Where the benchmarks come from
We use published June 2026 cross-game native raster benchmarks from Tom’s Hardware’s GPU hierarchy. Each GPU has reference performance at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K ultra. Values only refer to that test suite and are not predictions for your particular PC. No FPS value is dynamically measured or inferred from the reader’s actual hardware.
What the algorithm checks
We compare your existing GPU with current shopping candidates at your stated resolution. We favor larger improvements, care about your intended use, apply caution on 4K/VRAM and screen refresh mismatches, and avoid recommendations that exceed your budget. We screen PSU class when supplied, but cannot guarantee physical or connector compatibility.
How we treat smaller gains
A roughly 30% uplift in the same raster benchmark suite is a useful starting threshold for considering an upgrade; it is not a universal law. If your existing hardware already meets a rough target, we can recommend keeping it. If there is no sensible candidate within your price band, the site recommends waiting.
What “target performance” means
The goal is a rough screening target, not a promise of 144 FPS at 144Hz. Game categories adjust our heuristic to avoid recommending a flagship for every esports or indie setup. Frame generation, variable-refresh displays, CPU bottlenecks and changing game settings all complicate predictions.
Why ray tracing and AI are handled cautiously
Native raster charts do not tell the whole story for RT, CUDA applications, video editing or local AI models. Our recommendations give Nvidia extra consideration for RT/CUDA-oriented tasks and clearly warn that dedicated software-specific tests should overrule this simple verdict.
How shopping works
The Amazon affiliate tag is scouttheory-20. Where we have independently matched a specific board-partner listing to an ASIN, a button goes directly to its /dp/ product page. Otherwise the button explicitly says “Browse models” and opens a tagged Amazon search. We never imply search results are a verified single product.
Prices, inventory, and conflicts
Reference prices come from a dated October 2026 market roundup and can be dramatically different from live offers. This static site does not claim to fetch stock. Affiliate commissions may be earned, but they cannot override “keep your GPU” outcomes. We do not require signup or collect form responses.
Important limits
This is not an engineering compatibility tool, an exact-frame-rate predictor, a secondhand price appraisal, or professional installation advice. Readers must check the exact card’s length, slot thickness, connectors, PSU recommendation, BIOS/platform support, and store return policies before purchasing.