There are some rivalries that will probably last forever in this world: Android vs iOS, Xbox vs PlayStation, Coke vs Pepsi, blue dress vs white dress…ok, ignore the last one. The idea is that in some cases, you really don’t know what to choose, whether we’re talking about platforms, beverages, devices and many others.
And the same happens when it comes to picking up the best graphics card! The NVIDIA vs AMD rivalry is getting tenser and tenser, as this is one of those arguments that can lead to actual disputes in the gaming community.
Being gaming fans ourselves, we decided that it’s time to join the conversation, after talking about the AMD FX vs Ryzen duel, and offer our thoughts on this, in order to decide if one is actually better than the other, from an objective point of view.
[su_note note_color=”#27ae60″ text_color=”#fff”]Below you can find a quick comparison between the two main players on the graphics cards market, Nvidia and AMD, focusing on a few of the most important aspects, like hardware, software, features, and, of course, prices. After all, the latter plays one of the most important roles when it comes to picking a new graphics card![/su_note]
Ok, ready? Let’s see the winner in this clash of the graphics titans!
NVIDIA vs AMD – Which one is the most performant?
When building a new PC, there’s pretty much just one thing you have in mind: to end up with a machine able to deliver some impressive numbers. And if you can achieve this for a decent price, it’s even better.
At this very moment, pretty much any gamer you will ask will say that the RTX 2080 Ti is the supreme masterpiece you can get, as it rocks a whopping 11GB of GDDR6 memory, as well as a ton of other impressive features. And this gives NVIDIA a solid advantage over AMD, as the latter doesn’t have anything similar in its portfolio.
On the other side, it’s well known that AMD positioned themselves as value champions, while NVIDIA insisted more on powerful hardware. Back at CES, this year, AMD unveiled that Radeon VII, a model with 16GB of HBM2 memory, perfect for any gamer or creative out there.
When it comes to cheaper models, AMD is dominating this segment, with models like the Radeon RX580, while Nvidia has the GeForce RTX 2060.
So, from the point of view of the numbers these manufacturers are able to deliver, we can say that they are actually occupying different sides of the market, so the best idea is to pick the graphics card depending on what you’re going to do with it. If pure power is what you’re after, NVIDIA is definitely the best choice. But let’s keep an eye on that Radeon VII as well, as it looks incredibly promising.
NVIDIA vs AMD – Which one has the best hardware?
From this point of view, things are relatively easy: everybody knows that Nvidia’s graphics cards tend to perform better when it comes to computing tasks, not to mention they generate less heat and consume less power.
But this doesn’t mean that AMD cards are bad!
First of all, the memory bandwidth on lower-priced models are bigger, which can be a big plus, even though they are well known for getting pretty hot.
On the other side, the ‘battle’ in terms of hardware is between the CUDA cores, used by Nvidia, and the Stream Processors, used by AMD. These are GPU cores and, despite the differences between them, they’re pretty much the same thing, as we just can’t draw a conclusion from comparing the number of processors in a graphics card. Basically, it’s just about software optimization, so the only aspect which actually reveals a difference in performance is how specific proprietary technologies come into play.
NVIDIA vs AMD – Which one has the best software and features?
Moving on, let’s see how these two brands compare in terms of software and additional features.
From the start, it’s worth mentioning that NVIDIA has a clear advantage here, with its GeForce Experience software, which delivers updates and optimizes games, besides letting you stream your gaming sessions and take screenshots and capture videos directly from the interface. Yes, it’s one gaming app that can easily be called ‘badass’.
On the other side, AMD just announced its Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition, in an attempt to overtake their rivals. Among the features it introduces there is automatic overclocking, but also the ability to stream games over to a smartphone. And this is not everything…
AMD’s software even lets you stream virtual reality games to a phone or standalone headsets, which means that you can easily leverage the power of your graphics card and enjoy some of the latest VR titles, without any interruptions. And last but not least, the manufacturer promises consistent driver updates.
But – because there’s a big ‘but’ – the GeForce Experience is just way better, as it has an impressive number of optimization features. In a nutshell, when you just don’t know which settings are the best for a game you want to play, the software does it for you. Simple as that.
As for AMD users, they can also use the Raptr Gaming Evolved tool for such features, but this complicates things, considering that NVIDIA users can do it from the graphics card’s proprietary software.
NVIDIA vs AMD – Which manufacturer offers the best deals?
It’s not a secret that AMD cards are perceived as affordable models, whole Nvidia is a high-end brand, with not-so-pocket-friendly prices. But is this really true? Uhm…yes, it is.
For example, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti retails at around $1,300 – almost double than the previous generation – while this significant price bump can be seen at other models as well.
However, the funny thing is that during their last keynote, Nvidia claimed that they’re planning to start at lower prices, specifically referring to the above-mentioned 2080 Ti, supposed to cost ‘just’ $999.
Still, they weren’t even close.
As you can see, the price can be considered at least ridiculous, no matter how powerful this card is.
At the current moment, the best Nvidia graphics card you can get if you’re on a budget is the GeForce RTX 2060, available at $379. But, at least if you ask us, it’s still expensive for a mid-range graphics card.
Moving on to AMD, you can get their top-notch model, the Radeon RX Vega 56, at a significantly lower price.
And you get almost the same performances as the RTX 2080 offers!
So yes, AMD is the cheaper graphics cards brand, even though sometimes it can be difficult to decide upon a model, this reminding us of the eternal AMD FX vs Ryzen talks.
On the other side, let’s not forget that there are discounts pretty much everywhere, so keep an eye for them and you can get a way better price.
NVIDIA vs AMD – Which brand should you buy?
Surprisingly or not, we don’t have an answer for this, as the choice is just yours.
Again, it’s like choosing between Pepsi or Coke, except we’re talking graphics cards here. The final decision depends on what you’re after when buying a new one.
If you’re looking for the most powerful graphics card and pure power is the first and only thing you’re interested in, while the budget is not a problem, you should totally go with Nvidia. The 2080 Ti should be more powerful than any other AMD card available.
On the other side, if the price is the main aspect that matters while obtaining some great numbers in terms of performance, then AMD dominates this segment. For example, the RX 580 can be one of the best deals you can make!
Nevertheless, AMD and Nvidia will be in a constant fight. Sure, AMD will still be considered the underdog, even though they have some amazing graphics cards in their portfolio, while Nvidia is known for producing the best high-end models.
But again, it’s simply up to you!
What are your thoughts on this? Which one of the two brands is your favourite and why?
Let us know the reasons behind your choice, by dropping a few lines in the comments section below!
Last update on 2023-11-11 at 11:43 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
