5 Best GPUs for Gaming/VR (November 2021 Market Update)

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The Best Graphics Cards for Your Gaming Resolution (1080p, 1440p, 4K, VR)

But just because you can more easily find a GPU in stock right now, doesn’t mean you should buy. Getting a card at (or near) its original MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) is next to impossible, so if you want a new card there’s no other way around paying a hefty amount above MSRP. If you already have a GPU, the wise thing to do is hold off on upgrading until prices hopefully come down in the near future, though nobody knows when (or even if) that will happen.

But if you don’t have a GPU and really cannot continue playing the eternal waiting game, there are certain cards that are better “value” than others, or are a better fit for certain resolutions/use cases. By value, of course I mean relatively speaking compared to other graphics cards, and not value in the general sense of the word (because as I said, at a macro level all GPUs are unfortunately overpriced these days). After having studied current pricing, the following are the best GPUs for gaming and VR in my opinion (read: the least worse cards in the current crazy climate).

1. NVidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (Best Overall Value GPU)

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This was a tough call and you could make the case that the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT or regular RTX 3060 is the best value, but overall, for most games the RTX 3060 Ti is the slightly better bang for buck of the three. Though a bit more expensive than the 3060 and 6600 XT, if you can afford the 3060 Ti the nice performance gains over the aforementioned competing cards are worth it I’d say. That said, if you want to save money and are sticking to 1080p only, the 6600 XT or 3060 are totally fine.

The 3060 Ti will just give you better headroom to max-out settings, as well as provide a solid 1440p experience as well. It’s also only around 10% slower than the RTX 3070, though for 20% less money, making it better value in general than the 3070. Ray tracing performance of the 3060 Ti is also decent if you turn on DLSS, and its 8GB of VRAM is also enough for the far majority of modern titles.

Also, considering its performance is comparable to that of a once-mighty RTX 2080 Super, you’re also good to go for decent PC VR gaming performance in most PC VR titles, including the current standard of VR gaming that is of course the awe-inspiring Half Life Alyx. In other words, a RTX 3060 Ti is enough power for VR on a budget, whether you’re rocking a Quest 2, HP Reverb G2, or Valve Index (to name the 3 best PC VR headsets at the time of writing). Though I would say it is the minimum GPU for good VR – while you could get away with the 6600 XT or standard 3060 for VR, they will struggle more noticeably in demanding games.

Video Memory (RAM): 8GB GDDR6

MSRP: Starts at $399 USD (depends on model)

PSU Wattage Requirement: 600 Watts (or more)

The 3060 Ti is a very good mid-range gaming GPU

The RX 6600 XT is another great mid-range card

Honorable Mentions:

AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (8GB GDDR6)

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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (8GB or 12GB GDDR6)

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2. NVidia GeForce RTX 3080 (Best GPU for 4K and VR)

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If you’re after the best gaming GPUs available right now, while also caring for getting your money’s worth in terms of performance per dollar (which rubs out the overpriced 3080 Ti and 3090), the RTX 3080 is an easy recommendation and is also the best graphics card for 4K gaming in general, beating the AMD competition in most games in that regard (though team red shines for maximum 1440p 144Hz performance). 

With great power comes great choice; if super high-res 4K is not your thing, with a 3080 in your arsenal you’re free to choose a gaming monitor of any resolution and refresh rate and you’ll get cutting-edge performance, whether that’s 1440p 144Hz, 1080p 240Hz, or even 1080p 360Hz for the zero eSport pros reading this. The 3080 is also obviously a beast for VR gaming, that’ll easily handle most demanding VR titles at max settings (just perhaps not anomalies like MSFS).

The 10GB of extra-fast GDDR6X memory is also plenty to be “future proofed” for any future VRAM-hungry games that release. Oh and don’t be envious of competing AMD models that boast a whopping 16GB, as there’s currently no tangible benefits to having 16GB vs 10GB of VRAM in the far majority of gaming situations. Besides, the 3080 uses slightly faster GDDR6X memory compared to the RX 6800 series which use GDDR6.

Don’t get me wrong with all this 3080 shilling though; AMD’s latest high-end GPU offerings are just as impressive overall, at least if standard rasterization performance (non ray-tracing) is all you care about. For ray-tracing, in the handful of titles that support it like Control, Cyberpunk 2077 or Minecraft, NVidia clearly wins though, and their exclusive DLSS feature is a game-changer for allowing playable ray tracing at 4K. NVidia cards also include better hardware encoders for anyone building a streaming and gaming PC. All that aside, AMD and NVidia are neck and neck right now, but for 4K it’s advantage NVidia.

Video Memory (VRAM): 10GB GDDR6X

MSRP: Starts at $699 USD (depends on model)

PSU Wattage Requirement: 750 Watts (or more)

3. AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (Best GPU for 1440p 144Hz)

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While there’s certainly bad news when it comes to the GPU market right now in terms of availability and frequently inflated prices, let’s not forget the good news that many have long forgotten by now – AMD is well and truly back in the high-end GPU market. A presence we’ve not felt since Obi gave up far too easily against Vader in IV (boomer Kenobi, you disappoint me). Competition is great again in the upper echelons of the GPU game, and that’s good news for consumers (well, when if the market returns to some kind of normalcy).

Late last year saw not only NVidia raising eyebrows with its game-changing Ampere cards (RTX 3000), but AMD soon followed up with their long-awaited Big Navi (RX 6000) and the outcome surprised many – these cards are legit contenders for the crown. But like NVidia right now, legitimately priced they are not, so be wary to pay too much above MSRP. Patience, Padawan.

Borderline cringe Jedi jokes aside, the RX 6800 XT is arguably the best value for 1440p gaming right now as I alluded to earlier. If you study benchmark after benchmark like a crazy person like me, you’ll see the 6800 XT competing very nicely against the 3080 when it comes to 1440p frame rates (and at 1080p, too, making it a nice choice for 1080p 144Hz/240Hz as well). It’ll also perform decently for 4K too: just ’cause the 3080 is the better card for 4K, doesn’t mean the 6800 XT won’t get nice frame rates at such a high resolution. If you’re wanting some VR action, a RX 6800 XT is also perfectly suited and will dominate most games at high settings without problems.

Video Memory (VRAM): 16GB GDDR6

MSRP: Starts at $579 USD (depends on model)

PSU Wattage Requirement: 650 Watts (or more)

Honorable Mentions:

AMD Radeon RX 6800 (16GB GDDR6)

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AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (12GB GDDR6)

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NVidia GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB GDDR6)

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4. NVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super (Best Budget GPU for 1080p)

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If the RX 6600 is out of your price range, the GTX 1660 Super is the next best option and offers very good 1080p performance whether on a 60/75Hz or 144Hz monitor. If you’re rocking the latter, to get close or over 144FPS you’ll need to lower settings in more demanding titles, and you also won’t get 144FPS+ in the most demanding of AAA titles (even on low settings). But for many popular titles on lower/competitive or even medium settings, a GTX 1660 Super will provide a solid 1080p 144Hz experience.

A GTX 1660 Super will also dominate 1080p 60FPS gaming on high settings in most titles for those slower-paced genres that don’t benefit from higher refresh-rate monitors (ie 144Hz). You won’t get 1080p 60FPS on ultra/maxed settings in the absolute most graphically demanding games like Cyberpunk or Red Dead Redemption 2, but you can get that silky-smooth 60FPS if you lower the settings to around medium.

Price wise, the 1660 Super and other more entry-level graphics cards are not immune to the current craziness of the market. As always, try avoid paying too far beyond its MSRP, especially for this one as it’s an older generation than the other GPUs recommended in this guide.

Video Memory (VRAM): 6GB GDDR6

MSRP: Starts at $229 USD (depends on model)

PSU Wattage Requirement: 450 Watts (or more)

The 1660 Super is old but still great for 1080p

5. NVidia GeForce RTX 3090 (Ultimate GPU for VR/4K 144Hz)

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Not to say that you need such a crazy powerful graphics card for VR (Virtual Reality) or 4K 144Hz (ie 144FPS), but if money is of no concern and you just want the best of the best for the fastest gaming performance available today, the RTX 3090 is the best gaming graphics card on the market bar none. With an insane 24GB of GDDR6X memory and a price tag that’ll have your left kidney fearing for its safety, despite how its been marketed by team green it’s not really primarily a “gaming” card and has much more practical use for high-end workstations such as extreme 3D rendering PC builds. However, it is technically the fastest gaming GPU money can buy, edging out AMD’s top offering in the RX 6900 XT to deliver the highest frame rates possible.

So while being a tough card to recommend to the great majority based on both its significantly higher price compared to the RTX 3080 and the fact that most gamers have no need for any more pixel power than what a 3080 or 6800 XT provides, for a specific person the 3090 can be worth getting. We’re talking VR enthusiasts wanting the highest graphics fidelity possible today in the form of higher SuperSampling and/or render resolution settings (eg cranking up the SteamVR resolution scale for the most crisp, immersive image quality), or for traditional flatscreen gamers wanting to get the absolute most out of a 4K 144Hz gaming monitor.

Video Memory (VRAM): 24GB GDDR6X

MSRP: Starts at $1499 USD (depends on model)

PSU Wattage Requirements: 750 Watts (or more)

Honorable Mention:

AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (16GB GDDR6)

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How to Choose a GPU (FAQ for Beginners)

How to Know a GPU Will Fit in Your PC?

The actual physical size of a video card may be an issue when it comes to compatibility with your other components, especially if it’s a large/long GPU and you don’t have a huge case. Rule numero uno when choosing the right graphics card for your PC build is to confirm that your case will fit your new beast by checking the maximum supported GPU length found on the spec sheet of your case compared to the length of the specific GPU model you’re planning on getting.

GPUs also vary in both how many PCIe slots they take up on the motherboard (they only plug into one but can hover over other PCIe slots) as well as how many rear metal brackets they take up in your case. These may be worth checking if you either have an extra large or wide GPU and are worried about compatibility, or if you’re building in a small case and want to ensure your GPU will fit both your motherboard and case. See our guide to graphics card slot sizes for more on this. 

How to Know the Power Supply Requirements of a GPU?

Before choosing a GPU you also need to be aware of its power supply requirements which will be listed in the spec sheet of the specific graphics card in question, which you can find on either the official manufacturer’s website (ie on EVGA, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, etc) or on product listings (ie on Amazon or Newegg etc). There are two aspects to this; wattage requirements and power connector requirements.

Firstly, your power supply must have enough wattage (for example 550 watts or 650 watts, two common wattages for gaming PC power supplies) for the specific GPU you want to use in your PC. GPUs use the most amount of power when compared to other components within a typical gaming computer, hence why this is an important step when planning a new system build or upgrade.

You’ll see a recommended or minimum required power supply wattage within the specs of the card somewhere, but remember if you plan on upgrading your graphics card in future then you may need a little extra power, however not necessarily as the wattage requirements a card lists is typically quite high in general since the wattage listed is often assuming the use of a high-end CPU (and so technically you could even get away with less wattage than is recommended).

As well as making sure your PC provides enough wattage for your graphics card, to be on the safe side when it comes to GPU compatibility with your build you also want to double check your power supply has the right power cables for your new card. Some lower-powered GPUs don’t require a direct connection to the power supply and can be solely powered through the PCI-Express slot on the motherboard where you install the card (eg the older GTX 1050 Ti), in which case you don’t have to connect the GPU to the power supply (and can therefore ignore this bit about power supply cables), but any half-decent modern gaming GPU these days will require a dedicated connection to the power supply (even modern budget GPUs like a GTX 1650 Super).

Related: How to Choose a PC Power Supply

Different graphics cards have different amounts of pins on the top of the card that need to be connected using PCIe cables that come with your power supply, so all you need to know is make sure your particular power supply model has enough of these PCIe cables to connect all the pins. For example, most RTX 3080 models require 2x 8pin connections (total of 16 pins) as pictured below, in which case you need to check that your power supply has 2x 8pin PCIe connections (any half-decent power supply absolutely will).

Some less powerful cards may only need a single 8pin or 6pin connector, which in this instance is essentially the same requirement since PCIe power supply cables come in the form of 6+2 pin connectors that can be used either for 6pin or 8pin connections on a card. For some extreme GPUs, for instance the Gigabyte Aorus RTX 3080 Master Rev 2.0, you’ll need a whopping 3x8pins (therefore your PSU needs to list 3 PCIe connectors in its specs).

It’s good to be aware of this stuff, though I’d say it’s a little uncommon common to encounter issues with regards to power supply cables and GPU compatibility – when you buy a high-end GPU that requires 2-3 PCIe connectors, unless you screw up badly then chances are you’ll be pairing it with a half-decent power supply (at least if you know what’s good for you and your system!) and most decent modern power supplies will have at least 2-3 PCIe connectors (if not 6). 

But it’s good practice to double check just to be safe, and to understand these GPU spec basics for the future. Incompatibility can happen sometimes too, such as when using an older PSU model that may be a little lacking in the PCIe cables department since older GPUs generally did not require as many pin connections (some older power supplies are still of good quality and fine to use today with a modern GPU, eg some Seasonic models).

Pro Tip: Power supply cables can have multiple connectors on the same cable, such as 2x8pin connectors on a single PCIe power cable. But ideally, wherever possible you want to use two separate connectors on separate cables if your card requires 2 sets of 8pins for instance. In other words, when connecting your power supply cables to a GPU needing 2x8pin connectors, avoid using a single PCIe cable. Using two PCIe cables allows for the most system stability.

Most RTX 3080 models, like this Eagle OC, requires 2x8pin connectors

Less powerful GPUs like this RX 570 need 1x 8pin connector

How Much VRAM is Good for Gaming in 2021?

Graphics cards have on-board memory known as VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) to help store and process data faster. The more memory your card has the better, but in reality it’s often not as hugely important a spec as some people might make you believe, and the actual GPU model you choose is a lot more important. That said, there’s a certain baseline you want to reach in terms of VRAM, which changes as time goes on. Right now at the time of writing this in 2021, for modern AAA games you want to shoot for a minimum of 6GB (which cards like the GTX 1660 Super has), with the ideal being 8GB or more.

Anything higher than 10GB is overkill for literally 98% of gaming situations, and merely a luxury nice to have. Also keep in mind that just because one GPU has more VRAM than another, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s faster when it comes to straight gaming performance. A good case in point right now is the RX 6800 and 6800 XT, both of which rock a sky-high 16GB of VRAM. But that doesn’t mean they’re automatically faster than say the RTX 3080 which “only” has 10GB VRAM; when it comes to 4K performance the 3080 beats them both. In terms of future proofing, for a card to stay super relevant over the next few years, while we can only speculate in this regard, I would personally say that 8GB is plenty to do that, with 10GB being ideal. But if you have a 8GB card then you’re going to be good for a long, long time. 6GB cards may really start to struggle in a few years, but again that’s just speculation, and they could still be fine (and they’ll definitely do just fine for the next 2-3 years in most games, generally speaking).

How to Know a GPU Supports Multiple Monitors?

If you’re building a dual or triple monitor gaming setup, you want to choose a graphics card that specifically states that it supports the amount of displays you want. Any half-decent modern graphics card will support multiple monitors, but you want to make absolutely sure of it as some GPUs do not (especially cheaper cards). If you go to the manufacturer’s page for your specific GPU model (ie on the Gigabyte site for a Gigabyte branded model – NOT the NVidia or AMD site) then you’ll see it mentioned within the spec sheet if that card supports dual, triple, or even quad monitor setups. You’ll also see the types of output ports that specific card has, such as DisplayPort, HDMI, or even the older VGA connection type. If your card has both DisplayPort and HDMI ports, as is often the case, use the DisplayPort if you have the choice as it is the standard these days.

How Much Should You Spend on a Graphics Card?

As mentioned, the video card is the single most crucial component of all in regards to how fast/smooth your games will run, and at what graphics quality settings you’ll be able to run them at. Modern games contain thoroughly complex, detailed and dynamic 3D scenes with all sorts of special rendering and lighting effects thrown on top, which can really tax your system heavily. The better your graphics card, the faster your computer will be able to handle all of these computations on the fly and output them on-screen, making for a smoother, higher-quality visual experience. 

If your graphics card isn’t good enough for the specific games you want to play (and for the resolution and in-game graphical settings you desire to run the game at) the in-game performance is going to suffer. In other words, your frame rate will be low, which results in the on-screen action appearing to lag/stutter. At best, this slowdown can hinder your enjoyment a little, and at worst the game becomes straight-up unplayable if your frame rate dips below 20-30FPS too often so (or doesn’t even run to begin with).

But how powerful of a GPU you’ll be needing to buy to avoid lame lag getting in the way of your fun will differ from gamer to gamer. Factors such as the resolution and refresh rate of your monitor play a part in how much graphical grunt you’ll need, but a huge determining factor as well is the types and specific games you’ll be playing. Different games can vary massively in their hardware requirements. For example, the difference in the hardware requirements of CSGO (an old title running on a fairly basic graphics engine, at least by today’s standards) compared to a fresh new AAA blockbuster like Red Dead Redemption 2 is quite vast. One can run super-smooth on almost any super-cheap “potato” PC, while the other will require a fairly beefy GPU in order to get smooth performance (especially at higher settings and/or resolutions).

Related: Frame Rates for Beginners (What 30FPS vs 60FPS Looks Like)

With a poor graphics card, hectic high-action scenes in your games will take their toll on your frame-rate

Also, if you buy a more expensive high refresh-rate gaming monitor (such as 120Hz, 144Hz, or even 240Hz), your hardware requirements will be increased further. For example, if you get a 144Hz gaming monitor, to take full advantage of that screen you’ll want to aim to get around 144FPS (frames per second) which requires a more powerful GPU. Though do keep in mind that even if you get a 144Hz monitor, even getting 100FPS or so is still fine as you’ll still see those extra frames. In other words, you don’t need to get 144FPS if using a 144Hz screen.

Generally speaking, as a gamer you want to buy the best graphics card you can afford, as you’ll not only get the fastest performance now but the card will last you longer without having to upgrade. But there is also the other side of the argument of overspending, as you don’t want to spend money on a card that’s totally overkill for your particular usage – especially if you’re trying to be cost-effective like many gamers. As a real world example of overspending, if you’ll be sticking to a standard 1080p monitor that has a 60Hz refresh rate, all you need to make the most of that screen is to get 60FPS performance. So if you spend the extra money on a GPU that’s capable of getting a much higher frame rate of 150FPS, you could have gotten away with a much cheaper card.

Modern AAA games have impressive rendering and special effect features that’ll require beasty GPUs to take advantage of

Below is a chart showing roughly how much of your overall PC build budget you should look to spend on the GPU if your aim is to fully maximize the gaming performance of your new PC. So for example, when building a $1000 gaming computer, to maximize gaming performance you should be looking at choosing a graphics card around $350 (no less than $250 and no more than $400). Keep in mind we’re only talking in terms of the core hardware components here, and not accessories like your monitor, because if we included the monitor in our chart it would be too difficult to give a rough estimate percentage (as monitor purchases can vary wildly from a cheap $100 1080p 60Hz display to a high-end $1000 4K display). 

Shooting for this 25 – 40% range allows you to maximize gaming performance but avoid having to sacrifice too much on your other still-important components, such as still getting a good CPU, RAM and so on. Building a PC is a balancing act, and you could say your system is only as strong and reliable as your weakest link (so don’t go too cheap on your power supply selection). That’s why it’s not practical to throw too much more than 35 to 40 percent on your graphics card choice, such as getting a 600 dollar GPU for a $1000 build, as you’d be very limited in what other parts you get.

General estimates when building a gaming-focused PC. For a hybrid gaming AND workstation computer, spend a bit less on the GPU and more on the CPU (& RAM)

Are Factory Overclocked GPU Models Worth It?

You’ll notice some graphics card models have SC or OC in their model name, which stands for SuperClocked and Overclocked. This simply means the card is a factory overclocked model, meaning that the manufacturer has increased the clock speed of the card compared to other models within that same GPU model type. Overclocked GPUs can give you a little extra performance out the box compared to other models, without needing to overclock your GPU yourself. These OC/SC models are a little more expensive than non-OC models, but whether they’re worth it or not all depends on the specific model in question, its price relative to other cards, and how much extra performance it will give you (usually not much; we’re talking perhaps 3-15FPS more depending on the situation). You’re often really not missing out on much (if anything) by just getting a standard non-OC model, but if you find an OC model for around the same price then you may as well go for it.

Do You Even Need a Graphics Card for PC Gaming?

This may surprise some of you if you’re new to hardware; technically speaking, no, you don’t need to buy a discrete/dedicated graphics card when you build a computer for gaming. Say what? Some CPUs come with a built-in integrated graphics chip that is capable of outputting to a display just like a graphics card would (for these CPUs you would plug your monitor cable into the back of your motherboard instead of the back of your GPU). CPUs that have integrated graphics are called APUs (Accelerated Processing Unit) if it’s an AMD processor and iGPU (Integrated Graphics Processing Unit) for Intel processors.

That means the CPU can play the role of both a processor and a graphics card, taking responsibility for doing all the rendering calculations and outputting the display to your monitor. Integrated graphics is no match for a standalone graphics card, and is only a realistic option if you’re say building a PC for Rocket League or other games that have quite low requirements, and you fully understand you’re not going to get super-smooth performance in the latest AAA games. Integrated graphics really can be a good value option for less demanding titles though, and especially AMD’s recent APUs like the 3200G and 3400G which provide very respectable gaming performance in many popular games.

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About Me

Indie game programmer currently working on my first official game release (after years of hobby projects), an atmospheric story-driven VR FPS built with Unreal Engine to be announced once I’m ready here and here (for anyone into VR FPS’s). Also likes writing about tech, which helps to fund development of the game.

My favs of all time are OOT, Perfect Dark, MGS1 and 2, GE007, DKC2, THPS3, HL1, WC3, Vice City, and KOTOR, with the most recent addition to my list of immortals being the VR masterpiece Half Life Alyx. If you want help with a new build or upgrade feel free to ask on the main PC builds guide. I try to respond to every comment. – Julz