- We start by physically inspecting the card, this includes going over its build quality, design elements, and overall size.
- After that, we evaluate the cooling capabilities of the GPU, checking the fans, heat pipes, and heatsink.
- Then we get down to real-world testing, running synthetic benchmarks, gaming benchmarks, and GPU compute benchmarks.
- We also monitor the thermals, noise, clock behavior, and power consumption of the GPU.
- Lastly, we overclock the GPU to check how much we can push it without causing stability issues.
how we test graphics cards
At Tech4Gamers, we carefully research and test graphics cards. We use a combination of in-house reviews and testings under various conditions, like gaming, productivity, and overclocking. We also compare GPU performance across different workloads and cooling conditions.
On this page, we have highlighted the key features that we always test whenever we are revieweing and recommending a graphics card.
Key Takeaways
Build Quality, Design, and Size
Once we have unboxed a new graphics card, we do a complete 360° analysis of its design and overall build quality.
The build quality of a graphics card affects its durability and performance. We look at the materials used, such as metal backplates and reinforced PCBs, which help with heat dissipation and sturdiness. We also check for poor assembly, like loose screws or uneven cooling mounts. Cards with good build quality are less likely to overheat or fail, making them a better long-term choice for gamers and creators.
A graphics card’s design is more than just looks. We evaluate the cooling layout, fan placement, and airflow to ensure the card stays cool during heavy use. While RGB lighting is popular, we consider whether it enhances or hinders performance, as functionality is key.
Size matters, especially as modern graphics cards get larger. We check the card’s dimensions to ensure it fits in standard cases, which is crucial for compact builds. We also consider the card’s thickness and how it might block adjacent PCIe slots, affecting your ability to add other components.
Cooling
When testing graphics cards, cooling performance is one of the most critical aspects we evaluate. Effective cooling means that the card will oeprate at optimal temperatures, which directly impacts performance, longevity, and even noise levels.
We being by testing the quality of the cooling system, including the fans, heatsinks, and any use of vapor chambers or heat pipes for heat dissipation.
We also consider the fan layout and airflow direction, ensuring the design effectively moves heat out of the case, which is crucial for setups with multiple GPUs. Additional features like zero-RPM fan modes for silent operation and customizable fan curves are also evaluated for their practicality and impact on performance.
In short, we look at how well the card stays cool, how quiet it is, and its potential for overclocking.
Synthetic & Gaming Benchmarks
We begin our benchmarks with synthetic testing. These benchmarks provide a standardized, repeatable way to compare GPUs and gauge their potential in gaming, content creation, and other GPU-intensive tasks.
Once synthetic testing is out of the way, we move towards the fun stuff: Gaming Benchmarks.
Synthetic benchmarks are designed to push graphics cards to their limits in a controlled environment, offering a consistent and objective measure of performance. Unlike real-world gaming tests, which can vary based on game engines, optimization, and updates, synthetic benchmarks allow us to isolate the GPU’s performance by focusing on specific aspects like shading, texture processing, and compute capabilities.
As such, we run the following tests:
- 3DMARK: FireStrike, FireStrike Extreme, FireStrike Ultra, TimeSpy, and TimeSpy Extreme.
- Port Royal
- Speed Way
- DirectX RayTracing Feature Test
- Unigine – Superposition: 1080p Extreme, 4K Optimized, 8K Optimized
For gaming benchmarks, we run several AAA titles on all three resolutions: 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. We also run our benchmarks with different presets and different settings.
This means we first begin with rasterization performance, then we turn on Ray Tracing, then go DLSS-On, RT-Off, then we go DLSS-On, RT-On, and all of these tests are conducted on different resolutions to paint a complete picture.
GPU Compute Benchmarks & Monitoring Clocks
GPU Compute benchmarks measure the card’s ability to handle compute-intensive workloads, such as rendering, simulations, and data processing.
After that, we also monitor the base and boost clock speeds of the graphics card.
GPU compute benchmarks are crucial for users who rely on their graphics card for tasks like 3D rendering, video editing, machine learning, and scientific simulations. Unlike gaming benchmarks, which focus on graphics rendering, compute benchmarks assess the GPU’s ability to perform parallel processing tasks efficiently. This is important for professionals and enthusiasts who use their GPUs for productivity applications, beyond just gaming.
We run the compute benchmarks using these software:
Once we have calculated the compute scores, we move towards monitoring the clock speeds.
We keep an eye on the base and the boost clock speeds during synthetic and gaming benchmarks and check if the GPU is reaching the manufacturer’s claim.
Noise & Thermals
Before overclocking, our last testing phase includes recording the noise profile and thermal output of the graphics card.
We use a decibel meter to measure the noise profile of the graphics card. We first measure the ambient noise level of our testing lab, then we measure the card’s noise output during idle and gaming to check how it performs.
For thermals, we set the ambient temperature at 30°C. The tests are performed on stock settings without configuring any custom fan curves. We use HWInfo64 to observe the GPU’s thermals after gameplay.
Overclocking and Power Consumption
At last, we crank things up a notch (literally) to check the overclocking potential of the graphics card. We also keep an eye on the power consumption to test how much power the GPU is consuming on all three conditions: Idling, Gaming, OC Gaming
We overclock graphics cards to see how much extra performance they can deliver beyond factory settings. This can significantly improve gaming and compute tasks but comes with some risks.
- Setup: We use MSI Afterburner to adjust clock speeds, memory frequencies, and voltages.
- Stability Testing: Next, we run synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark and real-world gaming tests to check if the GPU is stable at new settings.
- Temperature Monitoring: We keep an eye on temperatures to prevent overheating, and also monitor power consumption.
- Performance Gains: We measure the performance boost in games, rendering tasks, and benchmarks, comparing it to stock performance.
Of course, throughout the testing, we also note the GPU’s power consumption.
- Idle and Load Testing: We measure how much power the graphics card uses when idle and under heavy load.
- Total System Power Draw: We also check the total power consumption of the entire system, not just the GPU, to see how the card affects overall efficiency and if the current power supply is sufficient.
- Power Efficiency: We test how efficiently the GPU performs relative to its power consumption.
- Power Supply Recommendations: Based on our findings, we suggest compatible power supplies to our readers so they know what they need to support both the GPU and the rest of their system.
Overall
Our graphics card testing criteria is very thorough, and for a good reason. Sure it takes us north of 10 hours to test a single graphics card, but our results and observations are extremely detailed, and that's why our readers rely on us when it comes to buying their next graphics card.