Best Laptop Graphic Cards

In this comparison we will help you make the big decision of purchasing a new graphics card.  We know that nowadays the market is full of different brands and models, vendors can tell us a thousand things about their product but… How to choose the best graphics card?

If you are a gamer and what you are looking for is to improve the quality of graphics for your video games without freezing the image with the maximum quality, we have a graphics card for you. 

Also, if you are a Youtuber and what you are looking for is to offer a great image quality for your viewers when recording gameplays or videos, we have also thought of you.

Do not worry anymore and continue with our comparison, because here I will show you some of the best graphics cards on the market, with their pros and cons to help you choose the one that best suits your needs and above all, taking care of your budget.

RankingNameBest FeatureCurrent Price
1)
ASUS Cerberus GeForce GTX 1050 Ti2 fans which drive 2x more airflow performance
Price On Amazon
2)
ASUS STRIX-GTX1050-O2G-GAMINGHDMI ports compatible with VR input
Price On Amazon
3)
GT 710 2GD3H LPLower temperature and higher efficiency.
Price On Amazon
4)
ASUS GT710-SL-1GD5 GeForce GT 710Supports 3 displays
Price On Amazon
5)
Gigabyte GV-N710D5-2GL GeForce GT 710Dual-link DVI-I / HDMI
Support PCI Express 2.0 x8 bus interface
Price On Amazon

This article would not be complete without first letting you know some graphics cards that have earned a place in the market, that you can try and some of them have good points in favor.

So, If you think your laptop’s graphics card is not that good and your idea is to invest in a better graphics card for superior image quality, read on.

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Best Laptop Graphics Cards Review

In order for you to get a good choice of the most suitable laptop graphics card for you, we bring you a list with the description of the best models currently for programming:

1) ASUS Cerberus GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB – Our Favorite

ASUS Cerberus GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is a great high performance graphics card, which is designed for the user to have greater reliability and performance in each and every one of your games. This graphics card can run the latest games without any problem, surpassing its competitors.

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That’s not all, as it also features a metal backplate that is very durable and helps in protecting all the components that are sensitive on the card and provides great reinforcement.

The design of the backplate features very striking red lines and the Cerberus logo, which, according to the designers, is a great guardian.

It likewise carries with it two fans that were carefully selected, which drive 2x more airflow performance, thus creating an enhanced cooling experience combined with a great gaming environment more enjoyable.

To top it off, the fans of this graphics card are certified by International Protection Marking, which were subjected to various tests and got great result. They are classified as having a great resistance to dust that allows a better quality of life of the fan.

All graphics cards are produced with the help of top quality materials, which guarantee the functionality and life of the card, as well as performance, thus eliminating aggressive chemicals and reducing power consumption by 50%.

In addition, all its components help to make installation easier, and as an additional feature it has a Gaming Booster function that maximizes graphics performance, eliminating all the negative aspects of the image: pixels, frozen screen, and so on.

Equipped with 4 GB that you can use to your advantage, increasing the power of your laptop and at the same time run all your games in a satisfactory way, you will enjoy an incredible experience in every game, there will be nothing to stop you, you’re ready!

As a bonus, it includes an Xsplit Gno mecaster license to easily stream or record your games through a handy in-game overlay. This overlay also displays GPU clock speed, temperature, and includes GPU Tweak II controls so the user can choose a game profile and boost performance with just one click.

For real gamers, a six-month premium license worth $53.95 is included so users can enjoy a wide variety of online games free of lag, latency and dropped packets. All of these games are prioritized and controlled by AI, a private network of gamers that provides a smoother online experience. With such a graphics card in your laptop you will be ready to enjoy a unique experience and will not be left waiting.

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Its price in the market is somewhat high, but it comes at a price that is really worth paying if you are willing to get a graphics card of excellent quality, which will allow you to have a great gaming experience from your laptop, it is noteworthy that this card was tested with the famous game Legend Of Legends, Overwatch, among others.

2) ASUS STRIX-GTX1050-O2G-GAMING Graphics Card – Quality and Price

ASUS STRIX is a graphics card that in addition to being just a board, it also has a Wing-Blade fan, which offers a 30% temperature reduction and 3 times quieter operation.

It is one of the most purchased graphics cards on the market, as it is considered of good quality and reliability, in addition to having Aura RGB lighting that gives a unique personal touch to the gaming equipment, the most striking thing is that this graphics card already has HDMI ports compatible with VR input, which gives a unique and advanced experience.

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An interesting fact, if you are one of those gamers who like to share your games on social networks or YouTube channels, let me tell you that these graphics cards also incorporate GPU Tweak II with Xsplit Gamecaster, which will allow you to adjust the performance and at the same time, share your games completely live.

In addition, due to its great technology, it not only offers great graphics quality, it also offers heat pipes that help distribute heat evenly, dissipates temperature and offers 30% more gaming performance by cooling the card.

The technology that these graphics cards offer, is to minimize image defects such as flickering and input lag, scenes appear instantly, objects are displayed with greater sharpness, in addition to having a smoother action so you can enjoy the most amazing experience of your life, besides having a great competitive equipment in the market.

The price of this slightly higher graphics card, compared to the first one, is a big price difference, although it offers more features that are ideal for every gamer.

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3) Overview GT 710 2GD3H LP – For Mid Performance Gamers

The NVIDIA GeForce 710 graphics card, which is catalogued in the market as one of the cards of great definition in image, ideal for platforms of a profile like HTPC, is a card designed to improve the performance of the integrated GPU, it is one of the most economic graphics cards of the market and for that reason it is considered as a graphics card that can help you improve the quality of your games.

This type of card is dedicated to a market that does not require a high performance product and that can be acquired at a low price, it may not be one of the fastest, nor surpass the internal GPU, but it offers a better display and graphics processing capability, something that is not found in integrated GPUs.

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Some sources of information mention that these eGPUs can be up to 80% more powerful compared to internal graphics cards, and according to the tests performed, in some laptops it works perfectly, in others it does not. As I mentioned before, it is a matter of compatibility (not all PCs can work).

However, some users who have used it say that the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 is a good solution, although we can not say that it is the best investment, it is a great help for those gamers who do not want to spend much on upgrading their PC, but are looking for better performance for better graphics.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 graphics card is the processor you are looking for. With this version of 2 Gigabytes the GDDR3 manufacturer offers good performance, a graphic that fits your pocket and needs.

It is currently one of the graphics cards with low temperatures and higher efficiency, with a large heat sink that covers the GPU and memory area. Thus providing the best environment for your games and multimedia content.

Its price in the market is considered as the most economical, a fairly affordable value to have in your hands quality and excellence, ideal for you who are looking to improve your laptop and you take care of your pocket.

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So now you know, if you are looking for only a better quality and low cost, this may be your choice..

4) ASUS GT710-SL-1GD5 GeForce GT 710 1 GB GDDR5 Graphics Card – The Best for You

The ASUS GT 710 graphics card is a fantastic graphics card with an incredible design, which has an extraordinary thermal design that dissipates the temperature in total silence. 

Its manufacturing process ensures the best quality and reliability. Its GPU Tweak II system allows intuitive performance tuning so that you, my dear gamer friend, can enjoy a great elite gaming experience.

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A feature that makes this graphics card special is that it has large heat sinks that allow passive cooling of the graphics card in total silence, ideal for mounting cinema equipment or multimedia centers.

This graphics card is also ideal for multitasking environments as it is equipped with HDMI, DVI, D-Sub video outputs, its compact design allows the graphics card to work simultaneously with up to 3 devices.

Its intuitive GPU Tweak II interface allows for image quality adjustments, ideal for all users without having to leave behind features for experienced overclockers. 

One click is more than enough for the Game Booster function to maximize graphics performance while eliminating all redundant processes. The XSplit Gamecaster technology allows the gamer to stream or record any and all gameplay according to your needs.

This version of the graphics card includes a support that allows it to adapt to the most compact cases, besides being fully viable for installation in Windows 10.

A graphics card that may be of interest to you if what you are looking for in addition to recording your games is to be able to transmit on more devices, likewise it may be what you are looking for if you are one of those who love to modify settings to get something better than what the card can offer.

It is also ideal for improving the video quality in all your games and gives a great video to all your followers if you intend to improve or open a YouTube channel, you can get more and more benefits from this card in all your projects. 

You can concentrate because the fans do not make any noise and you will be safe, because there will be no high temperatures or damage by the same heat.

The price is very affordable, economical and of good quality, because it is only 1 GB, however its graphics are excellent, in addition to including unique features that stand out among its competition and helping to improve the performance of your laptop, ideal if you are looking to economize and invest in a good graphics card.

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5) Gigabyte GV-N710D5-2GL GeForce GT 710 2GB GDDR5 – For True Gamers

The graphics card designed by NVIDIA is integrated by 2 GB that will allow you to have a great experience in incredible graphics, ideal for laptops with a 64-bit interface, equipped with an HDMI port and a DVI-I ideal for easy installation and provide an extra improvement to the image, ensuring a total high definition.

The frequency of its processor is 954 MHz, which allows to obtain an image quality of 4096 x 2160 pixels, a fairly good image quality, considered within the market as a mid-range graphics card, its brand is currently considered high quality, as the performance of the laptop increases considerably, ideal for use also as a multimedia center.

Unlike its competitors, it has only one cooling fan, compared to others, theirs is active, a feature that is more satisfactory for users, better than passive ventilation, thus providing a better quality for the life of the card.

Its design is considered low-profile, which is beneficial, as it saves space and facilitates installation for users who intend to build a compact system.

The HDMI input design features a large, durable, gold-plated contact area for optimal signal transfer between connections.

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The user interface is intuitive, which helps to easily modify important settings and facilitate driver and BIOS updates. Likewise, clock speeds, voltage, fan performance and OSD settings can be monitored and adjusted in real time according to your own preferences.

A pretty good graphics card to give a unique touch to the look of your games, a mid-range price unlike its competition, quality that fits your pocket and needs.

Many times we hear concepts or something similar to graphics cards (known as eGPUs) and just think about how promising the concept is: to get the best graphics, maybe even superior to a desktop computer from a laptop PC. And while notebook GPUs are very capable, they still can’t beat desktop GPUs most of the time.

Things You Should Know About Graphics Cards

Whether it is the first time you hear about these components, or if you are already an expert on the subject and are knowledgeable about how these cards work, it is worth paying attention to certain aspects. The aim is to make it clear what benefits and disadvantages you can expect from these components so that you will not be disappointed when you purchase your card.

That is why it is important that you know some details and specifications about it, before choosing the one that suits you best and adapts to your economy. Here are a series of questions asked by some users and their respective answers.

Function of Graphics Cards

A graphics card is, as its name indicates, an expansion card of the computer motherboard that is in charge of processing the data coming from the central processing unit (CPU) and transforming them into understandable and representable information in the output device (for example: monitor, TV).

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These cards are made up of the aforementioned graphics card and a container also known as a dock, both are joined together and have a PCIe slot inside, similar to that of a desktop PC, and they also have a power supply.

You should keep in mind that these graphics cards can be used by connecting them to an external card system, but they are not external by themselves. On the other hand, the placement of the card and installation of all the drivers is exactly the same as for a desktop PC.

After the whole installation and configuration process, the graphics are automatically passed directly to the eGPU and it is usually more powerful than the same GPU that comes with the laptop. That way, the graphics quality is improved and you can get more out of a video game. So, let’s enjoy the new power.

Performance of an External Graphics Card

Undoubtedly, it has caused quite a controversy among users who are using these cards and those who are new to the subject, to know how efficient they are and what benefits they bring.

Unfortunately the performance that will be achieved in these graphics cards is not the same as that of the internal card, some sources of information claim that several studies have been conducted in this regard, and all come to the conclusion that the performance drops by 10 to 15%.

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“Honestly and in my opinion it is not a big loss, this compared to today’s powerful graphics cards, which compared to those of a few years ago, are now more powerful and higher-end.”

Maybe it isn’t as bad as it sounds, some users are asking in what way is the performance loss?

This is due to the data transmission between the eGPU and the PC. The graphics card is connected through an interface called Thunderbolt, this interface is considered one of the fastest, but that speed cannot be compared to a PCI express port. 

Other models of graphics cards are also compatible with a USB 3.0 port, but there is still a loss of performance and this is something you should always keep in mind.

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What Should You Consider When Buying a Graphics Card for Your Laptop?

If you are planning to buy a graphics card of this type, there are some things that you should take into account before making your purchase.

As a first point you should consider that the price of these graphics cards is not cheap, even if you think they are just a board with a PCI connector, let me tell you that some of them are not so cheap (some of them are), it is all a matter of analyzing what kind of graphics you want to get and the characteristics of your laptop. 

You as a gamer aspire to have a better performance for the lowest possible price, in your hands is to make the right decision to try to get the best performance/price ratio with your next graphics card.

In various sales platforms you can see that prices vary, and if we make a thorough study we can get an average of 300 to more than 800 Dollars (depending on the brand and the capacity of each model).

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A piece of advice I can give you is to investigate what type of card you intend to acquire. You should know that these devices practically replace the original graphics card, but the most relevant thing is that they are not 100% universal. 

Some of them are limited to a specific size, while others have some unique components from the manufacturer. It is of great importance that you observe in which platform you enter.

Before making your purchase I recommend that you take into account the following aspects, as well as the key data to look at, for this I recommend that you analyze the following points:

The Hardware You Have

Keep in mind that you should analyze your motherboard, power supply and processor, if you do not have a new laptop, determine what size is the plate you want to buy, its consumption and specifications.

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Performance That You Aspire To Obtain

Here you must take into account that it is not the same thing to want a last generation game at more than 60 fps (something that only eSports titles require). Neither the resolution of the game you want to work with. From this will depend on what power you need, whether it is higher or lower.

Lifetime

In this case you must accurately determine the memory and graphics level as you intend to withstand the best passage of time, this will help you adjust your budget and get the best power/price ratio.

Size & Connections

knowing what size the card is without a doubt is something basic, as they are currently of a considerable size and might not fit in your laptop, likewise, the laptop might not be compatible, some of the new models of graphics usually require the space of two slots.

Power Supply

Each graphics card model has its own consumption, the more powerful ones require more power and therefore require a power supply to provide it, but you should know that they are not powered by the connection port, it has dedicated power connectors, check how many 6/8-pin connectors you have available for a powerful graphics.

Power and Speed

So that you know better where to directly identify these values you can look at the raw power TFLOPS, CUDA cores or the speed/frequency of operation, remember that the higher the number of these values, the more powerful the graphics card is.

Amount and Type of Memory:

The raw power is an important factor when choosing your new graphics card, the value you should pay attention to is the type of memory included in the card and the bandwidth, which is measured in GB/s.

Outputs and Connectors:

In this aspect you should look at whether there is capacity to use an additional monitor, the maximum resolution supported, or the available connectors.

To know more specific details of each graphics card, it is important that you carefully analyze the datasheets, there you will find all the details of the manufacturer, in this case various aspects come into play, for example, extra cooling, overclocking, available inputs and outputs, size and extra power. 

Remember that if you are looking for a great power to run your games, there is no doubt that you should opt for acquiring a latest generation graphics card and the most advanced model you can afford.

Something important to take into account is whether you intend to combine it with other cards, or have specific software that allows you to have a balance between your laptop and the graphics card. This aspect is considering your personal needs.

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Time To Choose

After knowing all this information about graphics cards, I must emphasize that this investment you are about to make is worth it, because you will get your laptop to have incredible definitions.

Keep in mind that the technology will be in continuous improvement and over time will be advancing; probably the loss of performance will be reduced, or perhaps eliminated completely. But first of all, it is important to know that this is a recent development and therefore it still has a long way to go.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Is the Difference Between GDDR3 and GDDR5?

GDDR3 works in DDR (Dual Data Rate) and GDDR5 works in QRD (Quad Date Rate), something that doubles the transfer speeds. In other words, GDDR5 memory is twice as fast as GDDR3 as long as the same base frequency and bus width are used in both cases.

Does the Low Price of Graphics Cards Mean That They Are Not Good?

The low price does not mean that they are bad, it is simply due to the power of each one and the accessories it contains, the quality of the materials, among other aspects. Each card is adjusted according to your needs and your economy.

Is It Worth Buying an External Graphics Card?

This investment that you are about to make guarantees you a notorious improvement in the quality of your graphics, you will be able to have a better experience in all your games, some graphics cards will allow you to transmit or record. Converting your laptop in Gaming is something that is very worthwhile.

Can I Use an External Graphics Card Directly in My Laptop?

The cards do not work on their own in a laptop, you must use a device to install it and then make the connection.

What Is the Method To Install the Graphics Card?

Good question! The installation method is quite extensive, so we will share with you the whole process in a separate article.

Keep visiting Laptop Guide to read latest reviews, news related to upcoming laptops and more.

References

https://www.techadvisor.com/how-to/laptop/how-add-graphics-card-your-laptop-3364133/

https://www.hitechwhizz.com/2020/10/5-advantages-and-disadvantages-drawbacks-benefits-of-graphics-card.html

https://coolgamesinside.com/best-graphics-cards-for-laptop/

David is an experienced Laptop technician and enthusiast. He takes pride in providing unbiased opinion about to the products he review. In addition to his primary job as a Laptop technician he also runs a Youtube channel where he talks about latest Laptops, build custom gaming laptops and more.

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