Best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards 2021: finding the best GPU for you
The best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards remain largely unbeaten, even though AMD’s Big Navi has certainly given it a good run for its money. While Team Red has done a good job with the latest AMD graphics cards, Nvidia has raised the bar, especially with its RTX 3080, RTX 3070 and RTX 3090 offerings, all of which received a performance boost from their predecessors, particularly when it comes to ray tracing.
Even better, Nvidia has taken cues from its competitor, lowering the price tags on its RTX 3000 graphics cards to be more in line with Team Red’s and thus making them more accessible to regular users. AMD’s Radeon RX 6800XT, for example, is only $50 less than the RTX 3080 yet the 3080 is still the better performer in 4K gaming. On top of that, previous generations of Nvidia cards are now more affordable and give consumers even more choices to pick from, especially with Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner. While we don’t think individual Nvidia GeForce graphics cards will get price cuts, we do expect some great gaming laptop Black Friday deals and gaming PC Black Friday deals featuring these cards.
Whether you want ray tracing on a budget with the RTX 3060 Ti or you’re ready to splurge on the latest flagship such as the RTX 3080 Ti, you’ll find the perfect card to power your PC right here. These are the best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards right now.
The best Nvidia graphics card on the market for most people, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 delivers excellent performance – on par with the RTX 2080 Ti even – without costing an arm and a leg. Before this card, 4K gaming was out of a lot of people’s budget. The RTX 3070, therefore, brings it to the mainstream for the first time, and that’s without you having to compromise on settings for most games. And did we mention the fact that this GPU is incredibly cheap? A cheap price tag plus 4K gaming on quality settings equals great value, and that’s why the RTX 3070 tops our list.
With the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, 4K gaming just became a lot more accessible. Before, you had to shell out more than $1,000/£1,000 to do so with the RTX 2080 Ti. However, with the next generation of the best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards, the price of 4K gaming just dropped a few hundred dollars, thanks to the RTX 3080. More than that, it boasts one of the largest generational leaps in GPU history, delivering a 50-80% performance boost over the RTX 2080 and a 20-30% boost over the RTX 2080 Ti, all while keeping the same price point as the RTX 2080. This is both an absolute powerhouse of a graphics card and a great value, if you have a bit of extra cash lying around.Â
There’s a new Nvidia champion in town, and it takes power and performance to an even more accessible price point. Delivering RTX 3090-level performance, an impressive feat in its own right, the long-awaited RTX 3080 Ti comes with an even better price tag, making all that sheer power more accessible than ever. It continues what the RTX 3080 has started – to take 4K gaming into the mainstream arena – with its breathtaking 4K at 60fps performance while slashing a few hundred dollars off the steep 3090 price. This is the best Nvidia graphics card on the market right now, especially if you care about ray tracing.
Creative professionals will be blown away by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, especially with the great value it offers. Whether you’re looking for playable gaming performance at 8K or the massive compute performance and copious amount of VRAM you need for 3D rendering – let alone maxing out whatever game you're playing at 4K, this GPU is the one to beat. It’s massive and incredibly expensive so only get it when you’ve got some extra cash lying around and if you need to game at 4K or higher. However, if you want the best of the best, this is the card to get.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti certainly threatens AMD’s claim to the great value GPU throne with its price to performance ratio. The newest arrival in the RTX 3000 line, this graphics card punches way above its weight class, delivering a performance that could rival that of the RTX 2080 Super while keeping its price tag incredibly affordable for most people. And, that’s with impressive ray tracing included. 1080p gaming has never been this good and this affordable.
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super is the best Nvidia graphics card for you, if you're on the budget. (Image credit: Future)
6. Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super
1080p and high frame rates
Stream Processors: 1,408 | Core Clock: 1,530MHz | Memory: 6GB GDDR6 | Memory Speed: 14Gbps | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Outputs: 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DVI
Affordable
Excellent performance
No ray tracing
The more expensive graphics cards in Nvidia's arsenal get a lot of attention these days, what with all the ray tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling. But, if you don't have a ton of cash to throw around, the GTX 1660 Super is the Best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards for you. This little GPU absolutely tears through any game in 1080p, and with its modest price tag, it's perfect for anyone that wants killer performance on a budget.Â
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 might be Team Green’s gambit. Its increase in price over the RTX 2060 and its proximity to the RTX 3060 Ti’s price tag makes it a lot less compelling for consumers, especially since the latter delivers excellent 1080p performance. However, the RTX 3060 delivers a huge improvement for 1080p gamers, offering a 80-120% performance boost over the GTX 1060. What’s more, it also comes with ray tracing and DLSS technologies – in fact, it’s the cheapest way to get your hands on these advanced features.Â
EVGA has a well-priced model in the EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 XC Black Gaming. (Image credit: EVGA)
8. EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 XC Black Gaming
Short but packs a punch
Stream processors: 1,920 | Core clock: N/A | Boost clock: 1,680MHz | Memory: 6GB GDDR6 | Memory clock: N/A | Power connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Outputs: 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x DL-DVI-D
Short and powerful
Not seriously marked up
Thicker radiator
Fewer outputs
If you're trying to keep your build small so it doesn't take up a ton of space in your room, you might be looking at a Micro ATX build. And, mini graphics cards can be a major helper there, since a graphics card tends to be one of the bigger components attached to a motherboard. EVGA has a well-priced model in the RTX 2060 XC Black Gaming. It may be thicker than your typical dual-fan variant, but that extra radiator thickness helps it dissipate heat with the single fan, and its short length can help it fit in tight builds.Â
Gigabyte offers the GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6G for an excellent budget price while still giving you a touch of overclocking. (Image credit: TechRadar)
9. Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6G
It's just so affordable
Stream Processors: 1,408 | Core Clock: 1,530MHz | Memory: 6GB GDDR5 | Memory Speed: 8Gbps | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0
The cheapest Turing card
Excellent budget performance
Not GDDR6 or GDDR5X
While the higher end graphics cards get all the hype, they tend to have a worse performance-per-dollar value then budget cards. And, while AMD often hits that sweet spot, Nvidia sometimes remembers to offer value as well. That is represented nowhere better than the GTX 1660. Gigabyte offers the GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6G for an excellent budget price while still giving you a touch of overclocking, so you can enjoy 1080p or even 1440p with some tweaked settings. Best of all, you won't need to take out a mortgage to afford this card.
Nvidia's Quadro RTX 6000 loads up on 24GB of GDDR6 memory while also packing plenty of performance. (Image credit: Nvidia)
10. Nvidia Quadro RTX 6000
Creativity comes at a cost
Stream Processors: 4,608 | Core Clock: N/A | Memory: 24GB GDDR6 | Memory Speed: 14Gbps | Power Connectors: N/A | Outputs: 4 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x Virtual Link
VRAM galore
Multi-GPU scalingÂ
Very expensive
If you're involved in creative workloads like 3D design or video editing, you might be running into some serious VRAM needs. In those cases, it can be worth it to have a graphics card that is going to give you tons of headroom to keep information in the GPU's memory, instead of constantly needing to load it in from your storage solution. While it comes at a high price, Nvidia's Quadro RTX 6000 loads up on 24GB of GDDR6 memory while also packing plenty of performance. And, you can combine multiple cards for even more performance.
Microsoft Office 2021 release date, price, features and everything else you need to know
Office 2021, the latest version of Microsoft's iconic office software suite, is out now.
With the company going all-in on its Microsoft 365 subscription package, it looked as if we may never see another traditional Office release. But Microsoft has now confirmed it will give users the chance to access the newest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the like for a one-time fee.
The Office 2021 bundle arrived on the same day as the company’s new operating system, Windows 11, and follows the same pricing format as the previous edition.
Here’s everything you need to know about Office 2021, from release date and availability to pricing and new features.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The latest version of Microsoft’s suite of office software When is it available? October 5, 2021 How much does it cost? Office Home and Student 2021 - $149.99/£119.99, Office Home and Business 2021 - $249.99/£249.99 Who is the target audience? Office users who prefer one-time purchases over regular subscription fees
What is it?
Office 2021 is the latest edition of Microsoft’s famous suite of office software for PC and Mac. It includes favorites such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, as well as newer offerings such as Teams.
Although competition from Google Workspace has become increasingly fierce, Microsoft Office is still widely considered the most powerful bundle of productivity tools on the market.
The new bundle is live now to buy.
Microsoft Office 2021 (Image credit: Microsoft)
Pricing and availability
Microsoft Office 2021 comes in two flavors: Office Home and Student 2021 and Office Home and Business 2021.
The former is the cheaper of the two at $149.99/£119.99 and comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Microsoft Teams for both PC and Mac.
Office Home and Business 2021 comes in at $249.99/£249.99. Other than price, the only difference between this package and the cheaper option is the addition of email service Outlook and the legal rights to use the apps in a commercial context.
Both versions of the suite have to be purchased on a per device basis.
Features
As you might expect, the latest version of Microsoft’s Office package comes with a range of new features, detailed in full here.
Beyond performance improvements across the board, the highlights include support for OpenDocument format (ODF) 1.3, new Excel functions, a new presentation recording feature for PowerPoint and updated translation functionality for Outlook.
At the top of all Office apps, users will also find a new intelligent search box, which is designed to help surface documents, commands and specific portions of text more easily.
Finally, all the apps have been given a visual refresh that aligns the user interface with Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 11. That means rounded corners, a new color palette and an updated ribbon interface.
Microsoft Teams in Office 2021 on Windows 11 (Image credit: Microsoft)
Office 2021 vs Microsoft 365: What’s the difference?
The primary difference between Office 2021 and Microsoft 365 is the way in which customers pay for the services.
Microsoft 365 follows the software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model, whereby customers pay a regular subscription fee for access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook etc. Meanwhile, Office 2021 customers pay a single upfront fee in exchange for a lifetime license.
Office 2021 has the potential to be cheaper in the long run and the apps still benefit from the same kinds of online collaboration features as their Microsoft 365 counterpart.
The downside of choosing Office 2021 over Microsoft 365, however, is that the feature set will only remain current for a limited amount of time (i.e. until the next version is released), whereas Microsoft 365 users will always enjoy the very latest updates and features.
Further, for businesses that would prefer to shift spending from CapEx to OpEx, Microsoft 365 is the obvious choice.
If you want to compare elsewhere, we've also built a list of the best Office alternatives around
