Best GPU for Gaming 2023

Best GPU for Gaming 2023

Gaming is an all-time famous hobby having enthusiasts all around the globe. You need to have the best GPU for gaming if you want to take things up to the next level or just want to enhance your experience. A good-quality graphics is like a soul for gaming that helps us push the pixels at their fastest pace. It shares the excessive graphics-related load with the CPU and processes it individually to support the overall PC’s performance, especially during gaming. You must prefer a card with great value for money, excellent graphics capabilities, and silky-smooth graphics quality to enhance your experience. 

We have seen an irregular pattern in the availability of graphics cards in recent years. But now, things have started getting to their regular places. Both Nvidia and AMD are trying their best to take the crown of the best manufacturer with their advanced enhancements and improved technologies. Stay connected with us till the end of this post to uncover some fantastic masterpieces and the best inventions of recent years. One card could never be a perfect option for a wide variety of users. Therefore, we have reviewed eight different products in this post to fit all types of customers and gamers.

Quick Shopping Tips

Size / Form factor: How would you feel if you purchased a card and found that you couldn’t fit it into the system due to its incompatible size? No doubt, it would be a frustrating moment. If you agree with this statement, you must check the size of the card before purchasing it. Form factor or size is another factor that categorizes different cards. The thing you have to do is to check and measure the space given inside the system for a card. Then buy one as per the measurements. 

Compatibility: In the end, I would like you to recall the card’s compatibility in terms of connectivity. Most of the time, the higher-end cards lack DVI ports, and some lower-end ones have no DisplayPort. In contrast, we have noticed many connectivity options with the current-era Radeon and GeForce series graphics cards. Ensure that you can connect your monitor to the graphics card and can utilize its true potential. Plus, make sure the card is getting adequate power input.

Video memory: First and most obvious thing to check in any graphics card is its graphics memory size and type. As far as the type matters, the GDDR6 would be an excellent choice for gaming cards. In contrast, the size varies from user to user and can be decided depending on one’s usage and graphics requirements. You can’t go for anything less than 6GB GDDR6 if you want a mediocre or 1080p gaming performance; I suggest you go for at least 8GB to get smooth gameplay. 

Overclocking: Each card comes with a specific base clock speed that can go up to a specific boost clock speed. The margin between both speed levels is known as overclocking headroom. Make sure that the card you’re purchasing is out-of-the-box overclocked. If yes, then it will provide better performance. In short, a card with better overclocking performs better than a card with less overclocking capability or no clock-boosting performance.

Graphics performance: If someone is considering a graphics card for gaming, one’s ultimate goal would be to get smooth in-game graphics. No doubt, the more resolution you want in different games, the more good-quality the graphics card should be. In short, you must consider the performance of the GPU as per your needs and requirements. As I mentioned earlier in the previous factor, 6GB GDDR6 VRAM is for 1080p, but you have to go for 8GB if you want a 1440p in-game resolution.

Thermal management: Proper cooling is required for all the PC elements to perform as per expectations—the graphics card is one of those elements. You have to check the card’s design that is made for thermal management. In addition, you can also pair air or liquid coolers with the graphics card to manage the excessive temperature. For your information, the liquid-cooler card has no issues in cooling, but it requires more room to fit such a cooler and vice versa.

Why should you trust us?

At GamingDairy, one thing that we know better than anything else is that transparency is key. We’re entirely focused on truthful knowledge in every experiment we conduct, every bit of information we collect, or interview some tech industry experts. Although we reviewed several tech products from tens of brands, we try our best to showcase whether those marketing lines are genuine or just a rumor. Therefore, presenting practical experience regarding any product is our priority. 

We test processors, graphics cards, motherboards, RAM kits, CPU coolers, laptops, and other PC peripherals to ensure that every tech enthusiast gets what he needs. No brand can buy our recommendations. Instead, we have a team of expert testers and reviewers whose duties are to practically test every item that we get from the brands or purchase from the market and test to prove its validity and utility. In addition, we also mention the ideal users’ spot for every item, along with all possible pros and cons. 

Moreover, we don’t forget modern inventions too. This is why we have created a separate news category to ensure that the readers are up-to-date with everything happening in the tech field. Suppose you’re a guy who is related to the tech field and wants to know everything before creating their next computer. In such a case, you must scroll to the latest news to carry on things. We also know that everybody often faces some issues with their computing machines. All types of guides are on this platform.

As I mentioned, we test all types of PC components and peripherals to give the users some truthful information. You can see the same thing in this article. We tested several but reviewed a few perfect products that met our standards. If you want a high-end Graphics card with all the current-era features, we have the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti for you. On the other hand, you can go for the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, which is a satisfying staff choice. But the ASUS TUF RTX 3070 Gaming is for budget-conscious users.

The Best GPU for Gaming 2023 You Can Buy Today


NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti

Fastest GPU for Gaming

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti

Brand: Nvidia | Series/Family: GeForce RTX 3000 series | GPU: Nvidia Ampere GA102 GPU unit | GPU architecture: Nvidia Ampere architecture | Memory: 24GB GDDR6X | Memory bus: 384-bit | Memory data speed: 19.5Gb/s (effective) | CUDA cores: 10752 | Cache: 6MB L2 | Base Clock: 1670MHz | Game clock: Unknown | Boost clock: 1860MHz | Power consumption: 450W | Cooling fans: Dual fan setup | Display Connectors: 3x DisplayPorts, 1x HDMI

REASONS TO BUY

Massive 24GB GDDR6X VRAM

Perfect for 4k/8k with 90+/55+ fps

Graphics-rich performance

NVLink Technology

DLSS AI Acceleration

REASONS TO AVOID

No USB-C port

High price

Size

The next graphics card on the list is none other than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 3090 Ti, holding the most advanced technologies the brand has even introduced. It’s the fastest GPU for gaming in this post and one of the fastest GPUs on the planet. If we put it against the GTX 3080, it also beats that beast while providing almost 25-30% more performance. In addition, if we compare it with the original GTX 3090, you will observe about an 8-10% performance increase. If you’re a top-tier content creator or high-end gamer, there is no better option than this true beast. 

Although there is an option to pair two cards via NVLink, you won’t need it; why? The next lines will prove it. It has a massive 24GB GDDR6X graphics memory based on the 384-bit interface. With this, you can get a whopping 21Gbps of memory speed and an enormous 1TBps of memory bandwidth. Therefore, the blender has shown us 35% higher performance than the 3080 and almost double the Titan RTX card. Other specifications include 10752 CUDA cores with 8.6 capability and a 1.67GHz base clock that can go up to 1.86GHz boost clock speed.   

It’s a perfect card with a second-generation RTX platform to give stable ray tracing and high-quality tensor cores. Being the top-tier graphics card, it breaks all the older records in different games or even crypto mining. You can play current-era AAA titles at even 8k resolution while getting 60+ fps and a three-digit refresh rate. In contrast, when you lower the resolution to 4k, the fps goes to 90+ while the refresh rate also improves. In terms of performance, there is no better alternative than this card. But its price is on the higher side so keep this fact in your mind. 

Again, the USB-C port is missing with this card, just like the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. But you get PCIe 4.0 connection together with triple DisplayPort and one HDMI port to accommodate up to four monitors simultaneously. Look-wise, it feels similar to the RTX 3080 Founder Edition with black and gunmetal grey color accents. The PCB is totally redesigned to give better thermal efficiencies. But the airflow is the same with this 3-slot card, where the fans suck air through the card and throw it out via the top of the PC case. The extended heatsink is also very efficient in heat dissipation.

AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT

Best AMD GPU for Gaming

Radeon RX 6800 XT
Radeon RX 6800 XT

Brand: AMD | Series/Family: Radeon RX 6000 series | GPU: AMD Navi 21 XT GPU unit | GPU architecture: AMD RDNA 2 architecture | Memory: 16GB GDDR6 | Memory bus: 352-bit | Memory data speed: 16Gb/s (effective) | Stream processors: 4806 | Cache: AMD 128MB Infinity Cache | Base Clock: Unknown | Game clock: 2150MHz | Boost clock: 2250MHz | Power consumption: 300W | Cooling fans: Triple fan setup | Display Connectors: 2x DisplayPorts, 1x HDMI, 1x USB-C

REASONS TO BUY

Effective Ray Tracing

A massive 16GB GDDR6 memory

Infinity cache of 128 MB

Lot of overclocking headroom

Perfect for FHD and 4k gaming

Effective cooling performance

REASONS TO AVOID

No AMD integer scaling 

Runs hotter

AMD is as famous as its competitor, Nvidia, in the graphics cards market. Its cards are often known for killing their rivalry with the best value for the money without compromising performance. Today, we have the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT on the list with advanced technologies and great gen-to-gen improvements. It stands toe-to-toe against the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 and 3080XT in terms of graphics outputs—it clearly wins its competition against the RTX 3080 in all aspects. Let’s look at whether it’s the best AMD GPU for gaming or it’s just a rumor among enthusiasts.

The first thing you’ll notice about the card is its RDNA 2 graphics architecture which is great in terms of speed. Further, the Navi 21 die design with a 7nm manufacturing process is another reason to get the great efficiencies. Apart from that, the card features 16GB GDDR6 type memory build over the 256-bit memory bus. In this way, you get 16Gbps of memory speed—it’s not as much as the previous RTX 3080 Ti, but still massive. Other than that, it offers 4806 stream processors, 72 ray tracing cores, and a game clock of 2050MHz that can ramp up to a 2250MHz boost clock.

During the testing sessions, we got pretty much similar performance statistics as the brand has mentioned on the platform. At 4k graphics resolution, you can get 70+ fps with a three-digit refresh rate. If you reduce the resolution to 1440p, the fps increases to 120+ fps without affecting the refresh rate. Overall, the card’s performance falls near RTX 3080 Ti and is equal to the RTX 3080 12GB variant. The Radeon RX 6800 XT impresses its users in no time with its record-breaking performance benchmarks—it’s a great alternative to the RTX 3080 Ti graphics card.  

No doubt, the GDDR6 memory isn’t as good as the GDDR6X, but its 128MB infinity cache fills up that gap by giving 3.25x more bandwidth. Regarding communication, you can utilize the PCIe 4.0 support with the two DisplayPort 1.4b, a single HDMI 2.0 connection, and one USB-C port to accommodate up to four monitors. Since it’s an unlocked GPU, the brand has featured a same-tier cooling design. There is a die-cast aluminum backplate for protection, three fans, an aluminum heatsink, and an optimized structure for airflow.

ASUS TUF RTX 3070 Gaming

Best Value GPU for Gaming

ASUS TUF RTX 3070 Gaming
ASUS TUF RTX 3070 Gaming

Brand: ASUS | Series/Family: ROG Strix series | GPU: Nvidia Ampere GA104 GPU unit | GPU architecture: Nvidia Ampere architecture | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Memory bus: 256-bit | Memory data speed: 14Gb/s | CUDA cores: 5888 | Cache: Unknown | Base Clock: Unknown | Game clock: 1725MHz | Boost clock: 1755MHz | Power Consumption: 220W | Cooling fans: Triple fan setup | Display Connectors: 3x DisplayPorts, 2x HDMI

REASONS TO BUY

ASUS GPU Tweak II utility

AI-based realistic graphics 

Perfect 1440p performance

Improved connectivity 

Attractive RGB lighting

REASONS TO AVOID

No NVlink/ Crossfire support

The next graphics card on the list is the ASUS TUF RTX 3070 Gaming which is based on the Nvidia RTX 3070. ASUS has done a great job while redesigning the original version into a more compelling masterpiece. You get pretty much everything similar in this card to the original version but with improved clock speeds and an attractive overall design. Another reason why this card is on the list is its price. If you add a few more bucks to the price of the previous RTX 3060, you can get this card with way better performance. It’s the best value GPU for gaming with its excellent value for money. 

Most of its specifications remain the same as the previous-generation Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti card. It offers the same 8GB GDDR6 memory based on the 256-bit memory interface plus the memory speed is also the same as 14Gbps. Finally, the clock speed part is here, where we start feeling some differences with both the RTX 3060 Ti and even the original RTX 3070 graphics card. The base clock is the same as the 1500MHz in both the original RTX 3070 and the ASUS RTX 3070. But, the boost clock is increased to 1845MHz, just 1730MHz in the original version. 

The NVIDIA Ampere graphics architecture powers this card just like the other graphics cards in the 3000-series. Along with the RTX platform, the second-generation ray tracing and third-generation tensor cores make the in-game visuals more appealing. If we look at the benchmarks hierarchy, you can get a stable 1440p performance with 60+ fps and a three-digit refresh rate. When you take the resolution to 1080p, the fps increases to 80+, with a better refresh rate. Overall, ASUS has done an excellent job of enhancing the boring RTX 3070 into a better variant.  

As far as the connectivity matters, you get PCIe 4.0 support together with the same triple DisplayPort 1.4a ports but two HDMI ports—there is only one HDMI port in the original Nvidia version. You can also power up four monitors simultaneously via this card using its multi-monitor support. Looking at the design, the card is identical to the ASUS RTX 3080 TUF but with lesser weight. Further, the given heatsink isn’t that massive since the memory and GPU don’t run hotter as compared to its big brothers. There are a few extra cutouts as well in the backplate of the card. 

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

Best GPU for 4k Gaming

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

Brand: Nvidia | Series/Family: GeForce RTX 3000 | GPU: Nvidia Ampere GA102 GPU unit | GPU architecture: Nvidia Ampere architecture | Memory: 12GB GDDR6X | Memory bus: 384-bit | Memory data speed: 19Gb/s | CUDA cores: 10240 | Cache: Unknown | Base Clock: 1370MHz | Game clock: Unknown | Boost clock: 1670MHz | Power Consumption: 350W | Cooling fans: Dual fan setup | Display Connectors: 3x DisplayPorts, 1x HDMI

REASONS TO BUY

Excellent performance

Perfect for 4k gaming

Jaw-dropping Ray Tracing 

Gives full bang for bucks

REASONS TO AVOID

Power hungry

Pricey

NVIDIA has been standing toe-to-toe against AMD in the GPU market for decades. It’s trying its best to beat its rivals with top-tier graphics inventions and advanced technologies. We can see the same reflection in the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, with huge performance improvements than the previous-generation cards. It’s the best GPU for gaming, with a whopping 70% more efficiency than the RTX 2080 and 40% more performance than RTX 2080 Ti. Overall, it’s the fastest in the series after RTX 3090, with an awe-inspiring design to impress its users.

If we dig deep into the card’s structure, it’s fabricated on the 8nm manufacturing process, just like the RTX 3090 lineup. It uses a GA102 GPU unit together with a massive 12GB GDDR6X memory built on the 384-bit memory bus. In this way, we can utilize up to 19Gbps of massive memory speed. Moreover, it’s a factory-overclocked GPU with a base clock speed of 1.37GHz that can bump up to 1.67 GHz boost clock speed. For your information, it also comes with 10240 CUDA cores featuring 8.6 CUDA capability, so this card’s processing power will sky-rocket. 

In the end, I would like to tell you about the graphics performance of this card. Since it’s based on the RTX platform, you’ll get the true essence of the Gen 2 Ray Tracing and Gen 3 Tensor cores. During the in-game testing sessions, it was able to hit 4k and win the title of the best GPU for 4k gaming while maintaining 60+ fps with a three-digit refresh rate. In contrast, if you lower the resolution to 1440p, you can utilize a massive 100+ fps with the same three-digit refresh rate. In terms of enthusiast-level PC gaming, it proved to be an absolute monster. 

The sixteen-lane PCIe 4.0 connectivity is there to enhance the coherence between memory, CPU, and GPU to make things more efficient. Regarding connectivity, you can set up four monitors with this card by using three DisplayPort 1.4a and a single HDMI 2.1 connection. The RTX 3080 Ti is a dual-slot card having an attractive black and gunmetal gray color with some metal-etched brandings. There are two fans to move the air in and out of the card, just like the original 3080 and 3090 cards. It’s an effective method to keep the temperature below the 78.9°C limit. 

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Best affordable GPU for Gaming

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Brand: Nvidia | Series/Family: GeForce RTX 30 series | GPU: Nvidia Ampere GA104-200 GPU unit | GPU architecture: Nvidia Ampere architecture | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Memory bus: 256-bit | Memory clock speed: 14000MHz | CUDA cores: 4864 | Cache: 4MB L2 | Base Clock: 1410MHz | Game clock: Unknown | Boost clock: 1665MHz | Power Consumption: 200W | Cooling fans: Dual fan setup | Display Connectors: 3x DisplayPorts, 1x HDMI

REASONS TO BUY

Affordable

Excellent for 1440p performance 

Solid Ray Tracing performance

Attractive look and design

Easy to cool

REASONS TO AVOID

4k isn’t impressive

Lacks USB-C port

All the previously mentioned graphics cards are perfect in terms of great performance but are quite pricey. If you’re a user who doesn’t have many bucks in your pocket, you can check out the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, the best affordable GPU for gaming. Despite being an affordable card, it shares several similarities with the high-end RTX 3090 and 3080 to be perfect for mid-tier gamers. Maybe this is the reason why it sells like hotcakes. Other than that, it performs like most of the other expensive cards in the 30-series since it features the same Nvidia Ampere graphics architecture. 

Before heading deeper into this masterpiece, I would like to tell you that it’s not as efficient as the other dual-GPU card since it’s not a dual card. Furthermore, it’s not the fastest one in the market but is well-known for its excellent performance-to-price ratio. Anyway, it comes with 8GB GDDR6 memory based on the 256-bit memory bus. In this way, it can deliver a 14Gbps of memory speed and 448GBps memory bandwidth, theoretically, just like the advanced RTX 3070 card. Further, it comes with a 1.41GHz base clock that can go up to 1.67GHz boost clock speed. 

As I mentioned earlier, it’s powered by the Ampere architecture together with Nvidia’s Gen 2 RTX platform. So, you can utilize the true essence of the enhanced ray tracing and tense cores to get the most out of the gaming visuals. If we look at its performance, it provides a smooth 1440p graphics resolution with 60+ fps and a three-digit refresh rate. In contrast, if you step down the resolution to 1080p, you can get 90+ fps while getting an even better refresh rate. In short, it’s a great option for 1440p gaming but not a good choice if you want 4k or more in-game resolution.

You can use the multi-monitor support to connect up to four monitors with it using a single HDMI port and three DisplayPorts. It also lacks the USB-C port like its big brother, RTX 3070, 3080, and 3090. Aesthetically, it has a very sleek design with dual-fan formatting to look great plus stay cool. If we compare it with the other cards in the family, it beats the previous-generation 2080 Super in all the current-era games, plus it provides two times more performance than the older GTX 1070 and RX Vega 56 graphics cards. It’s the best GPU for gaming with such competitive efficiencies.

MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Super Gaming X

Best Entry-level GPU for Gaming

MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X
MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X

Brand: MSI | Series/Family: GeForce GTX 1000 | GPU: Nvidia 12nm Turing TU116 GPU unit | GPU architecture: Nvidia Turing architecture | Memory: 6GB GDDR6 | Memory bus: 192-bit | Memory speed: 14Gb/s | Shading cores: 1408 | Cache: 64KB (per SM) L1, 1.5MB L2 | Base Clock: 1530MHz | Game clock: Unknown | Boost clock: 1830MHz | Power Consumption: 125W | Cooling fans: Dual TORX FAN 4.0 setup | Display Connectors: 3x DisplayPorts, 1x HDMI

REASONS TO BUY

Best entry-level affordable card

Effective thermal management

Attractive design with slight RGB touch

Low-noise fans but good airflow

Overclocking capabilities

REASONS TO AVOID

RTX and DLSS feature is not included

Not better than RX 5600 XT

At the end of the list, we have the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X as the best entry-level GPU for gaming. If you’re just entering the field of gaming and want an affordable graphics card, this is perfect for you. MSI has done a great job in transforming the original Nvidia GTX 1660 Super into a more compelling graphics option. In this way, you can notice a way better performance jump over the previous-generation GTX 1050 Ti Gaming X. Further, it knocks out the AMD RX Vega 56 by an 8% boost in performance and even the original GTX 1660 Super with a 4-5% performance margin. 

The graphics card features a TU116 GPU to perform all complicated computations while getting power from the  Nvidia Turing architecture. If we look at the specifications chart, it has 6GB GDDR6 memory based on the 192-bit memory design. In this way, it can deliver 14Gbps memory speed and 336GB/s memory bandwidth. Like the rest of the third-party cards, you can see some better clock speeds, improved design, and thermals, but the same rest of the features. Now, you can take the clock speed up to 1830MHz, which is higher than the original card. 

Although the MSI GTX 1660 Super X performs well in its price segment, it lacks the ray tracing like its rivals. In short, you won’t be able to use the RTX platform to hand on the ray-tracing and tensor cores. But still, you can get an impressive 1080p in-game graphics resolution with 60+ fps in most of the demanding games. But the smoothness isn’t great when we shift the resolution to 1440p since the fps drops at such settings. Moreover, it may not be able to win against the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which is available at a price with an increase of only $10 bucks.  

There are a total of four ports for connectivity, where three are DisplayPorts and one HDMI video output—you don’t get any other connection like USB-C or any other. Interestingly, the card’s look is quite appealing, with some futuristic design inspirations along with minimalistic RGB lighting. You get a gunmetal gray color mixed with a brushed metal backplate to take things up to the next level. Additionally, the thermal management of this card is also very adequate. There is Twin Frozr 7 thermal concept with Zero Frozr technology and a massive heat sink for heat dissipation.

MSI GeForce RTX 3050 Gaming X

Best GPU for 1080p Gaming

MSI GeForce RTX 3050 Gaming X
MSI GeForce RTX 3050 Gaming X

Brand: Nvidia | Series/Family: GeForce RTX 30 series | GPU: Nvidia Ampere GA106 GPU unit | GPU architecture: Nvidia Ampere architecture | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Memory bus: 128-bit | Memory data speed: 14Gb/s effective | Shading units: 2560 | Cache: L1: 128KB per SM, L2: 2MB | Base Clock: 1552MHz | Game clock: Unknown | Boost clock: 1845MHz | Power Consumption: 130W | Cooling fans: Dual fan setup | Display Connectors: 3x DisplayPorts, 1x HDMI

REASONS TO BUY

Affordable than RTX 3060

Excellent 1080p performance

Provides great value for money

Attractive design

REASONS TO AVOID

1440p may not impressive 

Lacks RGB on front shroud

We have already added some of the top-tier options from the NVIDIA’s RTX 30-series with mind-blowing performances. But if you think that you can’t utilize the true potential of the RTX 3090, 3070, or even the 3060, the MSI GeForce RTX 3050 Gaming X must be perfect for you. It’s originally based on the Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics engine, where some changes are done via MSI to improve overall effectiveness. Now, it’s almost 15-16% faster than the GTX 1660 Super, plus it offers better ray tracing output and DLSS support. It’s undoubtedly the best GPU for gaming by looking at these statistics. 

In addition, this graphics card falls in the affordable category of good-quality cards. So, if you think the RTX 3060 Ti isn’t the best option in terms of price, check this one out. Anyhow, it has 8GB GDDR6 memory based on the 128-bit memory interface. In this way, you can consume 14Gbps of memory speed and 224GB/s of memory bandwidth. Other specifications include 2560 CUDA cores, 80 tensor cores, and 20 ray tracing cores just like the original version. But the memory clock can go up to 1845MHz, which is higher than Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050 card. 

Like the RTX 3060, the 3050 comes with the same third-generation tensor cores for AI enhancements and second-generation ray tracing cores. With all these technologies, the graphics performance becomes very impressive. You can run different games like Control or Metro Exodus at 1080p with 65+ fps and a three-digit refresh rate. In contrast, the 1440p may not be that impressive, but it’s the best GPU for 1080p gaming with impressive and smooth graphics flow. In short, this card is a perfect price-cutting graphics solution with an excellent 1080p to 1440p visual performance. 

As far as the output ports matter, there are triple DisplayPort 1.4 ports together with a single HDMI 2.1 output. Together with that, the card needs at least 130W power input via a single 8-pin PCIe connector and a 550W power supply unit. Aesthetically, It’s a similar design as the RX 6600 XT Gaming together with RGB lighting in the MSI’s front log but removes it from the front shroud. It comes with a metal backplate and a dark metallic overall look. In addition, the Tri Frorz 8 cooling solution with Torx 3.0 fans provides enough cooling performance to deal with the loads. 

PowerColor Hellhound Radeon RX 6650 XT

Best Mainstream GPU for Gaming

PowerColor Hellhound Radeon RX 6650 XT
PowerColor Hellhound Radeon RX 6650 XT

Brand: PowerColor | Series/Family: Hellhound Radeon RX 6000 | GPU: AMD Navi 23 KXT unit | GPU architecture: AMD RDNA 2.0 architecture | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Memory bus: 128-bit | Memory data speed: 17.5Gb/s effective | Shading units: 2048 | Cache: L0: 32KB per WGP, L1: 128KB per Array, L2: 2MB, L3: 32MB | Base Clock: 2153MHz | Game clock: 2486MHz | Boost clock: 2689MHz | Power Consumption: 176W | Cooling fans: Dual fan setup with RGB | Display Connectors: 3x DisplayPorts, 1x HDMI

REASONS TO BUY

Better than RTX 3060

Beats the RX 5700 XT in performance 

Excellent for 1080p gaming

Great value for money

REASONS TO AVOID

Only 128-bit 8GB VRAM 

Bad Ray Tracing

At the sixth place on the list, we have the PowerColor Hellhound Radeon RX 6650 XT offering us improved performance and several advanced technologies so we can discuss. If we talk about the original AMD RX 6650 XT, the brand made it stand toe-to-toe against the competition that was coming from Nvidia’s side. PowerColor took the mission to alter this masterpiece into a more compelling option. Now, it delivers improved clock speeds with the help of better thermal design along with an attractive overall look. If you cannot find the original card, this is a better alternative. 

This graphics card is based on the AXRX 6650 XT graphics engine together with 2048 stream processors to do all the graphics computations. It comes with the same memory specifications as the original AMD RX 6650 XT with 8GB GDDR6 memory based on the 128-bit memory interface. You may think that the 128-bit memory bus is an unhealthy offering, but it’s not. It is mixed with a 128MB infinity cache to deliver an immense 17.6Gbps of memory speed. The base clock is 2055MHz, but the boost clock speed is now 2489MHz rather than 2635MHz in the original version. 

We know several gamers who have used this best mainstream GPU for gaming and other uses. It’s able to deliver a stable 1440p in-game graphics resolution while delivering 60+ fps in most games. In contrast, if you’re a 1080p enthusiast, there is no better option than this since it delivers 75+ fps at this resolution while maintaining a three-digit refresh rate. Further, if we compare this PowerColor RX 6650 XT with the original AMD version, it gives an improved performance of 3-5% in most of the games. In addition, its 3-4% better clock speed is also worth mentioning. 

This time, we can’t utilize the USB-C port that is present in AMD’s previously reviewed graphics cards, RX 6800 XT. But there are three DisplayPort 1.4 and a single HDMI 2.1 port to establish standard connections. It seems that the brand has focused more on thermal improvements while keeping the card’s design simple with a black body and white fans. The card comes with an almost silent dual-fan setup together with aluminum fins, nickel-plated copper heat pipes, an extended heatsink, and a nickel-plated copper base—all of these aspects play a key role in thermal management. 

Conclusion

Gaming is becoming a more and more daily routine among enthusiasts and hobbyists. But why would one love gaming more? Well, due to the attractive and futuristic-looking graphics and visuals that catch everyone’s attention. Since a graphics card powers all that creative scenes, the demand for the best GPU for gaming is skyrocketing. Therefore, every brand is launching different varieties of graphics cards, which is a good thing, but it makes it quite difficult and confusing to choose one. Due to this exact reason, we have written this post to help you get through the process of choosing one. 

If you’re a top-tier gamer who prefers high-quality graphics, you must get your hand over the Nvidia GeForce GTX 3090 Ti with a massive 24GB VRAM but at a higher price. In contrast, those who don’t have that much buck in their pocket can read about the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X, MSI RTX 3050 Gaming X, or check out the PowerColor Hellhound Radeon RX 6650 XT. No doubt, some users would like to get a middle-ground card between top-tier or affordable masterpieces. Well, those can go for the AMD RX 6800 XT with an adequate 18GB graphics memory to deliver up to 4k resolution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the perfect graphics card to play games?

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 3090 Ti is the perfect graphics card to play all types of current-era games at their maximum settings. It comes with a whopping 24GB GDDR6X memory to deliver up to 8k resolution graphics. For your information, it can deliver 8k resolution at 55+ fps and 4k at 90+ fps in the most demanding games. Moreover, you get NVLink technology and DLSS AI Acceleration to take everything up to the next level.

Which is the best GPU for gaming?

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is one of the perfect GPUs to pair in a system to play top-tier games. It comes with an adequate 12GB memory to deliver a smooth up to 4k graphics performance. Other than these benefits, you can get jaw-dropping ray tracing cores together with tensor cores to improve overall graphics output. Further, the GPU’s great value for money is another reason to go for this card.

Is RTX better than GTX?

NVIDIA has switched the GTX branding to the RTX in its all-time-famous, GeForce lineup. In addition, the brand has replaced its Turing architecture with the all-new Ampere graphics architecture. In general, the RTX cards are faster than the GTX plus got some other benefits. At the same time, you have to spend some more bucks to buy the new cards. By far, both are great since both have their own benefits.

What to Look for in a graphics card?

The ultimate goal of putting a graphics card into the rig is to get effective graphics performance. But to check the card’s true capabilities, you can start by assessing some specifications including VRAM, memory speed, and overclocking capabilities. After that, make sure that it has a capable thermal management system to support the overclocking and keep things flowing at their optimal pace.

Arslan Ashraf
Arslan Ashraf is a tech enthusiast and an experienced technical writer at GamingDairy. He has been writing all types of guides, tutorials, and tips for gamers, developers, and other people who use computers. His way of writing is quite unique: he starts with testing every single piece of Hardware and does a long list of experiments before writing the actual masterpiece. Well, if you have any queries, ensure to connect with him!