Desktop GPU Performance Hierarchy Table

Here is a resource to help you judge if a graphics card is a reasonable value: The gaming GPU hierarchy chart groups GPUs by performance.

Best Graphics Cards for the Money is a hand-picked list of the top values, based on benchmark data, for your gaming machine. Most recently, we tweaked our approach to making recommendations, aiming them at resolutions and detail presets, rather than just pricing. The result was a significant shuffling. Don’t hesitate to let us know what you think of the change — or our choices — in the comments section.

But when you want to know how your existing GPU fares against the one on your wish list, then consult our GPU hierarchy chart, which groups graphics cards with similar overall performance levels into tiers. The top tier contains the highest-performing cards available, and performance decreases as you go down from there.

You can use this hierarchy to compare the pricing between two cards, to see which one is a better deal, and also to determine if an upgrade is worthwhile. I don’t recommend upgrading your graphics card unless the replacement card is at least three tiers higher. Otherwise, the upgrade is somewhat parallel, and you may not even notice a worthwhile difference.

Desktop GPU Performance Hierarchy Table

Nvidia GeForce	AMD Radeon	Intel
GTX Titan Z	R9 295X2
Titan X, 980 Ti	HD 7990, R9 Fury X
GTX 980, 690, Titan Black	R9 Fury. Fury Nano
GTX 780, 780 Ti, 970, Titan	R9 290, 290X, 390X, 390
GTX 590, 680, 770	HD 6990, 7970 GHz Ed., R9 280X, 380, 380X
GTX 580, GTX 670, GTX 960	HD 5970, 7870 LE (XT), 7950, 280, 285
GTX 660 Ti, GTX 760, GTX 950	HD 7870, R9 270, R9 270X, R7 370
GTX 295, 480, 570, 660	HD 4870 X2, 6970, 7850, R7 265
GTX 470, 560 Ti, 560 Ti 448 Core, 650 Ti Boost, 750 Ti	HD 4850 X2, 5870, 6950, R7 260X
GTX 560, 650 Ti, 750	HD 5850, 6870, 7790
9800 GX2, 285, 460 256-bit, 465	HD 6850, 7770, R7 260, R7 360	Integrated: Iris Pro Graphics 6200
GTX 260, 275, 280, 460 192-bit, 460 SE, 550 Ti, 560 SE, GT 650, GT 740 GDDR5	HD 4870, 5770, 4890, 5830, 6770, 6790, 7750 (GDDR5), R7 250 (GDDR5), R7 250E
8800 Ultra, 9800 GTX, 9800 GTX+, GTS 250, GTS 450	HD 3870 X2, 4850, 5750, 6750, 7750 (DDR3), R7 250 (DDR3)	Integrated: HD Graphics 530
8800 GTX, 8800 GTS 512 MB, GT 545 (GDDR5), GT 730 64-bit GDDR5	HD 4770
8800 GT 512 MB, 9800 GT, GT 545 (DDR3), GT 640 (DDR3), GT 740 DDR3	HD 4830, HD 5670, HD 6670 (GDDR5), HD 7730 (GDDR5)
8800 GTS 640 MB, 9600 GT, GT 240 (GDDR5)	HD 2900 XT, HD 3870, HD 5570 (GDDR5), HD 6570 (GDDR5)
8800 GS, 9600 GSO, GT 240 (DDR3)	HD 3850 512 MB, HD 4670, HD 5570 (DDR3), HD 6570 (DDR3), HD 6670 (DDR3), HD 7730 (DDR3), R7 240
8800 GT 256 MB, 8800 GTS 320 MB, GT 440 GDDR5, GT 630 GDDR5, GT 730 128-bit GDDR5	HD 2900 Pro, HD 3850 256 MB, 5550 (GDDR5)
7950 GX2, GT 440 DDR3, GT 630 DDR3, GT 730 128-bit DDR3	X1950 XTX, HD 4650 (DDR3), 5550 (DDR3) Integrated: HD 7660D
7800 GTX 512, 7900 GTO, 7900 GTX, GT 430, GT 530	X1900 XT, X1950 XT, X1900 XTX
7800 GTX, 7900 GT, 7950 G, GT 220 (DDR3)	X1800 XT, X1900 AIW, X1900 GT, X1950 Pro, HD 2900 GT, HD 5550 (DDR2) Integrated: HD 7560D
7800 GT, 7900 GS, 8600 GTS, 9500 GT (GDDR3), GT 220 (DDR2)	X1800 XL, X1950 GT, HD 4650 (DDR2), HD 6450, R5 230 Integrated: HD 6620G, 6550D, 7540D
6800 Ultra, 7600 GT, 7800 GS, 8600 GS, 8600 GT (GDDR3), 9500 GT (DDR2)	X800 XT (& PE), X850 XT (& PE), X1650 XT, X1800 GTO, HD 2600 XT, HD 3650 (DDR3), HD 3670 Integrated: 6520G, 6530D, 7480D	Integrated:Intel HD Graphics4000
6800 GT, 6800 GS (PCIe), 8600 GT (DDR2), GT 520	X800 XL, X800 GTO2/GTO16, HD 2600 Pro, HD 3650 (DDR2), Integrated: 6410D, 6480G
6800 GS (AGP)	X800 GTO 256 MB, X800 Pro, X850 Pro, X1650 GT Integrated: 6370D, 6380G
6800, 7300 GT GDDR3, 7600 GS, 8600M GS	X800, X800 GTO 128 MB, X1600 XT, X1650 Pro
6600 GT, 6800LE, 6800 XT, 7300 GT (DDR2), 8500 GT, 9400 GT	9800 XT, X700 Pro, X800 GT, X800 SE, X1300 XT, X1600 Pro, HD 2400 XT, HD 4350, HD 4550, HD 5450 Integrated: HD 6310, HD 6320	Integrated: Intel HD Graphics 3000
FX 5900, FX 5900 Ultra, FX 5950 Ultra, 6600 (128-bit) Integrated: 9300, 9400	9700, 9700 Pro, 9800, 9800 Pro, X700, X1300 Pro, X1550, HD 2400 Pro Integrated: HD 3200, HD 3300, HD 4200, HD 4250, HD 4290, HD 6250, HD 6290
FX 5800 Ultra, FX 5900 XT	9500 Pro, 9600 XT, 9800 Pro (128-bit), X600 XT, X1050 (128-bit)	Integrated: Intel HD Graphics 2000
4 Ti 4600, 4 Ti 4800, FX 5700 Ultra, 6200, 8300, 8400 G, G 210, G 310	9600 Pro, 9800 LE, X600 Pro, HD 2300 Integrated: Xpress 1250	Integrated: Intel HD Graphics
4 Ti4200, 4 Ti4400, 4 Ti4800 SE, FX 5600 Ultra, FX 5700, 6600 (64-bit), 7300 GS, 8400M GS, 9300M G, 9300M GS	9500, 9550, 9600, X300, X1050 (64-bit)	Integrated: Intel HD Graphics
3 Ti500, FX 5200 Ultra, FX 5600, FX 5700 LE, 6200 TC, 6600 LE, 7200 GS, 7300 LE Integrated: 8200, 8300	8500, 9100, 9000 PRO, 9600 LE, X300 SE, X1150	Integrated: GMA X4500
3, 3 Ti200, FX 5200 (128-bit), FX 5500	9000, 9200, 9250
FX 5200 (64 bit) Integrated: 6100, 6150, 7025, 7050	9200 SE Integrated: Xpress 200M, Xpress 1000, Xpress 1150	Integrated: GMA X3000, X3100, X3500
2 GTS, 4 MX 440, 2 Ultra, 2 Ti, 2 Ti 200	7500	Integrated: GMA 3000, 3100
256, 2 MX 200, 4 MX 420, 2 MX 400	SDR, LE, DDR, 7000, 7200	Integrated: GMA 500, 900, 950
Nvidia TNT	Rage 128	Discrete: Intel 740

The list, as it stands now, emphasizes discrete desktop graphics. At one time, it included mobile rankings and a more complete collection of integrated solutions. Too much of that data was estimated and derived, though, so we thinned out the chart’s density.

Intel’s graphics engines remain (for the ones we’ve tested), and we’d like to re-incorporate more AMD APUs as we place their performance with greater accuracy. But it’s unlikely that we’ll try to graft mobile graphics back into this tapestry.

As always, leave your feedback on the placement of our hierarchy. We’re happy to correct oversights or make adjustments when they prove warranted.

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