8 GB DDR5 Graphics Cards for an Extreme Gaming Boost
Manufacturers are always looking to improve the capabilities of their video cards without proportionally increasing the power consumption of their components. This direction in innovation leads to many possible computer design choices, including those made to replace a gaming console with a compact size but powerful internals. Getting 8 GB of graphics memory is important when shopping for high-end graphics cards or GPUs because the higher the memory, the more data it can process.
What Is GDDR5?
- New Standard: Based on DDR3 SDRAM memory, GDDR5 has double the data lines compared to the older DDR2 standard. It is the newer generation compared to GDDR4 and has a higher memory bandwidth than its predecessor.
- Graphics Memory: The nature of GDDR5 is that it has a slower clock speed than normal DDR RAM but moves more data per cycle. This is ideal for graphics rendering because large pieces of image data need to be moved.
What 8 GB MSI Video Cards Can I Buy?
- GTX 1080: At the high end of the graphics cards spectrum, you have the GTX 1080 line of the NVIDIA architecture. The GeForce GTX 1080 gaming X card is VR ready with low latency optimizations and plug-and-play compatibility with well-known headsets. Beefy cards like those in the GeForce line need beefier cooling systems, so this one has the Advanced Airflow system that incorporates two TORQ fans to route hot air away from its precision cooling fins.
- GTX 1070 Ti: The GeForce GTX 1070 Ti GPU is geared toward mid-level players who still want a deadly edge. The TWIN FROZR VI fan designs achieve cooling with precision-made dispersion fan blades with steep curves to accelerate airflow. They only go at full speed at temperatures exceeding 140 degrees to preserve silence during light use.
- Radeon RX 580: The RX 580 is based on the Radeon architecture of graphic cards and is VR ready at an approachable price point. It supports AMD FreeSync to improve fluidity of movements on monitors with high refresh rates. It features LED lights along the body and is configurable through proprietary MSI software.
- Radeon R9 390X: As a high-end graphics card offering, the Radeon R9 390X gaming card achieves 23 percent lower temperatures than the reference card due to the Twin Frozr Evolution cooling configuration that features independent fan control along with enhanced dissipation efficiency in its airflow control design. It also has the ZeroFrozr technology that eliminates fan noise during low-load situations.