Now that we've given you the best gaming CPUs in our prior article, this time we're moving on to our best gaming GPU 2022 list. For what good is your brand-new 12900K or 5950X if you don't have a powerful graphics card to run it?
rtx 3080 render
The market is saturated with graphics card choices, so we're going to make this list as simple as possible. But as with your CPU article, a DISCLAIMER: all if the prices you see here are subject to change without prior notice. Furthermore, this list will feature cards categorized by the resolutions they're best used at.
With that in mind, let's begin!
Best Overall, No Compromises: NVIDIA RTX 3090 Ti
Say what you want about NVIDIA's rather questionable decisions for this generation of GPUs. But despite all the trouble surrounding its overall value, the RTX 3090 Ti tops our best gaming GPU 2022 list.
As per Tom's Hardware, this graphics card is not only good for 4K gaming, but is also powerful enough to drive an 8K screen. Freaking 8K. Its sheer horsepower also makes it an excellent pick for gamers who also dabble as content creators. If you do a lot of video editing and rendering, its monstrous 24GB VRAM buffer is plenty - if not decidedly overkill.
To cap things off, there's simply no GPU from AMD besting the RTX 30 series in terms of ray tracing performance and the amazing capabilities of DLSS. So not only will your games look amazing, but run smoothly as well. Imagine running a game like Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing and DLSS on in 8K - perhaps you'll never see the sun again. Also, only pick this card up if money is no problem as it costs an arm and a leg. Expect to pay beyond $2K or as much as $3K for one.
Best For 4K: NVIDIA RTX 3080
Make no mistake: the RTX 3080 is still pretty darn expensive. But as part of our best gaming GPU 2022 list, you can't fault its value for being an excellent 4K gaming card without costing you a month's rent. PC Gamer specifically recommends the 10GB version of the 3080 for its raw horsepower that apparently "makes the last-gen 2080 Ti look mid-range."
The RTX 3080 costs around $900, with the cheapest ones priced at around $820 on Newegg at the time of this writing. Please don't go for the Ti version, though, because you'll only get 5-10 FPS more for an extra $400-$500. Nope.
Read also: Best Gaming CPU 2022: Here Are Great Choices To Start With
Best For 1440p: AMD RX 6700 XT
The RX 6700 XT is our choice for the best gaming GPU 2022 when it comes to 1440p gaming. Compared to the competing RTX 3070 from NVIDIA, the 6700 XT only loses a handful of frames - all for around $100 less on average. Just take a look at this benchmark:
Current prices on Newegg at the time of this writing see the cheapest 6700 XTs priced at just under $500. The cheapest 3070s, on the other hand, can still set you back around $600 and beyond. If you have a 1440p monitor, the choice is very clear: it's absolutely worth losing a tiny bit of game performance if you avoid spending an extra $100. You can spend that on something else, too.
Best For 1080p: AMD RX 6600 XT
At 1080p resolution (which is still the most popular gaming resolution in the world, according to Steam), nothing can hold a candle to AMD's RX 6600 XT. Not even the RTX 3060 with its 12GB of VRAM that, at this resolution, basically goes to waste. The 3060 weirdly costs almost as much as a 3070 at this point (current pricing on Newegg), while the 6600 XT can be had for as little as under $400.
The only problem with the 6600 XT is its piss-poor ray tracing performance. While technically capable, turning on RT even with FSR nets unplayable frame rates in games that have ray tracing. So pick this up if you're completely fine with missing out on ray tracing. But if not, then go for the 3060 or 3060 Ti, by all means.
Related: Graphics Card Specs 101: The Most Important Ones EXPLAINED
