The titans of the GPU industry are going at it again by releasing incredibly powerful GPUs. For instance, the recent Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 are easy to recommend to all types of users. However, because they’re expensive and hard to find, it’s difficult for consumers to know which GPU to buy. This article is all about the top 5 GPUs in 2022 that you can buy, either for a bargain, for specific usecases, or for performance.
Buyers Guide
A graphics processing unit, better known as a GPU, is an essential component of building the best possible PC. As the name suggests, it allows the PC to render graphics and give a clear display on your screen. While it serves its individual purpose, the GPU also has an effect on how well your other components work. For instance, the CPU or RAM. When looking for the appropriate GPU, there are multiple aspects that a consumer has to keep in mind. For example, the purpose for which they require the GPU, their other components, and finally the overall budget. These variables play an important part in finding out what the best GPU is in your particular case. The most important variable is your primary work with the GPU. For instance, do you plan to stream games, or just want to play video games on high quality on your own? Maybe you just want to render videos and photos. The good news is that not all of these usecases need the strongest GPU in the market. Overall, the purpose and budget are the most important variables when looking for a new graphic card.
What to Check Before Buying a GPU
The first step of buying a GPU is checking whether it’s compatible with your other components. In particular, it is important to see if it works well with your current CPU. For instance, a weaker CPU will bottleneck a GPU. This means that your graphic card will not work to its full potential and gives poor results. An important rule of thumb in PC building is to always make your CPU stronger than your GPU. You can prevent this issue by checking if your CPU bottlenecks your GPU. After checking this, make sure you also have a compatible power supply as a GPU needs a sufficient supply of power. In order to check this, go to the manufacturer’s site of the GPU and check its power consumption. This allows the GPU to run without any problems. If you skip this step, you’ll run the risk of shorting your GPU, potentially damaging it together with other components on your PC. Lastly, the buyer has to check if their casing supports the size of the GPU. In particular, many new graphic cards are large and don’t fit in small cases. For this reason, make sure that you have a large enough case and a compatible motherboard. The size and compatibility can be found on the manufacturer’s website.
1. MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Ventus GP
Advantages:
Affordability Great clock speeds and VRAM capacity Raytracing VR Availability
Disadvantages:
Older than newer generation cards The MSI Driver app is buggy
The MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Ventus GP is an immediate choice for budget gamers due to its amazing performance at its price. In particular, the card retails for around three hundred US dollars currently which makes it a bang for your buck. However, it is an older card so don’t expect 4K gaming or Ultra graphics. This particular variant has a 6GB VRAM, which is also perfect for video editing and enough for rendering. In addition, it’s perfect for people who run multiple-screen setups. Specifically, it can support up to four displays with three DisplayPort and one HDMI connection. Moreover, it also allows an 8K resolution for users who prefer high graphic quality—but don’t expect the best performance. The overall clock speeds and performance of the MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Ventus GP rival lower-end 3000 series cards. Moreover, it allows you to play any game in your library or stream anything with high performance. In sum, its performance, affordability, and architecture make it one of the top 5 GPUs in 2022.
2. MSI AMD Radeon RX 6600 Armor
Advantages:
Extremely affordable Up to 8K video support DirectX 12 and Ray Tracing support Silent cooling
Disadvantages:
Lower performance than RTX 30 series Relatively lower VRAM than other GPUs
The MSI AMD Radeon RX 6600 Armor is another GPU perfect for users on a budget. Similar to the RTX 2060, it retails at just around three hundred US dollars which makes it an immediate steal for you. While it’s affordable, the card also rivals higher-end cards because of its specifications. Specifically, it also supports four screens and an 8K resolution output. This card has a double ball bearing fan that runs silent when temps are high. For this reason, gamers and streamers alike can use their PC for hours without worrying about background sound. Besides this, it has a VRAM of 8 GB which is ideal for all current games. Moreover, it has a base clock speed of 2044MHz which can be further boosted. The graphic card also supports Raytracing, DirectX 12, and even AMD Fidelity FX. This allows you to render out all details in games which gives a better sense of realism. Overall, the card is best for people on a budget who don’t want to compromise on quality.
3. Gigabyte Aorus RTX 3070 Ti Master
Advantages:
Three-Fan cooling Multiple video outputs 8K video output support
Disadvantages:
Lower VRAM than other higher-end GPUs Relatively expensive
The Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Master is a higher-end card that makes it out of reach for budget gamers. While it’s pricey, it also has features that justify the price it retails at which is around seven hundred US dollars. This price may make you skeptical, but this is a definite buy if you’re into streaming professionally. The card supports six video outputs with three HDMI and three DisplayPort connections. For this reason, streamers have access to various windows at the same time with no loss in performance. Moreover, it also has a max resolution output of 8K for crystal clear video quality. In addition, the RTX 30 series also has better compatibility with Raytracing. This card also has 8GB of VRAM and a base clock speed of 1875MHz which can be further overclocked. For this reason, users may worry about it heating up because of its power but it features three fans. In addition, it also has an open-fin heatsink which maximizes the airflow and keeps it cool throughout your session.
4. Asus GeForce RTX 3090
Advantages:
24GB VRAM The only GPU with NVLink support LED indicator for possible power issues Dual BIOS
Disadvantages:
Extremely expensive Requires a lot of power Huge card – 12.5 x 5.5 inches
The release of the Asus GeForce RTX 3090 caught the internet by storm because of its amazing specifications. In particular, it has an impressive VRAM of 24GB which is overkill for any current game. Additionally, it future-proofs your gaming setup for any games that come out in the future. Besides this, it also has a base clock speed of 1860MHz. It supports up to four screens while having two HDMI and three DisplayPort connections. In addition, it also has a max resolution of 8K. However, all these specs come with an extremely high price of around thirteen hundred US dollars. This means that only users with no budget constraints can go for this beast of a card. Another selling point is the NVLink support that allows multiple GPUs to communicate extremely fast. However, this card consumes around 750W of power which means that you need a power supply of 800W or higher. In addition, the card is massive which also means that you need a bigger case that supports its size. The Asus GeForce RTX 3090 is a beast and other GPUs fall short in comparison. So if you are not worried about a budget, this card is best for you.
5. Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
Advantages:
Great heat dissipation and airflow 8K video support Good overclocking potential
Disadvantages:
Relatively expensive Large size Limited RGB lighting
This list is incomplete without the inclusion of the Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT because of its amazing specifications. In particular, it showcases a VRAM of 12GB and a base clock speed of 2514MHz. Aside from this, it also supports up to four screens with two DisplayPort and two HDMI slots. Moreover, it has a resolution output of 8K. The card has an RGB logo that you can customize but that’s about it for lighting. However, the RGB serves another purpose of telling the user if there is a power problem. Besides this, the size of the GPU is large which requires a good-sized case to fit in. It also retails for around a thousand US dollars making it inaccessible for people with budget issues. Overall, the card is extremely powerful, runs any current game with ease, and also future proofs your setup. However, make sure to pair it up with a power supply of 650 to 700W for adequate supply. In sum, all these specifications make the Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT one of the top 5 GPUs in 2022. These all are amazing GPUs available right now, but it all depends on your use and budget. Hopefully, this guide on the top 5 GPUs in 2022 will lead you to buy the best graphic card for your system.
