Buy graphics card - what to look for? The main criteria
In this practical tip, we show you what to look out for when buying a new graphics card. In addition, we present the current bestsellers with which you can get all current games up and running.
Performance: What your graphics card has to do
Before you buy a graphics card, you should find out about the necessary performance. The best way to do this is to check the system requirements of your frequently used programs or games.
- Play current computer games, the system requirements tell you which models to look for. For example, the system requirements of GTA 5 show that the graphics chip should have at least 1 GB of RAM, better still 2 or more.
- You will also usually find specific model recommendations. For The Witcher 3, for example, at least an Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or an AMD Radeon HD 7870 is recommended.
- In general, current graphics cards have at least 2 GB of RAM. 4 GB can also be used for users with a 4K monitor.
Connections: What your graphics card should have
In addition to the mainboard, the graphics card decides which video connections your computer offers.
- If you would like to commission a 4K monitor, a graphics card with a DisplayPort connection is recommended.
- If you are working with several monitors at the same time, you have to make sure that older models only have VGA inputs, for example, and that your graphics card also needs the corresponding output.
- Recommended models have at least one HDMI and one Displayport output. If you don't need any more, you can opt for cheaper versions of a model - often graphics cards with the same graphics processor cost differently, depending on the number and variety of connections.
Models: Comparison of current graphics cards
How powerful a graphics card is can easily be seen from the product name. However, newer models are not always faster than their predecessors - often much more energy efficiency is optimized.
- At Nvidia, the first digit in the name determines the generation. A GTX 560 is the predecessor of a GTX 660. The GTX 900 series is currently on the market - the Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti is the top model in this series.
- The second digit indicates the performance class. A GTX 660 is therefore weaker than a GTX 670. X40s to X80s are found on the market models. The differences between these performance classes are greater than between the generations - a GTX 680 is therefore faster than a GTX 760, even if it is an older model.
- The addition "Ti" on Nvidia graphics cards indicates that it is an extra power-saving model. Most of these are also slightly more powerful.
- At AMD, the model names begin with R5, R7 or R9. These three grades indicate whether it is the weakest, the medium or the fastest model of the generation.
- This is followed by a three-digit number. The first digit indicates the generation, starting with 2. The other two digits also indicate the power. A high-end model from the 2013 series is called the AMD Radeon R9 295, for example. A weaker model of the generation would be the AMD Radeon R7 260.
In the next practical tip, we will show you how to find out which graphics card is installed in your computer. You will also read how to replace the graphics card in your PC.