Are you looking for a graphics card suitable for 4K? Whether you are a gamer looking for stunning graphics or a professional for 4k UHD video editing, you will need a powerful graphics card on your computer!
However, you still need to know where to look... This is why we have written this comparison and buying guide so that you can choose the best graphics card for gaming in 4K and video editing in resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels .
Know before you buy!
- To be able to use the full capabilities of your 4K graphics card, the processor power must be able to keep up. Indeed, these 2 components must be balanced in their frequency. If your CPU isn't able to keep up with your GPU, even if you have a UHD graphics card , you won't be able to game in 4K.
- Some 4K graphics cards are equipped with overclocking to push performance even further. It's a form of boosting. However, in addition to generating infernal noise due to the fans if they are not powerful enough, you risk overheating. Use sparingly!
- Who says 4K video editing and high-resolution gaming says graphics card for 4K screen. Yes, don't imagine playing in UHD on a PC monitor that only displays HD.
Comparison of the best graphics cards for 4k!
To enjoy 4K resolution on your gaming PC, equipping yourself with high-performance and suitable accessories is essential to have a better graphics experience. To have optimal configurations and play the latest generations of high-resolution games, the new generations of graphics cards for gamers promise total immersion, but also incomparable performance!
ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090: the most powerful graphics card
Features and Reviews
An ASUS brand product, this graphics card offers incredible performance in high-resolution video games. For a price of €3965.00, this graphics card is the most expensive on the market. It is equipped with a 24 GB GDDR6X video memory card. With high operating frequencies and an improved cooling system, this graphics card is the most powerful of its generation.
The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3090 is equipped with 3 double ball bearing fans with a reverse rotation system for the central one. Based on the Ampere architecture, this graphics card offers a new and incomparable experience on recent games. It makes the gamer totally immersed in the actions. The graphics are more realistic with 8K resolution. With improved performance, RT, Tensor cores and stream multipliers, ASUS promises more fluidity.
The FP32 yield flow is doubled. This graphics card is made up of very robust capacitors, following military safety standards. GPU Tweak II provides intuitive performance tweaks, controls and monitors system temperatures. In terms of connectivity, this graphics card offers 2 female HDMI ports, 3 female Displayports and 2 8-pin PCI-Express. You can plug in up to displays for a better graphics experience.
MSI Radeon RX 6900 XT GAMING X TRIO 16G: enjoy a unique graphics experience
Features and Reviews
A product from the MSI brand, this Radeon RX 6900 XT GAMING X TRIO 16G graphics card model is among the most expensive available on the market currently. To afford its performance, the price to pay is €2,019, a huge sum for a computer accessory, but it will offer you the best graphic qualities for games in 4K resolution.
Powered by the RDNA 2 architecture, this graphics card is specially designed for the most demanding gamers and is equipped with modern technologies including Radeon Sharpening and Fidelity FX. It is suitable for use in Virtual Reality except for UHD 4K resolution. With the overlocking option, the clock frequency can go up to 2340 MHz to reach the peak of its capacity, graphic quality and very developed with small details and more fluidity.
In terms of features, the MSI RADEON is equipped with 5120 stream processors, 320 texture units, a 256-bit memory interface, 16 GB GDDR6 VRAM memory and 80 Ray Accelerators for 2nd generation Raytracing to give more reality to your image. To better dissipate thermal heat, it is equipped with 3 fans and hot air exhaust.
Concerning the physical characteristics, its dimensions are 32.4 x 14.1 x 5.5 cm (W x D x H). Powered by power supply connectors, a minimum electrical power is required, i.e. 750 W.
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming OC: enjoy 4K resolution
Features and Reviews
The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming OC graphics card supports the incredible image resolution of 4K up to 8K. For a price of €1609.00, treat yourself to this RTX 3070 graphics card, which promises a graphics experience extraordinary and surprising realism in your games. This RTX 3070 model proves its efficiency and speed thanks to the Nvidia Ampere Streaming multiprocessor system.
With a high clock frequency of up to 1725 MHz and 5888 CUDA cores, it is compatible with the latest generation games. Gaming performance is optimized to the maximum possible. With incomparable fluidity, your PC's display will not experience any bugs during use. The RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 RAM, which allows you to quickly transmit 4K images from your GPU to your PC screen.
Moreover, owning a G-Sync PC screen is an advantage for gamers, because the images are perfectly synchronized, you will have more realistic brightness and shadow thanks to 2nd generation Ray Tracing. Equipped with a WINDFORCE cooling system, this Gigabyte graphics card has 3 alternating rotating fans, they ensure heat dissipation during prolonged use and boost the endurance of this equipment. The RGB LED lighting system is customizable. You can adjust it via Gigabyte software.
ASUS TUF NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 OC: equipped with a very efficient cooling system
Features and Reviews
Another product from the ASUS brand, this TUF Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 OC model is one of the best graphics cards available on the market. It features new streaming multiprocessors, which benefit the speed and performance of the GPU. They multiply the flow rate of the FP32 in half. With 2nd generation RT cores, performance is still more satisfactory than the 1st generation.
Equipped with TUF-stamped capacitors and components, they meet military quality standards due to their robustness. With its 3 cooling fans, the center one is equipped with a reverse rotation mechanism. They feature double ball bearings for better dissipation performance. Intuitive performance settings are enabled for temperature control during use as well as system monitoring.
The RTX 3080 is equipped with 10 GB GDDR6X memory. It ensures image fluidity, but also quality with incredible realism at a resolution of 4K or even 8 K. In terms of connectivity, this graphics card counts a PCI-Express 4.0, an HDMI 2.1 port and a Displayport. With dimensions of 30 x 12.7 x 5.2 cm, this accessory is light at 1.4Kg.
MSI GEFORCE RTX 2080TI Gaming X Trio: the graphics card with intelligent technology
Features and Reviews
The MSI brand unveils its RTX 2080 TI Gaming X Trio model. For a price of €1999.99, this graphics card features the latest version of MSI's award-winning design: TRI-FROZR, which uses 3 fans for cooling. With the TORX 3.0 models, heat dissipation is ensured by new intelligent technology with aerodynamic fans to reduce air flow, but also noise.
With an original and modern design, this MSI graphics card uses a mix of black and gray gunmetal type colors. As for the back plate, it is made of matching metal. It supports almost all games with 4k resolution smoothly and without bugs. With high settings, this graphics card proves its performance with very realistic visuals thanks to Ray Tracing technology. Equipped with an RGB lighting system, it can be adjusted via the Mystic Light software.
You can sync with other lights in your RGB light system from your system. This graphics card is designed to satisfy demanding gamers in terms of quality and graphics. If you are playing a light game, watching a movie, the fans will turn off automatically, and will not bother you in any way.
What is the difference between 4K, FULL HD, UHD, QHD?
Many people suspect that 4K is the highest resolution currently available (at least in terms of gaming graphics cards or video editing). But what is really the difference with other resolutions? Why UHD graphics cards 3 times more powerful than HD graphics cards?
Nowadays, we find 3 types of resolutions that you can display on your PC screen:
- FULL HD
- QHD (or WQHD)
- UDH or 4K
FULL HD
FULL HD represents the 1080p you have on your YouTube videos. From a pixel point of view, we are on 1920×1080. This is a decent resolution for an office graphics card . In itself, video editors and gamers will not be won over by this resolution displayable by most GPUs.
QHD (or WQHD)
Nicer than Full HD with its resolution of 2560×1440 pixels, 1440p begins to give you sublime images on your PC monitor. Here, we start with but also more expensive graphics cards
UHD
UHD and 4K are two names for 3840 x 2160 pixels . To display such a high resolution on your screen, you are going to need resources. Hence the need for a powerful 4K graphics card capable of displaying so many pixels.
Why choose a 4K graphics card?
As you can see, you need to have a UHD graphics card to be able to enjoy 4K resolution. Indeed, even if you are equipped with a 4K monitor, you will not be able to display such a resolution with a graphics card that is not made for it. Hence the importance of having components that can monitor the CPU in particular.
These GPUs are graphics cards for video editing, home cinema and gaming. In short, anything that consumes a lot of resources and requires high resolution (sometimes even through an office graphics card) needs a 4K graphics card.
A 4K graphics card for gaming?
After video editing, gamers are the most greedy customers of these products . Indeed, the resolution of video games is increasingly important as textures move from HD to 4K. Now, as a gamer, you will have to properly analyze your needs to avoid ending up with an unusable GPU.
Indeed, first of all, remember that the more the resolution of your games increases, the more resources 4K graphics card screen scanning frequency will be pulled down. How to overcome this? Make sure you have a 4K 60 fps graphics card at least. You can go up to 144hz if you wish but the bill will be steep!
Either way, make sure your processor is as powerful as your 4K graphics card in which case you can say hello to UHD but goodbye to 144Hz. We agree that it is more enjoyable to play in FULL HD at 60Hz than in 4K with a scan (refresh) rate of 5Hz. Video editors are not exempt from this remark.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a 4K graphics card?
Getting a 4K graphics card has both advantages and disadvantages. Whether you have chosen a home cinema graphics card or a gaming graphics card , you will inevitably be faced with it.
Advantages
Thanks to these powerful GPUs, you will be able to enjoy ultra high resolution (UHD) on your PC screen. For gaming, it is ideal for your 4K games, as long as they are compatible with this resolution of course. Video editors wishing to reach the next level in their profession will be very happy to process their video production in 4K , which home cinema users will be able to enjoy thanks to their UHD graphics card . Having incredible resolution enhancing the game or video you are watching is the advantage of a 4K graphics card.
The inconvenients
Unfortunately, you can imagine that enjoying UHD has a price. Indeed, high-end of this type are extremely expensive but it doesn't stop there. Yes, if you want to be able to display 4K 60fps on gaming or video, you will need a processor with power equivalent to that of your 4K graphics card . In short, if you are not already equipped with a laptop or desktop computer sufficient to accommodate UHD, you will need to invest at least in a 4K screen.
Why invest in a PC monitor?
As long as we are excited about buying our 4K gaming graphics card , we can forget that the resolution mainly passes through our screen. Don't imagine playing in ultra high resolution if your PC monitor can only display 4K. Hence the need to equip yourself with a 4K gaming monitor in addition to your graphics card. At the risk of being disappointed once you get home.
Our buying guide to 4K graphics cards
You now have a clear idea of the benefit of investing in a 4K graphics card , whether for home cinema, video editing or gaming. Thanks to our buying guide you can select the GPU that suits you best in our comparison above, so that you choose the best 4K graphics card for your setup.
Frequency
The frequency of your GPU ( or clock frequency ) is the main indicator of the power of your 4K graphics card in the same way as the processors. We also remind you that the power of these 2 computer components must be similar so that you can use your UHD graphics card without problem.
Either way, the the frequency of your GPU , the more powerful it will be. It is therefore imperative that to benefit from gaming fluidity as well as 4K resolution, you must invest in a 4K 144Hz graphics card. With this top-of-the-range model, you will have peace of mind for a long time.
RAM
When you buy a graphics card to play in 4K, this is the second indicator we are interested in. Indeed, RAM is an extremely important power factor just like the frequency of your GPU. This represents the short-term memory of your graphics card, using it to accelerate the processing of data , keeping the most recurring ones within it.
To put it simply , the higher your RAM, the more powerful your graphics card will be high-resolution textures and shaders in your games and videos (3D modeling, films, animations, etc.). For optimal performance and without going into technical details, we advise you to go with GDDR6 RAM . This is currently the best for 4K graphics cards.
GPU synchronization
GPU synchronization is a technology present in each UHD graphics card, which is specific to the manufacturer. As a result, you will not find the same GPU synchronization with NVIDA and AMD . In fact, there are 2 types to guarantee optimal synchronization between the GPU and the refreshing of your screen:
- Free-Sync AMD 's GPU synchronization . It has the advantage of being compatible with many more peripherals than its NVIDIA counterpart. Indeed, with Free-Sync, you can buy a 4K monitor with your eyes closed.
- G-Sync NVIDIA 's GPU synchronization . The performances are approximately the same as at AMD with a small advantage for NVIDIA which is not shared by everyone as it is negligible. In any case, you will need to check whether your 4K screen is G-Sync compatible or install the drivers , otherwise you risk having a very unpleasant surprise with your new 4K graphics card.
The cooling system
When you buy a graphics card, it comes with a cooling system to ensure that it doesn't explode when you launch your first game in 4K.
The preferred cooling system on graphics cards are fans . Cooler Master liquid system would make 4K graphics cards even more expensive than they already are.
However, remember that you are playing with a powerful GPU which risks overheating without a suitable cooling system. This is why we advise you not to go with less than 2 fans for your UHD graphics card . With this cooling system, you will be able to sleep soundly as long as the fans don't make too much noise!
Indeed, the disadvantage of powerful blowers is that they are noisy, which is disturbing during video editing or gaming. Check your 4K graphics card's reputation for noise pollution or lock it in a soundproof desktop.
The power supply
entry-level, mid-range or high-end graphics card its energy consumption will not be the same. Suffice it to say that 4K graphics card will require a very good power supply , which should not be neglected, otherwise your GPU will simply not work.
As an indication, most PC graphics cards run on 550W (Watt) but 4K graphics cards consume energy and it is on a power supply of a minimum of 620W that you will have to count. This is the price of having a graphics card to play in 4K, that is to say very high-end.
Our FAQ on 4K graphics cards
From now on, you have all the essential knowledge to choose your 4K graphics card. Indeed, we have seen how to determine its frequency RAM and the elements that should not be neglected such as the power supply or a powerful processor . Even though you are now a pro, you must still have a few questions about 4K graphics cards. We invite you to answer them just below in our FAQ on these high-performance GPUs.
Which connector should I choose for my 4K graphics card?
Analyzing and understanding the connections of your UHD graphics card will allow you to avoid quality and refresh rate problems on your or home cinema monitor .
Indeed, it is this which will determine the image output quality of your GPU so that if your 4K 144Hz graphics card is connected to your 4K monitor with an HDMI 2.0 which only transmits 1080p, you will not won't be happy.
When you are going to invest in a graphics card, take a good look at the diversity and number of ports it has. These should be Free-Sync compatible if you have an AMD graphics card and G-Sync compatible if you have an NVIDIA graphics card.
Anyway, the most common connections are:
HDMI
DVI
DisplayPort
It is on the latter that you should opt for your 4K graphics card because it is compatible with the 2 types of GPU synchronization and gives you the best image quality both from a screen resolution and fluidity point of view.
With a 4K graphics card am I guaranteed to play in 4K 144Hz?
As we have mentioned several times, and this is why investing in a high-end GPU is even more expensive, buying a 4K 144Hz graphics card is only the beginning of your gaming setup .
Indeed, if the processor of your laptop or desktop PC is not powerful enough to manage your graphics card, you will simply have nothing on the screen. Maybe a still 4K image if you're lucky. Which for a video game is problematic.
In addition, and we just mentioned this just above, your GPU connectivity must be adapted to the risk of playing with a lower resolution and at 60fps instead of 144Hz. Some won't complain, but you might as well have bought a cheaper 4K graphics card.
Finally, you must have a graphics card for 4K screen. Yes, don't imagine displaying so many pixels if your PC monitor simply doesn't contain enough.
In fact, if you already have all these conditions, you are guaranteed to be able to benefit from your new computer component. But if this is not the case, you will have to invest a little more to benefit from 4K 144Hz.
How do I know my current graphics card?
Knowing your current graphics card allows you to know where you come from, of course, but above all to know the compatibility of your new graphics card with your PC case . Indeed, if you have a powerful gaming PC but your new 4K graphics card is too big to fit into the PC case, you will be disappointed.
Therefore, you have 2 ways to know your current GPU:
You disassemble your PC : a bit tricky, this method will allow you to take the measurements of your graphics card and see the PC case to know whether or not your next UHD graphics card will fit.
You carry out an analysis of the system : you have numerous websites which can give you in detail the characteristics of your component. However, you have 2 options. The first is to go to control panel then to system . The other is to right-click on your desktop and go to your graphics card settings. You can then note the model and compare it to the 4K home cinema graphics card that you want.
Which graphics card to choose between NVDIA and AMD?
There is no right answer to this. In fact, the 2 brands are the same on the market and differ very little. People are more familiar with NVIDIA because their marketing campaign is very good and it partners with big gaming brands like Razer.
What we can tell you is that AMD graphics cards consume more than NVIDIA GPUs , that NVDIAs are generally more technological but that the quality-price ratio of AMDs is more advantageous.
For the sake of consistency, if you are equipped with an AMD processor such as a Ryzen, we advise you to use a 4K graphics card from the same designer . And vice versa for Intel and Nvidia which work well together.
What is overclocking?
Do you know about Turbo Boost on Intel processors? It's basically the same thing but applied to graphics cards. Overclocking your graphics card means boosting its performance, unbridling it in a way. However, when you have an unlocked 4K graphics card, it is certainly more powerful, but also consumes more energy and risks overheating at any time, which would permanently damage your GPU!
This is why we invite you to exercise the greatest caution, especially with a UHD graphics card whose power is already great.
To overcome this, manufacturers invented OC graphics cards
, that is to say with factory overclocking . Therefore, you buy it already boosted and generally equipped with a more efficient cooling system capable of withstanding such a GPU.
What budget for a 4K graphics card?
You can imagine that a 4K graphics card is a high-end graphics card. The price may hurt. Especially since it never comes alone if you are not equipped with a 4K screen processor and a corresponding PC monitor. The addition is like buying a gaming laptop already assembled. But it is true that you will not be able to benefit from the ultra high resolution provided by 4K.
Do you want a UHD graphics card that rocks? In this case, you will have to count around €1000. It is certain that at this price you will have no problem for gaming , video editing, 4K films, graphic designers ... Now, it is in these waters that you will find the best 4K graphics card for your needs.
Which graphics card to buy to play on an FPS?
The search for the ultimate FPS (First Person Shooter) experience requires paying close attention to the performance of your graphics card. The smoothness of gameplay and the precision of graphical details largely depend on this essential component of your PC.
The question then arises: which graphics card should you choose to be at the top of your game during your virtual games?
First of all, for an FPS, the essential quality to look for is certainly the display rate, also known by the English name “framerate”. The quality of shaders, these programs which manage the lighting and hardware aspects of graphics rendering, must also be taken into account. The best graphics cards of the moment, like the NVIDIA RTX 3080 or the Radeon RX 6800 XT, offer cutting-edge shaders that significantly increase the realism of in-game textures.
The resolution aspect should not be neglected either: operating in a high definition world increases immersion and sharpens the sense of detail. A high-end graphics card will be able to display a resolution of at least 1920×1080 pixels.
It would be wise to opt for a graphics card combining high performance and sufficient graphics memory to anticipate future games.
