Graphics card & GPU video card comparison - Versus (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a GPU and graphics card? ›

The GPU is the main component on graphics cards. It exists alongside other components like video RAM (VRAM) for video memory, ports (such as HDMI or DisplayPort), and a cooling component. However, a GPU can also be built directly into the motherboard or integrated as an all-in-one chip together with other components.

Both the GPU and CPU are important, but the GPU has a more significant impact in most cases. Modern games are graphically demanding, and the GPU handles all graphics rendering and processing needed to display modern games.

Generally higher numbers mean better performance but also higher power consumption and heat generation. Last but not least, consider the features of your graphics card such as DirectX or OpenGL version, VRAM type, ray tracing technology, HDR support, adaptive sync technology and ports and outputs.

Both graphics cards will happily run games at 4K with smooth results. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 at worst is tied with the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, at best totally blows it out of the water (especially with ray tracing enabled at both 2K and 4K resolutions), but mostly enjoys about a 25% performance advantage.

Therefore, if you're a casual user who wants to enjoy a simple game now and again or do basic photo editing, an integrated card may be enough. But if you're using your computer for action games, video editing software, or design suites, you'll need a dedicated card.

Signs You Should Upgrade Your Graphics Card

A clear sign you need to upgrade your graphics card is if you no longer receive driver updates for upcoming games. Most GPUs have a driver support life of around 5-8 years; any GPU beyond that time will lose support concerning performance for future releases.

Match your monitor resolution.

Many mainstream cards are sufficient for gaming at 1080p resolutions at between 30-60 fps, but you'll need a high-end card for 4K resolution or 1440p monitors, including ultrawide options. That goes double if you want to use high in-game settings on the most demanding titles.

AMD generally leads in frame rates, but Nvidia leads in ray tracing. Both AMD and Nvidia do a good job of ironing out compatibility issues and performance issues for games. It's impossible to declare a winner—both graphics card drivers break and unbreak as software gets updated and patched.

There are three main categories of video cards which include integrated, entry-level, and high-end. Integrated cards are built directly into many computers and laptops, using the computer's central processor to do graphical calculations, thus being the cheapest and least powerful option.

When we matched up the RTX 4080 against the RX 7900 XTX, the AMD card provided better value. It was $200 cheaper while being able to deliver similar levels of 4K gaming performance. The only issue was the downgrade in ray tracing capabilities and the lack of DLSS, but beyond that, it was (and still is) a powerful GPU.

Is there a big difference between 3090 and 4090? ›

RTX 4090 has significantly higher training throughput. Depending on the model, its TF32 training throughput is between 1.3x to 1.9x higher than RTX 3090.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed best graphics card for gaming right now. It's also the most expensive, coming in at more than $2,000. For a GPU. That's more money than you'd typically pay for prebuilt gaming PCs.

In common parlance, the terms GPU and graphics card are used interchangeably. Nvidia graphics cards are high-performance devices that enable powerful graphics rendering and processing for use in video editing, video gaming, and other complex computing operations.

GeForce RTX GPUs feature advanced streaming capabilities thanks to the NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC), engineered to deliver show-stopping performance and image quality.

The graphics processing unit (GPU) in your device helps handle graphics-related work like graphics, effects, and videos. Learn about the different types of GPUs and find the one that meets your needs. Integrated GPUs are built into your PC's motherboard, allowing laptops to be thin, lightweight, and power-efficient.

By working together, the cores deliver massive performance when a processing task can be divided up across many cores at the same time (or in parallel). The GPU is an integral component for modern gaming, enabling higher quality visuals and smoother gameplay. GPUs are also useful in AI.