GPU Hierarchy 2021 – Graphics Card Ranking and Comparison Charts

Tier 1-Enthusiasts

The first tier contains the premium GPUs and is known as “enthusiasts” tier.  The most powerful GPUs in the world pile up in this tier. Currently, Nvidia is the only one who is producing GPUs of such caliber. They have been undisputed dominators of this tier for a very long time.

These GPUs offer an impeccable 60 FPS 4K gaming experience and are quite powerful. They can sometimes really blur the lines between professional cards and gaming cards. The tier 1 GPUs are the most expensive of the bunch.

These GPUs really do cross the lines in terms of both price and performance. These GPUs have given the technology a really great boom. They have paved the path for even more powerful and advanced technology to come in the future. Here is a list of the tier 1 GPUs.

If you are a passionate gamer who wants to always be updated with all the latest games then this tier is made for you. In this tier, you’ll experience graphics like never before. The GPUs of this tier can operate 100% of the games that have been released till now.

Nvidia GeForce Titan V is the best GPU ever made. There is no competitor of Titan V at the moment in the market. It’s the most powerful GPU ever made. This tier is like the royal realm in the world of gaming and GPUs. Only the most passionate and enthusiastic gamers dare to enter this tier for purchasing a GPU.

If you want to get a GPU from the first tier, be ready to spend well over $1,000 on it alone. You also have to have a matching system memory and a powerful monitor. But let me tell you that you will not regret purchasing it.

It will offer you the best graphics and textures without sacrificing even a tiny bit of overall speed and performance. These GPUs are with your money and time. If you’re an enthusiast, do give them a try.

Tier 2 – High-End

The second tier is commonly known as the “high-end” graphics cards. As mentioned in the first tier that Nvidia is dominant, the same is the case for the second tier as well. AMD has attempted to offer some competition to Nvidia but still, Nvidia is the dominant brand here.

Here is the list of some GPUs that lie in the category of the second tier.

In the list above, you can observe a little variety as we have included entries from AMD as well. We did not see any GPU from AMD in the first tier because it goes as high as the second tier. This is not as bad as compared to the quality they still offer.

Although Nvidia is still dominating the list, AMD also offers great quality. This tier smoothly runs graphics up to 2K at 60 FPS. This means that 1080p will run even more smoothly. 1080p can reach 100 fps easily on these GPUs. Gamers can have a great experience in tier 2 GPUs.

In this list, Nvidia’s 1080 lead the race. The rest of the GPUs comes after it. It has an 8GB dedicated memory which makes a powerful experience of gaming with more power-saving and quiet performance.

AMD’s best GPU, lying under tier 2, is the RX Vega 64 at the moment. It is comparable to Nvidia’s GTX 1080 but still, it does not quite surpass it. AMD still is improving and is out there not lagging far behind.

The GPUs of the second tier are not much expensive as compared to the tier 1 GPUs. Their price varies quite often due to high manufacturing and low supply curve. You can expect the price of tier 2 GPUs to lie in the range of $300-$700.

These will definitely be worth your money. You’ll have a satisfying 2K gaming experience on these GPUs. If you’re a game lover then you won’t mind spending a few bucks on these beauties.

Tier 3 – Mid Range

If you ask which GPUs are the most common among PC gamers, you will find out that tier 3 GPUs are the ones. Most of gamers use these GPUs because of a few factors such as being medium range in the price category.

These are known as “Mid-range” because of being in the medium price range. These being affordable can still handle a lot of latest games. Mid-range just refers to their price; don’t think the quality is compromised in these GPUs. You still get a smooth experience in gaming.

As already mentioned above, tier 3 GPUs are most commonly used around the world of gamers. You are able to play on high to ultra-high settings with minimal interruptions.

Obviously, you won’t be able to avail of 4K quality. As far as fps is concerned, you can roam around 30-60fps for 2K graphics. There is also good news for the fans of 1080p. You will not regret using these GPUs. They give a satisfactory and uninterrupted experience on 1080p.

This category is quite balanced in terms of the brand offering such GPUs. Nvidia and AMD go side by side in mid-range GPUs’ comparison. They are very equal in terms of quality in tier 3 GPUs with a slight edge to AMD’s Radeon series.

You can easily rely on these GPUs for a couple of years. The GPUs in this list are very reliable in terms of memory and 1080p textures. Both Nvidia and AMD offer very optimal graphics in these GPUs. In medium price, these GPUs are best.

Tier 4 – Budget

We are well aware of our society and we can understand that not everybody can afford a beastly gaming PC. Not all have enough money to get a powerful and high-performance gaming system.

To cope with these issues, the gaming and PC market has introduced a number of affordable yet reliable solutions to choose from. There are a lot of low-end budget GPUs and systems available in the market which people with low budgets can purchase.

These GPUs are classified as tier 4 GPUs. They give a very satisfying gaming experience while being in the budget of almost everyone. Nvidia and AMD again offer a variety of tier 4 GPUs. These GPUs are built for 1080p gaming. Their performance can vary from game to game and also with the system they’re being used with.

A list of some popular tier 4 GPUs is given below.

The above-mentioned GPUs are known to be well-performing but still, you cannot expect them to be outstanding and provide an elite experience in every game. They are best for those who have a limited budget.

Radeon RX 560 by AMD and GTX 1050 Ti by Nvidia, respectively, are the leading GPUs in this tier. As we saw in Tier 3 that gave maximum 2K experience, these Tier 4 GPUs give a maximum quality in 1080p.

You can still play the latest games on the Tier 4 GPUs. The difference will only be that they won’t be as smooth as they are in higher tiers. If you are new to gaming then you can make a start on these GPUs and enjoy the latest games. These are affordable, simpler, and somewhat straightforward. This is the best choice for you if you have a low budget.

Tier 5 – Budget-Friendly Starter Kit

This tier is the cheapest of all in terms of price. This fifth tier is classified as “Budget-Friendly Starter Kit”. In this tier, you can see a few more GPUs. These are basically money-saving GPUs and don’t get much out of the performance.

If you are not a professional gamer who must have the latest games at your earliest, this tier is built for you. You can still enjoy classic games and the less-demanding ones on the GPUs of this tier.

You might get 60fps for 1080p but it won’t be as stable and smooth as Tier 4 GPUs. If you try to go even a bit higher on these GPUs, you’ll see a clear lag in your game.

The GPUs included in this Tier are listed below.

You might be thinking, what are these Tier 5 GPUs good for? Basically, if you use your computer just for regular stuff and occasionally play video games then these GPUs are the perfect matches.

If you are not much interested in the latest games then you shouldn’t spend too much on higher tier GPUs. For seasonal gamers, these Tier 5 GPUs are the ideal ones. You can enjoy a classic game or any other random game on these GPUs.

Other than more advanced games, your system will run quite smoothly on these GPUs. For a simple and stable light PC, you can definitely rely on Tier 5 GPUs. They are very light on your wallet and very suitable for a basic PC system.

We have briefly laid-out the GPU Hierarchy above. This hierarchy is not so simple and obvious as it seems. There are many factors that determine the ultimate hierarchy of GPUs.

Except for the Tier 1 GPUs, all other tiers have a tough competition among the brands which are in the race of GPU hierarchy. The GPUs which are in competition are tested for various latest games.

Their responses to those games determine which GPU is more powerful and better in performance. This is a very long and laborious work. After those various tests, a GPU is declared better than the other.

One may ask; which is the most powerful and best, in terms of performance, GPU in the market at the moment? Well, this has a simple and obvious answer. Currently, the most powerful GPU in the market is Nvidia’s GeForce Titan V.

It tops the list with an impressive combination of performance and power. It has a stunning design. No GPU has looked as cool as Nvidia GeForce Titan V looks. If we talk about the groundbreaking capability of Titan V, it has the power of 12 GB HBM2 memory and 640 Tensor Cores which delivers 110 teraflops of performance.

Now, these are pretty impressive stats. It also features Volta-optimized Nvidia CUDA for maximum results. These features give you an experience like never before. It will cost you about $3000. This is a very expensive GPU and only the enthusiasts will go for it. But mark my word; you will not be disappointed after using this GPU.

It offers 4K gaming experience like never before without any hiccups. You will need an equally powerful monitor and PC system to get the best results out of this beast. If you are a passionate gamer and want the best graphics and fps for your gaming experience, you should definitely get one of these.

They will be costly but you will not regret it for a second when you’ll see its performance. Other than this, you can go for other GPUs as well mentioned in the tiers above. As you go ahead in the tiers list, you can see less-expensive GPUs and you can pick the one that suits your needs the best.