The best graphics cards 2019: all the top GPUs for gaming

The RTX 2080 Ti and RTX 2080 are finally here and the Nvidia Turing revolution has begun in earnest. So, do you splurge on an expensive flagship graphics card? Or, do you go back in time a bit, pick up a Pascal card and save a couple bucks? No matter what you do, you’ll be able to use the best graphics cards to play the best PC games from Hitman 2 to Battlefield V.

Remember that the best graphics cards can vary wildly depending on the kind of build you’re pursuing, so it can be hard to find the best graphics card for your needs – it’s not always the most expensive one. That’s why we decided to compile a guide of the best graphics cards you can buy today, all of which have been tested and reviewed here at TechRadar. So, before you go out to pick up one of the best graphics cards, we’ll list out the best graphics cards you can buy today.

Nvidia Turing is out and full force, and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 is the new best graphics card out there. While it’s more expensive than past xx80 releases, it’s also much more powerful – showing up even the four-figure price Titan Xp. With the RTX 2080, there should be nothing stopping you from achieving high resolution gaming, though you’ll have to turn down some settings if you’re trying to play at 4K, 60 fps.

Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080

If you’re on the market for one of the best graphics cards, and you’ve got some cash to burn, you might want to consider the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Without a doubt, it’s the most powerful graphics cards on the market, as long as the price doesn’t scare you away. And, the first actual game with Ray Tracing is finally available, Battlefield V. While you can turn RTX On, just keep in mind that it’ll hamper performance a bit.

Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

If you want to stick to QHD, with some brief forays into 4K, you might want to check out the RTX 2070. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 brings the new Turing architecture to the mid range with performance that dwarfs the GTX 1070 that came before. Not only will you be able to play everything at 1440p, but you’re going to get insane performance – up to 120fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. However, you should consider that the RTX 2070 is significantly more expensive than its predecessor, so that trade off in price-to-performance may not be worth it – especially if you’re coming from a Pascal card.

Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 is the best graphics card for Full HD gaming you can buy today – your benchmarks put it above the GTX 1070. And, now that it’s fallen in price to what we would call an ‘acceptable’ level, there’s never been a better time to pick one up. While it’s arguably a bit overkill for Full HD gaming, the RX Vega 56 will come in handy for 144 to 240hz monitors and future-proofing against increasingly demanding games. You can also expect a fantastic 1440p experience with this card.

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 is the best graphics card for VR gaming. Boasting 4,096 stream processors, 256 texture units and 8GB of HBM2 memory, it’s packs a ton of computing power. It's every bit as competent as the Nvidia GTX 1080, and at a lower price no less. This truly is the AMD card to rule them all.

Read the full review: AMD Radeon RX Vega 64

If you’re setting out to build a microATX or a mini-ITX gaming PC, you shouldn’t have to settle for a low-end GPU. You can find mini graphics cards like the Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini. And, sure it’s not the latest and greatest GPU out there anymore, but the 1080 Ti has a lot of life left in it. Plus, when you can get that power in a card that’s just 211 x 125 x 41mm, the loss in performance is totally worth the beautiful mini PC you’ll get.

The Nvidia GTX 1050 might not look like much on paper, what with only 2GB of video memory onboard, but this affordable GPU plays games better than you would think. If you’re willing to drop settings to medium, you can play Overwatch, CS:GO and other popular competitive shooters well above the silky smooth 60fps mark. Thanks to its compact size, it’s also perfect for small builds and entertainment center-bound streaming PCs.

Any eSports player will tell you that high frame rates are far more important than beautifully rendered graphical details – and that’s where the Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti shines. In a time where graphics cards cost as much as rent, it’s an affordable, but potent GPU that can play most eSports games well above 60fps. It’s a bit pricier than the lower-end Nvidia GTX 1050, but you’ll appreciate the extra power behind this card to play future eSports titles, as well as the odd AAA title.

Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti