Best Graphics Cards for Gaming in 2026

The year 2025 has come to an end, and it will go down as one of the most significant years in the GPU landscape. As early as CES 2025, AMD and NVIDIA set the tone with major announcements, but it was above all their strategic decisions that shaped the market over the long term.

AMD made the choice to step away from the race for extreme performance and instead focus exclusively on the mainstream consumer segment. As a result, NVIDIA was left with a free hand in the ultra-high-end market, imposing both its solutions and its pricing. Risky on paper, this strategy ultimately paid off in terms of adoption among gamers. The recent Radeon RX 9070, for example, has just entered Steam’s monthly hardware survey.

At the same time, availability became one of the main sources of tension. The first few months were rough, marked by widespread stock shortages and prices well above recommended MSRPs. Despite these constraints, demand remained strong—especially for mid-range and entry-level models, which became the true driving force of the market.

Today, the offering is generous, with three major players: AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel. There is no shortage of models to meet every need. Below is an initial rasterization performance overview, providing a quick snapshot of how each graphics card stacks up against the competition.

We selected three resolutions: 1080p, 1440p, and 2160p. In all cases, graphics settings are pushed to the maximum. The GeForce RTX 5090 serves as the reference point, with a performance index of 100. This overview is a compilation of our own testing over the past two years, combined with results from our colleagues at TH.

Below is the same overview, but focused on ray tracing performance.

GeForce RTX 5090: Total Dominance, Without Competition

In the ultra-high-end segment, the GeForce RTX 5090 faced no direct competition. Based on the Blackwell GB202 architecture and equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, it established itself as the most powerful consumer graphics card ever released. Its 4K—and even 8K—performance, combined with unmatched ray tracing and AI workloads, makes it a true showcase product.

That dominance comes at a cost. Officially priced at $1,999, it has rarely been available at that level due to limited supply and very strong demand. It also suffers from a few drawbacks, including extremely high power consumption.

Radeon RX 9070 XT: The Most Balanced Choice

By stepping away from the flagship segment, AMD focused its efforts on a GPU designed to appeal to the widest possible audience. The Radeon RX 9070 XT, built on the RDNA 4 architecture, quickly established itself as the most balanced option on the market. At a more accessible price than comparable NVIDIA offerings, it delivers excellent performance at 1080p and 1440p, while packing 16 GB of VRAM—a key advantage for long-term viability.

Against the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, the RX 9070 XT holds its own in rasterization but falls behind in path tracing and certain advanced technologies. However, significant improvements to AMD’s ecosystem—particularly with FSR 4 and its evolutions—have strengthened its strengths and overall appeal. Its wider availability and aggressive pricing played a major role in its commercial success.

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB: A Reassuring Budget GPU

Priced under €370, the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB marks a turning point. After several disappointing entry-level generations, AMD finally delivered a card capable of providing a solid 1080p experience and respectable 1440p performance. With 16 GB of VRAM, it clearly exceeds expectations for its segment and proves more future-proof than many competing alternatives.

Its limitations become more apparent at higher resolutions, due to a 128-bit memory bus and limited raw power. Still, for a gaming PC built around a €1,000 budget, it stands out as a very sensible choice.

GeForce RTX 5070: A Safe Bet

Finally, the GeForce RTX 5070 perfectly illustrates NVIDIA’s 2025 strategy. Without delivering a major performance leap over the previous generation, it relies on the maturity of its software ecosystem. DLSS 4, frame generation, and strong ray tracing support remain compelling, despite a VRAM capacity that is increasingly viewed as limited by today’s standards.

Long sold above its MSRP due to supply constraints, it became more attractive toward the end of the year as availability improved.

Intel Arc B580: A Credible Outsider

Positioned as a solution tailored for 1080p gaming, Intel’s Arc B580 proves both efficient and affordable. It stands out thanks to its 12 GB of VRAM at a very aggressive price point. Its performance rivals that of the GeForce RTX 4060 and even surpasses the older Arc A770 in some cases.

The main drawback remains the XeSS ecosystem, which is still far from matching the maturity of NVIDIA’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR. That said, graphics drivers have made noticeable progress.

FAQ: How to Choose the Right Graphics Card?

Choosing a graphics card primarily depends on your target resolution and desired refresh rate. For most gamers, 1080p or 1440p remains the best compromise. VRAM capacity has also become a central criterion. Today, 8 GB models are reaching their limits, while 16 GB is emerging as a more future-proof baseline.

The software ecosystem also plays a decisive role. DLSS, FSR, and XeSS can significantly influence the gaming experience—sometimes even more than raw performance alone.