AMD Graphics Cards Buyers Guide
What is an AMD GPU / Graphics Card ?
Though many modern CPUs are equipped with integrated graphics, these are only really suitable for basic tasks such as web browsing and office applications. Therefore you should serious consider buying a separate graphics card if you want to play GAMES or edit videos.
A key supplier of graphics cards is AMD, and its range of Radeon GPUs offer something at most price points. The key specs to look out for when choosing an AMD graphics card are the number of stream processors and amount of memory, with more powerful cards having more of both. A faster and more powerful graphics card will enable to run games at higher quality settings at a smooth frame rate and even allow you to take advantage of super sharp HIGH RESOLUTION MONITORS, making everything look better. In this buyers guide we’ll give a recommendation of the optimum monitor resolution for each graphics card.
AMD is constantly updating its product range which could make it confusing to know if you’re buying the latest and greatest version.
The easiest way to tell is to look at what series the graphics card is, this essentially refers to the generation of that product which you’ll always find in the product description. Right now, the latest series of AMD GPUs are from the 500-series, 5700-series and VII.
The Radeon RX Hierarchy
With prices ranging from £120, there’s an AMD Radeon GPU for most budgets. To make the selection process a little easier to discern, we’ve split the various choices into entry-level, mid-range and high-end segments.
Radeon RX 560
The Radeon RX 560 is AMD’s most affordable gaming graphics card. It is equipped with 1,024 stream processors and is available with either 2GB or 4GB of memory. In the latter configuration the RX 560 can run most games smoothly on a 1080p monitor at high detail settings.
| Gaming | 3 | |||||||||
| Virtual Reality | 3 | |||||||||
Optimum Resolution1080p
Radeon RX 570
The next step up the AMD Radeon range is the RX 570. This has 2048 stream processors and either 4GB or 8GB of memory. In the latter configuration the RX 560 can run games smoothly on a 1080p monitor at maximum detail settings.
| Gaming | 4 | |||||||||
| Virtual Reality | 4 | |||||||||
Optimum Resolution1080p
Radeon RX 580
The next card up the AMD Radeon range is the RX 580. This has 2304 stream processors and 8GB of memory and is the most affordable Radeon graphics card that can play games smoothly on a higher resolution 1440p monitor.
| Gaming | 5 | |||||||||
| Virtual Reality | 5 | |||||||||
Optimum Resolution1440p
Radeon RX 590
The final model in the 500-series range is the RX 590. This has the same 2304 stream processors and 8GB of memory as the RX 580 but runs at a higher clock speed and so delivers better performance, making a good choice for gaming on at 1440p.
| Gaming | 6 | |||||||||
| Virtual Reality | 6 | |||||||||
Optimum Resolution1440p
Radeon RX Vega56
The Vega56 is another AMD graphics card based on an older architecture, codename Vega. This card employs 3584 stream processors and 8GB of memory to deliver smooth frame rates on a 1440p monitor.
| Gaming | 7 | |||||||||
| Virtual Reality | 7 | |||||||||
Optimum Resolution1440p
Radeon RX 5700
The RX 5700 is based on the new RDNA architecture which delivers faster performance and consumes less power than earlier designs thanks to the GPU being made from tiny 7nm transistors. The RX 5700 is equipped with 2304 stream processors and 8GB of memory and is a great choice for gaming at 1440p.
| Gaming | 8 | |||||||||
| Virtual Reality | 8 | |||||||||
Optimum Resolution1440p
Radeon RX 5700 XT
The RX 5700 XT is based on the same 7nm RDNA architecture as the RX 5700, but is more powerful, having 2560 stream processors and 8GB of memory, making it AMD’s fastest graphics card for gaming at 1440p.
| Gaming | 9 | |||||||||
| Virtual Reality | 9 | |||||||||
Optimum Resolution1400p
Summary
Still not sure which AMD graphics card is right for you? This table shows the key characteristics, rated out of 10, of the main models.
| RX 560 | RX 570 | RX 580 | RX 590 | RX VEGA56 | RX 5700 | RX 5700 XT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaming | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Virtual Reality | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Optimum Resolution | 1080p | 1080p | 1440p | 1440p | 1440p | 1440p | 1440p |
We hope you’ve found this buyers guide helpful. Don’t hesitate to speak to one of our friendly advisors for more advice if you still have questions on how to select the perfect graphics card for your needs.