How to Buy a Graphics Card For Gaming PC

One of the most fascinating parts of building a PC is undoubtedly the graphics card, or GPU. Your graphics card often has the most influence on your PC’s overall performance, second only to the CPU. That makes it a riskier buy, particularly in light of the fact that GPUs may be somewhat costly.

No matter what your requirements or budget are, the GPU market has a lot to offer. You have a ton of alternatives, depending on whether you’re looking for something really cheap to support some light surfing or something massive to handle the most graphics-intensive games. We’ll walk you through what to look for in this article to help you choose the best GPU for your requirements and budget.

Five Things to Take Into Account When Purchasing a Graphics Card

Making ensuring your gaming PC or video editing gear is balanced is essential. No specialized graphics card can make up for subpar hardware, such as a sluggish SSD or display.

When purchasing a graphics card, you should consider the following five important factors:

• Memory and Processor Cost
• Desktop vs. Laptop Features
• Accessible

How Much Should a Graphics Card Cost?

The cost of a graphics card may vary greatly, much like the cost of many other gaming PC components. You have to make more concessions the less you pay. That being said, there are situations in which purchasing a cheap graphics card is still worthwhile.

Sometimes it’s less expensive to purchase a graphics card as part of a prebuilt system than to buy one separately.
For someone with a gaming setup that just lacks a higher powerful graphics card, however, that isn’t always feasible.

A low-cost graphics card may be purchased for around $200, a mid-range graphics card for $300–500, and an expensive graphics card for $1,000 or more.

What to anticipate is broken out in the chart below.

The majority of editors and gamers will be content with a $300–$500 graphics card.

What Processor and Memory Does a Graphics Card Need?

There are two brands of graphics cards: Nvidia GeForce and AMD Radeon. With the RTX 40 graphics cards, Nvidia now offers the finest graphics cards.

note: If budget is no barrier, the GeForce RTX 4090 is the finest. But the 4060 or 4070 is often significantly less expensive.

The ideal choice for someone wishing to edit 4K films or play games at 4K resolutions is the RTX 40-series because of its powerful CPU.
On the other hand, if money is tight, the AMD Radeon RX 7000 series is also something to think about. These GPUs can edit 1080p films and play games at 1080p quality with reduced visual detail.
The better the card, in both scenarios, the higher the number. For example, the GeForce 30-series GPU/processor is more affordable than the 40-series lineup despite being older.

Likewise, more memory is preferable. GPU RAM, also known as VRAM (video random access memory), is used by graphics cards; the finest GPUs have 24GB of RAM, while less expensive cards have 4GB or 8GB.

It only collaborates with the graphics card, as opposed to ordinary RAM, to guarantee higher quality and detail levels.

Are You Using a Laptop or Desktop?

You have more alternatives for updating your graphics card if you buy a desktop computer, but it’s crucial to make sure your computer is compatible. For instance, make sure the power supply on your PC has the right kind of connection and sufficient power. Make sure the card will fit into your current computer by paying attention to the form factor of the card as well.

Large heatsinks and fans on powerful graphics cards may take up a lot of space.
Graphics cards are connected to your PC by PCI Express sockets on the motherboard; however, to guarantee optimal performance from your graphics card, make sure your motherboard is current and has the necessary PCIe speed.

tip:  To be clear, there’s a strong probability that even if a graphics card and motherboard are physically compatible, the motherboard will not be able to transfer the graphics card’s produced data rapidly enough. Thus, you just notice an empty wallet and no performance advantages.

Verifying the displays the card supports, such as HDMI or DisplayPort, is also beneficial. The quantity of ports that various cards provide varies.
Although upgrading the graphics card outside is an option, laptop users cannot replace the graphics card inside. For many people, it is more cost-effective to buy a new laptop for gaming or video editing since they are often significantly more costly.

What Features Are There With Graphics Cards?

Prior to purchasing a graphics card, check out its features. For example, you want the specifications to match the rest of your PC and the display.

Even if you get a graphics card that can run 4K games, you won’t be able to take use of its advantages if your system’s CPU is becoming old and can’t keep up.

Furthermore, an older gaming display could find it difficult to support the higher resolutions the card offers.
It’s beneficial to consider your monitor’s refresh rate as well. The newest graphics card won’t function as effectively with a panel that can only attain a refresh rate of 60Hz.

Ray tracing, which provides natural lighting and shadows, is compatible with GeForce RTX 20-series and Radeon RX 6000 cards and above—that is, if the rest of your system is sufficiently powerful.

What Is the Availability of the Most Recent Graphics Cards?

Owing to ongoing problems with the supply chain, not all of the newest graphics cards are always in stock. When they are, demand typically drives their price much over retail.

Avoid splurging on a graphics card that is in great demand as you could have to wait for its restock. When making a buy, be adaptable.

The greatest one for your requirements will probably sell quickly, so get it when you see it.

What Does a Computer’s Graphics Card or GPU Mean?

The visuals that appear on your display are produced by a graphics card, or GPU.

While the motherboard of most basic computers has integrated graphics, a dedicated graphics card is an additional piece of hardware—typically somewhat bulky—that is installed in a motherboard slot.
Anyone who wants to edit films or play games on their PC needs it. One of the trickiest things a computer can do is play the newest games or edit videos, particularly ones with high definition.

Who Needs to Purchase a Graphics Card?

Not everyone need a graphics card on their own. Who will gain from one is as follows.
passionate players. Enthusiastic players want to experience their preferred games with superior detail and high definition. To play the most demanding games, such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Forza Horizon 5, you need a specialized graphics card.

editors of videos. A high-quality dedicated graphics card is essential whether you want to edit films for fun or work, especially when working with 4K images.

Streamers. People usually watch material that has been streamed by players who are able to display the games at their highest quality. You should be able to play a game on Twitch fast and with a respectable degree of quality. Seeing a streamer struggle to load a game or transition between levels will not be entertaining for anybody.

What Comes Next After Purchasing a Graphics Card?

Following your recent purchase of a new graphics card, there are a few things you may want to perform right away.

Purchase a fresh monitor. You won’t get the most performance out of your graphics card if your current display is outdated. Replace it with a new one that can support the resolution of the graphics card and has a fast refresh rate or little input latency. These characteristics reduce the possibility of motion blur or unattractive images.

Purchase brand-new PC parts. Purchase new parts if you updated to a new graphics card only to discover that your system is still unresponsive. Investing in a new CPU or more RAM may help to ensure that your video editing or gaming session works smoothly.

Purchase a fresh game. Consider treating yourself to a new game even if you have purchased a graphics card for the purpose of editing videos. With a new graphics card, you can now demonstrate your improved performance.

Extra Advice on Purchasing a Graphics Card

There are a few more things you may want to think about before making the decision to purchase a graphics card.

Is a graphics card required? Your present setup could be enough if you don’t edit movies or play a lot of demanding games. If it’s not being used for business or pleasure, don’t get a new graphics card. Spend your money on parts that you will probably use more often (faster SSD, larger display, etc.).

Prebuilt systems could be preferable. Graphics cards might be expensive, but by acquiring a new prebuilt system, you can save money instead of buying a single component. See whether purchasing a whole new system is preferable than purchasing a component of it.

Verify the system needs. If you have a list of games you want to play, it’s a good idea to check sites like Can You Run It to find out what graphics card and other components you need to assist improve a game’s performance.

How can I apply a graphics card update?

The procedure of upgrading a graphics card is typically rather simple and just requires disconnecting the old one, taking it out, and installing the new one. To protect your components, you should take preventative measures like using a grounding strap and releasing any static energy you may be carrying.

Which graphic card am I using?

Making sure the graphics card you purchase has better specs than the one you already own is a part of the purchasing process. To verify the graphics card you are currently using in Windows 11, open Task Manager, and choose Performance > GPU. Right-click Start > Device Manager > Display Adapters > GPU in Windows 10.