Top AMD Graphics Cards 2020

No person can imagine their own life without a functional PC. In order for a PC to be classified as the best, modern components must be installed in it, which together demonstrate excellent power.

The video graphics processor, which is also called a video card, is responsible for the quality of video playback, the degree of image processing, as well as for photoshop and other relevant programs. And although this device is the most expensive and the second most important after the motherboard, without it you cannot achieve optimal graphics for games.

Among all the popular models that are offered by online stores and ordinary points of sale, it is very difficult to choose the most powerful, and at the same time, budget-priced video graphics card. The rating of the best AMD video cards presented in this article is a stronghold of its kind so that users can identify for themselves how much the model they like costs and which one is better to buy for specific purposes.

Which company is better?

The attitude towards computer games is controversial. They are negatively spoken about and at the same time adored, eagerly awaited and angry. But there is no point in denying the fact that they are one of the main reasons for improvement for graphics, computer components and peripherals.

And if the best manufacturers of keyboards, "motherboards" and power supply units are innumerable, then a very limited number of brands are engaged in processors - central and video graphics. The boards are manufactured only by 2 companies - Nvidia and AMD:

• Nvidia is working quite closely with companies that develop games for laptops and PCs, and these same video games are often the best fit for those graphics cards. The brand that sells Nvidia products is called GeForce;
• AMD - boards of this corporation from time to time experience some problems, which are expressed in "lags" and other graphic flaws. But on the other hand, the company supplies products at an inexpensive cost. Radeon is the brand of this corporation.

Firstly, the advantages of Radeon include the price, which is affordable when compared with its main competitor. At the same time, the characteristics are located approximately at the same level, which means that the correspondence between cost and quality is much better here.

Secondly, the company should be thanked for the long-term support of the equipment with software "stuffing". If Nvidia almost stops supporting the previous generation following the release of new gaming products, AMD updates its software up to the absolute decay of the architecture. At the same time, there are no significant delays in improvement.

Also, do not forget that AMD is the manufacturer of the processor, not the motherboard itself. Based on the reference GPU, component manufacturers, for example, MSI and ASUS, produce their own video graphics cards, in which they slightly overclock the processor and memory, put their own cooling system, and then sell them under their own name. There is no significant difference between the modifications of different manufacturers. The most fascinating models for designers, ordinary users and game fans are presented in this top.

Top manufacturers

Video cards developed by AMD and Nvidia corporations are manufactured by many companies, among which there are such industry giants as:

1. ASUS is the largest manufacturer of electronic equipment. He is considered one of the best in the industry. videographic cards.
2. Gigabyte is a manufacturer that uses innovative technologies during its work. It competes in the market on a par with ASUS.
3. MSI is a veteran firm that competes with the two companies listed above in terms of product quality and configuration. It should be noted that this brand is slightly inferior in technology, but its products are significantly lower in price.
4. Palit is a Taiwanese company that also formed in this industry for a long time. Palit is one of the flagships in this area, with good and cheap products.
5. Zotac is one of the more specific manufacturers. Some of their products are met with vicious criticism, and some models, in contrast, are striking in their high reliability of assembly.

What does “New Generation” mean?

AMD's latest generation of GPUs are called the most practical. Compact dimensions against the background of improving capabilities and relatively inexpensive cost allow the current "leaders" of this brand to create a well-deserved competitor to the titanium of the industry - Nvidia. Similarly, it is allowed to watch videos in 4K format and use cards in casings of various sizes, up to nettops.

What does "Old Generation" mean?

The old generation of AMD motherboards is capable of creating a fairly decent competition for innovative equipment, but with the release of new products they begin to become outdated a little. And, despite their own good capabilities, GDDR5 blocks after a while will no longer be in demand, at least among gamers. In return, they will receive support for HBM and GDDR5x standards, the former is already used by AMD manufacturer, and the other - by its rival Nvidia.

AMD quality graphics cards rating

AMD Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers of desktop and mobile graphics accelerators for PCs. In this regard, the products she makes are very good. But choosing what is acceptable can be difficult. Below is the top of the best video cards that AMD has developed or released.

Inexpensive AMD graphics cards

A professional graphics accelerator is the foundation of every PC. If the "sistemnik" is equipped competently, then a device of good power will make at least 40% of the total price of a PC. But don't forget that video gaming cards are not affordable. Premium ones are even capable of reaching prices of about $ 1,000 or more, which is too expensive for most ordinary users.

But, in this case, there is a solution, it is only important to approach the situation correctly. The fact is that it is quite possible to find a video graphics accelerator with an excellent value for money, without overpaying for an excessive amount of memory and a trademark, which allows you to enjoy trendy games, albeit not at the maximum graphic parameters.

By the way, in most games, rarely will anyone feel the difference between ultra and high parameters, and therefore there is no point in chasing such a feature.There are many relatively cheap devices that make it possible to enjoy modern games at medium-high settings in the maximum Full HD resolution.

4th place: ASUS Radeon R5-230

It will be wise to start with the most affordable video card available. This model is an ordinary example of the office segment. It does not thrill with design, size and, of course, efficiency. Its purpose is only to select a picture in 2D, sometimes to view recordings of low (limit - 2K) resolution. You will be able to play only old games that were released 10 years ago.

But there are plenty of pluses too. First of all, the price. A complete set for a weak central processor without a video accelerator would be an excellent choice. In addition, the model uses a passive cooling system. Naturally, during operation, the temperature can rise significantly, but it is quiet. It is worth noting that this is a low power model, which is only 19W.

Simply put, it is a GPU that is made using a 40nm process technology, operating at a frequency of 625 MHz. The memory capacity is only 1 GB, and the number of supported monitors is equal to two (at the highest resolution of 4096x2160 px). There are 3 connectors:

1. DVI-D;
2. HDMI 1.4a output;
3. VGA.

• Availability;
• Will be a viable option for 4k HDMI displays;
• Silent.

• The performance will be sufficient only for the OS shell;
• During a game or 3D load on the graphics, problems with the software may appear;
• 64-bit bus.

The average price is 2,500 rubles.

"3rd Place: MSI Radeon R9-380"

The owner of this videographic card is able to afford to play heavy games and open demanding applications. Videos in Full HD format can be easily played on a computer with this video card. Consequently, it is rightfully considered one of the best solutions when compared with the tests of other old products.

• Performance;
• Effective cooling system;
• No noise under low load;
• Practical dimensions - the board will be a good solution for many shells (268 mm).

• Not detected.

The average price is 15,000 rubles.

"2nd Place: Radeon RX 460"

If the user needs the cheapest of the currently available types of productive video cards, then it is worth paying due attention to this model, the production of which started in 2016. Having a 128-bit bus and a 4 GB GDDR5 memory type, it certainly won't overwhelm with its own characteristics, but in any case it will give you the opportunity to play any games:

• Relevant - at the lowest and average parameters;
• Manufactured before 2015 - at quite high ones.

In addition, the model is distinguished by a low degree of noise generated during the operation of the cooling system. At the same time, the temperature of the board is no more than 70 degrees with the highest parameter value being 105.

• Fairly nimble for gaming at 1080p with medium details
• Almost no noise even if the chip is loaded (the test was carried out on the Nitro modification);
• Complete absence of noise in standby mode (the test was carried out on the Nitro modification);
• Low energy consumption.

• Not suitable for games with maximum detail settings;
• Only 2 GB of memory (version from the Gigabyte brand).

The average price is 10,000 rubles.

1st Place: MSI Radeon RX 560

The graphics processor of this model belongs to the new generation. There is also support for all innovative technologies, for example, CrossFire and Open GL 4.5. The power is significantly less when compared with the older brother RX 570. This is due to the fact that this video card has 2 times less number of stream processors and modules.

Either way, the performance in combination with Intel's Core i3-6320 CPU is very good. In most games, the FPS is no less than 40 fps. The average remains at a decent 60.

At the same time, the model has clear advantages when compared to where the performance cards are.These include cost, compactness, and no need for additional power. The number of fans is 1, and therefore the temperature can reach 69 degrees at maximum loads. The noise is weak at 41 dB.

• Great performance, but with a limit;
• Free Sync support;
• Overclocking support through proprietary software.

• The performance limit in Full HD is 60 fps, after which the smoothness of the work decreases;
• Undeveloped cooling system;
• Quite high degree of noise under load.

The average price is 9,000 rubles.

Best mid-range AMD graphics cards

At the moment, in the field of good videographic maps, there is a rather contradictory situation. Sales of the Nvidia corporation have increased, which in addition means that good GPUs are in demand more than ever. However, at the same time, it is almost impossible to purchase a graphics card (GPU) at the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) due to the mining and unprecedented improvement in PC games. For those who are not versed in mining, it is worth knowing that most people buy graphics devices in stacks in order to try to make instant money on mining BTC and ETH.

For this reason, gamers are faced with a difficult problem. This category provides an overview of the best graphics cards for 2020 from AMD. In addition, the pros and cons of each model are described, which will greatly simplify the process of choosing a videographic card.

"3rd Place: Radeon R9-380X"

The choice of this model with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory is unlikely to be justified for a person who is looking for how to choose components for a PC in order to comfortably play games of past years.

They will run in any case, however, the limit parameters, most likely, will not work. For the same money, you can buy not only a less power-consuming device from Nvidia, but also a much more productive and high-speed AMD RX470 solution.

• Higher degree of performance when compared to analogs;
• Excellent value and performance match for the mid-market category;
• Almost silent cooling system;
• Coolers stop working at low loads;
• Good overclocking potential for the graphics chip;
• There is access to the setting, which is responsible for changing the supply voltage on the GPU.

• In the process of powerful overclocking, the capabilities of the used cooling system will not be enough.

The average price is 17,000 rubles.

"2nd Place: Radeon R9 Nano"

Compact in size, the model differs in the smallest consumption of electrical energy for its own capabilities. The recommended power supply varies between 125-175 W. This makes it possible to put on a PC a cooling system that is not as powerful as, for example, for the R9 Fury.

The model has a chip that supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5 and Vulcan technologies. In addition, it easily copes with the playback of videos and games in 4K format.

• Excellent performance;
• Compactness;
• The use of energy efficient memory of the HBM type with high bandwidth;
• Sophisticated cooling system;
• There is an auxiliary radiator for cooling the power components of the power supply rectifiers;
• Optimal noise level during operation;
• Relatively low power consumption;
• Solid element base.

• Average overclocking values;
• Overly dangerous parameters of energy conservation mechanisms during heavy loads slow down the device (retribution for a relatively weak degree of TDP).

The average price is 26,000 rubles.

1st Place: Radeon R9-390 Gaming

This video card should be attributed to the spectacular samples of the 300th R9 line from Radeon. Its pluses are less power consumption compared to the 390X and, of course, lower noise level.

The reduction in productivity and price, when compared with the “older brother”, is approximately uniform (almost 10%). For games, these values ​​are more than enough, for videos in 4K format - too.It makes sense to assume that the potential of the model will be sufficient not only for gamers, but also for processing high-quality videos for the coming years.

• Excellent performance;
• There is overclocking "from the factory";
• Improved 8 + 2 phase power supply subsystem;
• First-class element base that matches the proprietary Super Alloy Power II system;
• Designed with a completely automatic manufacturing procedure (ASUS Auto Extreme Technology);
• Powerful and virtually silent cooling system during everyday use (Direct CU III);
• The ability to operate the fan in a quiet mode during low loads (0dB Fan technology);
• Original printed circuit board;
• Supports many proprietary technologies;
• There is a LED backlight;
• Functional software included;
• Unique appearance.

• Big sizes;
• High energy consumption.

The average price is 23,000 rubles.

Most powerful AMD graphics cards

Gamers pay due attention to the choice of discrete graphics cards and spend quite a lot of time studying their capabilities and descriptions in order to buy a truly productive device. This is not surprising, since the gaming industry makes many products that require a powerful system to play.

In addition, innovative displays that support 3D and 4K standards are further burdening the GPU. This category features AMD's most powerful devices for 2020 and explores their key capabilities.

"3rd Place: Radeon R9-390X"

The last generation of AMD video graphics cards should not be scrapped yet, since among the video cards manufactured in 2015 there are also such powerful models as this one.

The performance is perfectly comparable to the RX480 chips from Radeon and GTX 980 from Nvidia, and 8GB of memory is enough for any purpose. Although the model needs 275 watts of power from the PSU and makes decent noise during use.

• High performance;
• Large memory capacity;
• There is overclocking "from the factory";
• Comfortable proprietary software for changing modes of use;
• Execution of a semi-passive CO mode;
• Trendy design with backlit corporate logo.

• Perceptible deflection of the card under the weight of CO;
• Low overclocking capabilities due to processor limits;
• Very intrusive in terms of noise under load.

The average price is 26,000 rubles.

2nd Place: Radeon R9 Fury

Capability tests showed a 15-17 percent reduction in power when compared to the FuryX only for maximum graphics resolution in games. In normal mode (HD or FHD), the device functions almost in the same way as the premium version, and in fact is proportional to the degree of the GTX 1080 (even exaggerating its settings in terms of information transfer rate).

4 GB of memory is a minor disadvantage, but HBM technology can absolutely make up for this difference. Another disadvantage is the high energy consumption. With extreme overclocking, only the graphics accelerator needs to stock up on about 425 watts of power, while the average is 275 watts.

• Excellent performance;
• Sophisticated cooling system;
• First-class element base.

• Memory overclocking is not possible without software changes;
• Frequency flies in the load in the nominal mode, even without excess.

The average price is 25,000 rubles.

1st Place: ASUS Radeon RX 580

The winner in this category was AMD's premium all-round graphics card. It is the most expensive when it comes to gaming cards, but the performance is marginal. If we compare it with the RX 570 from Radeon, then there is no significant difference - all values ​​are only slightly higher. Only the memory capacity is noticeably higher, which is equal to 8 GB, but this is enough for significant growth in games.

In testing in combination with the Core i7, there are no frame rate drops while playing in FHD or 2K resolutions, even in 4K Ultra HD it is really possible to play with weak graphics parameters.Although a decrease in FPS in some cases still happens. For example, The Witcher 3 forces the frame rate counter to go down to 23 in "heavy" scenes. But it would be advisable to buy 2 of these cards in Cross Fire, which will give you the same performance as the GTX 1080 Ti from GeForce, without spending a lot of money.

• Sophisticated fan that can be customized;
• Excellent performance, even despite modest performance indicators;
• 2 BIOS blocks with different parameters, up to overclocking and dangerous cooling.

• Overprice;
• Able to heat up to a temperature of more than 70 degrees under heavy load;
• Very bright backlight system, difficult to deactivate.

The average price is 28,500 rubles.

The best AMD graphics cards for gaming

For the modern fan of having fun with PC games, the market offers a really huge selection of products, and below are the top 3 cards for this year.

"3rd Place: Radeon RX 470"

This model guarantees the opening of heavy programs without degrading PC performance. This feature is provided by 2 MB of cache and a bus frequency of 1254 MHz. Although, as tests show, PCs with this video card ideally run games with a format no larger than FHD.

Getting the "extended" usability and frequency in 4K is harder, albeit real. For this reason, after a couple of years, a gamer who wants to keep up with technology needs to change the device to another.

• First-class Super Alloy Power II element base;
• Fully automated production technology ASUS AUTO Extreme Technology;
• Effective and almost silent Direct CU II fan;
• Excellent performance in the gaming category of cards;
• Factory overclocking and good overclocking potential;
• RGB illumination system ASUS AURA;
• Ability to connect 1 case cooler (Fan Connect technology from ASUS);
• Converted set of external interfaces;
• Comfortable and functional GPU Tweak II utility;
• Surprise for World of Warships fans.

• Not detected.

The average price is 15,000 rubles.

"2nd Place: Radeon RX 480"

Supports VR technology and has good overclocking capabilities. In addition, it has an efficient cooling system. By the way, this model is called a worthy competitor to the GTX 1060-1070, which are among the top 10 best Nvidia graphics cards.

The use of Polaris architecture and Liquid VR technology will enable the board owner to play 3D games and other programs in Ultra HD (4K) format at 60 FPS. These parameters could significantly increase the demand for the model, if not for its cost.

• Innovative 14 nm FinFET process technology;
• AMD 4th generation GCN microarchitecture;
• The amount of video memory is 8 GB, the memory type is GDDR5;
• High performance at this price point;
• Excellent energy efficiency parameters;
• The use of high-quality element base;
• Effective cooling system;
• Excellent overclocking potential;
• Supports virtual reality;
• Supports HDR format displays.

• The fan is noisy at full load.

The average price is 21,000 rubles.

1st Place: ASUS Radeon RX 570

This model is one of the most popular among cryptographic currency miners. But her key direction is games, since she copes with them by 10/10. Technological capabilities are inferior to the "advanced" video graphics cards, but only slightly. There are slightly fewer general-purpose video processors, a gap in the number of texture units, and slightly lower memory and core frequencies. A more significant difference is that the video memory capacity is 2 times less, which is 4 GB. It is worth noting that the RX580 has 8 GB of memory.

The gaming performance is solid. The test was carried out on a system with a Core i7-3960X from Intel, which was overclocked to 3.9 GHz in FHD and 2K formats at the graphics limit.In The Witcher 3, it is acceptable to play in both formats, FPS does not drop below 33, which is normal for an RPG. Where dynamic DIRT Rally in 2K format demonstrates a comfortable frequency only at the lowest level of anti-aliasing (70.9 fps). The Division is the same. Play in 4K resolution will not work even at the lowest graphics settings.

• High performance in its own category;
• There are 3 modes with overclocking "from the factory" and the ability to instantly switch between them;
• Optional manual overclocking;
• 6 + 2 phase power supply subsystem using high-class Super Alloy Power II element base;
• Effective and practically silent in the automatic mode of use, a two-cooler cooling system;
• The fan can operate in passive mode under low GPU loads;
• Converted set of external interfaces;
• Auto assembly procedure Auto Extreme Technology from ASUS;
• Supports ASUS Aura Sync illumination;
• Supports Fan Connect II technology from ASUS;
• Supports practical and effective GPU Tweak II with XSplit Gamecaster software.

• Not detected.

The average price is 22,000 rubles.

Most expensive AMD graphics cards

Quite rarely, an ordinary user has a question: "What is the most expensive videographic card on the planet now, and what is its price?" Such devices are quite rare, and their price ranges from 132-198 thousand rubles. Not everyone is able to shell out for such a graphics adapter. Below are the most expensive boards from AMD Corporation.

2nd Place: Radeon R9 Fury X

This model is considered to be the forefront of the R9 line. Although, from the point of view of most users, the price of a video card is still too high to purchase. The same device from the performance side from Nvidia (for example, GTX 980) is actually much cheaper to buy. Although its advantages, including compactness, noiselessness and efficiency of the water cooling system, make it possible to:

1. To put the model in any, even the smallest in size "system unit";
2. Supplement a stationary PC, the functionality of which will not interfere with other residents of the house;
3. Use the graphics card for heavy games that heat up the graphics accelerator.

Among the auxiliary advantages of the video card, it is worth highlighting an absolutely innovative type of memory such as HBM, the speed of which is several times higher with the now outdated GDDR5 standard.

• Compactness;
• High GPU overclocking potential;
• Trendy appearance;
• The materials from which the casing is made are of high quality;
• Virtually silent and efficient water cooling system.

• A high price point for this degree of performance.

The average price is 44,000 rubles.

"1st Place: Sapphire Fire Pro S9150"

The winner in this category is almost the exact opposite of a gaming graphics card. The point is that this model is a better solution for the job than for anything else. The purpose of this graphics accelerator is to carry out engineering calculations, process videos and 3D objects with the utmost speed and precision. FirePro model architecture is adapted for professional programs.

The performance indicators are, in fact, shocking. The GDDR5 memory capacity is 16384 MB with 512-bit bus width. The number of general-purpose processors, texture units and other components is also significantly higher when compared with the "neighbors" that are designed for games. Electricity consumption is also proportional: power is necessarily connected via 8 + 6 pin slots. Heat dissipation is 235 W, although the cooling system is passive.

• Maximum single precision floating point performance is 5.017 teraflops;
• The ultimate double precision floating point performance reaches 2.53 teraflops;
• 16 GB GDDR5 memory, 512-bit wrapped memory block with a bandwidth of 320 GB / s;
• Fast support for OpenCL 2.04;
• Supports memory fault correction codes.

• Not detected.

The average price is 158,500 rubles.

Which one is better to buy?

1. Gamers with a limited budget should take a closer look at MSI Radeon RX 560 and Radeon RX 460 graphics cards, since they are the most logical choice of the available devices at their own cost;
2. Amateurs will most likely stop at the Radeon R9-380X - an adapter with high overclocking potential, excellent performance and insignificant component heating;
3. If the user considers himself a gamer or is a happy owner of VR glasses, then it is worth considering the Radeon RX 480 or Radeon R9 Fury X. Effective processors and GDDR5 memory will definitely be liked.

How to choose?

If a person already realizes for what purposes he needs a graphics accelerator, then the choice is almost over - all that remains is to identify only with the manufacturer and the exact model.

Choosing a video card manufacturer

The popularity of video card models from well-known manufacturers has not changed for many years - these are Asus, Gigabyte, InnoVision, MSI, Palit, PNY, Power Color and Sapphire. All of these manufacturers test their own products before sending them for sale, which is why the share of cards that break due to internal reasons during the first period of use is small and is almost the same for all manufacturers - from 1 to 2 percent.

The durability of graphics processors is difficult to track by the first year of operation, since engineering omissions, savings on the quality of the cooling system and components will rapidly "climb" later, after a couple of years. After this period, the radiator will certainly be covered with a massive or not entirely dusty layer, the thermal paste between the processor and the radiator will lose some of its own properties, and the components that operate in extreme modes without a reserve of durability will increasingly begin to remind of themselves with unstable functioning.

If you believe the feedback from users and the point of view of experts, then the best graphics cards are made by Asus, which has most of the products with an active cooling function at a cost starting at 5 thousand rubles, extremely quiet, wear-resistant and of high quality. The key factors for the good quality of Asus graphics accelerators are a solid element base, branded fans tested by many years of service and a well-designed cooling system, often with no obvious noise.

Memory type and capacity

The memory capacity is deceiving to most users, since it is generally believed that the higher it is, the more likely the model is better. In fact, the performance of a gadget, most often, lies in the video processor, and the memory only stores information for it, although if its capacity is insufficient, the graphics processor will not reveal its full potential.

Graphics tests show that on the most popular HD and FHD formats for innovative displays, games at ultra extreme quality settings will require no more than 4GB of VRAM. At the same time, the presence of only 2 GB of video memory quite often eats up FPS quite a bit.

Choosing a gaming processor: AMD Radeon VS Nvidia GeForce

Intel wants to connect to AMD and Nvidia after a while, and users benefit from such endless rivalry, since processor developers must regularly increase performance or lower the cost of GPUs, albeit not as fast as gamers want.

At the moment, the performance of GeForce products from Nvidia is significantly higher when compared to Radeon, in almost all price segments. However, benchmarks and average cost comparisons show that the balance of performance and cost varies considerably over time, and even differs from one manufacturer to processor type.

What to look for or mistakes when choosing a video card?

Key mistakes when choosing a video graphics card for games.

Gaming Graphics - Compact

A powerful graphics card is never small.A massive radiator and high-quality overall fans make it possible to reduce the noise level to a minimum, and they are also a key guarantee of durability. The fact is that most often, critical breakdowns are associated precisely with overheating. Because of this, it is very difficult for an adequate price to assemble a productive PC that will be practical, almost silent and durable.

Passive cooling

Experts do not recommend purchasing a device with passive cooling with one voice. The fact is that quite often, due to the lack of ventilation inside the PC, they operate in maximum temperature modes, which does not at all complement their durability.

In addition, most actively cooled graphics cards are perfectly quiet under light load and normal noise levels, but still operate in moderate temperatures.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is worth noting that after examining the main indicators of innovative devices from AMD, it would be reasonable to assert that, despite the presence of fairly productive products in the model series, some of them cost too much for their own capabilities.