The graphics card is without doubt one of the most costly and most steadily changed parts in a high-powered desktop PC, and there’s no higher time to search out a terrific deal on one than Black Friday. The day isn’t upon us fairly but, however you’ll be able to rating among the yr’s finest offers on graphics playing cards from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel already — this yr, it’s extra like “Black Friday week.” And in contrast to some different buying days we may point out, the offers aren’t restricted to a single retailer.
If you wish to see which GPUs we fee highest, try PCWorld’s rankings of the perfect graphics playing cards of 2023. A few of our prime picks may very well be on sale. And in the event you’re searching for different tech offers, ensure that to take a look at our full Black Friday protection.
Greatest Black Friday Nvidia graphics card offers
Greatest Black Friday AMD graphics card offers
Greatest Black Friday Intel graphics card offers
FAQ
Are Black Friday graphics card offers value it?
Sure, Black Friday and Cyber Monday graphics card offers are legit in 2023. It’s been some time since AMD, Nvidia, and Intel launched a brand new era of playing cards, and it seems prefer it’s going to be nicely into 2024 and even 2025 earlier than we get considerably new fashions. Which means all three of them are motivated to maneuver the inventory that’s on retailer cabinets (and in digital retailer warehouses). There are unbelievable offers available on last-gen AMD playing cards, particularly. As all the time, the dearer the cardboard, the extra it’s more likely to be discounted.
Are Black Friday and Cyber Monday graphics card offers decrease high quality?
It’s all relative. As we’ve acknowledged above, we’re seeing reductions on previous-generation GPUs. Does this make them “decrease high quality”? No, they’re simply not bleeding-edge for 2023. However in the event you’re seeking to rating a real dealit could make sense to purchase a GeForce RTX 30-series and Radeon RX 6000 collection card at an enormous low cost. The playing cards themselves are wonderful!
What graphics card ought to I purchase?
Okay, that’s type of an enormous query. The reply is mostly “whichever one you need and might afford.” However there are a whole lot of elements that go into which card is definitely sensible for you, not the least of which is whether or not your PC can bodily maintain or energy up the GPU you select. Ensure to learn PCWorld’s rankings of the perfect graphics playing cards of 2023 to make knowledgeable choices.
Ought to I purchase Nvidia, AMD, or Intel?
All fashionable desktop graphics playing cards join through the PCI-Specific slot in your desktop laptop’s motherboard. So long as you’ve gotten one slot free (and the required variety of slots open to plug it into your laptop case), it’ll work. The distinction between Nvidia and AMD is fairly slim at most value factors. Until you’re fascinated with a specific function of 1 model, like Nvidia’s RTX results or AMD’s FidelityFX SuperResolution, both will do wonderful.
Intel’s model new Arc playing cards are a distinct proposition. The corporate is competing aggressively on value, making these playing cards a cut price, at the least for newer video games. However Intel has spent the final yr making some fairly huge strides in its drivers, including tons of efficiency for older playing cards, too.
Is my desktop appropriate with a brand new graphics card?
It’s time to interrupt out the tape measure. Virtually all fashionable desktops can match at the least some type of exterior graphics card, so long as they’ve at the least one PCIe slot on the motherboard. However earlier than shopping for a brand new card, ensure that your case can match it, each in size (measured in millimeters) and in slots (the variety of everlasting notches on the rear of the case, not bodily PCIe connections) it wants. Most mid-range playing cards use two slots, however extra highly effective ones can use three and even 4.
You additionally must be sure that your laptop’s energy provide can deal with the extra watts drawn by the brand new GPU, and that it has the right energy connections to produce electrical energy to it. If not, you’ll be able to all the time improve your energy provide, too.
How a lot ought to I spend on a brand new GPU?
Typically talking, the extra you spend on a graphics card, the extra highly effective it is going to be—the higher the consequences and the extra frames you’ll be able to push in AAA video games. A $1,000 card isn’t essentially twice pretty much as good as a $500 card, however it’ll undoubtedly be so much higher.
Nonetheless, there’s such a factor as an excessive amount of. In case your laptop is six or seven years previous, the “bottleneck” of efficiency could be your processor or RAM, so spending 4 digits on a brand new card wouldn’t be clever.
Ought to I improve the remainder of my laptop too?
It relies upon. If you happen to’re upgrading to a extremely highly effective graphics card, you undoubtedly need to be sure that your energy provide can deal with it. If you happen to haven’t upgraded any of the most important parts shortly, it could be time for a system overhaul, too. That normally means a brand new processor, motherboard, and typically RAM, although AMD AM4 motherboards can slot in comparatively new CPUs with no need some other new parts.
If you happen to’re undecided you need to drop that a lot on new {hardware}, you’ll be able to all the time improve the GPU, do some testing in your favourite video games, and see when you’ve got the efficiency improve you need. If not, you’ll be able to improve the opposite parts as wanted.
