Buying a graphics card: what actually matters
With graphics cards the chip name rarely decides it; memory, cooling and what your power supply and case can take do. Check three numbers and you are done.
Memory before clock speed
8 GB is fine for Full HD, plan 12 GB from QHD upwards, and 16 GB for 4K or texture mods. Too little memory does not show up as a lower frame rate but as sudden stutters.
Will it even fit?
Check card length and slot width against your case — both are on the spec sheet. And power draw: a supply should have roughly 150 W of headroom above CPU plus graphics card.
Cooling and noise
Three fans are not automatically quieter than two — the heatsink area decides. If you sit next to the machine, filter by noise; below 34 dB a card stops being noticeable.
Quick checklist
- 12 GB from QHD, 16 GB for 4K
- Check card length against the case
- Power supply with ~150 W headroom
- Under 34 dB if the PC sits next to you
