If you're looking to build your own gaming PC, or you already have a machine that could use an upgrade, you're probably aware of how important finding a good GPU (or graphics card) can be to your rig's performance.

It's the beast that powers most of the graphical output you'll be hoping for, so if you want those dreamy combinations of resolution and a great frame rate, you'll want to make sure you pick up a good one. We've brought together some of the very best right here, at various price points.

Some of the latest GPUs (particularly Nvidia's 40-series) are hard to get hold of at the moment, so might not feature on this list currently.

Our pick of the best graphics cards to buy today

Asus ROG Strix 4090
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition
1. Best graphics card you can buy

If you're gaming at 4K and beyond this is the one for you

If you want the best then the flagship of the 40-series cards is the logical choice and this is one of the best we've seen.

If you've got deep pockets and want the very best GPU that money can buy then this 40-series card may well be the right option. It costs a small fortune but has the power to manage high FPS even at 4K, especially if you take advantage of DLSS 3.

We found this graphics card to be ideal for heavy workloads too, including video editing, gameplay capture and streaming and more. Not to mention the fact that it looks gorgeous. You will need to check that it fits in your case though as these cards are massive.

Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 16GB AMP Extreme AIRO
Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4080
2. Another great option

Superb 40-series graphics

This is a fantastic 40-series graphics card with plenty of power for 4K gaming

The Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 is an excellent option for those looking for a powerful and multi-capable GPU. We found this graphics card reduced our video rendering times and significantly increased our FPS in various games after moving from the RTX 3090. It's also a great looking card, with highlights that include an anti-sag bracket, interesting RGB lighting and more.

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Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3090 VISION OC 24GB
3. A logical older GPU choice

Excellent 30-series option

This is not only a great looking card, but one you can use to game at 8K if you have a screen capable of doing so. 

The Gigabyte RTX 3090 VISION OC 24GB is not only a beast of a GPU, it's also a thing of beauty. This is one of the flagship cards from the 30-series line-up. So it's not the newest but it's still great and more affordable now.

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Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founder's Edition
4. An affordable alternative

Affordable compact GPU

This is one of the most affordable Nvidia 3000 series cards which still offers great performance. 

If you baulk at the price of the other graphics cards on this list or want something a little smaller but no less eager to please, then look no further than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founder's Edition. This is a much more compact card, with Nvidia's own clever cooling system and a really nice style.

Most importantly though, without breaking the bank, the RTX 3060 Ti manages some impressive specs and excellent performance that won't disappoint.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founder's Edition is not just a great-looking graphics card, it's also a real powerhouse. Offering superb bang for your buck.

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XFX AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Triple Dissipation 8GB GDDR6
5. Also Great

Powerful mid-range performance

A brilliant GPU at a sensible price that will stand the test of time. 

This is the GPU that's gracing our mid-range build, and we've been having a brilliant time with it. An AMD card, XFX has brought its design knowledge to the table with a three-fan system that makes for really impressive cooling.

It's more than enough to see you to the highest settings on newly-released games, meanwhile, although you might not find it the best for 4K, which needs a little more investment. For a powerful mid-range PC, though, this is just about perfect.

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Intel Arc A770
6. Worth Considering

Great value for money

The Arc A770 is a surprisingly good GPU from Intel that delivers great performance for modern games, especially when considering the power to price ratio.

The Intel Arc A770 is Intel's current flagship graphics card. It's not as powerful as Nvidia's top-end 40-series offerings, but that doesn't mean it should be overlooked, especially considering the price.

We found this graphics card runs modern games surprisingly well. Especially at 1080p or 1440p where the frame rates are comparable with much more expensive cards.

It's also able to run 4K games too, though not necessarily with frame rates that would blow your socks off.

The Arc A770 also has hidden delights that include AV1 encoding capabilities, which means it's ideal for content creators who are looking to record footage for gameplay videos and other things.

This is an affordable option that we really think is worth considering.