Graphics card or VGA is one of the factors that affect PC performance. Especially if you use a PC with heavy data loading. Graphics card selection is very important, both for gaming and professionals. One of the electronics companies that produce graphics cards is NVIDIA. This company makes graphics cards with varying features and prices.
We will introduce how to choose a good NVIDIA brand graphics card. We will also review some product recommendations from MSI, ASUS, Leadtek and others.
How to choose a NVIDIA brand graphics card?
We will review the points you need to know before choosing an NVIDIA brand graphics card. Read carefully each point and find a product that fits your needs.
Decide based on your graphics card usage
There are various kinds of NVIDIA graphics cards that you can find in the market. Each graphics card has its own features and advantages. Therefore, choose a graphics card that supports PC performance according to your usage.
For gaming? Use the GeForce series for more comfortable gaming
Do you want to use a graphics card to play games with stunning graphics and high frame rates? We recommend using a GeForce type graphics card. This type of graphics card is designed for those of you who like to play games or do e-sports. That way, you can play cool triple A games like Battlefield V and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
GeForce graphics cards have several series, such as GTX 1050, GTX 1080, GTX 1660 Ti, and others. The first and second digits in this code indicate the next series of graphics cards.
For example, the number 10 of the GTX 10xx, means that the graphics card was released earlier than the GTX 16xx series. After the GTX 16 series, NVIDIA changed the naming system to RTX 20xx or series 20 and most recently RTX 30xx or series 30.
Meanwhile, the last two digits on the graphics card indicate the position of the graphics card in the same class. The greater the value listed, the faster the performance. Don't forget this guide.
RTX is the latest generation of NVIDIA GeForce. The main advantage is that there is ray tracing and DLSS technology.
Ray tracing is a technology that can simulate lights and lights so that the results become more realistic. Some games that support ray tracing and DLSS include Cyberpunk 2077, Far Cry 6 and many more.
Professional? Quadro series makes your job easy
Another type of NVIDIA graphics card is Quadro. Quadro series graphics cards are designed for professional needs or work needs called workstations. Quadro is made for graphic workers, such as 3D editors running graphics applications, from Adobe to CAD.
One of the differences Quadro with GeForce, this series has certification from various organizations and companies. The Quadro series also features double precision floating point so that it produces 64-bit graphics that are better than GeForce.
Then, the serial numbering is also easier than GeForce. Some examples of this series of graphics cards use the code P1000, T400, RTX 4000, RTX A5000, and others. The latest series of Quadro graphics cards are indicated by the largest alphabet written on the series. Then, the last three digits indicate the performance of the graphics card, similar to the GeForce series
Get to know the cooling system on your graphics card
The graphics card is one of the components that contribute to heat in the PC. Therefore, the higher the graphics card model, the greater the heat generated. Thus, it is important to choose the type of cooling system on the graphics card.
The cooling system that is widely available is the aftermarket type that works by flowing hot air into the casing.
These coolers are made by several manufacturers, such as ASUS, MSI, and Leadtek. This type of aftermarket cooling system produces a quieter sound at a price that tends to be more expensive. There is also a reference cooling system, produced by NVIDIA that you can use.
Check graphics card compatibility with your device
Do not forget to check the compatibility of the graphics card that you want to choose with your PC device. If you're using a PC with a dual-core processor, there's no need to buy a high-spec graphics card.
This is because the performance of the graphics card is also affected by the components in your PC. If your PC can't accommodate it, your PC's performance will not be optimal. Some other factors that you need to pay attention to are in the following explanation.
Pay attention to the memory type and bandwidth in the graphics card
Before choosing a graphics card, make sure the type of memory and bandwidth installed. There are several types of graphics card memory types, such as GDDR2, GDDR3, GDDR4, GDDR5, GDDR5X, GDDR6, and GDDR6X.
The higher the number after GGDR is written, the better the graphics card's performance will be. For example, GGDR6 is faster than GGDR4. Then, the performance of GDDR6X is better than GDDR6.
Do not forget to also pay attention to the bandwidth of the graphics card. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be accessed by the GPU at one time.
Therefore, the faster the bandwidth, the faster the computing process on the GPU. This will increase the number of frames generated in one second. As a result, the image quality will be better.
Make sure your processor is compatible with the graphics card
Generally, any processor is compatible with any graphics card. However, to achieve optimal performance, you need to find a processor and graphics card that is commensurate.
If the old processor is used with a high-performance graphics card, then the graphics card cannot bring out its highest capabilities. This happens because the processor is not able to keep up with the speed of the graphics card or is known as a bottleneck.
Vice versa. If you have a processor with a high specification or the latest, combine it with an equivalent graphics card.
Several sites you can use to determine what processor and graphics card is suitable and minimal bottlenecks. You can visit sites like PC Builds, UserBenchmark, or Logical Increments.
Pay attention to graphics card power requirements
Graphics cards require electrical power supplied from the power supply unit (PSU). The higher the series and performance of the graphics card, generally the more power it requires. For that, pay attention to the amount of power required for the graphics card of your choice.
Here's the power recommendations NVIDIA made:
- RTX series 30
Use a PSU with 550 watts (RTX 3050, RTX 3060), 600 watts (RTX 3060 Ti), 650 watts (RTX 3070), and 750 watts (RTX 3070 Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 3080 Ti, RTX 3090).
- RTX series 20
Use a PSU with 550 watts (RTX 2060, RTX 2060 SUPER, RTX 2070) 650 watts (RTX 2070 SUPER, RTX 2080, RTX 2080 SUPER, RTX 2080 Ti).
- GTX series 16
Use a PSU with 300 watts (GTX 1650 GDDR5, GTX 1650 GDDR6), 350 watts (GTX 1650), and 450 watts (GTX 1660, GTX 1660 Ti, GTX 1660 SUPER).
- GTX series 10
Use a PSU with 300 watts (GTX 1050 2GB, GTX 1050 3GB, GTX 1050 Ti), 400 watts (GTX 1060 6GB, GTX 1060 3GB), and 500 watts (GTX 1070, GTX 1070 Ti, GTX 1080).
NVIDIA notes that using lower power currents is still possible. Another thing that is not less important, also adjust the size of the graphics card. Make sure the graphics card of your choice fits in your device case.
10 Recommended NVIDIA brand graphics cards
Next, we will recommend ten of the best Nvidia brand graphics card products that we determined based on how to choose above.
These products are carefully selected by considering product quality, buyer reviews, and the level of trust in the seller. Our products are sorted by popularity in the marketplace
1. Leadtek NVIDIA T400
Are you a young professional or a beginner who does a lot of CAD (Computer-aided design)? This is a suitable graphics card.
The LEADTEK NVIDIA Quadro T400 is an affordable professional graphics card that can make your work easier.
Quadro T400 is also power efficient because there is no additional power socket and only draws 30 watts of power.
This tiny Quadro T400 is included in the low-end group and already uses the Turing architecture. With 384 cuda cores and 2/4 GB GDDR6 memory, this graphics card is ready to run a variety of professional applications.
In fact, this graphics card can play a number of heavy games, such as Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and others.
- Use: Professional
- Series: Quadro
- Cooling system: Aftermarket
- Memory type: GDDR6
- Capacity: 2GB/4GB
- Bandwidth: 80GB/s
- Architecture: Turing
- Power: 30 watts
2. Leadtek NVIDIA RTX A4000
If you are looking for a super powerful graphics card for your work needs, we recommend choosing the NVIDIA RTX A4000.
This graphics card from the Leadtek brand supports real time ray tracing and Error Correction Code (ECC). Both of these features can improve your performance in editing, 3D rendering, and other professional work.
The RTX A4000 uses the latest architecture, namely Ampere, which is also used in the RTX 30 series. With these specifications, of course running many professional applications ranging from CAD, visual effects, and others becomes easy. NVIDIA itself calls the RTX A4000 the most powerful graphics card for professionals!
- Use: Professional
- Series: Quadro
- Cooling system: aftermarket
- Memory type: GDDR6
- Capacity: 16GB
- Bandwidth: 448GB/s
- Architecture: Ampere
- Power: 140 watts
3. ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 3060 Ti V2 OC Edition 8GB GDDR6
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 3060 Ti belongs to the high-end graphics card category. Carried by the ASUS brand, this product offers an efficient cooling system with Axial technology.
Axial fan design reduces wind turbulence so that the cooling process is much more optimal. You can enjoy various standard features of the RTX 30 series, such as ray tracing, DLSS, and more.
There are also dual bearings on the fan shaft which provide twice the resistance of sleeve bearing models. ASUS uses the best components in this product to demonstrate the durability and high performance of the RTX™ 3060 Ti.
- Use: Gaming
- Series: GeForce
- Cooling system: aftermarket
- Memory type: GDDR6
- Capacity: 8GB
- Bandwidth: 14GB/s
- Architecture: Ampere
- Power: 750 watts
4. Palit GeForce RTX 3080 GamingPro
NVIDIA Palit GeForce RTX 3080 GamingPro is recommended for those of you who want amazing acceleration. NVIDIA REFLEX technology is able to reduce latency thereby improving reflexes and acceleration when playing games.
For lovers of action games, this product will make you happy because it can increase your playing dexterity.
The RTX 3080 uses the Ampere architecture with 8704 cuda cores, as well as enhanced RT cores and tensor cores.
Another feature that is no less important is 0-dB TECH which keeps VGA performance optimal. With these features, the fan designed by Palit will only sound when running heavy loads.
- Use: Gaming
- Series: GeForce
- Cooling system: aftermarket
- Memory type: GDDR6X
- Capacity: 10GB
- Bandwidth: 760GB/s
- Architecture: Ampere
- Power: 320 watts
5. Leadtek NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000
Are you a professional who uses heavy applications? If so, the Quadro RTX 4000 is perfect for your job.
This graphics card is designed for architects, engineers, media creators and other professionals. Especially, for those who do 2D imaging, 3D modeling, or video rendering software.
Quadro RTX 4000 uses the Turing architecture with 2,304 cuda cores which is able to provide the best performance in the middle class. These products are designed and certified to provide the stability and reliability that professionals need.
- Use: Professional
- Series: Quadro
- Cooling system: aftermarket
- Memory type: GDDR6
- Capacity: 8GB
- Bandwidth: 416GB/s
- Architecture: Turing
- Power: 160 watts
6. MSI GeForce RTX™ 3090 VENTUS 3X 24G OC
NVIDIA claims the RTX 3090 is the world's first 8K gaming graphics card. All the highest technology NVIDIA RTX has in this product.
This graphics card has 10496 cuda cores which makes the performance very high and fast.
With its massive specifications, this graphics card is ready to easily devour a variety of triple A games. This product is also suitable for rendering, 3D animators, and other content creators.
Do not forget MSI VENTUS equip this graphics card with three fans to ensure the temperature remains ideal.
- Use: Gaming
- Series: GeForce RTX
- Cooling system: aftermarket
- Memory type: GDDR6X
- Capacity: 24GB
- Bandwidth: 19.5 Gb/s
- Architecture: Ampere
- Power: 350 watts
7. Colorful GeForce RTX 2060 6G V2-V
Want to experience the latest GeForce RTX technology at an affordable price? We recommend the RTX 2060 from the Colorful brand.
You will experience RTX's leading technologies such as ray tracing and advanced AI that make the graphics display more realistic. This product is the first RTX of the 20 series and is claimed to be 5 times more powerful than its predecessor, the GTX generation.
RTX graphics cards use the Turing architecture and are equipped with RT cores and tensor cores. It makes RTX rendering capabilities much better. This product is suitable for those of you who want to experience the sophistication of RTX with a minimal budget.
- Use: Gaming
- Series: GeForce
- Cooling system: aftermarket
- Memory type: GDDR6
- Capacity: 6GB
- Bandwidth: 336GB/s
- Architecture: Turing
- Power: 160 watts
8. ZOTAC GAMING GeForce GTX 1650 OC GDDR6
One of the things that must be considered in buying a graphics card is to adjust the body to the casing on the PC. If you're looking for a graphics card that's sleek and yet powerful, the GeForce GTX 1650 from the ZOTAC brand is worth considering. That's because the GTX 1650 has a compact body and light weight.
ZOTAC claims that this product is 99.9 percent suitable for installation in various types of casing sizes. In terms of capabilities, the GTX 1650 uses the Turing architecture to follow in the footsteps of the other GTX 16 series. This product is also power efficient because there is no additional power socket, just plug and play!
- Use: Gaming
- Series: GeForce
- Cooling system: aftermarket
- Memory type: GDDRg
- Capacity: 4GB
- Bandwidth: 12GB/s
- Architecture: Turing
- Power: 75 watts
9. MSI GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER™ VENTUS XS OC
Want an RTX-flavoured GTX graphics card? Try the MSI GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER™ VENTUS XS OC. This graphics card uses the NVIDIA Turing™ architecture as used in the RTX generation.
NVIDIA claims the GeForce® GTX 1660 SUPER has a performance increase of up to 20% faster than the regular GTX 1660.
The OC code indicates that this graphics card has been overclocked to 1815MHz. GTX 1660 SUPER is suitable for playing games at 4K resolution which presents sharper, detailed, and smoother images. There is an MSI Afterburn application to monitor and control the graphics card in real time.
- Use: Gaming
- Series: GeForce
- Cooling system: aftermarket
- Memory type: GDDR6
- Capacity: 6GB
- Bandwidth: 14GB/s
- Architecture: Turing
- Power: 125 watts
10. ASUS Cerberus GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti OC Edition 4GB GDDR5
If you are looking for a powerful and pocket-friendly graphics card, we recommend this product. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti from the ASUS brand can still be relied on to play a variety of heavy games. With 4GB of memory and a boost clock of 1455 MHz, it's no wonder this product is still powerful and popular.
Even though it is quite fast and tough, this graphics card is still power efficient because there is no additional power socket found.
The cooling system is supported by two fans with IP5X certification which are dustproof which increases the lifespan. This product is suitable for those of you who want to build a gaming PC at a low price, but not cheap.
- Use: Gaming
- Series: GeForce
- Cooling system: aftermarket
- Memory type: GDDR5
- Capacity: 4GB
- Bandwidth: 7GB/s
- Architecture: Pascal
- Power: 75 watts
How to solve NVIDIA graphics card not reading
As one of the components of a computer, there are times when the graphics card experiences problems such as not being detected by the system.
This of course can interfere with your activities in playing games or working. Do not rush to judge your NVIDIA graphics card is damaged, there is no harm in trying the following steps.
Make sure your graphics card is not disabled. To do this, right-click the Windows logo in the lower left corner.
Select Device Manager then look for Display adapters and double click on it. Right-click Properties on the problematic graphics card. Go to the Driver tab and click the Enable button.
Update NVIDIA drivers. Updating the driver you can try to solve the problem of unreadable graphics card.
You can go to the NVIDIA GeForce Experience application or visit the NVIDIA website and update the latest drivers.
Check the graphics card slot. Ensure that your graphics card is properly seated in the motherboard's PCIE x16 slot. You can remove the graphics card and plug it back in. Before checking the graphics card slot, make sure you turn off the computer and unplug it from the wall outlet.
Conclusion
Finding the right graphics card is not easy. In addition to the various types, the price range of NVIDA graphics cards is also quite diverse. Therefore, you need to know the type of graphics card according to your needs.
On the other hand, the wide variety of graphics cards means that there are also many feature options available. Choose a product with the features you need, then adjust it to the budget you have. Hope this review helps you.
