Home » Computers & Electronics » PCs » Computer Hardware

Best New Gaming Video Cards 2012 - Review the Latest

Ranked #249 in Computers & Electronics, #3,284 overall

Top Graphics Cards for Gaming 2012

Gaming requires top-of-the line performance from all of your computer's hardware, and most especially the graphics card. While integrated graphics for Intel's Ivy Bridge show that dedicated GPU under $50 may be obsolete in the near-distant future, high-end dedicated graphics cards for gamers continue to not only be popular, but ultimately necessary in order to run the latest games without cutting the graphics. In this post I'll review the latest video cards by price and give you a chance to vote for your favorite of 2012 so far.

Best Video Card under $300 for 2012

GTX 570

EVGA GeForce GTX 570The $200-300 price range is perhaps the most popular for gamers. In this price range you see a substantial increase in overall performance for your money while beyond it you get diminishing returns.

Below is a look at some of the best graphics cards for gaming in 2012. As of this date (3/19/2012) the GTX 570 is very tempting in this price range especially after the substantial price drop we've seen in early 2012. Another one of my favorites is the Radeon HD 6950, which is a great overall value if you can find one below $300. I've used the GTX 560 Ti as well, and it's a great mid-range GPU for those of you who prefer to upgrade every 2-3 years. If you look hard enough, then you should be able to find a good one in the $200-$225 range (after rebate).

Overall:

Overall I'm recommending the GTX 570 as my pick for best GPU under $300 for Quarter 1 - 2 of 2012. Technical Details include; 732MHz core clock, 1464MHz shader clock, 480 Processor Cores, and 3800MHz effective memory clock.

EVGA GeForce GTX 570 1280 MB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 2DVI-I/Mini-HDMI Lifetime Warranty Graphics Card, 012-P3-1570-AR

Amazon Price: $299.99  Buy Now

Latest Graphics Cards Under $300

Vote for Your Favorite Below!

Interactive Gaming Graphics Card Poll - Under $300

Please take time to vote for the top video card for 2012. This helps to keep this lens up-to-date with the latest information.

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Radeon vs. GeForce

Which is Better?

This is always a heated topic between gamers and rightfully so. Having a PC that has a higher FPS (frames per second) can give you a big advantage in whatever game you play. While you'd think that it would strictly be about performance, debates are always raging about whether GeForce is more durable while Radeon gives you more performance etc... Many have said it comes down to personal preference.

While I don't want to turn this lens into a Radeon Vs. GeForce debate, I do want to know your opinion.

*Tip - Whether you are purchasing a Radeon or a GeForce video card take a look at customer reviews across multiple sites. Sometimes it can be more about the manufacturer, then the "type" of card. Look for long or lifetime warranties for durability. It's still nice to be able to use a quality card in a HTPC (home theater PC) many years after it's obsolete in the gaming realm.

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Best New Gaming GPU over $300 2012

Extreme Performance Video Cards

Made for high-performance gaming aficionados, engineers, designers, and graphic artists the GPU listed below should run any game you come across for at least the next couple of years. If you are just planning on gaming it might be a better idea to keep upgrading a card in the "sweet spot" $250-$300 range; however, if you need performance and have some extra money too, then consider one of the graphics cards below.
Loading

Top Rated Gaming Graphics Cards Under $200 2012

Budget Gaming Video Cards Under $200

If you are on a budget or simply don't play games that are super intense, then the graphics cards below should more than suffice. Many of the higher priced ones should still run even the latest gaming coming out for 2012.
Loading

Should You SLI or Crossfire Your Graphics Cards

Advantages and Disadvantages

I personally don't SLI (scalable link interface for NVIDIA) or Crossfire (ATI Radeon Technology) my GPU. In the past I've had issues with not only stability, but also the relative performance increase I get from actually doing this.

What's the difference between SLI and Crossfire?

One distinct advantage that Crossfire has over SLI is that it can be implemented with various graphics card as long as they are the same generation whereas SLI only works if you use cards of the same series (different manufacturers are acceptable).

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using dual cards:

Advantages

It may give you increased performance for the price of your 2 cards. (Depends on the GPU).
Splits workload for 3D Rendering

Disadvantages:

Questionable Stability
Increased Power Usage
Additional Cooling Options May be necessary
Doesn't always beat out the performance of a higher priced single GPU setup.

What do you think about SLI or Crossfire? Am I missing the boat? Let me know by taking our poll below.

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Reader Feedback

I hope you've enjoyed this lens of the best gaming video cards for 2011. If you'd like to make a contribution, then please leave a comment below and don't forget to vote above!

  • Guest May 4, 2012 @ 8:13 pm | delete
    To Ikurbwai, get the 7850 over the 7870, it can overclock past a stock 7870 saving you money! http://www.whichgraphicscard.com/index.shtml
  • Kashef Apr 17, 2012 @ 12:12 pm | delete
    anyway i liked gf gtx 570.now i am running a gf gtx 680.for 500 dollars gtx 680 is the best i think.
  • IKURBWAI Apr 16, 2012 @ 2:08 am | delete
    7850 or 7870
  • GadgetKnowHow Nov 2, 2011 @ 2:38 am | delete
    always been an Nvidia guy myself but this was all good info. will keep it in mind for my next build.
  • SFC Gorby US Army Sep 23, 2011 @ 5:15 pm | delete
    What about the MSI GTX 580 Lightning Xtreme 3gb card? The card chess up and spits out all the other single gpu cards on the market! I am running mine at 950/1900/2400 without a voltage tweak and it runs only 35C at idle and 65C max under load. I can play any current game at max settings with absolutely no lag in frame rates! Of course I am running it on a quality motherboard an ASUS P67 Sabertooth with a I5 2600K at 4.5 ghz and 16gb Mushkin XMP 1600 unlocked RAM. Just saying, can't wait to have 2 in SLI!
  • Load More
Show All

by

hsb250

This is a lens of the best gaming video cards for 2011. I recently put together a brand new gaming rig with many of the suggestions that I've used on... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Explore related pages

Related Tags