Graphics card & GPU video card comparison - Versus (2025)

FAQs

What is the difference between GPU video card and graphics card? ›

GPU vs. Graphics Card: What's the Difference? While the terms GPU and graphics card (or video card) are often used interchangeably, there is a subtle distinction between these terms. Much like a motherboard contains a CPU, a graphics card refers to an add-in board that incorporates the GPU.

You use benchmarks. Benchmarks tell you exactly how each GPU will perform in an exact workload, given every workload is different. Comparing specs is fine, but benchmarks literally tell us exactly what performance differences are, meaning comparing specs is rather pointless if you already know the end result.

For most modern games, especially those with high-fidelity graphics, the GPU plays a dominant role in determining performance. A powerful GPU can render more detailed textures, handle complex lighting effects, and maintain higher frame rates, all of which contribute to a smoother, more immersive gaming experience.

You need a dedicated GPU for graphics-intensive gaming, editing video, and mining Bitcoin. However, for more general purpose use, such as web browsing, most work-from-home jobs, and more basic gaming, you can get by with CPUs with integrated graphics.

Signs You Should Upgrade Your Graphics Card

A clear sign you need to upgrade your graphics card is if you no longer receive driver updates for upcoming games. Most GPUs have a driver support life of around 5-8 years; any GPU beyond that time will lose support concerning performance for future releases.

When comparing the features of the GTX and RTX, the RTX series is undoubtedly superior. Ray tracing, which replicates the realistic interaction of light with objects, and DLSS, which employs artificial intelligence to upsample images from lower resolutions to higher resolutions, are built into RTX cards.

The consequences of CPU bottlenecking GPU include decreased performance in graphics-intensive applications such as gaming or video editing, as well as stuttering or frame drops. In severe cases, CPU bottlenecking can result in a system crash or instability.

Clock speed. This represents how fast the GPU operates, usually measured in MHz or GHz. Higher clock speeds lead to better performance. However, comparing clock speeds between different GPU architectures isn't always straightforward, so it's best to look at real-world benchmarks.

While still important, CPUs focus more on behind-the-scenes sequential logic and physics; their impact on performance is less pronounced than the GPUs, which take on the crucial role of handling visual quality and resolution, making powerful GPUs more essential for demanding modern games.

If you use your computer for tasks such as gaming, video editing, three-dimensional (3D) modeling, or other graphic-intensive activities, a dedicated graphics card is essential. It offloads the graphical processing from the central processing unit (CPU), resulting in improved performance and smoother visuals.

What are the three types of graphics cards? ›

There are three main categories of video cards which include integrated, entry-level, and high-end. Integrated cards are built directly into many computers and laptops, using the computer's central processor to do graphical calculations, thus being the cheapest and least powerful option.

A graphics card is an expansion card for your PC that is responsible for rendering images to the display. High-end GPUs are used for gaming, ray tracing, graphics production, and even mining cryptocurrency. Here's a brief overview of everything you need to know about graphics cards.

Your graphics card (GPU, or graphics processing unit) is a two-member team: the card itself and your graphics driver. Drivers are little bits of software that make your PC components work properly, and updating your drivers can boost your PC's performance.

Whether you're rendering complex 3D scenes, editing high resolution video, or seamlessly connecting and collaborating with NVIDIA Omniverse^™, GeForce RTX GPUs give you the performance to create your best.

This list contains general information about graphics processing units (GPUs) and video cards from Nvidia, based on official specifications. In addition some Nvidia motherboards come with integrated onboard GPUs. Limited/Special/Collectors' Editions or AIB versions are not included.

A video card connects to the motherboard of a computer system and generates output images to display. Video cards are also referred to as graphics cards. Video cards include a processing unit, memory, a cooling mechanism and connections to a display device.