What GPU Should I choose?

NVIDIA's GeForce line of cards is known for its advanced technologies, amazing performance, and AI-based technologies. GeForce is the industry standard for image upscaling and is unmatched. In terms of Ray Tracing, GeForce offers superior performance and is unmatched. These cards also have advanced Tensor cores for deep machine learning and AI applications. The GeForce software is lagging behind Radeon and doesn't have as many configurable options. Many creative software programs only have support for GeForce cards, relying on the advanced AI features that these cards provide. One major downside of GeForce is that GeForce cards demand a premium price, with these cards often being priced above MSRP. They can occasionally also be hard to source. You can save money by going used, but be aware that higher-end GeForce cards are heavily used in the Bitcoin industry. You don't want a card that has been used in that industry. When getting a used card, ask them about that. If you want the very best in all areas and are willing to pay the premium price for it, GeForce is the way to go.

AMD's Radeon line of cards is known for its competitive performance, advanced software, and strong value. Radeon is a great option if you care about raw performance, as these cards can be ahead of GeForce in this regard, but lag behind them in upscaling and Ray Tracing. The Radeon software is more advanced and configurable, making it a good option for people who want to tweak. If you want more memory, Radeon is the way to go, as they tend to have a significant amount more than their GeForce equivalent cards. If you use creative applications, support for Radeon can be lacking from certain companies. If you have an AMD Ryzen CPU, pairing it with a Radeon card unlocks special hardware features. Price-wise, Radeon demands less and are generally more easily obtainable. If you prioritize having powerful raw performance, don't care about the very latest technologies, and have a smaller budget, Radeon will be your best option. For price-to-performance, Radeon is unbeatable.

Intel Arc is known for compelling performance, features, and affordability. For the budget-conscious gamer or creator, Arc cards are an amazing value. While GeForce targets the high-end graphics card market and Radeon targets the mid-range, Arc targets the low-end, more budget-conscious market. This doesn't mean performance is poor, as it is quite the opposite. The performance they offer is unmatched for the price. They have support for ray tracing and image upscaling, but they aren't as good as the competition. Support for Arc is improving rapidly, as in the beginning, support was severely lacking. If you have an Intel CPU, Arc can work in tandem with the CPU to offer better performance. Arc is unique as it can natively encode AV1 video, which is a rare feature even with more premium GPUs from other companies. With continued support and improvements coming rapidly, Arc is becoming a great addition to the graphics card market and a great option for many.

Getting a used card can save you money and isn't a bad idea. When selecting a used graphics card, here are some things to look out for:

• Physical Damage: Look for things like bent fan or heatsink blades, warped PCB, burn marks, discoloration, missing or stripped screws, torn/missing warranty stickers, rust, corrosion, and scratches. Damage isn't a good sign.

• Dust: Check for dust buildup in the fans heatsink blades. Dust clogging the card is a sign the card has potentially been overheating and neglected of maintenance.

• Bitcoin Mining: Ask if it was used for bitcoin mining. A card used to do this can be risky as they are often used extremely heavily for extensive amounts of time.