In addition to the central processing unit (CPU), the image processing unit (GPU) is a factor that greatly affects the performance of the PC you are using. The graphics card is responsible for converting image information and displaying it on the screen. Therefore, the more powerful the GPU, the faster its processing speed, and your visual experience will be significantly enhanced.
In the early days of the PC era, the CPU was always responsible for image processing through a special part of memory, and dual-tasking greatly limited the power of this component. For that reason, a new component was created with the original name “image equalizer” to share the burden. And as operating system creators increasingly focus on user interfaces (most notably Microsoft), “visual calibrators” are starting to become increasingly important.
Currently, GPUs have become extremely powerful, they have developed to the point that they are not simply components that help calculate and display letters and numbers on the screen for Windows, but are now capable of creating 3D models. Complexity in games as well as specialized software.
Through the basic concepts, this Biareview article will help you find a suitable graphics card for yourself, from there you can confidently go to our latest GPU summary page and get started.
Table of Contents
Why is CHOOSING THE RIGHT important?
For many people, gaming is the heaviest “graphics” challenge a PC can do. So it’s no surprise that “hardcore” gamers often spend hours researching the latest technologies and upgrading their graphics cards according to a certain schedule. This way of consuming is not wrong, because every year, game makers release new games and they are programmed to take full advantage of the power and technology that new hardware devices bring.
But what if you’re not a gamer? You won’t need a huge graphics card UNLESS you are working on software that can use GPU computing capabilities like Adobe Premier, for example, or AutoCAD… in general, the names In particular, will give much better performance when you have a strong enough GPU.
To avoid wasting time, money, effort… things that are considered “resources” in your life, just like any other decision, ask yourself a simple question, which is:: “What will I use it for?” before spending money to buy a video card.
To play games
The gaming industry is doing better than ever. Graphics are becoming more realistic, and more complex, and require more advanced hardware every day. This industry is also the closest factor promoting the development of GPU technology and is the reason why many people rush into the race to become the most “awake”.
Simply put, if you’re building a PC for gaming, the graphics card is the most important thing to consider. Other components MAY affect actual performance (like the CPU and RAM, for example), but a weak graphics card will be a disaster.
Of course, there are many types of games in this world, and not all of them require you to have the most powerful graphics card to play. However, buying the best graphics card that your budget allows is a wise move to reserve for A-list games that haven’t been released yet.
Video editing and specialized software
You are also in the group of demanding users. As mentioned above, Premier and AutoCAD are the most typical examples of the ability to take advantage of hardware power in this area.
The truth is, that GPU manufacturers pay close attention to special customers like you. They create products that are optimized for working software, and the drivers for them are also written more carefully to ensure stability and reliability. They certainly aren’t powerful in the game, and most are more expensive than their “popular” cousins.
In this article, we will mainly focus on the mass customer group. So if you are someone who is looking for hardware to run professional software, then wait for Biareview’s in-depth analysis articles.
For other purposes
Surf the web, watch movies, do spreadsheets, learn foreign languages… etc. without needing a separate graphics card. Be loyal to the core that comes with the CPU. If possible, buy yourself an additional CPU, RAM, hard drive… it will be more reasonable.
Integrated or separate?
Some CPUs have integrated graphics, which are GPUs built into the same component as the CPU itself or tightly coupled to the CPU. These cores often have low performance, only enough to control the operating system and run a web browser, read email, and watch Youtube, but not good enough to run games.
This guide is about discrete graphics cards. Prices range from extremely cheap to extremely expensive. These cards may be one of the components of newly assembled PCs. Or as a separate investment to replace older generations, depending on your intended use.
Ray Tracing: The latest step in the journey to bring games closer to real life
Ray Tracing promises to significantly improve the quality of gaming graphics. It allows for more realistic lighting effects using techniques that essentially simulate how light behaves. As Nvidia said:
“Ray Tracing calculates the color of pixels by following the path of light in a virtual 3D environment. Whether light reflects from one object to another (reflection), is blocked by an object (shadowing), or passes through a transparent or semi-transparent object (causing refraction). All of these interactions will be combined to create the exact color of a pixel that is then displayed on the screen.”
Ray Tracing has become a milestone that game makers are aiming for, but currently, it may not be very popular. But in the future, it will be an indispensable element in the shopping requirements of many people.
Graphics cards that support Ray Tracing besides the RTX 2060 still have quite high retail prices. So, we recommend you buy these GPUs if and only if you are financially well off. If not, a GTX 1660 Super is still more than enough for another 1 to 2 years.
Nvidia vs. AMD
Normally when shopping for graphics cards, you will choose the ones with the newest features and the best performance within your budget. These graphics cards include the GPU itself (which explains why we’ve often used the two words interchangeably), which is the only component that almost always comes from one of two companies: Nvidia and AMD.
Historically, these two companies have battled for leadership in the GPU market, and Nvidia has come out strong over the past few years. For now, Nvidia still holds a strong position in the market, but AMD’s latest graphics cards have returned to compete fiercer than ever.
When buying graphics cards, you will often choose models manufactured by famous companies such as ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI, but in fact, their “soul” is still developed by NVIDIA and AMD. Of all the different specifications you come across when learning about graphics cards, the GPU’s stats are the most important. This is information that tells you where your newly purchased card ranks in terms of overall performance.
Nvidia
Nvidia’s most recent GPUs are built on the Turing architecture and their most popular and powerful graphics cards are those in the RTX 2xxx series. Nvidia has a wide range of products from low-end to high-end. With this company, you only need to pay attention to the number of CUDA cores, RT cores, and Tensor cores (if any) to be able to estimate the power of the card you intend to buy.
AMD
AMD currently has two GPU architectures for sale. The first is the Radeon RX 500 series represented by the famous RX 570, this is AMD’s cheapest and most accessible line. Next, the RX 5000 series – cards carrying the company’s latest technology.
With the “red team”, they call their GPU core “Stream Processor” so the larger this number, the more powerful your graphics card is, extremely simple and easy to understand.
Other parameters
There are a few other specifications that you’ll need to keep in mind when you’re looking to buy a graphics card. Note that the information on Nvidia’s homepage only shows the most basic design specifications for each GPU, while graphics card manufacturers (such as ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte) have adjusted some additional factors to optimize their products.
The following section explains more about the parameters you may encounter during your research.
Maximum heat dissipation capacity (Thermal Design Power – TDP)
Discrete graphics cards are often the most power-hungry components in gaming rigs. If you plan to build or upgrade a PC, you’ll have to carefully calculate the power supply to keep your card running. This component also generates a lot of heat and requires enough ventilation to run at peak performance. Most graphics cards will have their manufacturers print the recommended power capacity (in watts) on the case and you need to consider this factor carefully.
The power that a graphics card requires to run at peak load and the amount of heat it generates while running in that condition are called thermal design power (TDP), specified in watts, and it is a measure that you’ll see in your graphics card’s specifications. The higher the TDP, the more power the graphics card needs to run and the more it radiates. This is important for both desktops and laptops, with laptops being more affected because you often have no choice but to use the GPU that the manufacturer provides.
Find yourself suitable heat dissipation solutions, especially when you live in Vietnam, a tropical monsoon country, is hot, humid, and rainy.
Also somewhat related to this category, pay attention to the type of power cord that the graphics card is using. Usually, it will be a 6-pin or 8-pin wire in medium models.
Memory
Discrete graphics cards have their memory, which is where they store the data necessary for processing before displaying the final information on the screen. Therefore, when choosing to buy a graphics card, you need to consider the type of memory the graphics card has and the capacity it provides.
The amount of random access memory (RAM) of a graphics card is important for high-performance games that use large amounts of data to represent images on the screen. Additionally, if you want to run multiple 4K displays, you’ll need to add more and more VRAM.
RAM bandwidth is another important metric to consider. The faster the VRAM speed, the faster the GPU can access information and thereby shorten processing time. Each type of GPU usually only comes with a certain type of VRAM and therefore, when you choose the right GPU for your needs, you will also get the right VRAM.
Output ports
Of course, the graphics card itself cannot show you the results. It needs to be connected to one or more monitors. There are a few different connections used by monitors today, including DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. VGA is an older connection that may still be available on some monitors.
We won’t go into the differences between these types of connections. Even so, you still need to make sure that the graphics card you choose supports enough connections for all the monitors you want to plug into your PC. Note that in many cases, you can purchase an adapter to synchronize the connection on both the video card and the monitor.
Speaking of multiple output ports, not all graphics cards support output to multiple monitors. You need to carefully check the specifications to ensure a given graphics card can support as many monitors as you want.
Only buy what’s right for you
More than anything, we want you to make wise decisions. Your graphics card doesn’t have to be the prettiest, most expensive, or most powerful. The important thing is that it must suit you in most factors, but if you just blindly choose randomly because you hear “others say” this or that is okay and then are not happy with your choice, then It’s better to not have it.