AMD vs. Nvidia: How to choose the right graphics card for your PC

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In the world of PC gaming, AMD and Nvidia dominate the graphics card market. Whether it's a custom computer or a pre-built model, a graphics card is essential for rendering games in high quality, and cards from either Nvidia or AMD are what you'll find in all of the best gaming PCs and best gaming laptops.

Both brands offer a range of graphics cards with entry-level models starting at around $270 and high-end cards costing $1,500 or more. AMD and Nvidia also allow other manufacturers to sell third-party versions of their cards based on their original specs. This can create price variations among models with similar capabilities, since third-party manufacturers may add features like extra fans or lighting.

While there are lots of graphics cards to choose from, it's still possible to compare each brand's overall performance in relation to their price. Premium Nvidia graphics cards are typically viewed as the most powerful when it comes to advanced features, while the best AMD cards have a reputation for being significantly more affordable and energy efficient. 

Below, we've broken down details on all the latest graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD, and compare how they stack up.

AMD vs. Nvidia: Price and features

AMD and Nvidia both offer a range of graphics cards for different budgets and performance needs. Nvidia's current lineup is called the GeForce RTX 40 series, while AMD's lineup is called the Radeon RX 7000 series. Here's a rundown of each series.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards

Nvidia's RTX 40 series debuted in fall 2022 with the release of the flagship GeForce RTX 4080 ($1,199) and the premium RTX 4090 ($1,599); four more affordable RTX 40 series cards arrived in 2023. 

RTX 40 series cards share a wide range of features, including raytracing, an advanced lighting feature that requires a compatible graphics card, and DLSS 3.0, the latest version of Nvidia's AI-enhanced upscaling technology that makes games easier to run at high frame rates. 

Other Nvidia features are designed to benefit content creators; RTX cards include support for AI-based noise removal for your microphone and virtual backgrounds for your webcam, as well as face tracking and auto-focus. However, AMD reports that its graphics cards actually render video faster than the RTX 40 series with common editing programs like Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve Studio.

AMD Radeon RX 7000 series graphics cards

AMD launched the Radeon RX 7000 series of graphics cards in December 2022 with the RX 7900 XT ($899) and 7900 XTX ($999), followed by the release of several lower priced cards in 2023, including the 7700XT and 7800XT which are set to launch on September 6.

AMD cards offer similar performance to Nvidia cards in most games, and usually for a lower price. For example, Tom's Hardware ranks the RX 7900 XT ($999) ahead of the RTX 4080 ($1,199) in terms of overall performance, despite the AMD card typically being $200 cheaper. However, Nvidia cards tend to reveal bigger advantages when you play newer games with more advanced graphical features.

Like the RTX 40 series, AMD's RX 7000 cards do feature ray tracing, but ray tracing performance generally lags behind the RTX 40 series with slower frame rates. The RX 7000 series also has an AI-based rendering feature to improve frame rates, called FSR, but it's not quite as developed as Nvidia's DLSS. 

If you're looking to play newer releases like Cyberpunk 2077 or Allen Wake 2, a weaker AMD card may struggle to deliver graphics at the highest possible quality. That said, AMD does partner with some developers to boost performance on AMD hardware; for example, Microsoft's Starfield was designed with support for AMD's FSR at release, but not DLSS.

AMD also supports a feature called Smart Access Memory to improve performance when you pair its latest CPUs and GPUs together. This feature allows the CPU to use more of the graphics card's memory. However, some Nvidia and Intel hardware can take advantage of a similar feature, called Resizable Bar, so the underlying tech isn't AMD exclusive.

AMD benchmark data that shows RX 7000 graphics cards outperforming Nvidia hardware exclusively use AMD processors during testing, so if you have an Intel processor, you may want to look at publicly sourced benchmarks before buying an AMD card.

AMD vs. Nvidia: Which graphics card should you choose?

Ultimately, choosing between an AMD or Nvidia graphics card comes down to your personal needs, budget, and preferences. Those building their own PC with a smaller budget may prefer the affordability of AMD graphics cards, while those willing to pay more to play brand-new games with graphics that can best the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X will likely want an Nvidia 4080 or 4090 card to maximize performance.

Of course, high-end AMD cards like the RX 7900 XT or RX 7900 XTX are still capable of playing the latest releases, but Nvidia's top models have an edge when you enable advanced features like ray tracing.

FAQs

What should you know before buying a graphics card?

Before you buy any graphics card, you should make sure that it's a good fit for your computer. Using an older CPU or motherboard with a brand-new graphics card can limit your overall performance and create bottlenecks that prevent you from getting the most out of your card. 

Check that your motherboard supports the latest specifications, like PCIe 4.0. Newer graphics cards also demand lots of power, so make sure your power supply has enough juice to keep your computer running.

Finally, always measure the inside of your case to make sure the graphics card will physically fit during installation, as different cases can position the graphics card at different angles. Different manufacturers also make different sized versions of the same graphics card to add extra fans or lighting.