Revolutionizing Your Build: Top NVIDIA GPUs for 2023

Nvidia has recently been making significant strides in the industry, boasting breakthroughs in performance with the RTX 4080 and 4090, incorporating DLSS 3, and pushing the limits of efficiency with the Ada Lovelace architecture. As a result, Nvidia currently dominates a market where new products and outdated ones often have mismatched prices and performance.

To assist you in navigating this major transition from one generation of Nvidia GPUs to the next, with a wide variety of GPUs and AIB manufacturers to choose from, we have compiled a list of our top GPU picks to help you make an informed decision.

Our top pick for the best overall Nvidia GPU is the ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 4070 Ti OC Edition, offering a TUF bargain.

The Asus TUF RTX 4070TI offers top-tier performance and a silent operation while building on the strengths of the TUF lineup. It comes at a minor premium compared to Nvidia's stock Founders Edition but offers no-nonsense overclocking and a vapor chamber for tight thermal control, resulting in excellent performance.

With a cooling method of vapor chamber and a GPU speed of 2310 Mhz, the RTX 4070TI boasts 12GB GDDR6 memory and a power of 285W. It can achieve a boost speed of 2760 MHz (OC) and 2730 MHz (Default), considerably higher than its rated specs. Additionally, it offers Dual HDMI 2.1, an ASUS exclusive sans the ROG badge premium.

While the form factor of the RTX 4070TI is quite large for a GPU with smaller SKUs available, it still offers competitively priced excellent cooling solutions. However, there are slightly faster 4070TI variants available at the same price point.

According to UserBenchmark rankings, the RTX 4070TI maintains a solid 18% lead over the GPU it seeks to replace at the sub $800 price point: The RTX 3080TI. While estimates on other benchmarking tools may differ somewhat, they all come to the same conclusion: The RTX 4070TI is now the new RTX 3080TI both in terms of the price point it sells at and real-world performance.

Price-wise, the RTX 4070TI is available at $830 on Amazon and $850 on Newegg.

However, what truly distinguishes it is its significantly lower power consumption, boasting a 40% reduction in comparison to its Ampere-based counterpart, while delivering superior DLSS 3 performance. At a price point of $800 for the founder's edition from Nvidia, the Asus TUF OC edition sets itself apart with its superior cooling solution, higher boost clocks, and ease of availability, making it the ideal choice for gamers looking for top-notch performance without breaking the bank.

The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition: Unmatched Performance and Striking Aesthetics

While the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition may be one of the largest GPUs on the market, it undoubtedly boasts the most impressive overclocking potential in its class. Its patented design, complete with a vapor chamber, comes in both sleek black and white finishes, delivering both style and substance. It confidently stands as the most powerful 4090 available, with a stable clock speed of 3120 Mhz in our own tests.

The Asus RTX 4090 Strix OC is the ultimate choice for anyone looking to buy the best RTX 4090 on the market. It boasts an impressive 2640 Mhz GPU speed and 24 GB GDDR6X memory, making it the fastest and most overclockable GPU available to consumers right now. Additionally, its patented vapor chamber cooling method ensures that the card operates silently and maintains excellent temperatures.

The RTX 4090 Strix OC also has a unique and aesthetically pleasing design that is synonymous with the ROG lineup. Its 24-phase VRM allows the card to remain exceptionally stable, making it an excellent choice for enthusiasts. However, it's worth noting that the card is pricey and trades at a significant premium online. Additionally, its length may require a mandatory case swap for some users.

In-house testing of the RTX 4090 Strix OC proved its capabilities with ease. It achieved a boost clock speed of approximately 3200 Mhz while benchmarking the game on Hogwarts Legacy in 4k. Despite this, the GPU remained cool throughout a two-hour playthrough, never exceeding 60 degrees Celsius. Moreover, the card undervolted beautifully while maintaining top-notch performance.

Overall, the Asus RTX 4090 Strix OC is a top-of-the-line choice for anyone looking to invest in the best RTX 4090 on the market. At $1994 on Amazon and $2000 at Newegg, it's definitely an investment, but one that won't disappoint.

ASUS has truly outdone themselves with the RTX 4090, combining all their expertise and manufacturing prowess to create a graphics card that is nearly unbeatable. Its engineering is so impressive that it may prove difficult for other AIB partners to surpass in the future.

Currently holding the top spot on Userbenchmark, the ROG RTX 4090 is not only the fastest of its kind, but also the fastest GPU available on the market today.

MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Super Aero ITX is an excellent choice for those on a budget looking for a low-profile, high-value NVIDIA GPU.

The MSI Aero ITX 1660 Super may not win any performance awards, but it certainly deserves recognition for its exceptional price-to-performance ratio. It delivers stellar performance within its price bracket and offers a fantastic low-profile solution for those with limited space for upgrades or plans to go mITX down the line.

With air-cooling and a GPU speed of 1815 Mhz, this card boasts 6GB of high-speed VRAM and a power draw of 125W. It has a relatively low profile, making it compatible with almost every case that supports dedicated GPUs. Its low power draw allows for smooth GPU performance even on 450W PSUs. Additionally, it delivers comparable rasterization performance to the much newer RTX 3050 GPU.

However, some users may have reservations about the single fan GPU cooling system. Furthermore, the GTX 1660 Super lacks RT features, which may be a drawback for some users. Regardless, this card is an excellent choice for those seeking an affordable and reliable option for their gaming needs.

Currently priced at $259.99 on Amazon and $306 at Newegg, the MSI Aero 1660 Super ITX OC performs well against the current entry-level offering from Nvidia, the RTX 3050. While it may not match up to the more expensive RTX series cards, it certainly holds its own in rasterization tests and benchmarks.

The 1660 Super is undoubtedly the go-to choice for CPU-intensive eSports games like Counter Strike Global Offensive (CS: GO), DOTA 2, and League of Legends. It also performs exceptionally well when playing other popular titles such as World of Warcraft (WOW) and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.

Moreover, it comes at a more affordable price point than the RTX 3050, making it an excellent option for those seeking exceptional value. Despite being two generations behind in terms of architecture, the 1660 Super remains in high demand due to its impressive performance and affordability.

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Gaming OC is a great mid-tier NVIDIA GPU that offers exceptional value and boasts a tri-fan cooling system.

With its tri-fan design, the Gigabyte Gaming OC RTX 3060TI aims to provide top-tier performance without any compromises. Despite its high price tag, it exceeds expectations and competes with the RTX 4060TI. The GPU's triple fan solution keeps it cool and stable under heavy loads, while its DLSS 2 & 3 implementation allows for high FPS at 2K resolutions. Additionally, it offers excellent ray tracing performance and is far more energy efficient than its AMD RX 6000 series counterparts. However, it does have a limiting factor in its 8GB VRAM compared to the competition's 12GB VRAM in the same price bracket. Those looking to upgrade may also need to change their case to accommodate the form factor of Gigabyte's Gaming OC SKU. With a price of $479 USD at Amazon and $420 at Newegg, the Gigabyte RTX 3060TI Gaming OC is the best choice for those seeking a capable rendering workhorse that can also handle 1440P (2k) gaming.

While offering impressive Ray-Tracing performance, the RTX 3060TI falls just short of the RTX 3070's capabilities. Some may argue that Gigabyte's inclusion of a tri-slot cooler is excessive for this card. However, others may appreciate the improved aesthetics and overclocking potential that come with it. As games continue to demand more VRAM, even on 2k resolutions, it's possible that the RTX 3060TI may struggle to keep up with the increasing resource demands in the future.

The PNY GeForce RTX 4080 16GB XLR8 Gaming GPU stands out as the best high-end 3rd party Nvidia GPU, delivering exceptional 4K gaming performance.

The PNY GeForce RTX 4080 16GB XLR8 Gaming OC GPU is an excellent option for gamers looking for high performance without breaking the bank. It may have relatively tame boost clocks, but it offers excellent tri-fan air cooling that keeps temperatures low and runs quieter than most of its competition in the RTX 4080-class GPUs. Despite being considerably cheaper than other RTX 4080 offerings, it is still clocked higher than the RTX 4080 FE, which it directly competes with, while running cooler and quieter. At a discount of $30, it is currently priced at $1150, making it a solid value for those looking to upgrade their gaming setup.

PNY's RTX 4080 GPU boasts impressive performance, but its pricing can be a concern for many users. At a sub $1500 range, some of the pricier RTX 4080 SKUs fail to match the value and performance offered by even a Founders Edition RTX 4090. However, PNY's RTX 4090 offering stands out with its superior aesthetics and build quality. Despite being the cheapest variant of the RTX 4080, the PNY GeForce RTX 4080 16GB XLR8 Gaming GPU delivers better-than-average performance, making it the best high-end Nvidia GPU currently available. This could be a sign of a predicted slowdown in the semi-conductor market.

The MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X Liquid is the most compact and best liquid-cooled GPU currently available in the RTX 4000 series. With its excellent performance and silent operation, it's no wonder that this GPU comes at a premium price point. Featuring a 2235 Mhz GPU speed, 24GB GDDR6 memory, and 530W power, this GPU has industry-leading 26-Phase VRMs and the highest rated boost clocks (advertised) for an RTX 4090. The dual-slot design also makes it a great option for ITX/M-ATX builds. However, the liquid cooler fans do not include RGB. The MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X Liquid is available for purchase at Amazon and Newegg for $1890 and $1848, respectively.

The MSI Gaming GeForce Suprim X Liquid RTX 4090 stands out as the best liquid-cooled Nvidia GPU on the market. It's easy to see why - this is MSI's greatest creation yet. The VRM solution is the most complex we've seen on an RTX 4090, and it performs extremely well right out of the box.

During our tests, the Suprim X Liquid routinely pushed past 3 GHz and stayed exceptionally cool thanks to Nvidia's boost technology. It's also incredibly quiet, with virtually no coil whine even at maximum loads. While it would have been nice for MSI to include RGB fans on the radiator, the subtle RGB lighting on the GPU itself is quite appealing.

What truly sets the RTX 4090 Suprim X Liquid apart is its unique value proposition. Not only does it run quieter than the competition, but its dual slot design means it can fit in smaller ITX or M-ATX builds with a bit of effort. And, even when compared to the white Asus ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC, it holds its own. To sweeten the deal, MSI has even included a Suprim X mousepad for users looking to add some exclusive MSI merchandise to their collection.

.

Nvidia's product value offerings are expected to be shaken up once again with the release of the RTX 4070. While the RTX 4070 TI and 1660 Super are currently great options, those who want to be truly future-proof should consider the RTX 4090 as the only GPU worth considering. As for the fastest graphic card available today, the answer is currently the RTX 3090.