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Best Nvidia graphics cards 2020: finding the best GPU for you
When it comes to gaming, the best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards are still kings of the GPU kingdom, despite AMD’s Navi cards’ best efforts to give them a good run for their money. While AMD Navi are ace in terms of price and value, the best Nvidia graphics cards are still the top dogs when it comes to gaming performance.
Led by flagship Nvidia GeForce cards like the RTX 2080 Ti, which pushes performance to the limit so that nothing has ever come close, the best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards certainly among the best graphics cards around. So, even if they are a bit pricier than the competition, they’re worth every cent. Plus, there are also a few of them that are quite accessible to the budget-conscious.
Whether you want the best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards for your limited budget or you want to build the most powerful gaming rig possible, you’ll find something in Nvidia’s lineup to suit your needs. These are our top picks, alongside our exclusive price comparison tool included so you get the best available price for you.
- Here are our picks for the best AMD GPU in 2020
The best Nvidia graphics cards at a glance:
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super: best Nvidia graphics card
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti: best 4K Nvidia graphics card
- Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 Super: best QHD Nvidia graphics card
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super: best Full HD Nvidia graphics card
- Nvidia Quadro RTX 6000: best Nvidia graphics card for creatives
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super: best VR Nvidia graphics card
- EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 XC Black Gaming: best mini Nvidia graphics card
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6G: best budget Nvidia graphics card
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB: best eSports Nvidia graphics card
- Gigabyte Aorus RTX 2080 TI Xtreme Waterforce 11GB: best liquid-cooled Nvidia graphics card
Best Nvidia graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super
The same RTX 2070 – only supercharged
Stream processors: 2,560 | Core clock: 1,605 | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Memory clock: 14Gbps | Power connectors: 6 pin + 8 pin | Outputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI-DL
Founders Edition cheaper than original 2070
More CUDA cores
Still kind of expensive
Until Nvidia actually rolls out that Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super, the RTX 2070 Super might just be the best Nvidia GeForce purchase you’ll make. This graphics card is impressive, especially in 1440p gaming and if you’re looking to get on the ray tracing bandwagon, a souped up RTX 2070 that’s also very affordable so pretty much everyone can add it to their setup without breaking the bank.
Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super
Best 4K Nvidia graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
The performance champion
Stream Processors: 4,352 | Core Clock: 1,350MHz (1,635MHz boost) | Memory: 11GB GDDR6 | Memory Speed: 14Gbps | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x USB-C
Unrivaled performance
The premium ray-tracing experience
A budget wrecker
There's no doubt that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is a total pain in the budget, coming in a price higher than plenty of complete gaming rigs. But, there's also nothing else that can compete with a RTX 2080 Ti in terms of performance besides maybe a board partner's version of the RTX 2080 Ti . If you want the highest frame rates at 4K or the best looking ray-traced graphics, the RTX 2080 Ti is the way to go. That is, as long as your budget can handle it.
Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
Best QHD Nvidia graphics card: Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 Super
The best graphics card for most people
Stream processors: 2,176 | Core clock: 1,470 | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Memory clock: 14Gbps | Power connectors: 8 pin | Outputs: 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI-DL
Excellent 1440p performance
Affordable
Can't handle 4K gaming
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super is hardly perfect – that is, it can’t handle 4K gaming. However, this graphics card positioned as the more affordable alternative to the RTX 2070, giving you the same level of performance as the popular mid-range GPU at a much cheaper price and offers great 1440p gaming. The RTX 2060 Super is what most gamers are looking for, and it definitely deserves a spot on our list of the best Nvidia graphics cards.
Read the full review: Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 Super
Best Full HD Nvidia graphics card: 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 graphics card 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.
Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super
Best Nvidia graphics card for creatives: 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 scaling
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.
Best VR Nvidia graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super
Goodbye low-FPS VR
Stream Processors: 3,072 | Core Clock: 1,650MHz (1,815MHz boost) | Memory: 8GB GDDR6 | Memory Clock: 15.5Gbps | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin, 1 x 6-pin | Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x DVI-DL
Great 1440p and 4K gaming performance
Cheaper than original RTX 2080
FrameView software is useful
Still expensive
Minimal performance gains over RTX 2080
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super may just be your match made in heaven if you’re all about the best VR games. This latest addition to the Super RTX lineup is VR-ready and packed with the latest Turing architecture, so it’s smooth and buttery VR performance all the way. Even outside of VR, it handles all your favorite PC games at 1440p without breaking a sweat, and gets you closer that that incredible 4K gaming that the RTX 2080 Ti delivers. And, did we mention it’s a lot cheaper than the RTX 2080, offering a better price-to-performance value?
Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super
Best mini Nvidia graphics card: 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.
Best budget Nvidia graphics card: 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.
Read the full review: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6G
Best eSports Nvidia graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
A budget champ for 1080p
Stream Processors: 1,280 | Core Clock: 1,506MHz (1,708MHz boost) | Memory: 6GB GDDR5/X | Memory Clock: 8Gbps | Power Connectors: 1 x 6-pin | Outputs: 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, DL-DVI
1080p and 1440p potential
Discounts available
Need supplemental power
With all the new Turing cards coming out, Pascal may be easy to forget about. But, if you're into eSports games, you're probably more concerned with getting 1080p at 120+ FPS. And, you can do that with the older Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 no problem. For popular eSports titles, the GTX 1060 has enough power to run 1080p even at high settings and still get smooth visuals. Best of all, the prices are driven down by newer cards, so you can score a GTX 1060 at a discount.
Read the full review: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
Best liquid-cooled Nvidia graphics card: Gigabyte Aorus RTX 2080 TI Xtreme Waterforce 11GB
The performance champion
Stream Processors: 4,352 | Core Clock: 1,770MHz | Memory: 11GB GDDR6 | Memory Speed: 14Gbps | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 3 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x USB-C
Heavy overclock
All-in-one water cooling solution
High, high price
When you're trying to maximize performance for your graphics card, you might turn to liquid cooling. And, the Gigabyte's Aorus RTX 2080 TI Xtreme Waterforce 11GB comes with the card, radiator, tubing and fans you need to get started. The serious water cooling solution allowed Gigabyte to push the RTX 2080 Ti well beyond its base specs. This model has a base clock higher than the Founders Edition's boost clock. And, to top it off, there's a little flair of RGB lighting on the radiator fans and card's metal backplate.
- These are the best gaming monitors to go with your shiny new GPU
Date
05 Aug 2020Sources
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Windows 11 issues could slow your internet
Read MoreWindows 11 is now available, and with the launch of the operating system, the initial known issues have been documented, including a problem with Intel networking hardware.
The biggest problem on Microsoft’s status page for Windows 11 listing known issues is compatibility problems with Intel Killer network drivers.
Microsoft explains: “Devices with the affected software might drop User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets under certain conditions. This creates performance and other problems for protocols based on UDP.
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“For example, some websites might load slower than others in affected devices, with videos streaming slower in certain resolutions. VPN solutions based on UDP might also be slower.”
So, you may see a slowdown with your internet connection on a device that uses Intel Killer hardware, flakiness with streaming content as noted, or indeed sluggishness with VPNs using the OpenVPN protocol (which runs with either UDP or TCP, the former mentioned option being the one used for speed as opposed to reliability – but it won’t be speedy for affected users, of course).
Microsoft is working on the problem and anticipates delivering a cure in its October cumulative update for Windows 11 which will be out in a week (October 12).
Two further compatibility problems are listed here, the first being issues with Oracle VirtualBox which can scupper the ability to fire up VMs (Virtual Machines) in Windows 11 (errors may also be encountered). For this one, Microsoft says that Oracle is planning on updating VirtualBox to fix the gremlins at some point in October.
The final problem isn’t one the vast majority of users will ever see, as it’s with a Vietnamese Chromium-based browser (‘Cốc Cốc’) which may not work properly (or indeed open at all) under Windows 11. There’s no info on when this one might be resolved; Microsoft simply says it’s investigating the issue (doubtless on a lower priority than the other bugbears).
Memory fail
As for unofficial issues, PC Gamer points out a memory leak issue which is impacting some Windows 11 users going by an extensive thread on Reddit. What’s happening here is that at least some folks – and there are plenty of confirmed reports of this, including PC gamer itself – are finding that when they close an instance of File Explorer, it isn’t releasing the RAM it used.
So, if you start opening up a lot of folders, one after the other, the resources they’re sapping on your PC are still tied up even after each folder is closed, eventually leading to a situation where a sizeable chunk of memory is blocked off, and the system starts running more sluggishly as a result.
The only solution, or rather workaround, is to restart File Explorer (in the Task Manager, you’ll find Windows Explorer listed as a process, and if you click on it, there’s a ‘Restart’ button bottom-right), or just reboot your PC. Incidentally, it’s here in the Task Manager where you can see how much memory that File Explorer is consuming.
Microsoft hasn’t acknowledged this purported bug yet, but hopefully is investigating it.
For those experiencing any trouble with Microsoft’s revamped operating system, we’ve got a full guide to Windows 11 problems and how to fix the most common ones.
Analysis: Wait before leaping on the Windows 11 bandwagon
With Windows 11 literally only just having being released, teething problems are to be expected. As we know, with any big feature update to a desktop OS, there are going to be gremlins in the works, and that’s likely to be even more true when it comes to an entirely new version of Windows.
In fact, the official list of known issues is surprisingly tame, and realistically, only the Intel networking issue is going to affect more than a small number of folks, at least when it comes to the general computing public. However, the unofficial bugbear in the form of the memory leak is more worrying.
At any rate, Windows 11 will initially have a very limited rollout to users, just to test the waters and make sure there are no truly show-stopping bugs (the memory leak, if widespread, is pushing towards that territory, mind). In other words, it may be quite some time before Windows Update will let you know that the OS upgrade is ready for your PC.
While you can go ahead and manually install Windows 11 anyway, regardless of Microsoft’s automated rollout, it may not be a good idea to leap at the opportunity straight away.
There may be other issues like the memory leak one discussed above, or you could run into bigger problems still. It’s likely not worth the risk, overall, and we’d advise waiting at least a little while to install, and to see how things pan out with early adopters, unless you’re actually offered Windows 11 by Windows Update (and even then, for us, caution would be the better part of valor for a time yet).
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