This is the new Frontier of Gaming Performance. Graphics Cards within this tier can comfortably run most AAA games in 4K above 180Hz, 5K at High Refresh Rates, and even 8K should be doable with little to no drops below 60 FPS. One of the latest CPUs with fast RAM is required to not bottleneck these cards heavily in 4K.
To put it simply - "4K is the new 1080p" for modern enthusiast Graphics Cards. GPUs within this tier should be able to runs games in 4K well above 120Hz, or even in 5K above 60Hz! Generally speaking, 1440p is wasted on GPUs in this tier, and 1080p is only useful for hearing coil whine.
Graphics cards at this tier are multiple times stronger than the latest consoles, and as such you can basically double or triple their "Performance Mode" and "Quality" mode framerates! Buy into this tier if you want to easily play in 4K at 120Hz or higher, or in 1440p at absurd framerates. Life is short! :)
Welcome to High End Gaming! Last gen console resolutions like 1080p legitimately hold back GPUs in this tier no matter the framerate you are aiming for! From here on out you need a high resolution display to make the most of your GPU. Even 1440p is easy max out well above 144Hz in most AAA games with cards from this tier.
GPUs within this tier offer more than enough performance to game well at any resolution below 5K. Now, you may need to turn a handful of settings in the occasional game to play in 4K above 100Hz, but features like FSR & DLSS should ensure that a 4K120Hz display will be well utilized as long as you're willing to make minor compromises.
This is the tier where things start getting fun if you like Eye Candy. At this tier you can easily game in 1080p above 120 FPS, game in 1440p at High Refresh Rates, and even many recent AAA releases at 4K60Hz. You are gaming better than most!
"Mainstream" GPUs offer solid performance that shouldn't leave anyone who owns one feeling like a "peasant". Feel free to turn up most settings in 1440p, game above 100Hz in 1080p if you turn down some settings, or even run your old titles in 4K. You've got a real GPU!
Lowend cards are nothing to brag about, but we suspect many people would actually be quite happy with this level of performance if they stay off the epeen reddits. These GPUs can play many games in 1440p with reasonable settings, and almost no game should be hard to run in 1080p.
Entry Gaming Graphics Cards are a step above what we consider the "minimum", but they usually require compromises to hit 60Hz. Most games should hit 1080p60Hz after turning down some settings, and you can usually game above 100Hz in "Esports" titles below 1080p.
If you want to play modern PC games, the GPUs in this tier are the lowest we recommend. If you can accept Medium settings, you can often game at 1080p60. However many of the latest games will require Low settings or 900p to maintain 60Hz. GPUs in this tier are fine for casual gaming and older AAA titles, but consider upgrading if gaming is a big hobby.
This is the minimum level of performance we can even consider recommending for enjoyable PC Gaming. This tier of cards should allow you to play in 1080p at acceptable framerates in older titles, and it should be hard to find a game you can't play at 60 FPS in 720p.
