The past few years have been quite exciting for graphics cards with the release of the Nvidia GeForce RTX series bringing in the new Ray Tracing features, giving more realistic shadows and lights in the games, and offering a more realistic experience. The Deep Learning Super Sampling technology has made some unique enhancements, claiming to improve the performance of GPUs over time.
In addition to that, AMD has also released their long-awaited Navi 10 GPUs which really gave Nvidia a tough competition in the budget lineup.
Nvidia answered with their RTX Super Series GPUs which offered entry-level Ray Tracing and DLSS features at an affordable price. Furthermore, NVIDIA has continued to improve their DLSS tech with DLSS 2.0. Not only that, the newer Radeon and RTX 3000 cards are also on the horizon.
If you have been waiting to upgrade your graphics card then this is the perfect time with all the latest technology released and tons of options available. We have listed down the best graphics card to help you make the best decision. So without any further delay, here are the best GPUs to buy in early 2020.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti:
Specifications:
GPU Cores: 4,352 – Base Clock: 1,350MHz – Boost Clock: 1,545MHz – GFLOPS: 13,448 – Memory: 11GB GDDR6 – Memory Clock: 14 GT/s – Memory Bandwidth: 616GB/s
Pros:
- Fastest consumer GPU.
- Top of the line Ray Tracing and deep learning.
- Optimized thermal solution for boost clocks.
Cons:
- Extremely expensive.
- RTX 2080 Super has minimized the power gap.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is without a doubt the most powerful consumer GPU currently available in the market. It offers the true next generation 4K 60 FPS gaming experience at the highest possible settings along with some realistic lighting and shadows in the game thanks to the top of the line Ray Tracing.
It features Nvidia’s finest Turing TU 102 architecture which offers 55% more transistors and is 60% larger than Pascal GP102 architecture used in its predecessor the GTX 1080Ti.
Additional transistors provide more cores which of course means even better graphics performance. Tensor cores have been increased to improve DLSS and deep learning.
Many other adjustments have been made in the Turing architecture which really enhances its performances like there are more RT cores to deliver the best Ray Tracing performance.
Although not many games currently support the DXR and RTX but with time more and more developers are adopting this next-gen technology. Some of the AAA titles that currently do support it are Battlefield 5, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Metro Exodus, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
There’s also the possibility that the Nvidia RTX 20 series GPUs might get even more powerful with time as they feature dedicated hardware for DLSS. In the demo, Nvidia showcased that this technology can improve performance by up to 39%.
All in all, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is the most fearsome graphics card that you can get your hands on. So if you have a high budget and want the top of the line performance then this is the way to go.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super:
Specifications:
GPU Cores: 3,072 – Base Clock: 1,650MHz – Boost Clock: 1,815MHz – GFLOPS: 11,151 – Memory: 8GB GDDR6 – Memory Clock: 15.5 GT/s – Memory Bandwidth: 496GB/s
Pros:
- Best 2K performance.
- Reasonable 4K performance at an affordable price.
- Dedicated Ray Tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling cores.
- Fastest GDDR6 memory clock.
Cons:
- No flashy new features up its sleeves.
- Slightly outperforms RTX 2080 by 5-10 percent.
Next up on our list is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super which is the next best GPU that you can toss in your PC. The RTX 2080Ti is the beast but if you want affordable 4K gaming experience then RTX 2080 Super would be the right choice for you.
It is based on the same Turing TU104 architecture that the vanilla RTX 2080 uses but has more RT and Tensor cores for efficient Ray Tracing and DLSS performance.
The best thing about this card is that it outperforms the RTX 2080 by 5-10 percent thanks to a little more raw silicon and is still the cheaper variant.
This graphics card is perfect for 2K gaming performance, you will easily get 70+ FPS in all the latest gaming titles with Ultra graphics preset. It is also capable of running all these recent AAA titles at 4K if you are willing to compromise a little on the graphics settings.
You can crank down some of the graphics options and can enjoy 4K 60 FPS and even VR experience. The main reason for the release of Super series RTX GPUs by Nvidia was to give competition to AMD’s options in the same price bracket.
So if you want to enjoy all the recent graphics intensive games without breaking your bank then definitely consider this graphics card. It would not cost you an arm and a leg like the RTX 2080 Ti, but at the same time will give you enough horsepower for mainstream and high-end gaming at good settings.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super:
GPU Cores: 2,560 – Base Clock: 1,605MHz – Boost Clock: 1,770MHz – GFLOPS: 9,062 – Memory: 8GB GDDR6 – Memory Clock: 14 GT/s – Memory Bandwidth: 448GB/s
Pros:
- Almost Similar performance to vanilla RTX 2080.
- Same price as the base RTX 2070.
- Reasonable 4K performance.
Cons:
- Extremely iterative.
The best option after the RTX 2080 GPUs is without a doubt the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 super. It provides premium quality gaming experience with breaking your bank. It retails for the same price as the base RTX 2070 while offering substantial improvements in performance which can be quite heartbreaking for RTX 2070 owners.
It will allow you to play games at 4K 60 FPS at medium to high settings with DXR turned on which is quite impressive at this price point. This improve in performance is thanks to the shift from base version’s Turing TU106 to TU104 architecture chipset which features more cores and enables increase in the clock speeds.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super without a doubt is the king of 2K gaming considering its price. You can easily crank up all the graphics settings and can get 60+ FPS. Finding a GPU in 2020 which can boost the frames for 2K resolution and at the same time would not break your bank, is actually a blessing.
It is also a perfect option for VR gaming enthusiasts who want a certain level of gaming performance with any jarring artifacts, this GPU is fast enough to keep up with a 90 Hz refresh rate monitor.
So if you are in the market looking for an affordable graphics card that provides all the premium features then Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super is the one you want.
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT:
Specifications:
GPU Cores: 2,560 – Base Clock: 1,605MHz – Boost Clock: 1,905MHz – GFLOPS: 9,754 – Memory: 8GB GDDR6 – Memory Clock: 14 GT/s – Memory Bandwidth: 448GB/s
Pros:
- Outperforms the RTX 2060 Super.
- Better option than Radeon VII.
- Budget friendly.
Cons:
- No Ray Tracing and DLSS support.
- Heats up sometimes.
Enough about the team Green, now let’s take a look at the side of team Red. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT competes directly with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060 super as they both come at the same prices. The RX 5700 XT does however deliver up to 5-10 percent more performance which makes it a better option.
Although there isn’t any Ray Tracing or DLSS support so that can be a turn off for some people but if you don’t care about those features then without a doubt this graphics card is the better choice for you.
The Radeon RX 5700 XT comes from the Navi 10 GPU lineup and is the middle option between the base 5700 and the 5700 XT 50th Anniversary Edition.
The new and enhanced RDNA architecture has really improved the performance, plus you get 8GB GDDR6 memory which is perfect for running all the latest AAA titles at decent graphics settings.
The frame rates in 1080p gaming are really high, you can also easily enjoy 1440p gaming experience at 60 FPS. The AMD RX 5700 XT also features Radeon Image Sharpening, which AMD claims will sharpen graphics with almost no decrease in performance.
The new 7nm process and the architecture are also very power efficient, although the cars can get hot sometimes. If you are willing to spend $10 extra then you can get custom variant, Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 5700 that provides improved cooling design and much better performance.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super:
GPU Cores: 2,176 – Base Clock: 1,470MHz – Boost Clock: 1,650MHz – GFLOPS: 7,181 – Memory: 8GB GDDR6 – Memory Clock: 14 GT/s – Memory Bandwidth: 448GB/s
Pros:
- Ray Tracing and DLSS features at an affordable price.
- Similar performance to RTX 2070 at less price.
Cons:
- Extremely iterative.
There are tons of graphics card options available but in my opinion, the best is the one that provides the best price to performance ratio. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super is the most affordable graphics card you can get if you want to enter and experience the world of Ray Tracing and DLSS.
The RTX 2060 Super is a much better option than the vanilla RTX 2070, it offers the same level of performance and retails for $100 less. Also, it is more powerful than GTX 1080 but costs less, and is almost twice as fast as an RX 570.
This graphics card is a perfect choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming, you can run all the latest games at high or sometimes even ultra settings with Ray Tracing turned on. If you want more frame rates than consider turning down Ray Tracing settings down a level, as in most gaming titles there isn’t a noticeable difference between ultra and high DXR preset.
Overall, this card is the best option in its price range but if you don’t care for the RTX features then I’ll still recommend you to go for the AMD RX 5700 XT.
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super:
GPU Cores: 1,280 – Base Clock: 1,530MHz – Boost Clock: 1,785MHz – GFLOPS: 5,027 – Memory: 6GB GDDR6 – Memory Clock: 14 GT/s – Memory Bandwidth: 336GB/s
Pros:
- Great 1080p performance.
- Perks of Turing architecture.
- Better value than GTX 1660 Ti.
Cons:
- No RTX features.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super is the middle option between the 1660 Ti and 1660. It outperforms the GTX 1660 and is most games matches the performance of 1660Ti at a much lower price point.
This GPU is currently the best choice for gamers who just want to play on 1080p, 60Hz monitors, thanks to its compelling blend of resolution, speed, and affordable pricing.
The massive increase in performance compared to the 1660 is all because of the new GDDR6 memory which increases the gaming performance anywhere from 7 percent to roughly 18 percent depending on the game. It also outperforms Radeon counter parts in the same price point.
To conclude, this graphics card is perfect for those who want to experience entry level PC gaming experience and are on a tight budget. The GeForce GTX 1660 Super runs cool and is incredibly power-efficient so you would not be needing a big Power Supply. The price-to-performance ratio of the GeForce GTX 1660 Super makes it a no-brainer.
AMD Radeon RX 590:
GPU Cores: 2,304 – Base Clock: 1,469MHz – Boost Clock: 1,545MHz – GFLOPS: 7,120 – Memory: 8GB GDDR5 – Memory Clock: 8 GT/s – Memory Bandwidth: 256GB/s
Pros:
- Good Value and Performance for 1080p.
- Efficient overclocking.
Cons:
- High power consumption.
- Same old Polaris architecture.
If you’re really tight on budget and still want to enjoy the latest AAA titles then you can’t go wrong with the AMD Radeon RX 590. This card is from the previous generation but still delivers quite awesome performance for its price.
One thing that is quite interesting about this GPU is it’s a VR ready graphics card which means you can get an experience of virtual reality even at this price point. Obviously, you should not be expecting decent level VR performance from this graphics card but it is still quite impressive and will make you happy considering the money you have invested.
It delivers really impressive performance in 1080p gaming, you can easily get 60 FPS in the latest games if you crank down a few of the graphics options. In games like PUBG and Fortnite, you will easily get 70+ FPS at maxed out graphics settings. The only down side of this GPU is that it is based on the last generations Polaris architecture but you can’t complain much at this price.
The AMD Radeon RX 590 is the perfect GPU for those who want to enter the world of PC gaming experience. Just make sure that your Power Supply has an 8-pin power connection as it requires high power consumption.
AMD Radeon RX 570:
GPU Cores: 2,048 – Base Clock: 1,168MHz – Boost Clock: 1,244MHz – GFLOPS: 5,095 – Memory: 4GB GDDR5 – Memory Clock: 7 GT/s – Memory Bandwidth: 224GB/s
Pros:
- Good for entry-level gaming.
- Really affordable.
Cons:
- High power consumption.
- Low video memory.
The last graphics card on our list is the AMD Radeon RX 570 which is our least preferred option as this card has started to show his age. But if you have 100 bucks making a whole in your pocket and just want to play some games on low settings then just simply toss in this GPU inside your PC and you are good to go.
The only problem with this graphics card is its low video memory which is only 4 Gigabytes. You can still play modern games if you don’t want to hit that 60 FPS mark and are willing to turn down the graphics settings. You can even overclock this card to squeeze some extra performance.
One thing to note is that this graphics card requires high power consumption so make sure your PSU has an 8-pin power connection. All in all, this card is the one if you’re a casual gamer and just want to enjoy a little PC gaming experience without wanting to spend loads of money.
This is our list of the best graphics card that you can get your hands on in early 2020. I hope you enjoyed the roundup. If you have any queries, make sure to drop it down in a comment below.