Graphics Card Buying Guide: 2017 Edition

If you are a PC gamer, then you obviously understand the importance of a good graphics card in your system. The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is the most important component that drives your gaming performance and due to advancements in gaming technologies, it requires upgrading more often than CPUs. Asking the IDB shopkeeper for advice regarding what card to buy is a huge mistake. If you are doing this, please understand you are throwing your money into the drain. 

Number one rule of thumb before spending money on a GPU or any computer component is to do a fair amount of research. Well, luckily for you guys, we have all the research done for you.

UNDERSTANDING THE NUMBERING SCHEME

This is where most people get overwhelmed and hence confused. The graphics card model numbers can be dissected into two parts. The first digit(s) which stands for the Generation and the last digits which stand for the performance rating. It is generally considered wise to get something with a good performance rating from a recent generation. To further explain this:

In a GeForce GTX 1070, 10 stands for the series of the card and 70 is the performance rating. So, in theory, this card will perform much better than a 970 or will be equal to a 980 but still beat it because of generation differences. The point that I am trying to make is, it is considered sane to opt for something like a 970 over a 1050, simply because 970 has the better performance rating. Likewise, it is wise to opt for a 1060 over a 970 because the performance rating is not that far behind and being a newer generation card, the 1060 will make up for the little differences in the performance rating numbers.

CHOOSING YOUR GPU

In this section, we are going to go through each budget class and recommend GPUs from both Nvidia and AMD. Note that we are only looking at current generation parts and single cards only. Bear in mind, the prices mentioned here are subject to change.

Low end

For casual gamers who are on a really tight budget. Low end GPUs are not recommended for hardcore gaming and will not provide the true master race experience. Basically with these cards, you get what you pay for if not less.

NVIDIA GTX 1050 2GB @ BDT 13,500

AMD RX 560 4GB @ BDT 14,000

Best deal: ZOTAC GTX 1050Ti @ BDT 14,200

Mid range

Mid range cards are usually the best bang for buck. It's the budget category that is always under pressure toimprove price to performance ratio. These cards will run all games at 1080p and increasing the resolution above that will require some settings turned down. If you have never owned a gaming PC and are unsure about the importance of gaming in your life, then save some money and get a mid range graphics card.

NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB @ BDT 34,000

AMD RX 580 8GB @ BDT 35,000

These two cards are the best 1080p cards to play at max settings. The 1060 and 580 trade blows depending on games but the 1060 is much more power efficient than the 580. Besides that, there are a lot of titles where the 580 excels better than the 1060 and vice versa. AMD or Nvidia, it doesn't really matter, just get whichever offers a better value.

High end

NVIDIA GTX 1070 6GB @ BDT 55,000

NVIDIA GTX 1080Ti 8GB @ BDT 85,000

Best deal: ASUS TURBO GTX 1080 8GB @ BDT 65,000

SECONDHAND BUYING TIPS

Gamers who are looking for a secondhand GPU should steer clear from cards that do not have any warranty remaining. Unless you are on a very tight budget, it is wise to shell out a bit more cash for expensive cards that have warranty. It is also more convenient to buy cards that were bought from Bangladesh than aboard as it makes the warranty process accessible. Even though Brands like EVGA and XFX offer international warranty, it should be noted that those warranties are not carried out anywhere in Bangladesh. Shipping the GPU to a foreign country is going to cost an arm and a leg, so local market all the way.

Don't forget to test the card with intensive applications like The Witcher 3, 3D Mark and Fur Mark.

SPECIAL MENTION: NVIDIA GTX 1080

Great 1440p performance. This card will also offer great performance in VR. This was the previous "King" before 1080 Ti came out. It has +60% gains from last generation flagship GTX 980. If you are willing to delve into second hand territory, you might stumble across a few 1080s that are priced really close to the 1070. Remember, for that price point the Nvidia GTX 1080 is an EXTREMELY good buy.