Graphics Card Reality Check
Article Index
We know that thecurrentGPUgenerationhas been a disappointment for many.
Additionally, we will “correct” the lineup to show what each GPU actually should have cost.
Granted, there are many different GPU buyers, and everyone upgrades their GPU at a different rate.
Some people are satisfied upgrading every three generations, while others seek an upgrade every generation.
With such a range of upgrade cadences, expectations for the performance of a new product will vary widely.
For those who upgrade every generation, the most common answer was desiring at least 30% more performance.
For upgrades every two generations, the expectation rose to at least 50% more performance.
And for those upgrading every three generations, the majority wanted their performance doubled.
Knowing what our audience wants, we can now evaluate each GPU generation against these expectations.
To do this, we created a normalized performance-per-dollar index based on our performance testing over the years.
However, it’s also important to factor in inflation.
For instance, theGeForce GTX 1060 6GBwas priced at $250 when it launched back in July of 2016.
Transitioning from the GTX 1060 6GB, theGTX 1660represented a reasonable performance per dollar increase.
Here, the RTX 4060 still performs reasonably, though only when inflation is considered.
A similar observation can be made for individuals looking to upgrade from an RTX 3050 after a single generation.
At such a mainstream price point, it’s disheartening to see the lack of progress over time.
ForGTX 1050 Tiowners, both theGTX 1650and RTX 3050 6GB represent a significant upgrade.
So, why was this generation’s product received poorly?
Well, its success is not just based on a comparison to an 8-year-old GPU.
This also impacts people with older cards.
If one had a GTX 1070, a great upgrade would have been the 3060 Ti.
Essentially, if the 3060 Ti wasn’t sufficient, why settle for the4060 Ti?
Nvidia GPU Value: $500-600
Nvidia faced similar challenges in the $500 range.
This situation highlights how theRTX 2070fell short of delivering a noteworthy generational gain.
Then comes theRTX 4070, and opinions are likely to vary widely depending on whether one factors in inflation.
As we reset expectations for each generation, a similar pattern emerges.
For people who purchased theRadeon RX 5808GB back in 2017, the journey has been a mixed bag.
Products like theRX 6600and6600 XTwere launched well into the cryptocurrency boom and had MSRPs set to account for that.
Both scenarios have been included to illustrate the effects either way.
TheRX 7600also doesn’t appear too bad as an upgrade choice, at least in this instance.
However, when recalibrating expectations based on theRX 6600 XT, the RX 7600 once again falls short.
Mid-priced offerings are where AMD has typically offered the best value, and this trend persists across generations.
This trend continues with the 7800 XT, though only when inflation is considered.
However, when expectations are based on the RX 6800, the 7800 XT appears underwhelming.
AMD GPU Value: $500-600
Then, we have the products around the $600 range.
However, theRX 6500 XT a closer match when not considering inflation was disappointing in terms of value.
However, as seen here, theRX 6600 XTreset many expectations that the latest generation fails to meet.
If both were priced around $230, the success would have been even greater.
However, with the introduction of the excellent RX 5700 XT, expectations changed.
These adjustments would have made the $400-ish options a great buy regardless of the generation.
We can see a similar situation with the4060 Ti 8GBand 7700 XT.
At these prices, everyone is happy.
To be considered a solid buy, both GPUs should be priced around $500.
TheRadeon 7900 XTis the faster graphics card, but these charts only consider rasterization performance.
As we move up the product stack, features like ray tracing and upscaling become more important.
With these prices, there would be options for everyone and more people would be incentivized to upgrade.
Yet, what this fails to consider is that expectations reset with each new release.
If one generation offers exceptional value, buyers won’t be content with stagnation or regression in the next.
Enthusiasts, in particular, are well-informed about these trends and will quickly dismiss subpar offerings.
