When you're setting out to build a gaming PC, the most crucial decision you'll make is choosing the best graphics card for your build. With a plethora of options available, opting for an AMD graphics card makes a lot of sense, particularly if you want to avoid spending extra on unnecessary features. AMD's current-generation graphics cards support ray tracing and feature FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), an upscaling method supported by most major PC games.
While there are more powerful graphics cards on the market, AMD's offerings like the Radeon RX 9070 XT deliver exceptional 4K performance without the steep price tag often seen with competitors. For those interested in a mid-range option for 1440p gaming, AMD shines, providing excellent value for money.
TL;DR: These Are the Best AMD Graphics Cards
The best 4K AMD graphics card### Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7900 XTX
8See it at Amazon
Best AMD Graphics Card (For Most People)### AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
6See it at Newegg
Best AMD Graphics Card for 1440p### AMD Radeon RX 9070
5See it at Newegg
Best AMD Graphics Card for 1080p### Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 XT Gaming OC Windforce
6See it at Amazon
Best AMD Graphics Card on a Budget### XFX Speedster SWFT Radeon RX 6600
5See it at Amazon
It's worth noting that AMD's graphics architecture powers both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, which simplifies optimization for developers when porting console games to PC. While this doesn't guarantee perfect PC optimization, it certainly aids the process. Of course, AMD isn't the only GPU manufacturer, so if you're interested in Nvidia's offerings, you might want to check out a guide to the best Nvidia graphics cards.
Choosing the best AMD GPU isn't just about picking the fastest card available. You need to consider the resolution at which you'll be playing and, importantly, your budget.
Graphics Card Basics
Graphics cards are inherently complex devices. While you don't need to be an expert to choose a great GPU, understanding a few key points can be helpful. For AMD graphics cards, it's important to identify if it's a current-generation model.
AMD recently revamped its naming convention. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the latest top-end graphics card, succeeding the RX 7900 XTX. Notably, AMD skipped the 8-series and rearranged some numbers. Any AMD card starting with '9' is a current-generation model, while '7' and '6' indicate the previous generations.
Some AMD graphics card model numbers include "XT" or "XTX," indicating a performance upgrade within the same class. This naming convention started with the Radeon RX 5700 XT in 2019. Older models like the RX 580 or RX 480 are outdated and should be avoided unless you can get them for $100 or less.
Generally, a higher model number signifies better performance, but looking at specific specs can provide a more detailed understanding. Video RAM (VRAM) is one of the easiest specs to understand. More VRAM is better, especially at higher resolutions. For 1080p gaming, 8GB is usually sufficient, while 12GB to 16GB is recommended for 1440p, particularly for demanding games. At 4K, you'll want as much VRAM as you can afford, which is why the Radeon RX 9070 XT comes with 16GB.
Another important spec is the number of compute units, which contain streaming multiprocessors (shaders). For the latest AMD cards, each compute unit includes 64 Streaming Multiprocessors. For instance, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX has 96 Compute Units, totaling 6,144 SMs.
Recent AMD graphics cards also feature dedicated hardware for ray tracing in each Compute Unit. The latest models have 1 RT Core per CU, with the 7900 XTX having 96 RT Cores. More RT Cores generally mean better ray tracing performance.
Before finalizing your choice, ensure your PC can handle the graphics card. Check your case's dimensions and power supply wattage, as high-end GPUs require more space and power. Each graphics card will list a recommended power supply, so make sure yours is adequate.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT – Photos
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If You Just Want the Best: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
Best AMD Graphics Card (For Most People)### AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
6The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is an excellent 4K graphics card that won't cost you an arm and a legSee it at Newegg
Product Specifications
- Streaming Multiprocessors: 4096
- Base Clock: 1660 MHz
- Game Clock: 2400 MHz
- Video Memory: 16GB GDDR6
- Memory Bandwidth: 644.6 GB/s
- Memory Bus: 256-bit
- Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin
Pros
- Excellent 4K gaming performance for the price
- Plenty of VRAM
Cons
- Brings GPU prices down to sanity (in theory)
The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT has revolutionized the market by offering competitive performance against Nvidia's more expensive options. Launched at $599, it's significantly cheaper than the $749 RTX 5070 Ti while delivering slightly better performance across the board. In my review, the Radeon RX 9070 XT averaged 2% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti, showcasing AMD's value proposition. This card handles 4K gaming and ray tracing well, though not quite as efficiently as Nvidia's offerings.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT & 9070 – Benchmarks
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The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT introduces FSR 4, which uses AI to upscale games to your native resolution. Although FSR 4 incurs a 10% performance loss compared to FSR 3.1, it offers significantly better image quality, making it ideal for single-player games where frame rate isn't as critical.
Whether AMD will release a more powerful successor remains to be seen, but the Radeon RX 9070 XT currently offers outstanding 4K performance for the price, making it a top choice.
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX – Photos
11 Images
Best For 4K: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
The best 4K AMD graphics card### Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7900 XTX
8The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is an extremely powerful graphics card, easily able to power most AAA games at 4K max settings. See it at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Streaming Multiprocessors: 6144
- Base Clock: 1929MHz
- Game Clock: 2365MHz
- Video Memory: 24GB
- Memory Bandwidth: 960 GB/s
- Memory Bus: 384-bit
- Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin
- Outputs: 1 x HDMI 2.1a, 2 x DisplayPort 2.1, 1 x USB-C
Pros
- Excellent performance at 4K
- More VRAM than you'll need for gaming
Cons
- Can fall behind in ray tracing performance
While 1440p and 1080p remain popular, 4K gaming enthusiasts will find the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX worth the investment. Priced around $900, it offers unparalleled performance for the money. In reviews, the RX 7900 XTX matched or outperformed the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 in many tests, making it a better choice today due to its price-to-performance ratio.
Subsequent tests have shown the RX 7900 XTX maintaining competitive performance, even beating the RTX 4080 Super in games without heavy reliance on ray tracing. For instance, in Forza Horizon 5, both cards delivered nearly identical frame rates, while the RX 7900 XTX edged out the RTX 4080 Super in Total War: Warhammer 3.
Although the newer AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT outperforms the 7900 XTX in some 4K scenarios, the 7900 XTX's 24GB of RAM makes it ideal for games with high-resolution textures. If you're willing to spend around a thousand dollars, the RX 7900 XTX offers the best value, especially for games that prioritize traditional performance over ray tracing.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 – Photos
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Best for 1440p: AMD Radeon RX 9070
Best AMD Graphics Card for 1440p### AMD Radeon RX 9070
5While it's priced close to the RX 9070 XT, the Radeon RX 9070 is an excellent 1440p graphics card for the money. See it at Newegg
Product Specifications
- Streaming Multiprocessors: 3584
- Base Clock: 1330 MHz
- Game Clock: 2520 MHz
- Video Memory: 16GB GDDR6
- Memory Bandwidth: 644.6 GB/s
- Memory Bus: 256-bit
- Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin
Pros
- Excellent 1440p gaming performance
- Brings AI upscaling to an AMD graphics card
Cons
- Priced a little too closely to the RX 9070 XT
The AMD Radeon RX 9070, while slightly less powerful than the RX 9070 XT, is a compelling choice for 1440p gaming. It delivers strong performance, often hitting triple-digit frame rates in many games, and can easily handle most titles without ray tracing. In direct competition with the Nvidia RTX 5070, the RX 9070 outperforms it by an average of 12%.
Both the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT introduce FSR 4, an AI-based upscaling method that enhances image quality, though it may slightly reduce frame rates compared to FSR 3. FSR 4 is optional and can be toggled off in the AMD Adrenalin software if higher frame rates are preferred over image quality.
AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT
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Best for 1080p: AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT
Best AMD Graphics Card for 1080p### Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 XT Gaming OC Windforce
6With 16GB of VRAM, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is poised to power top-end games at 1080p for years to come. See it at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Streaming Multiprocessors: 2048
- Base Clock: 1980 MHz
- Game Clock: 2470 MHz
- Video Memory: 16GB GDDR6
- Memory Bandwidth: 288 GB/s
- Memory Bus: 128-bit
- Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin
- Outputs: 1 x HDMI 2.1a, 3 x DisplayPort 2.1
Pros
- Solid performance for the money
- Small enough to fit in any PC build
Cons
- Will struggle in some super-demanding games with ray tracing enabled
1080p remains the most popular resolution for PC gaming due to its affordability and quality. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, priced at around $309, is ideal for high-end 1080p gaming. In reviews, it showed strong performance at this resolution, delivering high frame rates in games like Forza Horizon 5 and Far Cry 6.
While it may struggle with some ray tracing-intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077, it still offers playable frame rates with adjusted settings. The inclusion of 16GB of GDDR6 ensures the RX 7600 XT will remain relevant as games become more demanding.
Best on a Budget: AMD Radeon RX 6600
Best AMD Graphics Card on a Budget### XFX Speedster SWFT Radeon RX 6600
5The AMD Radeon RX 6600, a last-gen graphics card, still delivers impressive performance in 1080p games, particularly for esports enthusiasts. See it at Amazon
Product Specifications
- Streaming Multiprocessors: 1792
- Base Clock: 1626 MHz
- Game Clock: 2044 MHz
- Video Memory: 8GB GDDR6
- Memory Bandwidth: 224 GB/s
- Memory Bus: 128-bit
- Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin
- Outputs: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a
Pros
- Great for esports
- Very affordable
Cons
- It's a last-gen graphics card
The AMD Radeon RX 6600, though a last-generation card, is still a solid choice for budget-conscious gamers. Priced around $199, it delivers excellent performance at 1080p, particularly for less demanding genres like MMOs, shooters, and MOBAs. While it may not handle the latest high-end games as well, it's more than capable for most multiplayer gaming scenarios.
What is FSR?
FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) is AMD's upscaling technology for PC gaming. It uses information from recent frames and motion vectors provided by the game engine to upscale lower resolution images to your native resolution. Earlier versions were software-based, but FSR 4, introduced with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT, leverages AI accelerators for enhanced image quality, albeit with a slight performance cost.
FSR also includes frame generation, which adds extra frames between 'real' frames, improving performance but potentially introducing latency at lower frame rates. It's best used when already achieving 50-60fps.
What is Ray Tracing?
Ray tracing is a technique for rendering realistic lighting in 3D scenes by tracing the path of light rays as they interact with objects. This method enhances the visual quality of games but demands significant GPU power. Initially, ray tracing was limited to specific elements like reflections or shadows, but newer games now implement full path tracing, which relies on dedicated RT Cores in modern graphics cards to achieve real-time performance.
