Best GPU for esports
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What makes a GPU good for esports?Competitive gamers will want one thing: all the frames. While it would be easy to conclude the article with: ‘just get the most powerful GPU and PC out there and you’ll be good,’ we also understand that every person’s budget is different. Additionally, there are some games that don’t require the latest and greatest graphics card to achieve respectable framerates, so it is important to consider the options you have. As a bottom limit, we see 144 frames per second as the minimum. We recommend reaching at least 144 frames per second if you want to be competitive.
Over 90% of the analyzed professionals play on a setup capable of pushing and displaying at least 144 frames per second. If you’re looking for a dedicated card for gaming and esports, this is definitely worth the extra investment as you will be unable to go back once you have played competitive games at higher refresh rates.
Furthermore, it is important to have a balanced build, too. For example, if you buy a 3080 and install it on a PC with an i3 CPU and 8GB of RAM, it makes no sense. It is important to avoid a system that is underpowered that bottlenecks your GPU. Therefore, before purchasing something as crucial as a GPU, make sure to budget appropriately and to consider your needs. With that out of the way, having a good graphics card on your computer is definitely important. It’s easy these days to get 60 frames per second in a competitive game (definitely if you turn down some settings here and there), but it takes some processing power to get a stable 144 frames, and 240 frames are only possible with the most powerful GPUs. There’s no doubt about it, however: it’s worth it.
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Best GPU for best GPU for esports
Based on our analysis, Nvidia is by far the most popular graphics card manufacturer among professional gamers. While we cannot predict what the future holds, it is unquestionably true that Nvidia is currently the best choice if you are looking for high performance cards. That’s why you will see only cards from ‘team green’ on this list.
As a result of our analysis of games, we have compiled a list of cards that are sure to suit all budgets and setups, so you should be able to find the card you need right here. We’ve chosen only cards that are currently in production and available for purchase. We recommend going for the newer RTX line if you’re shopping for something new. If you can get a clearance sale on something like an RTX 2080, then these cards are still a good option.
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RTX 3070~The best overall option
It is important to consider your budget as a competitive gamer. If you were able to spend unlimited amounts, you would probably buy the most expensive (and most powerful) GPU, but you wouldn’t be looking at this article.
Among the best options for competitive gamers, the RTX 3070 is our pick. If you are someone who is dedicated to competitive gaming (and are willing to lower some ingame settings and whatnot), then this card will give you the best bang for your buck since it can deliver 240+ frames per second in all but the most demanding of our analyzed games.
We’d also highly recommend the RTX 3070 as an esports card unless you absolutely want to be on the cutting edge of GPU technology (or if you’re a gamer at the highest level). It also has plenty of juice for playing the latest and greatest games at (close to) their full beauty.
Best GPU for gaming
GEFORCE RTX 3070 SPECS:
GPU CHIP
Chip: GA104
Architecture: Ampere
Manufacturing Process: 8nm
CUDA Cores: 5888
GPU MEMORY
Size: 8 GB GDDR6
Interface: 256-bit
Speed: 14 Gbps
Bandwidth: 448 GB/s
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RTX 3080~Best for serious/(semi) pro players / higher resolutions
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 LHR 12GB GDRR6X 384-Bit HDMI/DP Nvlink Torx Fan 4 RGB
It is essential to grab every advantage you can get, no matter how small, if you wish to play at the highest levels (or you intend to play at the highest levels). Most professional players that switch over to new lines of cards prefer the higher tier cards in the lineup because, for pro players, every frame counts, so using the best gear is important when you’re playing at such levels where even one death can mean the difference between winning or losing a lot of money.
The card is obviously the best choice for those who have a large budget (or play graphically demanding games such as Warzone or Fortnite), and for people who like to maximize the performance of their games. We think it is one of the best GPUs to buy if you are a dedicated gamer because it delivers a lot of performance at an affordable price, making it one of the best GPUs out there. Aside from its sheer power, it also offers a competitive framerate even at higher resolutions, making it an ideal solution for gamers.
GEFORCE RTX 3080 SPECS:
GPU CHIP
Chip: GA102
Architecture: Ampere
Manufacturing Process: 8nm
CUDA Cores: 8704
GPU MEMORY
Size: 10 GB GDDR6X
Interface: 320-bit
Speed: 19 Gbps
Bandwidth: 448 GB/s
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RTX 3060 Ti~The best budget GPU
ZOTAC GeForce RTX™ 3060 Ti Twin Edge OC LHR 8GB
The RTX 3060 Ti is a fantastic budget option if you’re looking to play at competitive levels, but don’t have the money for some of the higher tier cards. Our choice was based on the performance boost that you get with the 3060 Ti, which is usually worth the extra price over the even cheaper 3060. We would always recommend the Ti over the 3060 if you’re on a tight budget, even if it means saving up for a little longer. However, if your budget is really tight you may want to consider the 3060, but the Ti is a huge step up in performance for a relatively small price jump.
In most of the games we analyzed, the RTX 3060 Ti delivers 240+ frames per second, though its performance isn’t quite as consistent as the RTX 3070. This is an amazing budget option if you’re able to lower a few ingame settings to get a smoother experience (usually this isn’t even necessary, since the 3060 Ti handles 240+ frames per second with relative ease for most of our analyzed games).
As a budget card for competitive gamers, it’s a pretty hard card to beat. It’s not optimal for playing the latest graphical masterpieces since it won’t be powerful enough, but as a card for dedicated gamers, it’s great.
GEFORCE RTX 3060 TI SPECS:
GPU CHIP
Chip: GA104
Architecture: Ampere
Manufacturing Process: 8m
CUDA Cores: 4864
GPU MEMORY
Size: 8 GB GDDR6
emory Interface: 256-bit
Speed: 14 Gbps
Bandwidth: 448 GB/s
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Conclusion: Best GPU for Competitive Gaming
A gaming and esports card that is best for you depends on a number of factors, though the best card for competitive gaming is the most powerful card (remember frames win games). For someone who plays mostly CS:GO and a few 2D indie games as a side hobby, you won’t need a beast of a graphics card. The more powerful cards are obvious choices for someone who wants to play Warzone at max graphics and enjoy the latest singleplayer games. The next section includes our recommended GPUs based on our analyzed games. Therefore, you can get a feel for what their respective requirements are and make an informed choice.
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