Buying guide · Graphics cards

Which graphics card should you buy while prices keep climbing?

Best value at 1440p: RX 9070 XT. NVIDIA with 16GB: RTX 5070 Ti. DLSS for less: RTX 5070. 1080p: RX 9060 XT 16GB. Skip 8GB cards for a new build.

By The Hardware Pick editorsPublished Research-based · not lab-tested

We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure

ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 Ti OC Edition 16GB
RTX 5070 Ti (ASUS Prime)Image: ASUS
ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 OC Edition 12GB
RTX 5070 (ASUS Prime)Image: ASUS
ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9060 XT OC Edition 16GB
RX 9060 XT 16GB (ASUS Prime)Image: ASUS
ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Edition 16GB
RX 9070 XT (ASUS Prime)Image: ASUS

Alternatives first. The recommended use-case pick is last; these are not lab scores.

Jump to the final pick ↓

What do you play on?

The short list

Store links checked Oct 10, 2026, 1:30 PM ET. Check current prices at the store.

Best NVIDIA card with 16GB

Ray tracing and DLSS. Priced like it.

ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 Ti OC Edition 16GB · 1 of 4

16GBGDDR7 VRAM
116.81440p ultra fps (Tom's)
300WBoard power (NVIDIA)
750WPSU (ASUS)
1440p raster116.8 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

116.8 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)

1440p ray tracing66.2 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

66.2 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)

Get it if You want strong ray tracing, DLSS 4 and 16GB for 1440p high refresh or 4K with upscaling.

Skip it if You care mostly about raster. The RX 9070 XT ties it at 1440p for less.

Strengths

  • Best ray tracing in this group (66.2 fps at 1440p ultra, Tom's)
  • DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation
  • 16GB of fast GDDR7

Keep in mind

  • Biggest markup here: Tom's median street price ran about 47% over MSRP (Oct 2026)
  • Raster speed is a tie with the cheaper RX 9070 XT
  • No NVIDIA Founders Edition at MSRP
Full specs & caveats

Strengths

  • Best ray tracing in this group (66.2 fps at 1440p ultra, Tom's)
  • DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation
  • 16GB of fast GDDR7

Keep in mind

  • Biggest markup here: Tom's median street price ran about 47% over MSRP (Oct 2026)
  • Raster speed is a tie with the cheaper RX 9070 XT
  • No NVIDIA Founders Edition at MSRP
ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 Ti OC Edition 16GB specifications
GPUNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti · 8,960 CUDA cores (NVIDIA)
VRAM16GB GDDR7 · 256-bit (NVIDIA)
Memory bandwidth896 GB/s (28 Gbps × 256-bit, ASUS/NVIDIA)
1440p raster116.8 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
1440p ray tracing66.2 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
Boost clock2527 MHz in OC mode (ASUS)
Board power300W total graphics power (NVIDIA)
Power connectors1× 16-pin (ASUS)
Recommended PSU750W (ASUS)
Size304 × 126 × 50 mm · 2.5 slots (ASUS)
Outputs1× HDMI 2.1b · 3× DisplayPort 2.1b (ASUS)
Launch MSRP (GPU)$749 at launch, no Founders Edition (NVIDIA chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)
Best for DLSS on a budget

12GB, but the closest to MSRP.

ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 OC Edition 12GB · 2 of 4

12GBGDDR7 VRAM
96.41440p ultra fps (Tom's)
250WBoard power (NVIDIA)
750WPSU (ASUS)
1440p raster96.4 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

96.4 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)

1440p ray tracing51.5 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

51.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)

Get it if You play at 1440p, lean on DLSS, and want the card that drifted least from its launch price.

Skip it if You mod heavily or keep a card for five years. 12GB is the part that ages first.

Strengths

  • Smallest markup of these four: about 20% over MSRP at Tom's median (Oct 2026)
  • DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation
  • 250W is easier on PSUs and case cooling

Keep in mind

  • 12GB of VRAM: the first thing to run out on future 1440p games
  • About 17% slower than the RX 9070 XT in Tom's 1440p raster average
  • Ray tracing only a step ahead of the RX 9070 XT
Full specs & caveats

Strengths

  • Smallest markup of these four: about 20% over MSRP at Tom's median (Oct 2026)
  • DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation
  • 250W is easier on PSUs and case cooling

Keep in mind

  • 12GB of VRAM: the first thing to run out on future 1440p games
  • About 17% slower than the RX 9070 XT in Tom's 1440p raster average
  • Ray tracing only a step ahead of the RX 9070 XT
ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 OC Edition 12GB specifications
GPUNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 · 6,144 CUDA cores (NVIDIA)
VRAM12GB GDDR7 · 192-bit (NVIDIA)
Memory bandwidth672 GB/s (28 Gbps × 192-bit, ASUS/NVIDIA)
1440p raster96.4 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
1440p ray tracing51.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
Boost clock2587 MHz in OC mode (ASUS)
Board power250W total graphics power (NVIDIA)
Power connectors1× 16-pin (ASUS)
Recommended PSU750W for this card (ASUS; NVIDIA lists 650W for the chip)
Size304 × 126 × 50 mm · 2.5 slots (ASUS)
Outputs1× HDMI 2.1b · 3× DisplayPort 2.1b (ASUS)
Launch MSRP (GPU)$549 at launch (NVIDIA chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)
Best for 1080p

The lowest-MSRP 16GB card here.

ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9060 XT OC Edition 16GB · 3 of 4

16GBGDDR6 VRAM
67.31440p ultra fps (Tom's)
160WBoard power (AMD)
550WPSU (ASUS)
1440p raster67.3 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

67.3 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)

1440p ray tracing31 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

31.0 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)

Get it if You game at 1080p, or 1440p with sensible settings, and want 16GB instead of 8GB.

Skip it if You expect high-refresh 1440p in new AAA games. Tom's measured 67 fps on average at 1440p ultra.

Strengths

  • 16GB at the lowest launch MSRP of our GPU picks
  • One 8-pin cable and a 550W PSU
  • 98.3 fps average at 1080p ultra in Tom's hierarchy

Keep in mind

  • Under 70 fps average at 1440p ultra (Tom's), so plan on lower settings
  • Weak ray tracing: 31 fps at 1440p ultra (Tom's)
  • Make sure it says 16GB: an 8GB RX 9060 XT also exists
Full specs & caveats

Strengths

  • 16GB at the lowest launch MSRP of our GPU picks
  • One 8-pin cable and a 550W PSU
  • 98.3 fps average at 1080p ultra in Tom's hierarchy

Keep in mind

  • Under 70 fps average at 1440p ultra (Tom's), so plan on lower settings
  • Weak ray tracing: 31 fps at 1440p ultra (Tom's)
  • Make sure it says 16GB: an 8GB RX 9060 XT also exists
ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9060 XT OC Edition 16GB specifications
GPUAMD Radeon RX 9060 XT · 32 compute units (AMD)
VRAM16GB GDDR6 · 128-bit (AMD)
Memory bandwidth320 GB/s (AMD)
1440p raster67.3 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
1440p ray tracing31.0 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
Boost clockUp to 3330 MHz in OC mode (ASUS)
Board power160W total board power (AMD reference)
Power connectors1× 8-pin (ASUS)
Recommended PSU550W (ASUS)
Size304 × 126 × 50 mm · 2.5 slots (ASUS)
Outputs1× HDMI 2.1b · 2× DisplayPort 2.1a (ASUS)
Launch MSRP (GPU)$349 at launch, 16GB (AMD chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)
Our top pick for value for 1440p

The 16GB card that still adds up.

ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Edition 16GB · 4 of 4

16GBGDDR6 VRAM
116.51440p ultra fps (Tom's)
304WBoard power (AMD)
750WPSU (ASUS)
1440p raster116.5 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

116.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)

1440p ray tracing55.5 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

55.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)

Get it if You play at 1440p and want RTX 5070 Ti raster speed without paying NVIDIA's markup.

Skip it if Ray tracing or DLSS-only features are why you're upgrading. Also check your PSU — it wants 750W and three 8-pin cables.

Strengths

  • Matches the RTX 5070 Ti in Tom's 1440p raster average
  • 16GB of VRAM for long-term 1440p
  • Smaller street-price markup than the 5070 Ti (Tom's, Oct 2026)

Keep in mind

  • Ray tracing trails the RTX 5070 Ti (55.5 vs 66.2 fps at 1440p, Tom's)
  • Needs three 8-pin cables and a 750W PSU
  • No DLSS; FSR support varies by game
Full specs & caveats

Strengths

  • Matches the RTX 5070 Ti in Tom's 1440p raster average
  • 16GB of VRAM for long-term 1440p
  • Smaller street-price markup than the 5070 Ti (Tom's, Oct 2026)

Keep in mind

  • Ray tracing trails the RTX 5070 Ti (55.5 vs 66.2 fps at 1440p, Tom's)
  • Needs three 8-pin cables and a 750W PSU
  • No DLSS; FSR support varies by game
ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Edition 16GB specifications
GPUAMD Radeon RX 9070 XT · 64 compute units (AMD)
VRAM16GB GDDR6 · 256-bit · 640 GB/s (AMD)
Memory bandwidth640 GB/s (AMD)
1440p raster116.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
1440p ray tracing55.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
Boost clockUp to 3030 MHz in OC mode (ASUS)
Board power304W total board power (AMD reference)
Power connectors3× 8-pin (ASUS)
Recommended PSU750W (ASUS)
Size312 × 130 × 50 mm · 2.5 slots (ASUS)
Outputs1× HDMI 2.1b · 3× DisplayPort 2.1a (ASUS)
Launch MSRP (GPU)$599 at launch (AMD chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)

Side by side.

Pick two. Compare the numbers—not the marketing.

Side-by-side specs of our picks
SpecificationBest NVIDIA card with 16GBRTX 5070 Ti (ASUS Prime)Best for DLSS on a budgetRTX 5070 (ASUS Prime)Best for 1080pRX 9060 XT 16GB (ASUS Prime)Our top pick for value for 1440pRX 9070 XT (ASUS Prime)
At a glance
1440p raster116.8 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

1440p ray tracing66.2 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

1440p raster96.4 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

1440p ray tracing51.5 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

1440p raster67.3 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

1440p ray tracing31 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

1440p raster116.5 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

1440p ray tracing55.5 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

GPUNVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti · 8,960 CUDA cores (NVIDIA)NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 · 6,144 CUDA cores (NVIDIA)AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT · 32 compute units (AMD)AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT · 64 compute units (AMD)
VRAM16GB GDDR7 · 256-bit (NVIDIA)12GB GDDR7 · 192-bit (NVIDIA)16GB GDDR6 · 128-bit (AMD)16GB GDDR6 · 256-bit · 640 GB/s (AMD)
1440p raster116.8 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)96.4 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)67.3 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)116.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
1440p ray tracing66.2 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)51.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)31.0 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)55.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
Bandwidth896 GB/s (28 Gbps × 256-bit, ASUS/NVIDIA)672 GB/s (28 Gbps × 192-bit, ASUS/NVIDIA)320 GB/s (AMD)640 GB/s (AMD)
Board power300W total graphics power (NVIDIA)250W total graphics power (NVIDIA)160W total board power (AMD reference)304W total board power (AMD reference)
PSU750W (ASUS)750W for this card (ASUS; NVIDIA lists 650W for the chip)550W (ASUS)750W (ASUS)
Launch MSRP$749 at launch, no Founders Edition (NVIDIA chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)$549 at launch (NVIDIA chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)$349 at launch, 16GB (AMD chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)$599 at launch (AMD chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)
Best NVIDIA card with 16GB

RTX 5070 Ti (ASUS Prime)

1440p raster116.8 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

1440p ray tracing66.2 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti · 8,960 CUDA cores (NVIDIA)
VRAM
16GB GDDR7 · 256-bit (NVIDIA)
1440p raster
116.8 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
1440p ray tracing
66.2 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
Bandwidth
896 GB/s (28 Gbps × 256-bit, ASUS/NVIDIA)
Board power
300W total graphics power (NVIDIA)
PSU
750W (ASUS)
Launch MSRP
$749 at launch, no Founders Edition (NVIDIA chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)
Best for DLSS on a budget

RTX 5070 (ASUS Prime)

1440p raster96.4 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

1440p ray tracing51.5 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 · 6,144 CUDA cores (NVIDIA)
VRAM
12GB GDDR7 · 192-bit (NVIDIA)
1440p raster
96.4 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
1440p ray tracing
51.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
Bandwidth
672 GB/s (28 Gbps × 192-bit, ASUS/NVIDIA)
Board power
250W total graphics power (NVIDIA)
PSU
750W for this card (ASUS; NVIDIA lists 650W for the chip)
Launch MSRP
$549 at launch (NVIDIA chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)
Best for 1080p

RX 9060 XT 16GB (ASUS Prime)

1440p raster67.3 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

1440p ray tracing31 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

GPU
AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT · 32 compute units (AMD)
VRAM
16GB GDDR6 · 128-bit (AMD)
1440p raster
67.3 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
1440p ray tracing
31.0 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
Bandwidth
320 GB/s (AMD)
Board power
160W total board power (AMD reference)
PSU
550W (ASUS)
Launch MSRP
$349 at launch, 16GB (AMD chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)
Our top pick for value for 1440p

RX 9070 XT (ASUS Prime)

1440p raster116.5 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra raster average · scale 0–130 fps

1440p ray tracing55.5 fps

Tom's Hardware 1440p ultra ray tracing average · scale 0–80 fps

GPU
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT · 64 compute units (AMD)
VRAM
16GB GDDR6 · 256-bit · 640 GB/s (AMD)
1440p raster
116.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
1440p ray tracing
55.5 fps avg, 1440p ultra (Tom's Hardware hierarchy)
Bandwidth
640 GB/s (AMD)
Board power
304W total board power (AMD reference)
PSU
750W (ASUS)
Launch MSRP
$599 at launch (AMD chip MSRP; checked 2026-10-10)

How we chose

Chip specs from AMD and NVIDIA. Card specs from ASUS. Frame rates from the Tom’s Hardware GPU hierarchy. Street-price context from Tom’s Hardware’s best GPUs guide, checked October 10, 2026. We don’t test cards ourselves.

What actually matters

Prices first. All four of our picks sell above MSRP. In Tom’s October roundup, median street prices sat about 20% over MSRP for the RTX 5070, 27% for the RX 9070 XT, 33% for the RX 9060 XT 16GB and 47% for the RTX 5070 Ti. Compare street prices, not launch prices. We link stores instead of quoting numbers that change by the hour.

VRAM. Buy 16GB for 1440p if you can. The RTX 5070’s 12GB is the one exception we make, because DLSS earns it a spot. Skip 8GB cards for a new build.

Raster vs. ray tracing. At 1440p ultra, Tom’s measured the RX 9070 XT at 116.5 fps and the RTX 5070 Ti at 116.8 — a tie. Turn on ray tracing and the 5070 Ti pulls ahead, 66.2 to 55.5. Pay the NVIDIA premium for ray tracing and DLSS, not for raster.

Power. Check your PSU before you click. ASUS recommends 750W for the 9070 XT, 5070 Ti and 5070 Prime cards, and 550W for the 9060 XT. The 9070 XT needs three 8-pin cables. The NVIDIA cards use one 16-pin.

The badge. We picked ASUS Prime versions because the specs, images and listings are easy to verify, and they share one 2.5-slot design. Another brand’s card with the same chip at a lower street price is a fine swap. The chip matters more than the sticker.

What about the RX 9070 GRE? Tom’s says it’s the one card still close to MSRP. It’s 12GB and slower than the RTX 5070 in Tom’s 1440p average (86.6 vs. 96.4 fps). If you find it at MSRP and play at 1440p or below, it’s a reasonable buy.