Table of Contents
Introduction
Graphics cards or graphics processing units (GPUs) and their capabilities in enhancing a consumer’s gaming experience have come a long way over the past decade. Just ten years ago, the average consumer could not have even dreamt of enjoying a personal gaming experience at cutting-edge 4K. Today, all you have to do is choose which GPU you’re going to buy.
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In the world of tech, products under the same category are often sold at varying prices, with varying degrees of performance. This is so the consumer can have a more fleshed out variety of performance options and prices. It is no different in the case of GPUs. Therefore, we will review some of the best GPUs that are lighter on your pocket while still offering 4K capability.
What Are 4K Graphics?
4K resolution graphics refers to the Ultra HD standard of display output quality. In television and consumer media, 3840×2160 is the most popular 4K standard.
Why Is It Important That a GPU Is Compatible With 4K Graphics?
If you have a TV or monitor with 4K capability and want to take advantage of that, you undoubtedly need a GPU with 4K support. Otherwise, you will have to settle for lower-resolution output. No one wants to face such limitations due to a GPU. Hence, if you’re one of the people who fall into this category, you unquestionably need a GPU with 4K capability.
Can Cheaper Graphics Cards Support AAA Games?
If you’re opting for a cheaper GPU, you want to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck. That, of course, includes making sure the GPU you buy is optimal for what you wish to use it for. In terms of gaming, any current-generation GPU is going to be compatible with your current-gen AAA games. However, the frame rate & graphics quality will defer, depending on which graphics card you opt to buy, how much money you spend on a GPU, as well as the game itself. Different games will run at different speeds and frame rates, even on a pricier GPU.
So, to conclude this question with a short answer — yes, but to varying degrees.
The Picks
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Ventus
With this card, NVIDIA worked to combine their revolutionary Turing Architecture with the all-new GeForce RTX platform, which fuses features like shading, real-time tracing, and AI together. The card comes loaded with next-gen GDDR6 memory, as well as support for DirectX 12 features. However, it is comparatively pricier than many options on this list.
Key Features
Core/Memory
- Boost Clock 1620 MHz / Memory Frequency 14 Gbps
- 8GB GDDR6
- DisplayPort x 3 / HDMI x 1
Afterburner Overclocking Utility
- Controllable via iOS and Android devices
- Video recording (predator)
- DirectX12
- Supports multi-GPU setups
NVIDIA G-SYNC™ and HDR
- G-SYNC enables you to enjoy tear-free gaming at up to 240Hz, as well as HDR and so much more!
GeForce RTX™ VR
- It introduces unprecedented realism to the virtual reality experience
- Enjoy new levels of realism with the RTX VR experience that combines AI, advanced VR rendering, as well as real-time ray tracing
Pros
- Premium new design
- Torx Fan 2.0 with top-notch cooling performance
- Maximized heat transfer
- Optimal for gaming
Cons
- Overkill unless used for gaming
- One of the pricier options
Verdict
Our first pick is an excellent option for gaming graphics cards. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Ventus features a healthy spread of specs. However, its price is likely to be the main deterring factor for anyone searching for a budget option.
NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030
NVIDIA’s next product, their GeForce entry point option, comes in the form of the low-budget, low-end, ‘low-profile’ GT 1030 graphics card. It’s not optimal for gaming, but it’s still usable and great for all other types of CPU usage. The GT 1030 is built using NVIDIA’s award-winning Pascal Architecture & comes loaded with GPU Boost support and DirectX 12 support.
Key Features
Specifications of GT 1030 GPU Engine
- GDDR5
- NVIDIA CUDA® Cores® Cores: 384
- Boost Clock (MHz): 1468
Specifications of GT 1030 Memory
- Memory Speed: 3000
- Standard Memory Config: 2GB
- Memory Interface Width: 64-bit
- Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec): 48
Display Support:
- Maximum Digital Resolution: 7680×4320 @ 60Hz
Pros
- Good budget option
- Entry point option that won’t let you down
- Great design elements
Cons
- Average gaming performance
Verdict
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 is a good ‘first-timer’ card for anyone who’s just getting into PC building. It’s not going to get you the best gaming performance; however, the overall specs are great for the asking price. Everything else from video-editing performance to streaming quality is great with this card.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
With the 1050 Ti, NVIDIA looked to make a graphics card that didn’t overblow the price due to flooding of features or highest-end specs. Instead, they wanted to provide an option that would constitute as a gamers must-have, at the very least. The 1050 Ti does a lot without doing too much. It’s fast and powerful.
Key Features
GPU Engine Specs
- CUDA Cores: 768
- Graphics Clock (MHz): 1290
- Processor Clock (MHz): 1392
- Graphics Performance: high-6747
Memory Specs
- Memory Clock: 7 Gbps
- Standard Memory Config: 4 GB
- Memory Interface: GDDR5
- Memory Interface Width: 128-bit
- Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec): 112
Feature Support
- Supported Technologies: CUDA, 3D Vision, PhysX, NVIDIA G-SYNC™, Ansel
Pros
- Good entry-point option
- Durable
- Reliable
Cons
- Average gaming performance
Verdict
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is another great entry-point option. It doesn’t have the most impressive spread of specs; however, this is a reliable card that isn’t going to give up on you any time soon. This makes it a great stepping-stone option.
AMD Radeon RX 570
Many regard this as the best budget-option graphics card available in the market today, and with good reason. The AMD Radeon RX 570 has features such as the AMD Frame Rate Target Control or the FreeSync Technology, which enable gamers to play without any stuttering or tearing in the visual department. It is an ideal GPU for a gamer on a budget who’s still looking to game big for long hours.
Key Features
GPU Engine Specs
- Compute Units: 32
- Base Frequency: 1168 MHz
- Boost Frequency: Up to 1244 MHz
- Stream Processors: 2048
Memory Specs
- Memory Clock: 7 Gbps
- Standard Memory Config: 4 GB
- Memory Interface: GDDR5
- Memory Interface Width: 128-bit
- Max Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec): 224
Feature Support
- Supported technologies: AMD Radeon™ VR Ready Premium, AMD Radeon™ Software, AMD FreeSync™ Technology, AMD PowerTune Technology, AMD Radeon™ Chill, AMD Radeon™ ReLive, and more
- Support Rendering Format: HDMI™ 4K Support, 4K H264 Decode and Encode, H265/HEVC Decode and Encode
Pros
- Good for gaming
- Good for video-editing
- Supports many technologies and programs
Cons
- Standard versions come with 4 GB of memory
Verdict
The AMD Radeon RX 570 is a nice, well-balanced card. It’s not going to the Graphic Card Olympics for specs or anything, but it’s good enough to get the job done. If you need a card that will guarantee you decent gaming and decent video-editing performance, this RX 570 model is a good option.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (3GB)
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB version is perhaps one of NVIDIA’s graphics cards that initially poses more questions than it does give answers. Still, upon further inspection, there’s no doubt that this is a blessing in disguise on NVIDIA’s part. It reduces the price from the 6GB model substantially, cutting down ever so slightly in the specs department. Besides a few bump-downs in processing cores that won’t be noticeable to the average consumer, the only real concern here is the downgrade in memory, leading to some lack in performance of the framebuffer resources. Ultimately, however, this is a graphics card that is well worth the price.
Key Features
GPU Engine Specs
- CUDA Cores: 1280
- Graphics Clock (MHz): 1506
- Processor Clock (MHz): 1708
- Graphics Performance: high-11048
Memory Specs
- Standard Memory Config: 3 GB
- Memory Interface: GDDR5
- Memory Interface Width: 192-bit
- Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec): 192
Feature Support
- Supported technologies: NVIDIA G-SYNC™, NVIDIA WhisperMode, CUDA, 3D Vision, PhysX, Surround, MFAA, ShadowWorks, DSR, DirectX 12, Virtual Reality, Ansel
Display Support
- Maximum Digital Resolution: 7680×[email protected]
- Standard Display Connectors: DP 1.43, HDMI 2.0b, Dual Link-DVI
Pros
- Good budget option
- Good spec spread
- Reliable, long-lasting
Cons
- Average-to-good gaming performance (at most)
Verdict
If you were looking into the 1060 but can’t afford the higher-end model with more memory, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (3GB) is still an acceptable alternative that will offer you similar all-around performance with reliable longevity.
AMD Radeon RX 580
The AMD Radeon RX 580 is one of AMD’s high-end, premium, 4K gaming graphics cards. Once again, AMD has put out a graphics card that offers premium features without completely emptying your pockets—packed with features such as the VR Ready Premium solutions, FreeSync Technology, Frame Rate Target Control, DirectX 12 support, & more. It’s smooth, fast, powerful, and for the price, well worth investing in.
Key Features
GPU Engine Specs
- Compute Units: 36
- Base Frequency: 1257 MHz
- Peak Frequency: 1340 MHz
- Stream Processors: 2304
Memory Specs
- Standard Memory Config: 8 GB
- Memory Interface: GDDR5
- Memory Interface Width: 256-bit
- Max Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec): 256
Feature Support
- Supported technologies: AMD Radeon™ VR Ready Premium, AMD Radeon™ Software, AMD FreeSync™ Technology, AMD LiquidVR™ Technology, AMD Radeon™ Chill, AMD Radeon™ ReLive, and more
- Support Rendering Format: HDMI™ 4K Support, 4K H264 Decode and Encode, H265/HEVC Decode and Encode
Pros
- Good bang for your buck
- Good spec spread
- High-performance gaming
Cons
- Pricey
Verdict
Being one of the higher-end cards AMD has to offer, there is no doubt that the AMD Radeon RX 580 is an excellent option if you’re in the market for a card that’s going to give you high gaming performance on a ‘budget.’ It’s still going to cost you somewhat. However, the performance-to-price ratio is still significant within this list.
AMD Radeon RX 5700
The Radeon RX 5700 is another high-end, premium graphics card by AMD. One of the Navi 10 cards AMD released last year, it still holds up in 2020 without a doubt as an efficient option in general and a good budget option. Sporting the still relatively new RDNA architecture, the insides of this product tell a familiar story. A step down from the 5700 XT Model, this card directly competes with something like the NVIDIA RTX 2060 in the same vein as the GTX 1660 or 970. It is undoubtedly a top competitor and should make your top picks when choosing which card to opt for. If there is any downside to it, it’s that it has no sort of ray-tracing support whatsoever.
Key Features
GPU Engine Specs
- Compute Units: 36
- Base Frequency: 1465 MHz
- Boost Frequency: 1725 MHz
- Stream Processors: 2304
Memory Specs
- Standard Memory Config: 8 GB
- Memory Interface: GDDR5
- Memory Interface Width: 256-bit
- Max Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec): 448
Feature Support
- Supported technologies: AMD Radeon™ Media Engine, AMD Radeon™ VR Ready Premium, AMD RDNA Architecture, AMD FreeSync™ Technology, and more
- Support Rendering Format: HDMI™ 4K Support, 4K H264 Decode and Encode, H265/HEVC Decode and Encode
Pros
- High-performance gaming
- Good specs
Cons
- Pricey
- No ray tracing
Verdict
Another great AMD performer, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 will perform on par (for the most part) with the RX 580 with high gaming performance and high specs. However, the downfall with this card is its price tag.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770
The GTX 770 is a slightly older graphics card from NVIDIA. However, it remains popular to this day due to its combination of features and price. This high-performance graphics card is guaranteed to deliver high-speed and super-smooth gaming on older titles without compromising heavily on your wallet. Packed with features such as 4K compatibility, GPU Boost 2.0, G-Sync, and more, this card does a great job delivering high speeds & performance while remaining in a competitive price bracket.
Key Features
GPU Engine Specs
- CUDA Cores: 1536
- Base Clock (MHz): 1046
- Boost Clock (MHz): 1085
- Texture Fill Rate (billion/sec): 134
Memory Specs
- 7.0 Gbps – Memory Speed
- 2048 MB – Standard Memory Config
- GDDR5 – Memory Interface
- 256-bit – Memory Interface Width
- 224.3 – Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec)
Support
- GPU Boost 2.0, PhysX, TXAA, NVIDIA G-SYNC-ready, SHIELD-ready, 3D Vision, CUDA, FXAA, Adaptive VSync, SLI-ready, NVIDIA Surround
Pros
- Good budget option
- High-speed performance
- Smooth processing
Cons
- Moderate specs at best
Verdict
The GTX 770 is another good budget option optimized for high-speed performance and smooth processing. However, the overall specs are just ‘decent,’ perhaps more justified when considering the asking price.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Yes, this is a budget list. But what if you want high performance but don’t want to pay the utmost premium prices? Well, the GTX 1080 Ti is a significant improvement over its predecessor, the 980 Ti, in every way, including performance and bang for your buck. It is one of NVIDIA’s more premium options and is an ideal option for optimized PC gaming. Although it is one of the heftier items on this list in terms of expense, it is without a doubt a boundary-pusher & one of the best NVIDIA has to offer. For the smoothest, fastest gaming performance from a GPU with significant power, this beats out just about everything else on this list before it.
Key Features
GPU Engine Specs
- NVIDIA CUDA® Cores: 3584
- Boost Clock (MHz): 1582
Memory Specs
- Memory Speed: 11 Gbps
- Standard Memory Config: 11 GB GDDR5X
- Memory Interface Width: 352-bit
- Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec): 484
Technology Support
- Simultaneous Multi-Projection, VR Ready, NVIDIA Ansel, NVIDIA SLI® – SLI HB Bridge Supported, NVIDIA G-SYNC™, NVIDIA GameStream™, NVIDIA GPU Boost™ 3.0, DirectX 12, Vulkan API, OpenGL 4.5, PCIe 3.0 support
- OS Certification: Windows 7-10, Linux, FreeBSDx86
Display Support
- Maximum Digital Resolution: 7680×[email protected]
- DP 1.43, HDMI 2.0b – Standard Display Connectors
Pros
- High-end, premium GPU
- Premium new design
- Great AAA gaming efficiency
Cons
- Pricey
Verdict
As one of NVIDIA’s premium graphics cards, the GTX 1080 Ti is quality inside and out, pushing the envelope of what high-performing graphics cards are capable of. If you can afford this card, go for it. Nothing else on this list is going to compete in terms of sheer performance enjoyment overall.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
Think of this one as a direct competitor to the last product; high-end, high-performance, high-price. Well, not premium flagship-level pricing, but still, in the over $500 ballpark. Like the first card on this list, the RTX 2080 features NVIDIA’s latest Turing architecture. It has a stunning design on the outside and powerhouse specs on the inside.
Key Features
GPU Engine Specs
- NVIDIA CUDA® Cores: 2944
- RTX-OPS: 60T
- Giga Rays/s: 8
- Boost Clock (MHz): 1800 (OC)
- Base Clock (MHz): 1515
Memory Specs
- Memory Speed: 14 Gbps
- Standard Memory Config: 8 GB GDDR6
- Memory Interface Width: 256-bit
- Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec): 448 GB/s
Technology Support
- Hardware Accelerated Ray Tracing, NVIDIA DLSS 2.0, NVIDIA Ansel, NVIDIA® Highlights, NVIDIA G-SYNC™, NVIDIA GPU Boost 4, NVIDIA NVLink (SLI-Ready) w/ NVIDIA RTX NVLink Bridge, VR Ready, Microsoft® DirectX® 12 Ultimate, Vulkan API, OpenGL 4.6
- DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0b
Display Support
- 7680×4320 – Maximum Digital Resolution
- DisplayPort, HDMI, USB Type-C™ standard display connectors
- Multi-Monitor – 4
Pros
- High-end, premium GPU
- Premium new design
- Great AAA gaming efficiency
Cons
- Pricey
Verdict
In line with the 1080 Ti mentioned above, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is of the high-end budget options that NVIDIA offers. It’s going to bring you some of the best that GeForce has to offer with their RTX series — high-end performance on all fronts. Again, if you can afford it, go for it.
What To Look for When Choosing a 4K Graphics Card
When choosing a 4K graphics card, besides, of course, the vital inclusion of 4K compatibility to consider, there are many other factors to take into account as well.
First off, it is essential to consider what kind of performance you’re looking for out of your card — whether you want a card that’s optimized for gaming or video editing or whether you simply require a PC setup with good performance in the basic departments.
When looking into this, you must consider the GPU engine specs and the memory specs. If you don’t want to use your PC for gaming, there is no point in getting a card optimized for gaming. You would be making a financially unwise decision and wasting your money. Research for cards in the spec range you desire.
Furthermore, it is also important to consider whether or not the card is compatible with the rest of your PC setup. Look into the technical support and display support spec sections of the card you’re looking into for this.
Final Words
In conclusion, the final verdict largely depends on what kind of card you need and have the luxury of affording. This article aims to help you best gauge precisely that. Even within the constraints of a ‘budget option,’ there are many graphic card types that you can look into.
In terms of budget options, the GeForce GTX 1060 3GB is an excellent option for a 4K graphics card. It provides good overall performance and isn’t too expensive like the RTX models, and neither is it very outdated like the GTX 770. However, see what suits your situation best, then come to a decision.
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