AMD Enthusiast Gaming Build: GPU
While all of the components we are selecting here today are what we would go with, and priced from vendors we trust, it is always a good idea to shop around as deals on these, or other good options, pop up from other reliable vendors all the time. With that said, let’s dive right into the next order of business.
GPU
GeForce RTX 2080 Super $699.99
60 FPS
- Better Performance Than RTX 2080 FE
- Entry/Mid Level 4k Gaming
- Entry/Mid Level Ray Tracing Performance
- Decent Overclocking Potential
30 FPS
- Value Versus RTX 2080 is Questionable For Upgrades
GPU Alternate
GeForce RTX 2070 Super $499.99
60 FPS
- Better Performance Than GTX 1080TI
- More Power Efficient Than Previous Generation
- Attractive Pricing
30 FPS
- Not A 4K Card
- Ray Tracing Performance At Resolution Greater Than 1080P Is Not The Best
In this price range we are looking at today there really is only one option when it comes to being the best bet for gaming; the GeForce RTX 2080 Super. AMD is still trying to be an also-ran in this space and because of that much of the changes we see from NVIDIA from previous generations are simply iterative and evolutionary rather revolutionary. That said, the GTX 2080 Super does, generally, outperform the RTX 2080 FE at a lower price point making it our obvious choice today as the best option here. This was pointed out by our own Brent Justice when he stated “Instead, the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is supposed to allow an upgrade path from older GPUs, or video cards like the older TITAN series. It offers faster performance than a GeForce RTX 2080 Founders Edition at a price that is $100 cheaper. That’s where its strength lies.” in his review of the card.
Stepping back a little bit on the budget still does not bring us to an AMD option, sadly. Rather, the GeForce RTX 2070 Super would be our second choice here if we are looking to pinch a few pennies as Brent Justice opined, “The GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER provides performance that is faster than the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti was $699 at launch, and the GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is $499. That means it provides faster performance, for a much lesser price. GeForce GTX 1080 Ti performance use to exist as this high $700 range (street prices much higher right now) and now you can buy that same (and slightly better) performance at the $500 range.” We do sacrifice a bit of performance by making this selection and move back away from 4K gaming as being viable by doing this. However, even though we have seen 4K gaming for a bit now it is still not pervasive enough for us to shy away from the value that the RTX 2070 Super represents for even this high-end of a build. Take another step up the food chain and then we would, but not at this level. Solid deal all around.