Updated on August 14, 2022
Are you thinking of building a new streaming PC but aren’t sure which graphics card to use? The GPU is the most important component of a gaming PC. Obtaining a new GPU in 2022 will be almost impossible due to supply constraints and extremely high demand. This page explains what to look for in a GPU, lists the top GPUs currently available, and answers some frequently asked questions.
What You Should Look For in a GPU
The GPU is the component that will have the largest impact on your gameplay and streaming. When buying a GPU, these are some of the most significant things to look for:
1. Brand
GPU chips are primarily produced by Nvidia and AMD. The graphics card’s most critical component, the chipsets are incredibly sophisticated and complex. Nvidia has a larger share of the market than any other company. It’s not just the Nvidia and AMD chips that are used by other firms; they also build the remainder of the graphics card, such as its body and fans. For those on a budget, Gigabyte’s cards may be the better option as they are less expensive.
2. Ray-tracing
Ray-tracing features have been added to more modern GPUs. Ray-tracing improves the realism of lighting effects in video games. There’s a noticeable difference in the quality of ray-traced graphics. In most cases, a GPU featuring ray-tracing is labelled with the “RTX” prefix in the product name.
3. Memory
Video memory on most GPUs may go as high as 12 gigabytes. Newer cards, like Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3090, have 24 gigabytes of video memory. The more memory you have, the higher the resolution you can play at.
4. Clock speed
The framerate of your GPU is affected by the clock speed, among other things. The greater your computer’s clock speed, the more frames per second you may expect to see in your games.
5. Cooling
GPUs generate a lot of heat, so it’s critical to get one with plenty of fans to keep it cool. If the GPU overheats, you must ensure that the remainder of your PC is well-ventilated to prevent overheating.
6. Power
When you buy a graphics card, it will tell you how much power it requires in watts. In light of the fact that it powers not just your GPU but also the entire PC, it is critical that your power supply unit meets this bare minimum.