When your PC’s integrated graphics aren’t enough, it’s time for a graphics card. And that means it’s time for NVIDIA.
Why your PC needs a graphics card: it’s not just about gaming
PC gaming
OK, it’s not all about games, but let’s face it; when it comes to graphics cards, the application that most people think of first is video games. Choosing an NVIDIA video card for your gaming PC delivers maximum resolution, maximum special effects and maximum frame rates. RTX 30 series GPUs offer a wide range of advanced features for gamers, including:
- Real-time ray tracing
- HDMI 2.1 with up to 8K HDR 60fps output (33 million pixels compared to 8 million pixels for 4K)
- NVIDIA Reflex for lowest latency and highest fps
- DLSS AI acceleration
To learn more about DLSS, be sure to check out this feature on NVIDIA’s groundbreaking AI rendering technology.
Content creation
NVIDIA graphics cards are a must-have for content creators, whether they are perfecting images in Photoshop, editing 4K videos, or streaming on Twitch.
Virtually all aspects of content creation depend on a PC with maximum graphics horsepower, which means NVIDIA graphics cards. In addition, many popular content creation apps include NVIDIA RTX GPU-accelerated features and effects, using NVIDIA Studio drivers. This means you can work more quickly, and do more than you ever thought possible.
Streamers and broadcasters will gain a huge advantage with NVIDIA graphics cards. RTX Studio is a dedicated hardware encoder for maximum streaming image quality and performance. NVIDIA’s Broadcast app leverages AI to upgrade your livestreams, chats, and video conferences with capabilities like ambient noise removal and realistic virtual backgrounds.
Virtual reality
VR is popular as a gaming platform, but also for entertainment and education. However, virtual reality is extremely demanding on a GPU. To do VR right and enjoy the immersive, life-like experience of 4K resolution, zero latency, and refresh rates of at least 90Hz, you need a powerful graphics card. NVIDIA RTX 30 series graphics cards pack the performance VR demands. These cards also feature advanced technology like VRSS (Variable Rate Supersampling) and PhysX (complex physics calculations) to deliver a mind-blowing experience using the latest VR headsets.
GPU-accelerated applications
Software developers increasingly take advantage of the immense parallel processing power of NVDIA GPUs. Some tasks typically handled by the central processing card (CPU) can be crunched far faster by a n NVIDIA GPU, dramatically speeding up results.
There are a growing number of specialized applications in areas including CAD (Computer Aided Design), 3D modelling and rendering, data science and analytics, higher education, and finance that leverage NVIDIA GPUs for accelerated computing power.
NVIDIA’s RTX 30 series takes PC graphics to a new level
In fall 2020, NVIDIA launched its latest generation of graphics cards, the RTX 30 series. These GPUs are based on Ampere, the company’s second generation RTX architecture. They feature third generation Tensor Cores and second generation Ray Tracing Cores. The RTX 30 series GPUs deliver next-generation capabilities like AI acceleration, real-time ray tracing, and up to 8K output at 60 fps with HDR. All are VR-ready. In other words, this series of NVIDIA GPUs will turn your PC into a graphics powerhouse.
Not everyone needs supercomputer capability, so the RTX 30 series includes a GPU aimed at every use case, every budget, and every PC owner.
GeForce RTX 3090
The GeForce RTX 3090 is the ultimate high-performance PC graphics card. A 12.3-inch, three-slot card, it is equipped with 10,496 NVIDIA CUDA Cores and a standard memory configuration of 24GB of DDR6X RAM.
GeForce RTX 3080
Next in the RTX 30 series lineup is the GeForce RTX 3080. This 11.2-inch two-slot card features 8,704 NVIDIA CUDA Cores, and a standard memory configuration of 10GB of DDR6X RAM.
GeForce RTX 3070
Rounding out the original 2020 release lineup, the GeForce RTX 3070 was a powerful, 5.5-inch, two-slot graphics card. It offered 5,888 NVIDIA CUDA Cores, and 8GB of DDR6 RAM.
GeForce RTX 3060
The latest member of the RTX 30 series, the GeForce RTX 3060 launched in February, 2021. The RTX 3060 is the new entry level in the series. It’s the most affordable upgrade for owners of GTX 1060 and RTX 2060 video cards who want to take advantage of DLSS, enhanced ray-tracing, higher resolutions, and faster frame rates. The two-slot, 9.5-inch card features 4,864 NVIDIA CUDA Cores, and 8GB of DDR6 RAM.
GeForce MaxQ mobile GPUs for laptops
Laptop GPUs aren’t usually upgradeable. So when you’re choosing a new laptop, you’ll want to make certain its equipped to do everything you want now—and a year from now. For mobile gaming, virtual reality, video editing, content creation, streaming, and high demand tasks like 3D modelling, that means picking a laptop with a discrete video card.
NVIDIA’s Max-Q mobile graphics cards are designed to deliver maximum performance. At the same time, they take up as little space as possible, use as little power as possible, and give off as little heat as possible. The carefully balanced combination means high performance gaming laptops that are thin, light, and quiet, while offering long battery life.
NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 30 series mobile GPUs employ third generation Max-Q engineering. They feature specialized tech like WhisperMode 2.0 that uses AI-powered algorithms to control components and internal fans at the system level to meet a user-defined acoustic level. Laptops equipped with these NVDIA mobile GPUs enjoy all the benefits of RTX architecture, including RT Cores and Tensor Cores, with real-time ray tracing and DLSS AI acceleration. They are gaming and graphics powerhouses, but more mobile than ever.
You’ll find all all things NVIDIA at Best Buy
You’ll find all the NVIDIA products you need—including NVIDIA graphics cards, third party graphics cards with NVIDIA GPUs, and NVIDIA Max-Q gaming laptops—at Best Buy.
Best Buy works closely with NVIDIA and has even partnered with the company for exclusive releases. These include the RTX Founder’s edition cards, which were a Best Buy exclusive when first launched. However the incredible popularity of NVIDIA graphics cards means they often sell out quickly, even at Best Buy. If this happens when you are shopping for a new graphics card, don’t worry. NVIDIA has been working hard to ensure production can keep up with demand, and Best Buy receives new stock frequently. So be sure to keep checking back.
