We are at the dawn of a new generation of graphics cards. AMD, Nvidia, and even Intel have all hinted that we’ll see new graphics cards this year, and if you’ve been sitting on your GPU for a while, you’ll probably consider an upgrade.
However, upgrading your graphics card isn’t as simple as looking at a few reviews and making a decision. If you’re too eager to buy a whole new GPU, you might miss out on additional performance, better value, or even additional features. If you’re planning to upgrade your GPU soon, be sure to follow these guiding principles.
Forget the name
Names matter. It’s easy to write them off, but there’s a reason Nvidia “released” the RTX 4080 12GB in the previous generation, and there’s a reason AMD released the RX 7900 GRE when it had already an RX 7900 XTX and an RX 7900 XT. Names are powerful and can significantly mislead a purchasing decision.
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It’s easy to get to grips with AMD and Nvidia’s product stack. A properly informed buyer knows that an RX 7700 XT is worse than an RX 7800 XT, and that the RTX 4070 Super is better than an RTX 4060 Ti. The bigger number is better. The problem is that there is no linear increase in performance or price between each step in the lineup, and sometimes Nvidia and AMD use this to their advantage.
The aforementioned RX 7700 XT and RX 7800 XT are a great example. AMD released these two graphics cards at the same time for $450 and $500, respectively, despite the fact that the RX 7700 XT was much slower. And now, with a few months to go until launch, you can usually find the RX 7700 XT for around $370, while the RX 7800 XT has held steady at $500. If you bought the RX 7700 XT right away, you got a bad deal.
This is where reviews are important. Nvidia, AMD, and Intel are smart about how they price their products, but reviewers can dig into the numbers and come to firm conclusions about what gives you the best bang for your buck. In cases where the price is really low, like with the RX 7700 XT or the RTX 4080, we usually see some sort of correction.
More than a flagship product
AMD and Nvidia always launch their flagship GPUs first. These cards, which now typically sell for above $1,000, are kicking off a new generation, and they’re the ones enthusiasts are camping out and debating on forums for. Hot products set the tone for the entire generation, and again, this can mislead purchasing decisions.
The impact of this is difficult to quantify. Much of this depends on “mindshare” or the relevance of a particular brand. Nvidia leads the GPU market by a significant margin – between 70% and 80% of the market depending on when and where you look – and that’s no surprise. Despite disappointing releases like the RTX 4060 Ti, Nvidia still comes out on top with its flagship products.
There’s no answer for a card as monstrous as this generation’s RTX 4090, and in the previous generation, while AMD could match the RTX 3090, Nvidia released an RTX 3090 Ti. These Halo products, as they’re called, aren’t part of most PC gamers’ conversations. But they set the tone for who’s ahead when it comes to raw performance.
This narrative just doesn’t hold up further down the product pile. The RTX 4090 wins the flagship battle, but the dynamics are different between cards like the RX 7800 XT and the RTX 4070, where AMD holds the lead. It’s not just AMD either. If you look at a card like Intel’s Arc A750, it’s both cheaper and faster than Nvidia’s RTX 3060. Despite this, the RTX 3060 is the most popular GPU on Steam, while the Arc A750 doesn’t even register.
When shopping for your upgrade, try to block the conversation around GPUs that aren’t in your price range. It works both ways. If you’re buying a budget card, skip the flagship conversation. But if you’re in the market for a flagship product, don’t let the talk further down the product stack deter you.
Brand loyalty doesn’t matter
Brand loyalty never pays off with a graphics card. You may be a fan of AMD or Nvidia, or more recently Intel, but there’s no reason to stick with one company over another. This is not true with all other components, and this is where things get complicated.
With processors, there’s a reason to stick with Intel or AMD. We see both brands launching multiple generations on the same socket, so investing in one platform gives you, well, a platform for future upgrades. The same is not true with GPUs. The worst thing that can happen during a brand swap is that you choose to go back the next time you upgrade.
Brand loyalty also tends to reinforce assumptions about one brand or another. For example, you’ll still often find users claiming that AMD’s drivers are inferior to Nvidia’s on Reddit and forums, despite the fact that both brands are basically on the same level when it comes to driver support. Likewise, you’ll see a lot of allegations about Nvidia’s greed and overpriced products, even when cards like the RTX 4070 Super offer exceptional value.
The only one who wins when you stay loyal to one brand or another is that brand. The path You winning is about looking at the products available at the time of your upgrade and making the best decision between them, brand be damned.
Don’t Double Upgrade
This is something I’ve seen a lot among new PC gamers. You’ll buy a PC with a low-end GPU and after a few months you’ll start considering an upgrade. Maybe you started with an RTX 4060 and are now looking at an RTX 4070 that you can put on sale. Avoid the temptation to upgrade within the same generation.
You’ll get a performance boost, but the same money will get you further if you wait for the next generation. This especially happens among new PC gamers, who decide they want something more powerful after seeing what PC gaming has to offer. If you upgrade in the same generation, you essentially guarantee that you won’t upgrade in the next generation, assuming you don’t have infinite disposable income.
There is one exception to this rule. If your GPU no longer does what you want, it might be a good idea to upgrade it within the same generation, especially if you have a graphics card from an older generation. For example, you can sell an RTX 3060 right now for around $200 and buy an RTX 3070 Ti for around $350. It’s a big upgrade for not a lot of money.
These situations are rare, however, and it’s always important to keep in mind what the current generation has to offer.
A wise upgrade
It seems so obvious to only buy what you need, but it’s a difficult principle to follow with your gaming PC. You might be tempted to upgrade your graphics card just to see a higher number on your screen, although this number has no impact on your games or gaming experience.
For example, if you have a 1080p monitor that has a 60Hz refresh rate, buying anything above an RTX 3060 won’t do much for you. You’ll see a higher number on your screen, but you haven’t actually changed anything about how your games look or play. It would be better to invest money in a new gaming monitor rather than a GPU upgrade.
Likewise, you may not play the most demanding games. If you mainly play esports games like Rainbow Six Headquarters And Valuationor lighter titles like Rust Or Valheim, a GPU upgrade probably won’t improve your experience in these games much. It might be worth sacrificing a little visual quality or performance in heavier games like Cyberpunk 2077 rather than taking the plunge on a new graphics card.
The important thing is to take into account the entire configuration of your PC. Think of your PC as a unit, from the computer itself to your monitor, and don’t think of your graphics card as the individual component delivering your gaming experience. This can guide you in the right direction when upgrading. And more often than not, an upgrade outside of your graphics card will bring a better improvement to your gaming experience.
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