We’ve finally entered the 40-Series generation, adding even more options when considering what’s the best Nvidia graphics card to buy.
With so many specs and mind-boggling features to consider, it can be difficult for many people to figure out which is the best graphics card to buy for their specific use case, whether they want an affordable PC or a super-powerful gaming system.
This is where we come in, as our team of experts will test and review all of the Nvidia graphics cards that we can get our hands on. We use numerous benchmarks (including in-game benchmarks) to gauge the performance, as well as measuring the power consumption and testing features such as DLSS and ray tracing.
We’ll be updating this list as soon as we get more Nvidia graphics cards in for testing, with the new Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti, RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 4060 all high on our list.
And if you’re willing to consider graphics cards outside of the Nvidia brand, then check out our Best Graphics Card list for a more expansive round-up.
Best Nvidia graphics card at a glance
How we test
Every graphics card we review is benchmarked in one of our test rigs using a mix of synthetic tests and in-game checks. We use uniform specs in the benches to help us make direct comparisons between the cards based on the data we collect. We also assess thermals to ensure the cards don’t run too hot, and power consumption, too.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
Most powerful Nvidia graphics card
Pros
- Most powerful graphics card yet
- Incredible 4K gaming performance
- DLSS 3 offers substantial boost
- Superb option for content creators
Cons
- Absurdly high price
- Overkill for most games, even in 4K
- Very high power consumption
The Nvidia RTX 4090 was one of the very first graphics cards to launch as part of the new RTX 4000 Series. With the cutting-edge Lovelace architecture, Nvidia has been able to boost the performance to all-new heights, while making high-end features such DLSS and ray tracing even more efficient.
In our gaming tests, we found the RTX 4090 capable of playing virtually any modern game with a 4K resolution at 100fps and beyond. The only occasion where this graphics card failed to do so was with Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing activated. But the 44fps average score is still an impressive feat, with the RTX 3090 failing to hit 30fps with the same settings.
The Nvidia RTX 4090 isn’t for everyone, with an eye-watering price, high power consumption and large design. Its 4K performance is also overkill, making an RTX 3080 or the new RTX 4080 a better value option for those who don’t have a bank vault to rival Scrooge McDuck.
But if you’re craving the most powerful graphics card that Nvidia has to offer, then there’s no doubt that the RTX 4090 is the best graphics card option.
Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Full review: Nvidia RTX 4090 review
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super
The best Nvidia graphics card for 4K gaming
Pros
- Strong performance at 4K makes it the right time to switch
- MSI’s card design is elegant and refined
- Power draw and temperatures are comfortably low
- Easily hits 100 fps at 1440p
Cons
- MSI variant runs slower at launch
- DLSS needed to take on graphically heavy 4K games
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super is the darling of the graphics card manufacturers recent slate of new “Super” GPUs, with the RTX 4080 Super focused on fixing its predecessor’s price over boosting performance. The result is a 4K gaming beast.
For our review, we took a look at the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super 16G Ventus 3X and it greatly impressed. Up against the original RTX 4070, we saw performance jumps of between 20-30fps. The RTX 4080 still tops this card for ray tracing and DLSS performance but we were impressed to see it close the gap to under 20fps in some of our tests. In its own right, what you’ll find is more than 60fps at Ultra settings at 4K in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing and DLSS on.
Overall, the added VRAM the Nvidia GeForce 4070 Ti Super gets compared with the regular Ti it succeeds means that this is an excellent 4K card right now and it will continue to be for the next few years.
Reviewer: Zak Storey
Full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super review
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super
The best Nvidia graphics card for 1440p
Pros
- Impressive performance at 4K and 1440p
- Super clean design, and compact form-factor
- Impressively cool under-load
- Ray-Tracing and DLSS performance shine
Cons
- Not a huge leap in performance compared to the RTX 4070
- Not all games support Ray tracing or DLSS
In the latest Nvidia “Super” batch of cards, we rated the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super as the pick of the bunch. For around £600/$600, you get top tier 1440p gaming and it even can stretch into 4K should you so choose.
For our review, we tested the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super Founders Edition. Throughout, we find it to run remarkably cool under load, while the Nvidia design is unsurprisingly clean, compact and stylish.
The performance of the 4070 Super is stunning for its reasonable price. It offered up around 100fps at Ultra settings across our 1440p testing and, at 4K, it was able to sit at around 55fps. Compared with the RTX 4070, that’s a jump of between 5-15fps in many cases.
We were particularly impressed by what the RTX 4070 Super was capable of when tasked with ray tracing and utilising DLSS. With RT on and no DLSS upscaling, we were hitting under 19fps at 4K in Cyberpunk 2077 but, with DLSS on, it shot up to just under 60fps. Whether you’re playing 4K titles or in 1440p, or you are playing ray tracing titles or not, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super is a brilliant value proposition.
Reviewer: Zak Storey
Full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super review
Nvidia RTX 2060
The best affordable option
Pros
- Solid 1080p and 1440p performance
- Future-proof with Turing
- Decent value when compared to the 1070
Cons
- Ray tracing and DLSS still not widely supported
If you’re on a budget then you may want to look at the Nvidia RTX 2060. Though it’s now two generations behind Nvidia’s latest Lovelace architecture, the Turing card is still a reliable workhorse.
During our benchmarks, the RTX 2060 could play less demanding titles, like Battlefield 5, with ray tracing on at playable frame rates in 1080p. However, it did struggle to break 40fps on demanding single player titles like Cyberpunk.
But, if you turn ray tracing off, its performance is solid for most titles in 1080p. It’ll run Fortnite, Destiny 2, the Division 2 and most other online games with zero issue over 60fps. This is a key reason we recommend it as a fantastic option for buyers on a very strict budget despite its age.
Reviewer: Alastair Stevenson
Full review: Nvidia RTX 2060 review
FAQs
No, despite being one of the largest desktop GPU makers the company has direct competition in every category and price point via AMD, and its Radeon line of cards.
Nvidia cards constantly test well when we review them and are a regular feature in our best GPU guide offering solid gaming performance.
This depends on what you want to do. If you just want to play Fortnite or do basic editing in PhotoShop you can spend as little as £250/$250 on an entry level card that’ll do the job. For more demanding tasks like 4K gaming you’ll want to spend more on a mid-range or top end card. These tend to cost anywhere between £500/$500 to over £2000/$2000.
Trusted Reviews test data
You can see a detailed breakdown of the test data we collected reviewing the cards in this list in the table below.
