A new graphics card usually promises a boost in gaming performance. However, you don’t always need a top-tier GPU to get the job done. If you don’t typically game with the graphics cranked up or ray tracing enabled, you can actually get by with a significantly cheaper GPU.
Before picking out a GPU, you need to figure out your preferred resolution. If you typically play at Full HD or WQHD resolution, I’d recommend picking up a mid-range graphics card. According to Steam’s Hardware Survey, gaming at 1080p or 1440p resolution is the norm, while 4K gaming is less common.
The most expensive graphics cards – such as these from Asus, for example – offer the best performance. However, this also depends on the rest of your hardware. That’s why mid-range GPUs are often a much more sensible choice.
Asus
A high-end GPU uses a lot of power to make games look beautiful and realistic. But on a standard 60Hz (or 144Hz) display, a large proportion of that performance goes unused. The importance of Ultra graphics settings is also frequently overestimated. In many games, the computational load increases more sharply than the visible improvement in quality.
Textures, shadows, and lighting may look marginally cleaner with the Ultra setting switched on, but in actual gameplay, the differences are barely noticeable. The High settings (rather than Ultra) usually offers a much better balance between visuals and performance. The same applies to ray tracing. This technology produces impressive lighting effects, but it puts a lot of strain on the graphics card.
In game where speed is the priority, stable frame rates are more important than lighting effects. It’s definitely worth turning on ray tracing once, just so you can see how the visual benefits may justify the cost. Modern GPUs greatly benefit from their software, too.
Thanks to ray tracing, the visuals appear much more realistic. However, this also takes up a great deal of graphics processing power, as seen here with an Nvidia GPU.
Foundry
Upscaling and frame generation techniques such as Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) or AMD’s FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) enable high frame rates with significantly less raw processing power. These features allow upper midrange graphics cards to deliver excellent performance, all without the cost and power consumption of those top-tier GPUs.
Given the inflated prices in the graphics card market, it’s worth taking a closer look at those midrange options. Consider the resolution and frame rate you want, then pick a GPU that will deliver smooth performance at the settings you prefer.
As long as you’re fine with lowering the graphics settings, you’ll save a lot of money while still enjoying a well-rounded gaming performance.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.