Getting the best graphics card is key if you're looking to buy the best gaming PC or looking to build a PC on your own. The graphics card is even more important than the CPU. But for the uninitiated, the process of figuring out which GPU to buy can be intimidating. There's so much to consider, from the type of monitor you're using (for recommendations, see our Best Gaming Monitors page) to the size of your PC case to the game settings you plan to play at.
In this article, we're going to cover the things you need to keep in mind when shopping for your next GPU. For specific recommendations, see our best graphics cards list of the current options, as well as the GPU benchmarks hierarchy to see how today's cards compare to older cards that you might be looking to upgrade and replace.
Supply and demand affect GPU prices on AMD, Nvidia, and Intel GPUs, with new models regularly replacing older options, but previous generation parts remain viable. As you'd expect, the best options these days will generally come from the latest Nvidia RTX 40-series and AMD RX 7000-series GPUs, with Intel Arc GPUs providing some competition at the budget end of the spectrum. All three companies are slated to release new models in the next six months, give or take, which usually means faster and more efficient hardware with some new features, but not usually lower prices.
