Which Nvidia graphics card for gaming? Which Nvidia graphics card is the best for Full HD, WQHD or 4K? MeinMMO explains what you need to know when buying a GPU and which graphics card is best for you.
New graphics card: You want to buy a new graphics card and have already decided on Nvidia? In our guide, we explain what you need to consider when buying a graphics card and which Nvidia GPU is best suited to your system and preferences.
But rather AMD? Here you will find our purchase advice for AMD graphics cards
Buying an AMD graphics card – which one is worth it for me?
Beginners, gamers and enthusiasts – who should buy which graphics card?
At the current time (February 2023), Nvidia has 12 RTX graphics cards that you can buy for your system. The GTX 1650 can be added as the 13th graphics card. In addition to the RTX 3000 series, you have been able to use the RTX 4000 series since the end of 2022. All RTX cards offer you features like RayTracing and upscaling techniques like DLSS.
Beginner (Full HD)
Which graphics card for Full HD? For beginners who are on the move in Full HD, the RTX 3060 Ti is currently the best price-performance recommendation. It offers sufficient performance for high frame rates and enough reserves for future top games.
Another option for a smaller budget would be the RTX 3060, but this offers almost 25% less performance on Full HD. In many games, the RTX 3060 easily manages 60 FPS and offers a lot of potential thanks to DLSS.
Only the RTX 3050 would be even cheaper, but here you have to do without details with current titles. With the cheap representatives RTX 3050 and RTX 3060, ray tracing is only a real option to a limited extent.
We would rather advise you to go straight to the RTX 3060 Ti, as you have more reserves for future games and options for ray tracing in the long term.
Gamers (Full HD, 144 Hz or WQHD)
Which graphics card for Full HD 144Hz? If you want to play in Full HD with 144 Hz or are mainly in WQHD, then we recommend the GeForce RTX 3070, which is one of the best graphics cards under 500 euros. The RTX 3070 Ti costs 100 euros more, but only offers 4-6% more performance and is therefore only a conditional recommendation.
Another option would be the GeForce RTX 3080 (to the test overview). Here the market prices currently start at 800 euros, but you then have enough reserves if you are interested in 4K gaming in the long term.
On top of that, you should keep in mind that the new GeForce RTX 4070 should appear in 2023. In the future, this could also become an interesting option for gamers who mainly play in WQHD.
Enthusiasts (WQHD or 4K)
Which graphics card for 4K 60hz? If you want to play permanently in 4K with a stable 60 FPS, then we recommend the GeForce RTX 4080. It is currently Nvidia’s second fastest graphics card and is about 20% ahead of the RTX 3090. The prices here start at 1,250 euros, but you get the whole thing Feature Pack from Nvidia.
The more expensive alternative would be the GeForce RTX 4090, but it costs at least 1,800 euros and is therefore not recommended at the moment.
A cheaper option for 4K is still the RTX 3080, as the Ti version of the RTX 3080 costs the same as the RTX 4080. Thanks to upscaling technologies such as DLSS, high and stable frame rates are also easily possible on 4K.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 and RTX 4000 at a glance
Buying a graphics card – tips before you buy
Even before you buy a graphics card, you should give it some thought. Because otherwise you pay a lot of money and later get annoyed about the expensive investment. Or you are annoyed because your new GPU is too weak and you have to buy another one in 2 years.
budget issue
From the beginning you should be sure how much money you want to spend on your system. Because the finished PC consists not only of a graphics card, but also of processor, RAM and Co. If you combine a high-end graphics card with an entry-level processor, you lose a lot of performance.
screen resolution
In which resolution are you currently playing and how will it look for you in the future? The resolution determines how much power you need. Because the higher the resolution, the more pixels your graphics card has to calculate and the more your GPU sweats. The most common resolutions are:
Frame rate (FPS)
It is also important how much FPS you want to play with. 60 FPS is the absolute minimum we would recommend gaming in 2023. Many games, such as shooters, no longer look smooth below 60 FPS. The more FPS you want to display, the more power you need.
A high resolution, combined with high FPS, requires a significantly faster graphics card than if you only want to play on Full HD with 60 FPS.
space and performance
Every graphics card needs space in the computer. In addition, the power supply must be strong enough. Pay attention to this before you buy, otherwise you will buy a graphics card that is too big for your case or you will have to buy a more powerful power supply later. This can also affect your budget.
You can find important information in the operating instructions for your case, for example about the maximum size of the graphics card.
Ray tracing and DLSS
Since the GeForce RTX 2000 series, Nvidia graphics cards have offered ray tracing and DLSS. When it comes to ray tracing, Nvidia graphics cards continue to offer better performance than the AMD competition at the current time.
With FSR, AMD now also offers an alternative to Nvidia’s DLSS, and Nvidia is currently still slightly ahead here.
What games do you want to play
Be aware of what games you want to play. If you only play indie games or classics from 10 years ago, you don’t need a high-end graphics card. If you want to play competitive shooters instead or play current top titles, then there is no way around a good and fast model.
Further questions: FAQ about Nvidia graphics cards
Yes, if you want to play regularly, then you need a graphics card.
At the current time (February 2023) there are 12 graphics cards. These are divided between the GeForce RTX 3000 series and the GeForce RTX 4000.
The GeForce RTX 4090. It is currently the fastest (and most expensive) graphics card from Nvidia for gamers.
The GeForce RTX 3080. It’s not currently the fastest graphics card from Nvidia, but the bottom line is that it offers the best overall package of power and performance if you want to play in Full HD, WQHD or 4K.
Yes, starting with the GeForce RTX 2000 series, Nvidia GPUs can do ray tracing.
The GeForce RTX 3070. Here you get enough performance for high resolutions and fast FPS rates. There are also reserves for 4K.
The GTX 1650. If you want to save money and want to do without features like ray tracing, then you can go for the GTX 1650.
More on the subject of graphics cards: If you are basically interested in the differences between AMD and Nvidia, then take a look at the following article. Here we explain the similarities and differences between the two chip manufacturers and tell you how important the differences are today:
When it comes to a graphics card, how important is it if I buy AMD or Nvidia?