How to read this GPU tier list (S–E explained)
A GPU tier list ranks graphics cards into relative performance bands, from S for flagship headroom down to E for entry-level. This one uses the same scoring model as the site's bottleneck calculator, so a card's tier here matches its tier everywhere else on the site.
A tier isn't an automatic buy signal on its own. Two cards in the same tier can behave very differently once resolution, ray tracing, and the CPU pairing enter the picture — which is why every shortlist should continue to the FPS calculator and bottleneck calculator instead of stopping at a letter grade. Treat each letter as a relative average-performance band, not a promise about 1% lows or frametime consistency — two same-tier cards can still feel different when stutter, not peak FPS, is the problem. This GPU ranking list treats the tier as a starting point for comparison, not a final verdict.
PassMark's videocardbenchmark.net has logged benchmark results from more than a million individual video cards across hundreds of distinct GPU models. A GPU tier list compresses that raw benchmark spread into six bands, which is far easier to scan than a long sorted table when you just want to know where one specific card lands.
GPU hierarchy: where NVIDIA and AMD sit
NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50-series (Blackwell) currently anchors the top of the NVIDIA GPU tier list, while AMD's Radeon RX 9000-series (RDNA 4) leads the AMD side with strong rasterized performance and generous VRAM at a given tier. Filter the table above by vendor if you already know which side you're shopping on.
Older generations haven't dropped off the table. Ada Lovelace (RTX 40-series) and RDNA 3 (RX 7000-series) cards still occupy real tiers, and older Ampere (RTX 30-series) and RDNA 2 cards remain on the table for used-market value once you filter by vendor and sort by score. A last-gen card whose street price sits well below its original MSRP can outrank a same-budget current-gen SKU on performance per dollar even when its raw tier letter looks older. Intel's Arc Battlemage cards round out the budget end, with driver maturity that has improved noticeably since launch.
Gaming GPU tier list by resolution (1080p, 1440p, 4K)
Resolution changes what a tier actually means in practice more than almost any other single factor. A C-tier card is a comfortable 1080p performer and an uncomfortable 4K one; an S-tier card is technically overkill for 1080p esports and exactly right for 4K with ray tracing on. The 1440p GPU tier list middle ground is where most buying decisions actually happen, because it's the resolution where B and A tier cards both make a real case depending on refresh rate target. At 1440p especially, pair your tier target with a variable refresh rate monitor (G-Sync or FreeSync) so frametime dips between refresh steps feel less like stutter.
These bands assume native rendering as the baseline. Turning on upscaling can push a card's effective resolution performance up a full tier without changing anything about its raw hardware. Run your exact CPU and GPU through the FPS calculator for a number tied to your specific pairing and resolution rather than relying on the general band alone.
Raster vs ray tracing: does tier change?
Sometimes, yes. A card's raster tier and its ray-tracing tier aren't guaranteed to match, since dedicated ray-tracing hardware varies in maturity between architectures and even between generations from the same vendor. Two cards that trade blows in a rasterized frame-rate chart can separate sharply once path tracing or heavy ray tracing effects are switched on.
Independent testing from outlets like Tom's Hardware consistently shows the raster-to-ray-tracing gap widening at the high end. A flagship-tier card built around mature ray-tracing hardware can pull well ahead of a same-tier raster rival once demanding ray tracing is enabled, even when the two look close in a plain rasterized benchmark.
Upscaling, frame generation, and Multi Frame Generation can restore a playable rate when ray tracing is on, but they change latency and image quality, so a tier jump from those features is not the same as a native rasterization upgrade. When VRAM is tight at 4K with ray tracing, memory type (GDDR6 vs GDDR7), Infinity Cache on Radeon cards, and memory bus width all influence whether the card stumbles before raw shader power runs out.
How this graphics card tier list is scored
This graphics card tier list and the GPU performance tier list feeding the homepage bottleneck calculator are the same dataset, not two different opinions about the same hardware. That matters for trust: a card's tier here won't silently disagree with what the bottleneck calculator assumes about it when you run a pairing.
Vs Tom's Hardware / TechPowerUp hierarchies
- They win on deep lab charts, separate raster vs RT ladders, and street-price tracking.
- We win on interactive filters (vendor / VRAM / tier), Rel % + resolution band in one table, and one-click next steps into FPS and bottleneck tools on the same score model.
- Best workflow — shortlist here, confirm with a lab hierarchy for the exact title, then size power on the PSU calculator.
Spec context (VRAM, memory bus width, TGP) is drawn from published databases such as TechPowerUp rather than invented figures, and board-partner cooler differences are outside the shared score. Synthetic suites such as 3DMark Time Spy are useful for silicon comparisons, but this graphics card tier list is a planning aid aligned to the site's bottleneck model — not a replacement for a full lab hierarchy or a PassMark G3D ladder.
Treat the tier as a planning aid, not a replacement for a full lab review. It won't catch a specific driver issue on launch week, a coil-whine complaint on one board-partner card, or a game-specific optimization quirk. For that level of detail, a published review from a dedicated GPU testing outlet is still the better source; this tier list answers "roughly where does this card sit" fast.
Pick a GPU, then verify the rest of the build
A high tier on this list doesn't guarantee a high tier of gaming experience if the rest of the build can't keep up. An S-tier GPU paired with an aging CPU can become CPU-bound, spending most of its time waiting rather than rendering — confirm the pairing on the bottleneck calculator before you buy.
Wattage is the other half of the checklist. Higher tiers generally draw more power and often need the newer 12V-2x6 connector, so size your unit on the PSU calculator before checkout rather than guessing. And if you're only replacing the GPU in an existing build, the Upgrade Advisor can confirm the CPU isn't the part actually holding your results back. Compare CPUs on the CPU tier list when both sides of the pairing are still open.
GPU tier list FAQ
What is a GPU tier list?
A GPU tier list groups graphics cards into relative performance bands, typically labeled S through E, so you can compare cards at a glance instead of reading a full spec sheet or review for each one. This list uses the same scoring model as the site's bottleneck calculator.
Is a higher GPU tier always better for gaming?
Not automatically. A higher tier means more raw performance headroom, but an aging CPU, a lower target resolution, or a limiting PSU can all stop you from actually using that headroom. Check the full pairing before assuming tier alone settles the decision.
Where does my AMD or NVIDIA card sit in the hierarchy?
Search or filter for it directly in the table above. Both vendors' current and previous-generation cards are ranked on the same scale, so an AMD and an NVIDIA card in the same tier are meant to be roughly comparable in overall performance.
Does this GPU tier list include ray tracing?
The base tier reflects overall performance, and the Raster vs Ray Tracing section explains where the two can diverge for a given card. A card's ray-tracing performance isn't always identical to its raster tier, especially at the high end.
What's the best tier for 1440p gaming?
B and A tier cards cover most 1440p scenarios well, with A tier adding real ray tracing and upscaling headroom that B tier lacks. Which one is worth the price difference depends on your refresh rate target and whether ray tracing matters to you.
How often is the GPU tier list updated?
Whenever a new GPU generation or a significant new SKU launches, plus periodic reviews to keep older cards accurately placed relative to current hardware. The updated date on this page reflects the most recent pass.
Is a GPU tier list the same as a benchmark chart?
Not exactly. A benchmark chart shows raw scores for every tested card; a tier list groups those scores into bands so you can compare cards faster without reading every individual number.
What GPU tier do I need for 4K gaming?
Aim for A tier or higher for smooth native 4K, especially with ray tracing on. B tier can manage 4K with upscaling turned on in most titles.
Should I buy AMD or NVIDIA for gaming value?
It varies by tier and by how much you value ray tracing versus raw rasterized performance per dollar. Compare specific cards in the same tier rather than picking a vendor first.
Does VRAM affect GPU tier?
Yes, especially at 4K and with ray tracing enabled, where textures and ray-tracing data structures demand more video memory regardless of how fast the core itself is. Use the VRAM column and filter when shopping for high-resolution builds.
Related guides & next tools
Also useful: CPU & GPU bottleneck calculator · FPS calculator · PSU wattage calculator · CPU tier list · upgrade advisor · all PC performance tools.
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