New & used gaming GPU | Graphics cards

Gaming pretty much isn’t possible without a proper video card. Often abbreviated to GPU, a graphics processing unit is responsible for translating information from the CPU into images and rendering it on the display screen – the more powerful this PC component is, the more data it can handle and at faster speeds. Having an adequate graphics card is the second most important thing when building a gaming computer or updating your old one because it affects your whole visual experience, from gaming, video editing, photo viewing, to other visual tasks. Here in Eneba, we offer a variety of new and used gaming graphics card listings by other gamers like you, from the best budget GPU to the most advanced ones out there!

What to look for in a graphics card?

A gaming graphics card is one of the most important PC parts, coming right after the CPU, and if you’re planning on gaming on the regular, video editing, 3D rendering or doing any similar tasks, you have to make sure the gaming GPU you buy is up for the job. The market is saturated with various options, from the best graphics card candidates to more affordable budget options that will let you enjoy gaming without spending too much. Here’s what you have to consider before you purchase a video card:

• How you will use the GPU. Your graphics card choice should be based on what kind of things you want to utilize it for. Gaming. The GPU is responsible for what you see on the screen and the overall quality of it, so getting a high-end video card is essential for gaming and especially next-gen games. Not all games require the best on the market though, so research what kind of specifications your favourite titles require. Professional use. The best option would be to go for GPUs designed specifically for professionals because they are optimized to handle specialized software and their drivers are more stable & reliable. They work on the same principle as consumer video cards, cost more, and are not designed with gaming workloads in mind, so they might not be the best choice for gaming. Casual. If you’re not going to use the GPU for gaming or any data-intensive visual tasks, then this component isn’t as important as getting a great CPU and enough RAM. In this case, having a separate GPU might even be unnecessary.
• Integrated or discrete. Integrated. These are built into the CPU, so they share the same RAM, and generally, it is a lower-performance option suited for simple tasks. Integrated video cards consume less power, generate less heat and have a longer life. This type is commonly found in laptops. Discrete. These are separate GPUs with their own dedicated RAM and power source. Although it consumes more power and generates more heat, these are much better performance-wise. This type is commonly found in desktops.
• Laptop vs desktop. Depending on whether you’re buying a laptop or desktop gaming GPU, there are different things to take into account. Laptop GPU. You should look into: Form factor. Because this component has to fit into the gaming laptop, it needs to be an appropriate size, depending on the model of the portable PC. Performance. They are not as powerful as their desktop counterparts, so oftentimes they underperform in certain things. Price. Portable graphics cards that are both power-efficient and higher-performing will cost extra because everything has to be fitted into a small card. Desktop GPU. You should look into: Form factor. Depending on the computer case, you can choose from a variety of sizes, so you can freely pick from bigger, high-end GPUs. Performance. Desktop graphics cards have better specifications, including bandwidth, pixel rate, texture mapping, etc. Price. Desktop options aren’t limited by size, so they don’t cost as much as a great laptop GPU. On the other hand, if you’re getting the newest next-gen video card, it will cost more compared to its budget counterparts.
• Nvidia vs AMD. Currently, these two companies are the leading GPU manufacturers. Others, like MSI, ASUS, Gigabyte, take the chips these two companies manufacture and create their own GPUs, so there’s plenty in the market to choose from but in the end, you’re still getting either Nvidia or AMD cards. They offer different clock rates, cooling solutions, software, so you have to choose accordingly. Nvidia. Their options usually support hardware-accelerated ray-tracing, G-Sync technology, deep learning super sampling, GPU boost, and are VR ready. They also offer some of the most powerful graphics cards. AMD. Their options usually support Freesync frame syncing, Radeon FPS boost, Crossfire GPU boost, and are VR ready. Ray-tracing will also be available soon.
• Ray-tracing. This rendering technique produces incredibly realistic in-game lighting by mimicking the way our eyes process shadows and light reflections. More and more next-gen games are embracing this technology and newer high-end graphics cards tend to support it as well. While it provides unprecedented immersiveness, a GPU that supports ray-tracing to some extent will cost more. Keep in mind that not all games need it as well.

Which gaming GPU specifications also matter?

Besides looking at manufacturers, video card types and such, you also have to consider this component’s capabilities and how well it will work with the whole system. No matter if it’s the best budget graphics card or a high-end one, you must consider these factors as well if you want to buy the best graphics card that suits all your needs:

• Memory. It’s crucial to have enough memory to run the tasks or games you want – usually, 8GB is enough to enjoy modern games at high resolutions, but if you’re going for 4K and above, then you should search for a GPU with an even bigger memory capacity;
• Ports. Some monitors have HDMI, some DisplayPort, and older units utilize DVI. The graphics card of your choice should have the appropriate connectors so that you can connect it to your display – otherwise, you’ll have to buy an adapter;
• Form factor. Always make sure that the graphics card will fit into the PC chassis without blocking any important slots you might want to use – look at its length, height, and thickness;
• Thermal design power. Also known as TDP, this measurement indicates the maximum amount of heat the card generates and in turn, how much power it needs to run. Generally, the higher the TDP, the better the cooling system you need, but most GPUs today come with appropriate solutions. You also have to have an adequate power source as well;
• Power connectors. Low-end and mid-range video cards use the PCI Express x16 Connector on the PC motherboard to get their power, and they usually don’t need to draw power from an additional power supply. Newer ones, which are more demanding, tend to use 6-pin, 8-pin or even 12-pin connectors to connect them to the power unit to get the additional power they need to work. Your power unit, the PSU, should support these supplementary connectors – if it doesn’t, consider getting adapters or upgrading the PSU.