Competitive gaming requires you to have even the smallest edge over your opponent. Sometimes, that comes from practice and other times from the gear you use. When it comes to computers, the graphic card is an important piece of the puzzle. Choosing a graphics card can be a daunting prospect, with a very saturated market and little difference between the options. And with technology advancing at a rapid pace, there’s always something new to look out for. With that in mind, when it comes to graphic cards the latest generation cards include Ray tracing (RTX). While only a handful of games support the feature, we are likely to see it become more widely adopted as the year goes on. However, the technology is limited to Nvidia right now, so it’s worth remembering that it’s a feature still in its infancy. That being said, there’s plenty of other factors to consider when purchasing a graphic card. Factors like stream processors, core clock and memory clock all matter. So read on to find out about the latest graphics cards in the market, and what’s the right one for you.
Important Things To Look Out For
Ray Tracing: as the newest tech on the block, RTX is definitely a cool feature to have, but that’s all it is. Games with RTX can render more realistic reflections and shadows. It’s not going to drastically improve gameplay yet, since such chips don’t have all that computational power, but it’s a step in that direction.
Cooling: with great power comes great heat. When buying a graphics card, check the heat output (TDP value). The higher it is, the more fans and space your computer will need. Keep that in mind when making a purchase, or you could end up with a very hot PC!
Power: Remember to check that your power supply has enough 8-pin or 6-pin connectors (remember to check the pin type before purchasing) to power your graphics card. Some of these cards will require a lot of energy to churn out great performance.
Top Graphics cards
Nvidia RTX Titan
Memory: 24GB GDDR6
Power connectors: 2 x 8-pin
Memory Clock: 14,000MHz
Core clock: 1,350MHz
Cuda core count: 4,608
RTX-OPS: 72T
Nvidia’s flagship graphics card is dubbed ‘the world’s most powerful desktop GPU, and with good reason. For £2,000, this card outclasses every other. It also produces a massive 280W of heat. Interestingly, Nvidia doesn’t market this as a gaming GPU, on account of its exorbitant cost. This is a GPU for professionals with deep pockets, it does, however, push 576 Tensor cores for AI if you need a little more ohm over a 2080ti. If you do want to game though, 4K content isn’t an issue for this monster.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
Memory: 11GB GDDR6
Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin
Memory Clock: 14,000MHz
Core Clock: 1,350MHz
Cuda Cores: 4,352
RTX-OPS: 68T
The RTX 2080 Ti isn’t Nvidia’s flagship RTX card, but it is still insanely powerful. It easily manages 60fps in 4K gaming (with a TDP value of 260W), making it the ideal GPU if you have the cash to spare. At £837, it isn’t for everyone. There’s also 544 Tensor cores for AI, which Nvidia says will help process anti-aliasing. It also has support for USB-C, making it a great option for newer rigs.
AMD Radeon RX5700XT
Memory: 8GB GDDR6
Power connectors: 1 x 8-pin and 1 x 6-pin
Memory Clock: 14,000MHz
Core Clock: 1,650MHz
Steam Processors: 2,560
This is one of the first 7nm cards to go mainstream. The RX5700 uses the Navi 10 GPU. There’s also no RTX support. It comes with a TDP value of 225W, which doesn’t require a lot of heat sink. Reviews rate the performance as pretty impressive for its price of £389.99, beating the competition for AMD’s other cards at this range, making it the best option for most gamers on a budget.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super
Memory: 8GB GDDR6
Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin
Memory Clock: 14,000MHz
Core Clock: 1,605MHz
Cuda Cores: 2,560
RTX-OPS: 52T
This is one of the few cards to offer RTX, and at a very high £489. Powered by Nvidia’s Turning architecture, it’s TDP value is 215W. 1080p and 1440p performance is no issue for this GPU, but it does have its limitations with 4K content. That said, the card is placed in the upper-mid segment, so it’s worth considering only if you want to get in on the RTX craze early.
AMD Radeon VII
Memory: 16GB HBM2
Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin
Memory Clock: 2Gbps
Core Clock: 1,400MHz
Steam Processors: 3,840
This one is for the creatives. Priced at £540, this high-end 4K GPU is the first built using the 7nm process. It’s so powerful, AMD has added 64 temperature sensors across the chip. Even then the heat output can come up to 295W. Gaming at 60fps with high or ultra content is no issue, but some reviews have called out the performance as comparable to the GeForce RTX 2080.
Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini
Memory: 11GB GDDR5X
Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin
Memory Clock: 10,000Mhz
Core Clock: 1,506MHz
Steam Processors: 3,584
This is a great GPU for smaller gaming rigs. The Ti Mini may be small, but it’s mighty enough to run 4K games with ease. With a TDP value of 250W, it can get a little noisy at times. If that’s something you are willing to overlook, this GPU is great for performance in a smaller sized shell and at a decent £570. Its performance is comparable to the GTX 1080 Ti, impressive given its mini size.
PNY GeForce GTX 1660 Ti XLR8 Gaming OC
Memory: 6GB GDDR6
Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin
Memory Clock: 12000MHz
Core Clock: 1,500MHz
If e-sports is your thing, check out this GPU for 2020 from PNY. While it won’t give you 4K gaming, it’s a proven champion at 1080p and can easily handle well above 60fps. Built on Turing architecture, this £259 card is a very affordable option. It’s also super efficient, with a TDP value of just 120W.
Which is the Best GPU in 2020?
These are just a few suggestions from FinalBoss for the best GPU in 2020. We’d recommend doing a bit more research if you know exactly what your needs are. Just to make sure you get the best GPU in 2020 for your requirements.
However, if you’re not set on specifics, we are pretty sure any of the above options should suit your needs. Ray Tracing is still a few years away from going mainstream, so it’s a good idea to avoid splurging on an RTX-enabled card right now. That is unless you really want to show off your rig. For now, if you plan to play Battlefield V, Tomb Raider, or Metro Exodus only then consider an RTX card. By the mid-2020s though, we should really see RTX take off, especially with VR gaming becoming more prominent.
More Notes on the Best GPUs of 2020
It’s also worth noting that prices of GPUs could shoot up this year.
Arvil Wu, an analyst with TrendForce, noted that two major factors will come into play. First, 2020 will see the launch of the next generation gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony. The Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 manufacturing will create a sharp rise in demand for GPU’s, creating a supply constraint for the rest of the industry.
Supply is also going to be impacted by the manufacturing difficulties associated with the 1x-nanometer process. Then there’s also the push to switch to GDDR6 memory, abandoning the old GDDR5 standard. AMD is one of the few companies to still rely on HMB2, but with its high production cost, the interface isn’t exactly ideal for budget GPUs.
So, it’s likely we will see AMD too hop aboard the GDDR6 bus permanently. Since graphic DRAM chips have a higher production cost, all these factors will lead to a cut in profits, forcing manufacturers to increase prices for the Best GPUs of 2020.
Wu expects a 5% quarter on quarter increase in prices. However, he also notes that it is likely supply will grow by 15% this year, so a price rise may not be on the horizon. Either way, it’s a good idea to invest in one of the best GPUs of 2020 now, before these new factors come into play.
Take advantage of the best GPUs of 2020 by using them with the best displays available. Discover FinalBoss’ guide to BFGD monitors.