then give this card a good look. This graphics card has 4GB of dedicated 256-bit GDDR5 memory that runs at 7.0GHz, giving you great overall performance. The core GPU clock speed on this model is 1088MHz, with a boosted speed of 1228MHz, which is great for playing just about any PC game or handling any other kind of media you need.

This card has 1,664 CUDA cores, which combined with the high clock speeds of the video memory and the card itself all comes together to give you terrific performance. The price on this one is also quite good, so you can pick up two of these for about $700 and put together an NVIDIA SLI system for around the same price as buying a single EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti. Keep in mind that this pick has similar power requirements as more powerful cards, so you still need at least 600 Watts for a single one of these and a more powerful PSU for two or more of them.

Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 580 8GB 256-Bit GDDR5 Graphics Card - Best AMD Crossfire Graphics Card

It’s hard to argue with the level of power and performance this video card brings to the table, and in a CrossFire setup it's just tremendous. You get 8GB of 512-bit GDDR5 memory, which runs at 6.0GHz. This gives you a lot of really fast memory with excellent bandwidth, and if you put two of them together in a single system, your performance just goes through the roof. The core GPU clock speed with this video card is 1080MHz, which isn’t mind-blowing, but should be more than sufficient for just about any task.

This card has just over 2,800 Stream processors, which gives you terrific performance in an individual or CrossFire setup. You get five output connections on this card, which is more than just about any similar model you can find, and they include three DisplayPort connectors, an HDMI port, and a DVI-D port. All of this comes together to make for a really powerful video card that is perfect for an extremely high-performance CrossFire setup.

HIS R9 280X iPower IceQ X2 Boost Clock 3GB Graphics Card H280XQM3G2M - Best AMD Crossfire Graphics Card

If you want great performance at a decent price, then this is good option, especially if you're interested in a 4-way CrossFire setup. You get 3GB of 6.0GHz GDDR5 memory with this card, and it's 384-bit RAM, which isn't the best possible memory, but is still very good. The core clock speed on this card is 1000MHz out of the box, with boosted speeds of 1050MHz for even better performance, and it has just over 2,000 Stream processors. This card has two physical Crossfire connectors on it, making it a great choice if you want to put together a 4-way CrossFire setup. You get four output connections on this card, which include a DVD-I port, an HDMI port, and a pair of Mini DisplayPort connectors. There are a lot of great features with this card, but the price is a bit higher than it really should be, However, if you find it on sale, then this card is an excellent option.

EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC ACX 2.0+ 4GB GDDR5 256bit, DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, DP SLI Ready Graphics Card - Best 3D Graphics Card

Here is a great option if you want a high-end graphics card for a 3D setup, but don’t quite have the budget for something like the EVGA NVIDIA GeForce 980 Ti. It has 4GB of GDDR5 memory, which is perfect for PC gaming or streaming HD media without seeing any slowdown. You can select between three different modes, depending on what kind of speed you need, with the OC Mode offering a core GPU clock speed of 1140MHz, while Silent Mode has a clock speed of 1051MHz, so you can control what level of performance you need at any particular moment. This card supports 3D Surround and up to four displays at once, at resolutions up to 4K, though you might experience some issues running multiple displays at 4K with just one of these cards. MSi has also designed this card to handle cooling quite well so it's s a pretty great option for running two or three cards together in SLI.

Sapphire R9 FURY X 4G D5 Graphics Card

Sapphire R9 FURY X 4G D5 Graphics Card - Best Gaming Graphics Card

Don’t be put off by the seemingly low amount of dedicated graphics memory on this model; it is a fantastic gaming video card. It has 4GB of RAM, but it is 4096-bit High Bandwidth Memory, which is designed to run significantly faster than even GDDR5. That means that while the amount might seem low at first, the speed and performance it offers is incredibly impressive. The core GPU clock speed on this card is 1050MHz and it has 4,096 Stream processors, which all comes together to give you the best performance you will find in an AMD video card. It has an HDMI port and three DisplayPort connectors that can support up to four monitors at once, with full HD3D and HD 4K resolution support. This model comes with a liquid-cooling system already installed onto it, which keeps it very cool even during intense PC gaming, but you do need to make sure it can fit your computer case.

EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Super Sc Ultra Gaming, 6GB GDDR6 Graphics Card - Best nVidia SLI Graphics Card

For the absolute peak of performance, this is the way to go, but buying two or more of these will definitely tax most computer budgets. One of these cards alone has 12GB of 384-bit GDDR5 memory, which runs at 7.0GHz for incredible performance whether you are running a PC game or rendering your own 3D scenes and videos. The core GPU clock speed on this card is 1127MHz, which can be boosted up to 1216MHz, and this card has over 3,000 CUDA cores. Additionally, it supports up to four monitors and can easily handle HD 4K resolution.

Power requirements for this card are not as high as you might expect, though one does require at least a 600 Watt power supply, so you will need a very powerful PSU to handle two or more of these together in SLI. At a little more than $1,000 for just one of these cards, it is impractical for most computer budgets but two or more of these in a single system will definitely take you to the bleeding edge of performance.

Gigabyte Radeon R9 390X Video Card

Gigabyte Radeon R9 390X Video Card - Best Gaming Graphics Card

This is a great AMD video card, especially if your computer case and setup is not designed for a liquid-cooled video card. It has 8GB of very fast 512-bit GDDR5 memory that runs at 6.0GHz, so it can handle any PC game you throw at it, even at very high settings. The core clock speed of the GPU is 1060MHz, which is definitely fast enough for just about any task, and it has 2,816 Stream processors, making it ideal for the latest PC games and titles that will be released over the next few years. This card supports up to four displays at once, with HD 4K support and a number of connections including three DisplayPort connectors, an HDMI port, and a DVI-D port. One thing to keep in mind with this model is it has a more conventional cooling design. Twin 90mm fans can deal with the heat this card produces, but a lot of that heat is vented into your tower, so make sure you have the case fans to handle it.

Buyer's Guide

Best Graphics Card Buying Guide

Nowadays, planning which graphics card to buy is one of the most essential things to consider when setting up a new gaming rig. Long gone are the days when a decent CPU and RAM could handle the latest gaming experiences in seamless immersion.

However, with so many options to choose from, and such a diverse spread of costs, knowing what card is the right fit for you can be challenging. That’s where our guide can come in handy.

What to Look for When Buying A New Graphics Card?

Memory

Now, this is a crucial part of the graphics card assembly. The gigabytes of memory your graphics card has determines how much processing it can do at once. Generally, this number scales with the performance and price of the card and is a good measure of what range of card you want to go for.

Reasonable cards on the market these days start with around 1 gigabyte of memory, with lower than 512 megabytes of VRAM not recommended. With that being said, the number maxes out at 24 gigabytes for the most premium cards on the market. Another thing to watch out for is also the type of memory being marketed, as older technologies are cheaper to purchase and are often hidden to confuse buyers. The current latest memory technology is GDDR6, so make sure to keep that in mind while selecting a graphics card.

Core Clock Speed

The bread and butter of any processing unit. The rate at which information is computed, the reason you are going to be using this card in the first place. Measured in GHz (gigahertz), clock speeds for reputed graphic cards today start around 1.4 GHz and max out around 1.9 GHz. While a more distinguishing factor might be boosted clock speed or overclock limits, it is recommended not to go for those numbers as they can be very situational.

Ability to handle temperatures

A higher-end gaming unit will have its own liquid cooling system to make sure all system components are operating at maximum efficiency. However, most PCs will forego this daunting and expensive setup and rely instead on airflow cooling. Having effective thermal dissipation via fans while overloading your system is highly necessary as any overheated system will instantly start to drop in performance.

What Will A New Graphics Card Cost You?

Graphics cards, like all things tech, come from a diverse spread of costs and their related benefits. While the performance needed might be defined by your requirement, the average graphics cards recommended today can cost anywhere from $250 on the low end up to $3000, which will guarantee you the cutting edge of gaming technology.

What We Rank Our Top Picks By

Brand

Interestingly, the graphics card market is not as diverse as the product ranges might suggest. The industry is dominated by two players, namely Nvidia, which is a product of Intel, and AMD. However, this is no reason to be dismayed as the cutthroat competition between the two technology giants is fierce enough to have them one-upping each other consistently, frequently breaking records, and dethroning one another.

Sticking to these brands is recommended, but other options such as Gigabyte and MSI are also making headway in occupying more market share.

Price

Now, this could be quite an important factor when making your decision.

Entry Level

$250-$400 is where you can find the most basic, entry-level graphic cards. These are rudimentary cards that complement your existing hardware. Ideally, this kind of card should be considered when other components are lacking or your system does not have any integrated graphics.

Midrange

If you can justify a slightly larger budget, the $400 to $2000 range will open up much more options. This is where most of the market lies as this also includes former high-end products that are no longer available at lower prices. There is something in this range for everyone who wants a fluid and high-resolution gaming experience.

High End

This range where it stops being about what you want out of your graphics card and into the realm of how far can graphics card really go? Spending more than 2 grand on a single part of your gaming gear may seem extreme to non-enthusiasts, but it’s a small price to pay for the very best, the ultimate visual gaming displays.

Spending this amount on a quality card will make sure 4K, VR at 120 FPS is achievable, granted the other parts of your system are also up to the same standard.

Graphic Card FAQs

Will my graphics card become obsolete soon?

There is a running gag among the PC enthusiast folks and is referenced frequently in console vs. PC debates as well. The joke goes that by the time you’ve saved up for your dream PC build, that build would have become so obsolete that its performance could be compared to that of a potato.

Of course, this joke is just that, a joke. Speaking from both personal experience and quantitative evidence, graphics cards can very reliably last you anywhere in the 3–5 year range, before you feel the need to upgrade to the latest standard again. Even purchasing a budget graphics card will not disappoint over the years, if the product is right for the price and the rest of your build and software are up to standard.

Is a graphics card necessary if I have integrated graphics?

Every year, stock PCs and laptops are being released with better and better integrated graphics. It is often argued that graphics cards are not needed for most enjoyable gaming experiences, and to that, we say it depends completely on you.

If you feel like your PC doesn’t need a graphics card for it to do what you want it to do, then enjoy it as it is, but don’t expect any 4K gaming or framerates higher than 60 FPS (frames per second) on any of the latest AAA title games.

Can a graphics card ensure a smooth gaming experience?

No matter how good your graphics card is, it won’t solve every issue you can face regarding lagging frame rates. While there are amazing graphics cards that will more than stand the test of time, trying to fix a bottleneck concerning another component of your build is not possible by upgrading your graphics card.

If your FPS (frames per second) lags due to a shortfall in RAM (random access memory), a better graphics card will not solve the problem, rather it will just end up a waste of money and perform just the same. It is important to make sure that the factor missing from your ultimate computing experience is a less-than-favorable graphics card before you think of investing in a new one.

bestcovery team.jpg
Our research team searches out the best of everything so that you can confidently pick the perfect products and services for your needs.
Related Content
Go to top