2025 GPU buying guide: compare RTX 50, RX 9000 and Intel Arc, weigh VRAM (16GB vs 12/8), DLSS 4, FSR and frame generation to pick right card for 1080p or 1440p.
© A. Krivonosov
Choosing a graphics card is both easier and harder right now. Easier because AMD, Nvidia, and Intel have already wrapped up their current-gen lineups, so there’s no reason to expect sudden disruptors in the near term. Harder because it’s not just about raw FPS anymore: retail price, VRAM capacity, and the ecosystem you buy into matter just as much—DLSS and Multi-Frame Generation with Nvidia, FSR with AMD, XeSS with Intel. With manufacturing capacity strained by the AI boom, a sharp and lasting price drop isn’t on the cards. The pragmatic approach for 2025 is simple: pick what delivers the comfort you want at your resolution and settings without overpaying for theoretical headroom. Pepelats News examined the market and highlighted several GPUs worth a look.
If you mainly play at 1080p, stability and price usually beat sheer power. For 1440p, you need a more serious performance tier and a careful eye on VRAM. And if the goal is 4K with high settings and every toggle on, the choice quickly shifts into the premium segment, where upscaling and frame generation do much of the heavy lifting.
If you want one straightforward tip, a 16 GB VRAM setup looks extremely compelling. The logic is clear: modern games are increasingly memory-hungry—especially with ray tracing enabled alongside upscaling and frame generation. In that environment, 12 GB—and especially 8 GB—can push you into picking and choosing which effects to keep.
From that angle, the Radeon RX 9070 comes across as a solid midrange pick: tests put it near the RTX 5070, but with 16 GB of memory versus the competitor’s 12 GB, and those extra 4 GB help avoid dips and needless tweaking in demanding titles. If you want more headroom for 1440p and a confident step into 4K, the Radeon RX 9070 XT is the most balanced enthusiast choice: close to the RTX 5070 Ti in raw power, usually cheaper, with 16 GB and FSR 4 support.
Buying a GeForce in 2025 is a bet on software as much as hardware. DLSS 4 is widely regarded as the highest-quality upscaler, and the RTX 50-series adds Multi-Frame Generation, which inserts extra frames and can deliver a 2–4x boost. If you enjoy ray tracing, want the smoothest presentation on a high-refresh display, and are ready to pay for the tech package, the RTX 5070 Ti looks like the most logical Blackwell option: 16 GB of VRAM, the full DLSS 4 and MFG feature set, and strong RT performance.
The RTX 5070 is a more debatable pick largely because of its 12 GB of memory. It’s generally strong, but in the heaviest RT+DLSS+framegen scenarios, you may end up juggling settings. As a long-term buy, it feels less reassuring than 16 GB alternatives.
In the sub-$500 bracket, the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB stands out. It’s consistently faster and steadier than the competing Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB in games, and 16 GB lets you enable RT and DLSS more freely without constantly watching VRAM. You’ll pay more than for AMD’s counterpart, but the point of this choice is consistency: fewer micro-stutters and a more predictable sense of smoothness.
If maximum cost per frame is the priority and you want to spend less, the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is an excellent value: for 1080p and 1440p it runs almost everything, gives you 16 GB, and keeps memory from turning into a bottleneck. It’s fair to note that AMD still trails Nvidia in software maturity and the ubiquity of its technologies.
At roughly $300, the favorite is the RTX 5060 as the best 1080p option. The caveat: 8 GB limits scenarios where frame generation is especially desirable—MFG itself also needs VRAM. It’s a good card for popular titles, but not the ideal pick for heavy AAA games maxed out with all effects.
If $300 is already the ceiling and you want a brand-new card with a warranty, the Intel Arc B570 is an acceptable choice: 10 GB is more comforting than 8 GB, and for 1080p it adds peace of mind. You will, however, have to accept the Arc ecosystem’s quirks and the more modest adoption of XeSS 2 and Intel’s frame generator.
The RTX 5090 is undoubtedly the outright leader: 4K with every setting maxed, immense performance, and 32 GB of GDDR7. But it also lives in a world where value stops being a criterion: retail prices still sit well above recommended levels, the power budget is massive, and the demands on power delivery and cooling are serious. Unless you’re building a no-compromise dream machine, it’s more an object of desire than a sensible recommendation.
If you want one card for years for 1440p with the option of 4K, the calmest strategy is to target models with 16 GB of VRAM, then pick your ecosystem: AMD’s RX 9070 or RX 9070 XT for strong price-to-performance, or Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti if DLSS 4 and Multi-Frame Generation are critical and you’re comfortable paying extra.
If your budget is tight but you still want comfort, the soundest entry point is to get into 16 GB where possible: either the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB if stability and DLSS image quality matter more, or the RX 9060 XT 16GB if price and memory per dollar are the priority.
And finally, if you mostly play at 1080p and need to keep costs in check, the RTX 5060 is a workable option with a clear caveat: 8 GB is no longer headroom—it’s a compromise that demands a more careful approach to heavy settings and frame generation.