15 best graphics cards

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

A video card is a special expansion card for a computer that takes care of all the graphics conversion work. Therefore, neither gamers, nor professional designers and 3D developers can do without it. We have compiled a rating of 15 models of video cards that are suitable for conquering both virtual spaces and new working heights.

Rating of the best video cards

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
The best inexpensive graphics cards	1	Gigabyte Radeon RX 550 1183Mhz	RUB 7 490
	2	Palit GeForce GT 1030 1227Mhz	RUB 6 567
	3	Asus Radeon R7 240 770Mhz	RUB 6 397
The best video cards in the middle price segment	1	Asus GeForce GTX 1060 6G (ROG Strix-GTX1060-O6G-Gaming)	RUB 24 480
	2	Sapphire Nitro + Radeon RX 570 1340Mhz PCI-E 3.0 8192Mb	RUB 23,990
	3	Palit GeForce GTX 1060 1506Mhz PCI-E 3.0 6144Mb	RUB 20,400
	4	MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Gaming X 4G	RUB 14,450
	5	Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 1582Mhz	RUB 18,010
	6	Gigabyte Radeon RX 570 Aorus 4G	RUB 19,990
The best top-end graphics cards	1	Nvidia Titan x	RUB 76,280
	2	Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 1632Mhz PCI-E 3.0 11264Mb	RUB 59,990
	3	MSI GeForce GTX 1080 1708Mhz	RUB 48,010
	4	Asus GeForce GTX 1080 1607Mhz PCI-E 3.0 8192Mb 10000Mhz 256 bit DVI HD	RUB 44,740
	5	Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Gaming 8G (GV-N1070G1 GAMING-8G)	RUB 34,590
The best professional graphics cards	1	PNY Quadro M6000 PCI-E 3.0 12288M	RUB 106,280

The best inexpensive graphics cards

Gigabyte Radeon RX 550 1183Mhz

Rating: 4.8

Why first place: The best video card in a budget under 10 thousand rubles – 2 GB of video memory, HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, CrossFire support.

Description: The Gigabyte Radeon RX 550 1183Mhz video card is based on a core from AMD with 2 GB of GDDR5 video memory and a clock frequency of 1183 MHz. It supports graphics technologies DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5 and Vulkan, can work in CrossFire mode (in conjunction with another accelerator), is equipped with three ports for connecting a monitor – DVI, HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4.

It uses the PCIe 8x 3.0 bus to connect to a computer. The maximum clock frequency of the video memory is 7000 MHz. The Polaris 12 computational core is made using a 14 nm process technology, which reduces heating. The TPD of the video card is 50W, while it requires a 400W power supply.

The video card is equipped with 1 fan.

Advantages

• One of the cheapest video cards based on AMD Radeon RX 550;

• Supports overclocking up to 1410 MHz on the chip and up to 1920 MHz on the memory;

• Quiet and cold operation under standard load (no overclocking);

disadvantages

• After overclocking, it begins to noticeably heat up and consume more energy;

• Although overclocking is available, it does not increase performance too much;

Palit GeForce GT 1030 1227Mhz

Rating: 4.7

Why the second place: One of the cheapest video cards in the ranking, but not gaming, but office class.

Description: The Palit GeForce GT 1030 1227Mhz video card is based on the NVIDIA core, but is intended for use in office computers. With a relatively low performance, it has a low level of heating and energy consumption. The core of the Nvidia GeForce GT 1030 is clocked at 1227 MHz, complemented by 2 GB of video memory operating at 6000 MHz, and is based on a 64-bit bus.

The video card is equipped with two ports – DVI-D and HDMI 2.0b. The maximum supported resolution is 4096 × 2160 pixels. Compatible with DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.5 graphics technologies.

It is carried out in a low-profile form factor. TDP is 30W, cooling is handled by one quiet fan, and the recommended power supply is only 300W.

Advantages

• Good performance in some games;

• Low price;

• Low heating and power consumption;

disadvantages

• Doesn't support overclocking;

• Don't expect high performance in modern games;

• The delivery set does not include a low-profile bracket;

Asus Radeon R7 240 770Mhz

Rating: 4.6

Why third place: The cheapest, but at the same time the least productive video card in the ranking.

Description: Technical characteristics of the video card Asus Radeon R7 240 770Mhz look at least attractive. It is equipped with 4 GB of video memory! But it should be taken into account that this video memory is made according to the GDDR3 standard and operates at 1800 MHz, and the core at 770 MHz (in the Boost mode – 820 MHz). Therefore, this graphics accelerator is suitable only for not very modern games, and then at medium settings.

The video card is equipped with three monitor connectors – VGA, DVI-D and HDMI 1.4a. Supports graphics technologies DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.5. The maximum compatible resolution is 4096 × 2160 pixels.

It is carried out in a low-profile form factor. Heat dissipation (TPD) is 30W, with one fan coping with cooling. Works with power supplies up to 300 W.

Advantages

• Handles most not-so-modern games at medium settings;

• Quiet fan;

• Low power consumption and heat dissipation;

disadvantages

• You can forget about overclocking;

• Old video memory;

• Although equipped with 3 connectors, it works with a maximum of 2 monitors;

The best video cards in the middle price segment

Asus GeForce GTX 1060 6G (ROG Strix-GTX1060-O6G-Gaming)

Rating: 4.9

Why first place: A flagship graphics card at an average (for 2018) price.

Description: The Asus GeForce 1060 GTX 6G graphics card is based on the corresponding NVIDIA graphics accelerator and is part of the proprietary ROG line – which means that it is optimized specifically for games. This is evidenced, for example, by a powerful cooling system, including three relatively quiet fans. The graphics accelerator is based on a core with a clock frequency of 1620 MHz (in Boost mode up to 1873 MHz), which is complemented by 6 GB of GDDR5 video memory with a frequency of 8208 MHz.

The video card supports up to 4 monitors. Equipped with DVI-D ports, two HDMI 2.0b and two DisplayPort 1.4. The maximum compatible resolution is 7680 × 4320 pixels. Supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5 and Vulkan technologies. Compatible with CUDA 6.1.

Occupies two expansion card slots, connects via PCIe and needs additional power using an 8-pin connector. The TDP is 120W. The recommended power supply unit power is 400 W.

Advantages

• High gaming performance;

• Easy and simple configuration via bundled software;

• Sophisticated cooling system with adjustable intensity;

disadvantages

• Oversized, may not fit in length;

• Very heavy, recommended for use with reinforced motherboards or special supports;

• Overclocking is not supported (because already overclocked 'from the factory');

Sapphire Nitro + Radeon RX 570 1340Mhz PCI-E 3.0 8192Mb

Rating: 4.8

Why the second place: Cheaper than the leader of the rating, but based on AMD chips, albeit overclocked.

Description: The Sapphire Nitro + Radeon RX 570 video card is based on the graphics accelerator of the same name from AMD and offers optimal performance for most modern games. The processor clocks at 1340 MHz and is complemented by 8 GB of GDDR5 video memory clocked at 7000 MHz. Supports operation in CrossFire mode (simultaneous connection of two video cards).

Equipped with 5 ports – DVI-D, two HDMI 2.0b and two DisplayPort 1.4. Can work with 5 connected monitors. The maximum resolution is 7680 × 4320 pixels. Compatible with graphics technologies DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5 and Vulkan.

Since the video card is based on the AMD graphics accelerator, it has a high power consumption. The TPD is 150W, although the sophisticated dual-fan cooling system handles heat dissipation. The video card itself requires a 500W power supply.

Advantages

• 8 GB of video memory;

• Supports GPU overclocking;

• Sophisticated cooling system;

disadvantages

• Hynix memory does not support overclocking;

• No cooler settings;

• Long and heavy;

Palit GeForce GTX 1060 1506Mhz PCI-E 3.0 6144Mb

Rating: 4.8

Why first place: The 'unclocked version' of the top-ranked graphics card – although cheaper than the leader.

Description: The Palit GeForce GTX 1060 1506Mhz video card is based on the corresponding graphics accelerator from NVIDIA, but was not overclocked by the manufacturer and therefore the clock frequency of its core is 1506 MHz (in Boost mode it rises to 1708 MHz). It is supplemented with 6 GB of GDDR5 video memory with a frequency of 8000 MHz.

The video card supports 4 monitors and is equipped with 5 connectors – DVI-D, HDMI 2.0b and three DisplayPort 1.4. The maximum resolution is 7680 × 4320 pixels. The video card supports graphics and computing technologies DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, Vulkan and CUDA 6.1.

It features sophisticated cooling – two fans efficiently dissipate 120W TDP. Recommended for use with a 400W or more power supply.

Advantages

• High performance;

• High-quality assembly;

• Powerful yet quiet cooling;

disadvantages

• Lagging when playing in 4K resolution;

• Little-functional and incomprehensible software for self-overclocking;

• Lean equipment;

MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Gaming X 4G

Rating: 4.7

Why the fourth place: Less performance than previous models in the ranking, but also one of the lowest prices.

Description: MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Gaming X 4G is the flagship gaming graphics card of the previous generation. In 2018, its performance may seem relatively low compared to the rest of the models. In particular, the clock speed of the graphics processor is 1379 MHz (in Boost mode – 1493 MHz), it is supplemented by 4 GB of video memory of the GDDR5 standard with a frequency of 7108 MHz. The video card is overclocked from the factory, so it will be difficult to increase the speed of its work at home.

The video card can work with three connected monitors and is equipped with three connectors – DVI-D, HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4. The maximum resolution is 7680 × 4320 pixels. Supports graphics and compute technologies DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, CUDA 6.1 and Vulkan.

Differs in low power consumption. TDP of the video card is 75 W, two coolers cope with heat dissipation. The recommended minimum power supply unit is 300 W.

Advantages

• Excellent combination of performance and power consumption;

• Backlit and attractive design;

• Three operating modes – Silent, OS, Gaming;

disadvantages

• The Micron's memory is difficult to overclock;

• Few settings for the complete software;

• After overclocking and under high load, it starts to make a noticeable noise;

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 1582Mhz

Rating: 4.6

Why fifth place: A video card with good performance and not the most successful design – a plastic backplate and memory without heatsinks.

Description: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 is based on the graphics accelerator of the same name from NVIDIA, however, it offers a more budgetary configuration than the leading models. In particular, its core is overclocked up to 1582 MHz (in Boost mode – up to 1797 MHz). The clock frequency of the video memory is 8008 MHz, and the volume is 6 GB.

The video card supports connecting up to 4 monitors at the same time and a maximum resolution of 7680 × 4320 pixels. It is equipped with four ports – two DVI-D, one HDMI 2.0b and one DisplayPort 1.4. Supports graphics and compute technologies DirectX 12, OpenGL, OpenCL 1.2, Vulkan and CUDA 6.1.

Heat dissipation (TDP) of the video card is 120 W. Two fans are used for cooling. The recommended power supply unit power is 400 W.

Advantages

• Compact, fits into most cases;

• Equipped with video memory from Samsung;

• Good performance;

disadvantages

• Plastic backplate, not very reliable and not badly cooled;

• Strange port configuration (two DVI-D, but only one HDMI);

• No memory heatsinks;

Gigabyte Radeon RX 570 Aorus 4G

Rating: 4.5

Why the sixth place: 4 GB of video memory, but at the same time more expensive than the MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Gaming X with the same volume, which took the fourth place in the ranking.

Description: The video card Gigabyte Radeon RX 570 Aorus 4G is based on the accelerator of the same name from AMD and is partially overclocked by the manufacturer. The core clock speed is 1280 MHz, and the GDDR5 video memory, which is 4 GB here, is 7000 MHz.

The video card supports up to 5 monitors simultaneously, and the maximum compatible resolution is 7680 × 4320 pixels. It has one DVI-D, one HDMI 2.0b and three DisplayPort 1.4 ports. The video card is compatible with DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, OpenCL 2.0 and Vulkan. Can work in SLI / CrossFire mode.

Heat dissipation (TDP) of the video card is 150 W. 2 fans are used for cooling. It is recommended to connect the graphics card to a 450W or higher power supply.

Advantages

• Supports overclocking, and quite good;

• Quiet work;

• The cooling radiator is not sealed;

disadvantages

• Comparatively low performance without overclocking;

• Leaking thermal pads, so you need to clean the PCIe port regularly;

• Three DisplayPorts, but only one HDMI

The best top-end graphics cards

Nvidia Titan x

Rating: 4.9

Why first place: There is nothing more powerful than this video card in the rating.

Description: Titan X is the most powerful consumer graphics card in 2018. And while the 1000 MHz GPU clock speed doesn't bother, it's enough to handle even the most complex visual decisions. The video memory in the device is 12 GB, and the GDDR5 generation is used. For example, in flagship games, it consistently 'produces' 80 fps at 4K resolution and set maximum graphics settings. In terms of numbers, the performance of this video card is 120 teraflops.

The video card is equipped with 5 connectors – one DVI-I, one HDMI 2.0 and three DisplayPort 1.4. Supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, CUDS 6.1, Vulkan and OpenCL 1.4. Can work in SLI mode.

The heat dissipation of the video card is 250 W, so a reference cooler with an evaporation chamber is used for cooling. Two ports are used for power supply – 8-pin and 6-pin.

Advantages

• 12 GB of GDDR video memory, 110 teraflops;

• “Will pull” both modern and future games;

• Sophisticated cooling system;

disadvantages

• Expensive, and the main competitor – GTX 1080 – is cheaper;

• Heavy, needs a reinforced motherboard;

• Oversized;

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 1632Mhz PCI-E 3.0 11264Mb

Rating: 4.9

Why second place: Less video memory than the leader of the rating.

Description: The Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti video card is based on the Nvidia graphics accelerator of the same name, whose core is overclocked by the manufacturer to 1632 MHz (in Boost mode – 1746 MHz), and this is not the limit. It is also equipped with 11 GB of GDDR5 video memory with a frequency of 11448 MHz. This results in very high gaming performance.

The video card supports up to 4 monitors simultaneously with a maximum resolution of 7680 × 4320 pixels. Equipped with 7 connectors: one DVI-D, three HDMI 2.0b and three DisplayPort 1.4. Supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, CUDA 6.1, Vulkan and OpenCL 1.2. Can work in SLI mode.

The video card has a high power consumption. TDP is 250W, three fans with custom heat dissipation system are used for cooling. Recommended for use with 600W PSU.

Advantages

• High performance in modern and future games;

• Attractive design;

• Sophisticated air cooling system;

disadvantages

• Heavy, needs additional support;

• Few settings in the bundled software;

• High cost;

MSI GeForce GTX 1080 1708Mhz

Rating: 4.8

Why the third place: Lower performance and clock speed than the previous model in the ranking, but the price is lower.

Description: MSI GeForce GTX 1080 is based on a slightly overclocked version of the corresponding graphics accelerator by the manufacturer. So, the core clock speed is 1708 MHz (in Boost mode it rises to 1847 MHz). It is supplemented with 8 GB of video memory of the GDDR5X standard, operating at 10108 MHz.

Supports connection of up to 4 monitors simultaneously with a maximum resolution of 7680 × 4320 pixels. The video card is equipped with 5 connectors – one DVI-D, one HDMI 2.0b and three DisplayPort 1.4. Compatible with DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, CUDA 6.1, Vulkan and OpenCL 1.2, can connect in SLI mode.

The heat dissipation of the video card (TDP) is 180 W, 2 fans and custom radiators are used for cooling. Recommended for use with 500W or more power supply.

Advantages

• Overclocking capability;

• Powerful software for setting parameters of work;

• Unexpectedly quiet operation with intelligent fan control

disadvantages

• Choke noise is heard under load;

• Limited backlight settings;

• Meager equipment;

Asus GeForce GTX 1080 1607Mhz PCI-E 3.0 8192Mb 10000Mhz 256 bit DVI HD

Rating: 4.7

Why the fourth place: Uses a kernel not overclocked by the manufacturer.

Description: The video card Asus GeForce GTX 1080 is based on the corresponding NVIDIA graphics accelerator, however, unlike the previous models in the rating, its core is practically not overclocked by the manufacturer – the clock frequency is 1607 MHz with an increase in Boost mode to 1733 MHz . It is supplemented by 8 GB of video memory of the GDDR5X standard, operating at 10010 MHz.

The video card supports up to 4 monitors with a maximum resolution of 7680 × 4320 pixels. Equipped with five ports – one DVI-D, one HDMI 2.0b and three DisplayPort 1.4. Supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, CUDA 6.1 and Vulkan technologies, can work in SLI mode.

Needs additional power, but only one 8-pin connector is enough. The heat dissipation is 180 W, a reference cooler with an evaporator is used for cooling. Recommended for use with 500W or higher power supplies.

Advantages

• Powerful cooling, in most games the temperature does not exceed 60 degrees;

• High performance;

• Quiet work;

disadvantages

• Limited overclocking capabilities;

• Large and heavy;

• 8 GB of video memory may not be enough for some programs;

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Gaming 8G (GV-N1070G1 GAMING-8G)

Rating: 4.7

Why fifth place: Minimum overclocking by the manufacturer, the only video card based on the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 in this segment of the rating.

Description: The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 G1 Gaming 8G video card is based on the corresponding graphics accelerator from Nvidia with a minimum factory overclocking. In particular, its computing core operates at 1594 MHz (in Boost mode – at 1822 MHz). It is supplemented with 8 GB of video memory made using GDDR5 technology with an effective frequency of 8008 MHz.

The video card supports up to 4 simultaneously connected monitors with a maximum resolution of 7680 × 4320 pixels. Equipped with five ports – one DVI-D, one HDMI 2.0b and three DisplayPort 1.4. Supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, OpenCL 1.2, CUDA 6.1, Vulkan and NVIDIA proprietary technologies. Can work in SLI mode.

Heat dissipation (TDP) of the video card is 150 W. It uses 3 axial fans and a custom heatsink for cooling. The recommended power supply unit power is 500 W or more.

Advantages

• Overclocking support up to 2100 MHz core;

• Aluminum backplate for increased durability and improved cooling;

• Sophisticated cooling system with low noise level;

disadvantages

• Small memory overclocking;

• Choke whistle appears under high load;

• Poor equipment;

The best professional graphics cards

PNY Quadro M6000 PCI-E 3.0 12288M

Rating: 4.9

Why exactly it: RAMDAC 400 MHz, 384 bit memory bus, FSAA – 64x.

Description: The PNY Quadro M6000 video card is based on the corresponding GPU from NVIDIA and is designed for 3D modeling, rendering and similar operations. It is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR5 video memory, based on a 384-bit bus and supporting RAMDAC at 400 MHz.

Up to 4 monitors with a maximum resolution of 4096 × 2160 pixels can be connected to the video card simultaneously. It is equipped with five connectors – one DVI-I with HDCP support and four DisplayPort. The video card is compatible with DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.5 APIs. Can work in SLI mode. Supports CUDA technology.

Heat dissipation (TDP) of the video card is 250 W. A reference evaporator system is used for cooling.

Advantages

• The best price / performance ratio in the Nvidia Quadro series;

• High bit depth of the memory bus;

• Efficient cooling system based on evaporator and 'turbine';

disadvantages

• No HDR support;

• Maximum screen resolution – 4K;

• High power consumption and TDP compared to P series models;

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.