hwtierlistHardware Tier Lists

Graphics cards ranking criteria

Every score is computed from a published measurement or specification, and cites the page it came from; nothing is scored by hand. Each criterion is scored 0–10, the weighted average scaled to 100 sets the tier, and a product that no source has measured on a criterion stays in Not rated for that use case. Frame rates are ComputerBase's performance ratings at 2560 × 1440: the geometric mean of average frame rates across its game suite, one test system for every card.

Criteria

CriterionWeight
Gaming performanceAverage frame rate at 1440p across ComputerBase's game suite, without ray tracing.50%
Ray tracingAverage frame rate at 1440p across ComputerBase's ray-traced games.20%
Memory headroomVRAM for textures at high settings: 8 GB scores 3, 12 GB 6, 16 GB 8, 20 GB 9, 24 GB or more 10.20%
Power efficiencyFrame rate at 1440p per watt of the maker's rated board power.10%

Measured figures score against the best on the list: 10 for the best, and 3 points off for every halving of speed, or every doubling where lower is better (a temperature rise, wasted power), so a product at half the leader's speed scores 7. A score a lab publishes on its own scale, and a specification, are converted as their criterion says.

Tier cutoffs

S
82+
A
74+
B
67+
C
59+
D
below 59
F
a documented flaw only

F is kept for real flaws, not for being slow or cheap: a product that is merely behind the rest bottoms out at D, and one with a documented flaw goes to F whatever it scores. Each flaw is found from cited facts by a stated rule and shown on the product with its sources.

Flaw
8 GB on eight PCIe lanes, at a premium8 GB of VRAM on a PCIe link of only eight lanes, at a launch price of $350 or more. Reviews list both cut-backs against these cards, and the narrow link slows them further on boards a PCIe generation older than the card.

Value and price segments

Value adds the price as a criterion worth 40% of the score: the cheapest product in view scores 10 on it, and every doubling of price costs 3 points, the same scale speed is measured on. The segments filter by price: Entry is under $400, Mid-range $400–$799, and High-end $800 and up.

The price is the launch price (MSRP), from the maker's announcement.

The board opens on Value; Performance is one click away. The cutoffs above apply to Performance with every product in view; Value and the segments are ranked against their own best product instead: S within 5 points of it, A within 10 points of it, B within 15 points of it, C within 22 points of it, and D further behind; F still means a documented flaw. That is roughly 10% slower per tier on measured criteria. Scores themselves never change between views.

Sources

Blender Open Data and llama.cpp's scoreboards are read automatically each month. ComputerBase's rankings and tests, Cybenetics' lab databases and Gamers Nexus's charts are read by hand when they update. Launch prices come from the maker's announcement, or from a review or launch report (Gamers Nexus, KitGuru, Club386) that states a US price; specifications from the maker's pages or the lab report that lists them.

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