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The GeForce RTX 5090 is the fastest gaming graphics card in 2026, leading both native-rasterization and ray-tracing tests. That does not make it the best buy: Tom’s Hardware’s August 3 price snapshot listed the card at a best US price of $4,288, compared with its $1,999 launch MSRP.
The more useful GPU hierarchy depends on the workload. Native rasterization favors a different set of cards than ray tracing, while DLSS, FSR, frame generation, VRAM capacity, and current street prices can change the buying recommendation.
2026 GPU hierarchy at a glance
The current mainstream desktop gaming generations are Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 50-series, AMD’s Radeon RX 9000-series, and Intel’s Arc B-series. No new desktop gaming generation from Nvidia, AMD, or Intel is currently expected in 2026.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe table below uses Tom’s Hardware’s native-rasterization results. It combines 11 games at 1080p Ultra, 1440p Ultra, and 4K Ultra, with upscaling and frame generation disabled. Results are normalized to the RTX 5090’s 1080p result, which is set to 100%.
#1 Best Overall
- AI Performance: 772 AI TOPS
- OC mode: 2580 MHz Default mode: 2550 MHz(Boost clock)
- Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4
- SFF-Ready Enthusiast GeForce Card
- Axial-tech fans feature a smaller fan hub that facilitates longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure
Native rasterization ranking
| Rank | Graphics card | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GeForce RTX 5090 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| 2 | GeForce RTX 4090 | 90.1% | 85.7% | 80.4% |
| 3 | GeForce RTX 5080 | 81.9% | 76.7% | 69.8% |
| 4 | Radeon RX 7900 XTX | 79.3% | 73.1% | 63.7% |
| 5 | GeForce RTX 4080 Super | 78.0% | 70.9% | 62.6% |
| 6 | GeForce RTX 4080 | 77.2% | 70.3% | 60.9% |
| 7 | GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | 76.2% | 69.8% | 61.9% |
| 8 | Radeon RX 9070 XT | 76.9% | 69.7% | 59.4% |
| 9 | Radeon RX 7900 XT | 71.3% | 64.6% | 54.0% |
| 10 | GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super | 69.3% | 62.1% | 52.8% |
| 11 | Radeon RX 9070 | 69.1% | 62.1% | 52.1% |
| 12 | GeForce RTX 3090 Ti | 64.7% | 59.7% | 53.5% |
| 13 | GeForce RTX 4070 Ti | 66.3% | 58.6% | 48.6% |
| 14 | GeForce RTX 5070 | 65.1% | 57.6% | 49.0% |
| 15 | GeForce RTX 3090 | 60.3% | 54.7% | 47.9% |
| 16 | GeForce RTX 4070 Super | 62.2% | 54.5% | 44.4% |
| 17 | Radeon RX 6950 XT | 60.5% | 53.5% | 43.6% |
| 18 | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | 58.7% | 53.3% | 46.0% |
| 19 | Radeon RX 9070 GRE | 59.2% | 51.8% | 41.8% |
| 20 | Radeon RX 7800 XT | 58.1% | 50.7% | 40.7% |
| 21 | Radeon RX 6900 XT | 57.4% | 50.2% | 40.5% |
| 22 | GeForce RTX 3080 | 54.8% | 49.0% | 39.6% |
| 23 | Radeon RX 6800 XT | 54.9% | 47.6% | 38.1% |
| 24 | GeForce RTX 4070 | 54.7% | 46.5% | 37.2% |
| 25 | GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | 51.6% | 43.9% | 36.3% |
| 26 | Radeon RX 7700 XT | 50.5% | 43.4% | 34.3% |
| 27 | Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB | 48.2% | 40.2% | 31.7% |
| 28 | GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB | 49.3% | 41.0% | 25.4% |
| 29 | GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | 46.4% | 40.0% | 23.5% |
| 30 | Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB | 45.7% | 37.3% | 26.8% |
| 31 | GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB | 43.8% | 36.2% | 28.2% |
| 32 | Radeon RX 7600 XT | 50.1% | 30.0% | 23.1% |
| 33 | GeForce RTX 3070 | 42.8% | 34.8% | 23.6% |
| 34 | GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB | 43.2% | 35.2% | 21.5% |
| 35 | Radeon RX 6750 XT | 40.8% | 34.4% | 26.7% |
| 36 | GeForce RTX 5060 | 43.4% | 35.8% | 19.6% |
| 37 | Radeon RX 6700 XT | 38.9% | 32.5% | 25.3% |
| 38 | Intel Arc B580 | 35.1% | 30.3% | 24.9% |
| 39 | GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | 36.4% | 30.5% | 17.5% |
| 40 | GeForce RTX 4060 | 35.1% | 28.4% | 15.7% |
| 41 | Radeon RX 7600 | 34.3% | 27.2% | 16.6% |
| 42 | GeForce RTX 5050 | 34.0% | 27.1% | 15.4% |
| 43 | Intel Arc B570 | 31.1% | 26.5% | 17.7% |
| 44 | GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | 30.2% | 25.0% | 20.0% |
| 45 | Radeon RX 6650 XT | 31.5% | 22.7% | 17.1% |
| 46 | Radeon RX 6600 XT | 30.8% | 24.3% | 15.6% |
| 47 | Radeon RX 6600 | 25.5% | 14.9% | 13.1% |
| 48 | GeForce RTX 3050 | 21.9% | 17.8% | 11.4% |
Source: Tom’s Hardware GPU Hierarchy. Percentages are aggregate normalized results, not guaranteed performance in every game.
Ray-tracing GPU hierarchy
Ray tracing changes the order more substantially. Nvidia leads the upper and middle parts of the RT chart, while the Radeon RX 9070 XT is AMD’s fastest ray-tracing card in this test suite.
| Rank | Graphics card | 1080p | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GeForce RTX 5090 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| 2 | GeForce RTX 4090 | 89.4% | 87.0% | 81.4% |
| 3 | GeForce RTX 5080 | 78.2% | 73.4% | 65.7% |
| 4 | GeForce RTX 4080 Super | 75.0% | 68.9% | 60.1% |
| 5 | GeForce RTX 4080 | 73.9% | 67.8% | 58.3% |
| 6 | GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | 71.9% | 65.7% | 57.3% |
| 7 | GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super | 69.9% | 59.5% | 50.2% |
| 8 | Radeon RX 9070 XT | 61.9% | 55.1% | 47.0% |
| 9 | GeForce RTX 4070 Ti | 62.4% | 54.8% | 37.2% |
| 10 | GeForce RTX 3090 Ti | 57.5% | 51.8% | 45.8% |
| 11 | GeForce RTX 5070 | 58.9% | 51.1% | 35.4% |
| 12 | Radeon RX 7900 XTX | 56.0% | 50.1% | 42.6% |
| 13 | Radeon RX 9070 | 53.8% | 47.2% | 40.2% |
| 14 | GeForce RTX 3090 | 52.9% | 47.0% | 41.0% |
| 15 | GeForce RTX 4070 Super | 57.7% | 43.2% | 34.4% |
| 16 | Radeon RX 7900 XT | 49.1% | 43.1% | 36.0% |
| 17 | GeForce RTX 4070 | 50.7% | 38.3% | 30.1% |
| 18 | GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | 44.7% | 38.6% | 32.1% |
| 19 | Radeon RX 9070 GRE | 46.5% | 37.0% | 24.2% |
| 20 | GeForce RTX 3080 | 40.8% | 34.4% | 21.5% |
Source: Tom’s Hardware RT rankings. The RT table is a separate workload and should not be merged numerically with the raster table.
What the rankings mean for buyers
Best performance: RTX 5090
The RTX 5090 is the clear performance leader. Its advantage is most useful at 4K, with demanding ray-traced games, and when the system needs its 32GB of GDDR7 memory. It is excessive for a 1080p monitor, and its current price makes it difficult to recommend on value alone.
High-end alternatives: RTX 5080, RTX 4090, and RX 9070 XT
The RTX 5080 is third in native rasterization and third in RT testing. The older RTX 4090 remains faster in both charts, although used-card pricing, warranty status, power requirements, and availability matter.
The RX 9070 XT is close to the RTX 5070 Ti in native rasterization: Tom’s records 69.7% versus 69.8% at 1440p. The RTX 5070 Ti is ahead in the RT aggregate, so it is the stronger choice for a ray-tracing-heavy library. The Radeon’s 16GB of VRAM and lower launch MSRP can make it attractive when current retail prices favor it.
Rank #2
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Upper midrange: RX 9070 versus RTX 5070
These two cards illustrate why one overall ranking is unreliable. The RX 9070 records 69.1% at 1080p and 62.1% at 1440p in native rasterization, compared with 65.1% and 57.6% for the RTX 5070. The RTX 5070 has the stronger Nvidia feature stack and generally better RT positioning, while the RX 9070 has 16GB of VRAM.
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The 16GB versions are safer long-term choices than their 8GB counterparts for demanding textures and higher resolutions. In Tom’s raster results, the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB scores 43.9% at 1440p, ahead of the RX 9060 XT 16GB at 40.2%. Actual value depends heavily on the price gap and the games played.
Budget and older cards
The Intel Arc B580 sits near the RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 4060 class in the aggregate chart, not alongside the RTX 5060. Its 12GB VRAM helps it retain 4K performance better than some 8GB cards, but game compatibility and driver behavior can vary more than with the established Nvidia and AMD alternatives. The Arc B570 is slower and has 10GB.
Street prices matter more than launch MSRP
Launch prices are historical figures, not a buying recommendation. Tom’s Hardware’s August 3, 2026 US snapshot reported the following best prices:
| GPU | Launch MSRP | Best reported US price |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | $1,999 | $4,288 |
| RTX 5080 | $999 | $1,256 |
| RTX 5070 Ti | $749 | $949 |
| RTX 5070 | $549 | $629 |
| RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | $429 | $569 |
| RTX 5060 Ti 8GB | $379 | $429 |
| RTX 5060 | $299 | $339 |
| RX 9070 XT | $599 | $719 |
| RX 9070 | $549 | $639 |
| RX 9060 XT 16GB | $349 | $449 |
| RX 9060 XT 8GB | $299 | $359 |
These are retailer snapshots, not fixed prices. Compare the price of the exact model you can buy, including cooler design, warranty, and power requirements. A faster card at a much higher price is not automatically better value.
VRAM: why capacity changes the result
VRAM is not a complete performance metric, but capacity can prevent severe slowdowns when a game exceeds the card’s available memory. Tom’s raster chart shows the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB at 25.4% at 4K, compared with 36.3% for the 16GB model. In its RT chart, the corresponding figures are 11.3% and 32.1%.
Rank #3
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- Military-grade components deliver rock-solid power and longer lifespan for ultimate durability. Compatibility: 348mm (13.7") length, 3.6 slots, 4.3 lbs. Confirm case clearance and slot spacing. GPU bracket included.
- Protective PCB coating helps protect against short circuits caused by moisture, dust, or debris
- 3.6-slot design with massive fin array optimized for airflow from three Axial-tech fans
- Phase-change GPU thermal pad helps ensure optimal thermal performance and longevity, outlasting traditional thermal paste for graphics cards under heavy loads
That gap is not proof that VRAM alone caused every difference; GPU configuration, drivers, settings, and the game mix also matter. Still, for a new gaming PC, 16GB is preferable for upper-midrange cards when the price premium is reasonable. The RTX 5090 has 32GB, the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 have 16GB, the RX 9070 GRE has 12GB, and the Arc B580 has 12GB.
DLSS, FSR, XeSS, and frame generation
Native charts deliberately leave out upscaling and frame generation because these technologies use different reconstruction methods and do not represent the same workload.
- Nvidia RTX 50-series: supports DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation. RTX 40-series cards support DLSS Frame Generation but not Multi Frame Generation.
- AMD Radeon: AMD’s current documentation calls the machine-learning upscaler FSR Upscaling. It lists ML-based FSR Upscaling support for RX 7000 and RX 9000 cards, although support varies by game and feature. AMD’s wider FSR Redstone package also includes frame generation, ray regeneration, and radiance caching.
- Intel Arc: XeSS support depends on the game and its implementation.
Generated frames can raise the displayed FPS counter, but they are not equivalent to additional natively rendered frames. Input latency, artifacts, and frame pacing still depend on the base rendered frame rate and the game’s implementation.
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Tom’s Hardware used an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 32GB of DDR5-6000 CL30 memory, an Asus TUF Gaming X670E-Plus WiFi motherboard, a 4TB Inland Performance Plus SSD, and a 1,600W MSI MPG Ai1600TS power supply. Tests were run at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K using a mix of High and Ultra settings. After one warm-up pass, the actual benchmark runs were recorded.
The suite includes games such as Black Myth: Wukong, Alan Wake II, Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite, Stalker 2, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Cyberpunk 2077, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The raster chart uses an equally weighted geometric mean of 11 games.
ComputerBase uses a different 2026 method: 23 games, 19 raster tests, 17 hardware-RT tests, and four RT-exclusive games. Its standard procedure includes DLSS, FSR, or XeSS upscaling and excludes frame generation from the main suite. It also uses different drivers and platform software. Its percentages should not be combined with Tom’s numbers.
Rank #4
- Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4
- Powered by GeForce RTX 5080
- Integrated with 16GB GDDR7 256bit memory interface
- PCIe 5.0
- WINDFORCE cooling system
FAQ
What is the fastest GPU in 2026?
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is the fastest card in both Tom’s Hardware’s native-rasterization and ray-tracing charts. Its advantage is most apparent at 4K and in demanding RT workloads.
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Is the RTX 5070 better than the RX 9070?
Not in every workload. The RX 9070 is faster at 1080p native rasterization and ties the RTX 5070 at 1440p in Tom’s aggregate. The RTX 5070 has a stronger ray-tracing and Nvidia software-feature position, while the RX 9070 offers 16GB of VRAM.
Is the RX 9070 XT faster than the RTX 5070 Ti?
They are nearly tied in Tom’s native rasterization results, with the RTX 5070 Ti at 69.8% and the RX 9070 XT at 69.7% at 1440p. The RTX 5070 Ti is clearly ahead in the separate ray-tracing chart.
Is 8GB VRAM enough for gaming in 2026?
It can still work for 1080p gaming, especially with sensible texture settings, but 8GB cards can suffer larger performance drops in demanding games and at higher resolutions. A 16GB model is the safer new purchase when the price difference is acceptable.
Does frame generation count as real GPU performance?
No. Frame generation can increase displayed FPS by inserting generated frames, but those frames are not equivalent to additional natively rendered frames. Latency, image artifacts, and frame pacing should be evaluated separately.
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Are all 2026 GPU benchmark charts comparable?
No. Test suites differ in games, drivers, settings, upscaling, frame generation, and hardware. Tom’s Hardware’s primary raster chart excludes upscaling and frame generation, while ComputerBase includes upscaling in its standard procedure.
The Bottom Line
Choose the RTX 5090 when maximum 4K and ray-traced performance matters more than price. For a more balanced high-end build, compare the RTX 5070 Ti and RX 9070 XT using current street prices and your RT requirements. The RX 9070 and RTX 5070 are close in native rasterization, but they prioritize different strengths. In the midrange, favor 16GB versions when possible, and treat frame-generation FPS as a separate feature metric rather than as native rendering performance.
Quick Recap
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