Graphics cards are one of the most important components of modern computers. It’s not just a gaming component – the graphics card takes care of everything you see on screen, from web browsing to professional 3D modelling. There are basically three main types of graphics cards, which differ in their focus, performance and price. Each has its own specific uses and features.
Key information at a glance:
- 🎮 Gaming cards: NVIDIA RTX 4000, AMD RX 7000, Intel Arc 700 series
- 💼 Professional: NVIDIA Quadro, AMD Pro, Tesla
- 📺 Basic (Multimedia and Integrated GPUs)
- 💰 Price range: 100€ – 2000€
- important parameters: VRAM, Bus width, Clock speeds
- 🌡️ Consumption: 75W – 450W
Basic division of graphics cards
Gaming graphics cards make up the largest segment of the market. They are designed to deliver maximum gaming performance while keeping the price at a reasonable level. These cards usually offer a good price-performance ratio, plus a number of gaming technologies such as ray-tracing or upscaling.
Professional graphics cards focus on accuracy and reliability. Unlike gaming cards, they use specially certified drivers and are optimised for professional applications. You’ll find them in the workstations of architects, designers and scientists.
Basic GPU solutions cover the needs of everyday users. These include both integrated graphics in processors and basic dedicated cards. Their main advantage is their low price and power consumption, they can handle normal work and simple games.
Graphics card types – comparison
In the table you can see the comparison for the basic types of graphics cards such as integrated GPU, gaming or dedicated graphics cards.
| GPU type | Manufacturer | Model | VRAM capacity (GB) | Ray Tracing support | Average FPS at 1080p | 4K FPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | AMD | Radeon 780M | 6 | Yes | 60 | 15 |
| Gaming GPUs | NVIDIA/AMD | GeForce RTX 4090 / RX 7900 XTX | 24/20 | Yes | 120 | 50 |
| Professional GPU | NVIDIA | RTX A4000 | 16 | Yes | – | – |
| Data Center GPU | NVIDIA/AMD | A100/MI300 | 128 | No* | – | – |
Gaming graphics cards
The main types of graphics cards are clearly gaming graphics cards. These cards represent the technological cutting edge of consumer GPUs. Manufacturers are implementing the latest technologies in them and are constantly competing for the position of performance leader. We know the 2 main graphics card manufacturers Nvidia and Amd. They are now joined by Intel, with their new “Intel Arc” series.
Features and advanced technologies
- Ray tracing: Provides realistic lighting, reflections and shadowing to add dynamism and authenticity to games.
- DLSS or FidelityFX: Intelligent upscaling technologies that allow for increased FPS without compromising image quality.
- High VRAM: A minimum of 8GB is now standard for modern AAA games, but 12GB or more is recommended for 4K resolutions.
- Cooling: most gaming cards use active cooling or hybrid solutions to ensure optimal temperatures.
High-end segment (2000€ )
These cards represent the absolute top of the market. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX offer:
- Seamless 4K gaming at 144Hz
- Full-featured ray-tracing without compromising performance
- Massive VRAM capacity (24 GB on RTX 4090)
- DLSS 3.0 (NVIDIA) and FSR 3.0 (AMD) support
However, these cards are not for everyone. Their high price and extreme power consumption (450W and more) require a premium power supply and quality cooling. They are mainly used by enthusiasts, streamers and content creators.
Mid-range (500-1000€)
In the middle class we can find the most popular models such as RTX 4070 or RX 7800 XT. This category offers:
- Optimal performance for 1440p gaming
- Good ray-tracing performance
- Reasonable power consumption (200-300W)
- Excellent value for money
These are the cards we recommend to most gamers. They can handle all modern games in high detail and their price is still affordable. Plus, with 12-16 GB of VRAM, they have good potential for the future.
Budget segment (up to 300€)
The basic category of gaming cards includes models such as the RTX 4060 and RX 7600. Their main advantages:
- Affordable price
- Low power consumption
- Compact dimensions
- Sufficient power for 1080p
These cards target players of e-sports titles and less demanding games. Surprisingly, they can also handle ray-tracing, albeit with a more significant impact on performance. They are an ideal choice for beginner gamers.
Practical experience: from our experience testing dozens of graphics cards, we can say that the best choice for most gamers is the mid-range. Cards like the RTX 4070 offer excellent price-performance ratio while keeping their power consumption within reasonable limits. High-end models like the RTX 4090 do offer fascinating performance, but their price is hard to justify for the average user.
Professional graphics cards
Professional graphics cards represent a specialised market segment. Unlike gaming cards, they focus on precision, reliability and specific computing tasks.
Workstation GPUs
Workstation GPUs such as NVIDIA Quadro and AMD Radeon Pro series dominate the professional market. These cards offer:
- Certified drivers for CAD/CAM applications
- ECC memory for maximum accuracy
- Optimization for OpenGL and Vulkan
- Extended technical support
Typical Uses:
- Architectural visualizations
- Automotive design
- Film Effects
- Scientific Simulations
In practice, we’ve seen cases where Quadro cards have been able to run up to 5x faster in specialized applications than gaming cards of a similar price range.
GPUs for rendering and artificial intelligence (AI)
Dedicated cards for rendering and artificial intelligence, such as NVIDIA Tesla, feature:
- Lack of video outputs
- Massive VRAM capacity (up to 80GB)
- Support for multi-GPU wiring
- Optimization for CUDA and TensorFlow
Practical applications:
- Training AI models
- Scientific computing
- Rendering movies
- Big Data analysis
Pricing policy
Professional cards are significantly more expensive than their gaming counterparts:
- Basic Quadro models: from 1000€
- Mid-range: 2000-5000€
- High-end solutions: 10000€
However, this higher price often pays for itself in the form of higher productivity and reliability.
Basic GPU solutions
Integrated graphics cards
The basic types of graphics cards include integrated GPUs. These cards are part of the processor and provide a cost-effective solution for basic computing tasks.
Intel Iris Xe:
- Up to 96 compute units
- Shared system RAM
- AV1 decoding support
- DirectX 12 Ultimate
AMD Radeon Graphics:
- RDNA 2 architecture
- Better gaming performance
- FSR support
- Hardware Ray Tracing
Integration benefits:
- Lower power consumption
- Smaller system size
- Lower costs
- Easier cooling
Low-profile cards
These cards are designed for compact computers and specific applications:
Main characteristics:
- Height up to 69mm
- Passive or single-fan cooling
- Power directly from PCIe slot
- Limited performance
Popular Models:
- GTX 1650 Low Profile
- RX 6400 ITX
- Quadro T400
These cards are ideal for:
- HTPC (Home Theater PC)
- Office PCs
- Digital information panels
- Compact workstations
Multimedia graphics cards
Between the categories of gaming graphics cards and Basic GPUs we can include multimedia graphics cards. These cards represent a solution for users who do not need powerful devices. They are ideal for browsing the internet, watching high-definition videos or reading documents. Examples include cards such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660, which are still classed as gaming graphics cards, but it has been 5 years since they were launched and the technology has moved on to a completely different level. However, for multimedia use they are ideal because their low power consumption (about 60-70w) and performance is perfect for everyday activities such as streaming videos, working with documents or normal office work.
Characteristics
- Energy Efficiency: these cards have low power consumption, which reduces operating costs and extends battery life in laptops.
- Compactness.
- Affordability: They are ideal for users on a budget.
Performance
- Average FPS at 1080p: 60 FPS for basic multimedia applications.
- Endurance.
External graphics cards
Other types of graphics cards include external graphics cards. Also known as eGPUs, these cards are ideal for boosting the performance of laptops. They allow users flexibility and the ability to expand performance as needed.
Benefits and uses
- Easy to install: just connect via Thunderbolt port.
- Flexibility.
- Versatility.
External graphics cards are suitable for users who need high performance on demand but don’t want to invest in a new computer.