GPU Hierarchy 2023 Graphics Card Benchmark and Ranking

A graphics card, or GPU, is the must-have component of a computer when it comes to gaming and content creation. There are hundreds of graphics cards in the market from tens of brands. Interestingly, such a sheer number of products makes it relatively easy to purchase a competitive item with the best value for the money and performance. At the same time, it becomes pretty challenging for an ordinary user to choose between many options. It may take you a reasonable amount of time or energy while researching the market.

But don’t worry since we have done everything from your side. We have analyzed thousands of benchmarks from manufacturers, third-party testers, and reputable outlets to create the ultimate graphics cards list, or GPU hierarchy 2023. There are a few tables given below that rank current-generation graphics cards according to their gaming performance. Such an arrangement makes it easier for you to narrow down your selection. You must read this post until the end to learn about this year’s different GPUs and GPU categories.

GPU hierarchy 2023: list of GPU tiers and GPUs 

Let’s get started with the tiers or categories and different graphics card lists inside the tiers or categories!

1. S Tier category

S tier stands for ‘super’ or ‘superb’, and it is ranked highest in the graphics card categories. Anything that is ranked in the S tier category will be considered best. For the past ten years, NVIDIA has been the unchallenged leader, but it now appears that AMD is returning to contend for the throne. AMD’s high-end GPUs challenged NVIDIA’s enthusiast-class card for the very first time. The brand’s flagships are a notch behind the competition for the top rank.

Despite AMD’s determined efforts to overthrow it, Nvidia continued to hold the GPU crown with the RTX 3090 until taking it over with the RTX 3090 Ti. Although the RTX 3080 Ti earns the first position by a slim margin, AMD’s RX 6900 XT takes second place because of its excellent performance. The RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT are just behind it. But AMD has now seized that gaming throne with the powerful RX 6950 XT. Nevertheless, only at 1080p resolution. NVIDIA takes control at that point.

S Tier graphics cards list

GPU	VRAM	Memory type	Memory bus width	TDP
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti	24 GB	GDDR6X	384-bit	450W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090	24 GB	GDDR6X	384-bit	350W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti	12 GB	GDDR6X	384-bit	350W
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT	16 GB	GDDR6	256-bit	300W

2. A Tier category

‘A’ tier is, naturally, less intense than cards in the S tier category. The graphics cards in this tier deliver respectable performance at a far lower cost. On the other hand, the second tier of cards won’t be as consistent as the earlier models once it involves frame rates and thickness. These GPUs can play at Ultra settings at a steady 60 frames per second at 4K resolution. The cards at the top of the list are the RX 6800, RTX 3070 Ti, RX 6750 XT, and RTX 3070.

However, given their respective market positions, it was predicted that the once-coveted RTX 2080 Ti would continue to surpass NVIDIA’s most recent budget card, the RTX 3060 Ti. The performance differences become less abrupt from this point on, but they are still discernible. The RTX 2080 Super is located in front of the RTX 2070 Super and its basic model. The Titan Xp, Titan X, and GTX 1080 Ti are the best representatives of NVIDIA’s Pascal architecture.

The RX 5700 XT and Radeon VII from AMD are also capable of competing in this market. Although the Radeon VII undoubtedly makes a compelling argument with its 16 GB of HBM2 memory, we have placed the RX 5700 XT higher due to its RDNA architecture. The RX 6650 XT, AMD’s updated RDNA 2 GPU, and the non-Ti RTX 3060 are also available here. It would be unjust to exclude the RTX 2070, given that those two AMD GPUs are included here.

A Tier graphics cards list

GPU	VRAM	Memory type	Memory bus width	TDP
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB	12 GB	GDDR6X	384-bit	350W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080	10 GB	GDDR6X	320-bit	320W
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT	16 GB	GDDR6	256-bit	300W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti	8 GB	GDDR6X	256-bit	290W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	11 GB	GDDR6	352-bit	250W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070	8 GB	GDDR6	256-bit	220W

3. B Tier category

“B” does not mean “terrible” or “budget”; rather known for the best value for the money. These cards really provide you decent performance for builds that are on a budget and are entirely usable. This is the lowest tier of the GPU hierarchy; thus, it’s essential to keep in mind that there are cards here that offer real-time raytracing. Additionally, if you’re the type of person who prioritizes performance above graphics and has your heart set on a high-performance 1080p display, these GPUs are excellent choices.

Due to its reasonable pricing and status as one of the most cost-effective GPUs available, the AMD RX 5700 is the leader in this category. In close proximity to it are the RX Vega 64 and RX 5600 XT. The RTX 2060, GTX 1080, and GTX 1070 Ti are a few of the less powerful GPUs from NVIDIA that make up this tier. As long as your display is capable of supporting it, this is the last tier where you may easily enjoy 144 FPS gaming without losing visual quality.

B Tier graphics cards list

GPU	VRAM	Memory type	Memory bus width	TDP
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	8 GB	GDDR6	256-bit	200W
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT	12 GB	GDDR6	192-bit	230W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super	8 GB	GDDR6	256-bit	250W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super	8 GB	GDDR6	256-bit	215W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060	8 GB	GDDR6	192-bit	170W
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT	8 GB	GDDR6	128-bit	160W

4. C Tier category

The ‘C’ tier is a good entry-level GPU category containing some lower mid-range of graphic cards. Although the RTX 2080 Ti is half as expensive as the GPUs in this category, you can still play games with them. Depending on your preferences, they might not be able to handle 1440p. However, 1080p with 60 FPS at high settings could be sufficient for you. This will regrettably not be achievable in some of the most challenging games. For 60 FPS gameplay, additional lowering of the settings could be required.

The GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1660 Super, which are followed closely by the GTX 1070 and GTX 1660, are among the top GPUs available here, where NVIDIA once more dominates. The 4GB and 8GB versions of AMD’s flagship RX 5500 XT perform worse than NVIDIA in this class, even though AMD didn’t completely disappear from the scene. NVIDIA’s GTX 1650 Super sits between these two RX 5500 XT variants. The GTX 1060 6GB completes the C tier.

C Tier graphics cards list

GPU	VRAM	Memory type	Memory bus width	TDP
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT	8 GB	GDDR6	256-bit	225W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050	8 GB	GDDR6	128-bit	130W
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super	8 GB	GDDR6	256-bit	175W
AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT	8 GB	GDDR6	192-bit	160W

5. D Tier category

The ‘D’ tier is that graphic card entry level suitable for low-demanding games. This tier’s budget cards are last on the list for a reason. Although this is the case, modern GPUs can still perform well. There can still be a hierarchy to guide your individual decision-making, even if you have a limited budget. The GTX 1650 is the top GPU in the D tier, while the GTX 1060 3GB is just behind it. The GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1050 are the only other members of this category because of the previously imposed limitations.

D Tier graphics cards list

GPU	VRAM	Memory type	Memory bus width	TDP
AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT	4 GB	GDDR6	64-bit	107W
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	6 GB	GDDR6	192-bit	120W
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super	6 GB	GDDR6	192-bit	125W
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT	4/8 GB	GDDR6	128-bit	130W
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Super	4 GB	GDDR6	128-bit	100W

Conclusion

A graphics card is the most crucial computer component, especially when playing games, doing 3D rendering, or creating content. But for some users, choosing one out of hundreds of options is difficult. Well, we have tried our best to showcase the GPU hierarchy 2023 to uncover all types of different GPUs from various categories or tiers. Suppose you want to grab a top-tier card. In such a case, go for the S-tier category. On the other hand, you can check out all the other categories to know more about different GPU names, their performance, and prices.

We have taken some inspiration from the 3DMark Time Spy graphics score and Tom’s Hardware as the foundation for this hierarchy. Due to the availability of the RDNA 2 and Ampere architecture, this list may undergo some changes shortly. Moreover, even though some other cards could perform on par with the cards from our GPU hierarchy, they were left out for a purpose. Only the two most recent versions of AMD and NVIDIA GPUs were included, as was previously specified. So, only cards from the 5th-Gen GCN and Pascal will be available.