We offer to the attention of ITC readers a list of the best and worst video cards as of Q1 2024 in the form of a so-called “bullet sheet”, and now we will recall which graphics adapters were tested in 2023. We took into account the most relevant models of all classes and divided them into several grades.
Please note that the cost of video cards directly affects the place in the rating, so this Tier List is relevant right now. Its objectivity cannot be guaranteed in 4-6 months, when prices will change and new models will be released.
NVIDIA announces RTX 4070/4080 Super at CES 2024
NVIDIA releases stripped-down GeForce RTX 3050 – with 6 GB of memory, 2048 CUDA cores and a price of $179
The concept of “success” depends on the cost no less than the technical characteristics.
Designation of Tier List:
- S – the most successful video cards;
- A – successful video cards;
- B – still good video cards;
- C – failed video cards;
- D – the most unsuccessful video cards;
Everything seems simple with flowers, but let’s make a few explanations:
- Red – AMD Radeon;
- Green – NVIDIA GeForce;
- Blue – Intel ARC
- Gray – outdated models of past generations;
Tier List “Best and worst video cards” added the most recent models from manufacturers with a few exceptions: NVIDIA and AMD have not yet introduced a replacement for the RX 6400, RX 6500 XT, GTX 1650, RTX 3050, so they were added to the rating. Conventional RTX 3060 and RX 6600 already have their successors in the form of RTX 4060 and RX 7600, so the 2023 models are not included in the rating.
So, enough explanations of the methodology itself, let’s go through this Tier List with comments, leaving links to editorial reviews of each tested graphics accelerator.
NVIDIA RTX 4090 – Everything is simple here. This graphics card has no analogues and is the most productive working model in all scenarios. In addition, it is quite cold and economical compared to its predecessor. The only drawback is the high cost, which does not prevent it from being considered the best video card of today.
MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X 24G Review: The Most Powerful Video Card Today
NVIDIA RTX 4070 – Although at the beginning of sales, it had an inflated price tag, but now the cost has significantly decreased, which makes it a profitable purchase. As of the beginning of 2024, this is the most versatile video card for its money. Productive in work and games, quiet, cool and compact. There are no technical flaws, literally – even the throttles do not whistle. I especially liked the ASUS Dual version, although the review included an even larger MSI GAMING X Trio.
ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 4070 video card review: compact size, frame generation, excellent performance and low power consumption
AMD RX 7800 XT – a huge amount of criticism from AMD fans was directed at this video card, because it gave a very small increase in relation to its predecessor, the RX 6800 XT. The main advantage of the novelty was the adequate recommended price ($150 less than its predecessor). This makes the RX 7800 XT the best AMD Radeon graphics card to buy in the winter of 2024, and the only competitor to the RTX 4070.
AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT: A worthy competitor to NVIDIA RTX 4070
NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti – An excellent video card, which stuck behind the flagships of past years. With a frame generator, it has no equal among the RTX 3000 when it comes to games, and even more so in work tasks. The problem with the model is that it has identical RTX 4070 memory capacity and a high price. In 2023, the top SUPRIM and the more affordable GAMING X version were tested.
Review of MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GAMING SLIM WHITE 12G: stylish and productive “Snow White” for 2K gaming
NVIDIA RTX 4080 – Another convenient product from NVIDIA. This model is particularly impressive with its energy efficiency, consuming 30-35% less than its direct competitor RX 7900 XTX. Only the cost becomes an obstacle, although overall the product is excellent.
NVIDIA RTX 4080 Suprim X – Hercules in the world of video cards
AMD RX 7900 XTX – I can tell a lot about this video card, because I have been using it personally for a long time. In the beginning, it had a lot of software problems (which is why it got a low review score), some of which are still unresolved.
For example, in the browser or directly on the desktop, the image may hang with artifacts, which is faced by tens or even hundreds of users on forums. Cured by a reboot and platform independent – the problem occurs with any motherboard, but not in games.
At the release, video games crashed, frequent blue screens, 50-70 W consumption in simple and much more. Now the situation is much better and more stable. Anyway, most of the shortcomings have been fixed, maybe in the future they will disappear completely.
It is a powerful model with a large amount of memory, but it became worthy of attention only until the end of 2023. With a huge stretch, we put it in the A-Tier, although it may seem from the outside to be a commitment to the product and a kind of fanaticism.
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX video card review – a compact “red” flagship for 4K gaming
AMD RX 7700 XT is another good AMD graphics card that didn’t make it into the ranking higher only because of its current high cost. The version of PULSE that was on review turned out to be incredibly quiet and had few serious software nuances. If it weren’t for the RX 7800 XT, it would have been a better buy.
When the price falls (and it will definitely fall), to 17-18 thousand UAH – this will be its golden time and the right time to buy. However, some stores already offer AMD Radeon RX 7700 12GB GDDR6 Fighter PowerColor (affiliate link) for UAH 19,000, which is the lowest price in Ukraine.
Sapphire Radeon RX 7700 XT PULSE Review: A Contender for AMD’s Quiet Graphics Card in 2023
NVIDIA RTX 4060 – a video card that received criticism from fans of computer video games, who are used to measuring everything with dry numbers of tables. Of course, this model gave a small increase in performance, but it became economical: 90-110 W in stress tests, cold as ice, and with a frame generator it sends the predecessor RTX 3060 into a deep knockout.
The price was immediately inflated, but now you can buy them for about the same price (or a little more) than the hot predecessor. If there is a choice between the new and the old model, the RTX 4060 is definitely the choice.
MSI GeForce RTX 4060 GAMING X 8G video card review: high energy efficiency, frame generation and a small increase in performance
We also tested the version from Gigabyte in a ready-made PC from the Telemart store:
HEXO Gaming RTX4060 Base: a ready-made gaming PC at the price of components
AMD RX 7900 XT – the flagship model at the beginning of sales was too unprofitable, and even now the cost of the best versions of the RX 7900 XT is close to the simplest RX 7900 XTX. The model from ASUS that was tested has very good cooling, but the high cost does not allow it to rise A-Tier.
The video card is still not without software flaws (the speed controller leaves much to be desired), and the performance difference between the XTX version is greater than the price. It’s the presence of the slightly more expensive RX 7900 XTX that creates the main competition for this graphics card, although the RTX 4070 Ti is also a serious challenge.
ASUS TUF Gaming RX 7900 XT video card review: a lot of memory and excellent cooling, but there are nuances.
Intel ARC 750 – A compromise video card with serious software flaws, although its price-to-power ratio is quite good. Unfortunately, Intel video cards were not in ITC for reviews, so their positions in the rating are established only on the basis of other sources.
Intel ARC 770 – an inexpensive and compromise alternative to AMD and NVIDIA, although it is still not able to compete with them. The 16 GB version seems to be not bad, and the power consumption is significant, and the drivers are still raw.
The same can be said about Intel ARC 580Although its relevance is also in question due to the presence of AMD Radeon RX 6600. You can only buy it at a good price, and it is almost impossible to find them in Ukraine. Performance per dollar is high, stability is low, affordability for purchase is almost zero.
It is possible that Intel video cards undeservedly ended up in these positions (underestimated them?), because the ITC editors did not have the opportunity to test them personally, which does not give a complete picture of the user experience.
AMD RX 7600 – the successor to the RX 6600 got a good performance boost, but at the same time the TDP increased. The novelty turned out to be hotter than expected and consumes up to 175 W, which is 50% more than the direct competitor RTX 4060. The recommended price is nice, but so far the difference between the same RTX 4060 is too small.
Most buyers choose the NVIDIA model because of the better work with RT, the presence of DLSS, higher work performance, better energy efficiency and Frame Generation technology, which is still more perfect than FSR 3. In addition, the RX 7600 had a few small software flaws at release. In order to succeed, it needs to drop its cost a little more, because with such a TDP and a strong competitor, it is really difficult for it to be popular.
AMD Radeon RX 7600 video card review. Worthy RX 6600 replacement or failure?
NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti – the video card itself is not so terrible, if you do not consider the unjustifiably inflated price of the model with 16 GB of VRAM, as well as a small increase in power compared to the predecessor RTX 3060 Ti. For now, the price of the new product will not decrease until it becomes popular among users. Now it cannot be recommended for purchase, it is more appropriate to add a little to the successful RTX 4070.
The only new NVIDIA model that the ITC editors could not test in person in 2023 is the RTX 4060 Ti, both versions. However, they appreciated the relevance of the RX 6400 restored at the factory and the GTX 1660 Super, tortured by miners:
NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super after mining: what is the popular video card of 2019 capable of in modern realities and is it worth buying it on the second-hand market?
AMD RX 6400 and RX 6500 XT – these graphics cards should be a lifesaver in mining times, but they are late. In addition, they have a 64-bit bus and only 4 active PCI-E lanes, which makes them irrelevant for older systems with PCI-E 3.0. They are overpriced, it’s easier to put a few thousand on the RX 6600 or look for something on the aftermarket.
Asus Dual Radeon RX 6400: what is a budget video card capable of with 40 W power in modern realities?
NVIDIA GTX 1650 and RTX 3050 – if the GTX 1650 was wildly popular a few years ago, the same cannot be said about the youngest RTX. Currently, the ratio of power to cost of these models is bad, it is unprofitable to buy them. Moreover, the new RTX 4060 has a lower TDP than the RTX 3050, which further distances the “50” from the top spot in the rating.
If you read the material not diagonally and read the editorial reviews, then everything becomes clear. Still, we’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you think a model is mistakenly out of place.
Should the list be different? Which video card is overrated or underrated? Write your reasoned options in the comments, offering your Tier List of “Winter-2024” video cards.
