Graphics Cards
Linux Support
Here are various rankings for each major graphics cards vendor on Linux.
Ease of driver installation and updates:
AMD and Intel
NVIDIA
Stable driver in gameplay:
AMD
NVIDIA
Intel
Linux performance:
AMD
NVIDIA
Intel
Open source and native Linux support:
AMD
Intel
NVIDIA
Hybrid graphics support on laptops:
NVIDIA
AMD
Intel
Day 1 Linux support for new hardware:
AMD
Intel
NVIDIA
Machine learning support:
NVIDIA
Intel
AMD
Recommended VRAM Size
Depending on the use case, these are the recommended minimum size of VRAM to have on the graphics card.
Gaming [1][2]:
Game Resolution |
VRAM (GB) |
---|---|
720p |
2 |
1080p |
4 |
1440p |
6 |
4K |
8 |
Video editing [2][3]:
Video Resolution |
VRAM (GB) |
---|---|
1080p |
4 |
4K |
6 |
6K |
8 |
8K |
10 |
Machine learning (ML) [4][5]:
ML Workload |
VRAM (GB) |
---|---|
Minimum |
8 |
Recommended |
24 |
Maximum |
48 |
The amount of VRAM differs based on the type of ML model. Language models use the most amount of VRAM compared to image models which are more CPU-bound rather than GPU-bound. [5]
Integrated GPUs (iGPUs) can use up to half of the available system RAM. [6] Since RAM is slower than VRAM, it is recommended to use the fastest RAM available. [7]
Best Graphics Cards
Legacy 32-bit
32-bit operating systems, such as Windows XP, only support graphics cards with 3 GB of VRAM. There are sometimes driver limitations, too. [8]
Windows XP:
Best performance = NVIDIA GTX 780 Ti [9]
Best NVIDIA card for the era = NVIDIA 8800 GT [9]
Best AMD cards = AMD Radeon 7970 [10][11] and AMD Radeon R9 280X [12]
Ray Tracing
These are the best discrete graphics card vendors for ray traced graphics [27]:
NVIDIA
Intel
AMD
Best Supported
Based on popular hardware that uses a specific GPU architecture, PC graphics cards based on those same architectures should, in theory, have the most stable drivers.
AMD:
Radeon DNA (RDNA) 2 = PlayStation 5 [28], Steam Deck [29], and Xbox Series X|S [30].
Graphics Core Next (GCN) 2 = PlayStation 4 Pro [31] and Xbox One X|S [32].
Graphics Core Next (GCN) 1 = PlayStation 4 [38][39] and Xbox One. [40]
NVIDIA:
Ada Lovelace = GeForce NOW servers in 2023. [33][34]
Turing = GeForce NOW servers in 2019. [35][36]
Maxwell = Nintendo Switch. [37]
Power Cables
Introduction
Graphics cards have a specific wattage requirement. They draw power from the PCIe slot and often require more power. That can be supplied through additional cables from the power supply.
Power Source |
Wattage |
---|---|
PCIe x1 slot |
10 |
PCIe x4 slot |
25 |
PCIe x8 slot |
25 [13] |
PCIe x16 slot |
75 |
6-pin PCIe cable |
75 |
8-pin PCIe cable |
150 [14] |
12VHPWR PCIe cable |
600 [15] |
All versions of PCIe (currently 1.0 through 5.0) support the same wattage output. [14][16]
It is not recommended to use a single SATA to 6-pin adapter due to the fire hazard risk if the GPU draws excessive power. [17] SATA power cables only provide 54 watts. [18][20] Molex power cables provide 156 watts. [21] For 75 watts, use one Molex or two SATA cables to convert to one 6-pin. [19] For 150 watts, use one Molex or three SATA cables to convert to one 8-pin adapter. [20]
PCIe Power Only
These are the best graphics cards that are (1) low-profile and (2) do not require a 6-pin or 8-pin power PCIe power cable. They can be fully powered by the PCIe slot and are suitable for desktops with limited space and/or power supplies that have a low wattage.
AMD:
AMD Radeon RX 6400 [22]
AMD Radeon RX 560 [23]
Intel:
Intel Arc Pro A40 and A50 [26]
The A40 is a 1-slot 50 watts card. The A50 is a 2-slot 75 watts card. [41]
NVIDIA:
NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation
This is a 2-slot card.
The performance of this card is similar to the 3070 but it is as fast as the 3090 Ti in some scenarios. [25]
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti [23][24]
History
Bibliography
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