Top 5 Best Graphics Card for Photoshop

If you are a Photoshop enthusiast who frequently uses the application, you know it can take a toll on your system performance without a GPU. Since you have to play with images and videos in Photoshop, you need a GPU that can go hand in hand with your PC performance. 

While Photoshop’s system requirements are not much, as you can run it on any system without GPU, having a GPU can give you an edge for rendering photos. And if you are a professional photographer and videographer, the GPU becomes your ground reality.

But how do you choose the best gpu for Photoshop with so many options around it? Don’t worry. We know our stuff, and that’s why we are here with the five best graphics cards for Photoshop. We covered a diverse range of GPUs, from budget picks to high-end GPUs.

Here is quick comparison, followed by a detailed review:

Quick Comparison chart of Best GPU for Photoshop

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Our Picks for Best Graphics Card for Photoshop

After reviewing numerous GPUs, we had the best video card for photoshop. So let’s see why these graphic cards suit your needs.

1. AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT

editors picks

Reasons to Consider

If you are looking for a powerhouse of a GPU, look no further than AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT since itis one of the best GPUs for Photoshop. You can leverage its 12 GB VRAM and 2560 cores for 4k video editing. In addition, you can also do 3D modelling and Autocad work with this GPU. But be ready to spend quite a bucks on this GPU. 

Specifications

• Ram: 12GB GDDR6
• Video Output:  DisplayPort 1.4a, HDMI 2.1
• CUDA:  2560 cores
• Boost Clock Speed: 2615MHz 
• Base Clock Speed: 2321 MHz
• Bandwidth:  384 GB/Sec
• Memory Interface: 192-bit

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AMD Radeon 6000 series has been stirring ever since they entered the market. These GPUs offer similar performance to expensive counterparts like NVIDIA 3080 or more GPUs but cost much less than that. They offer a 25% performance boost to their NVIDIA counterparts. 

If you look at its specifications, its 12 GB RAM is much more than what you can get with other GPUs at the same price GPUs. In addition, it also has numerous CUDA cores and stream processors to make Photoshop work a breeze. 

Moreover, it also boasts a clock speed of 2615MHz to get good gaming performance and Photoshop editing. But since this GPU boasts a high-performing profile, you must be generous about the budget. It does suffice for the price, but if you are a budget buyer, this GPU might need to be in the suitable range. 

In addition, it also comes with ray tracing abilities, but they need to be more advanced. In fact, it does perform much like a high-end NVIDIA 3000 series GPU but with less price. 

2. AMD Radeon RX 580

Budget Pick

Reasons to Consider

AMD Radeon RX 580 is one of the best budget GPUs. This GPU offers a great bang of the buck as it performs like a high end GPU while still not costing much. This GPU might not be suited for budget buyers but if you want a high end GPU at a low price this is the one. Moreover, this dual fan GPU suffices for what you need from your photo editing tasks.

Specifications

• Ram: 8GB GDDR5
• Video Output:  DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0b, DVI-D
• CUDA:  2304 cores
• Boost Clock Speed: 1340 MHz 
• Base Clock Speed: 1257 MHz
• Bandwidth:  256 GB/Sec
• Memory Interface: 256-bit 

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Next on our list is the RX 580. This one comes with a less expensive price tag than our previous 6700 XT but is still a capable graphics card. You can easily do video editing, rendering and professional photo editing with this GPU. Moreover, it also suffices for 1080p for 60 FPS and some modern titles at even high settings. 

This GPU has a lot of bells and whistles, such as AMD FreeSync and a VR-ready setup. While these features are inclined toward gamers, you can leverage them for most tasks.

Looking For: What is RX 580 Max Temp?

Speaking of its price point, it provides a good bang for the buck since it costs less while providing performance similar to the RX 6500 XT. Although this GPU can do most of the basic photo editing tasks and work with moderate-sized files, it needs to catch up with higher-end GPUs’ performance.

Still, it is enough to run photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop. This GPU also works fine for games as it offers steady frame rates at more than 1080p resolution. All in all, this GPU is worth every penny, considering its performance.

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3. EVGA RTX 3060 XC Gaming

 Mid-Range Pick

Reasons to Consider

This dual fan GPU from the RTX 3000 series has everything you need to start with Photoshop. Its 8 GB VRAM and more than 3500 CUDA cores enable many features of Photoshop that you otherwise can’t use. Moreover, it also stays within your mid-range budget due to recent price drops of GPUs. 

Specifications

• Ram: 8GB GDDR6
• Video Output:  DisplayPort 1.4a (3x), HDMI 2.1 (1x)
• CUDA:  3584 cores
• Boost Clock Speed: 1882 MHz 
• Base Clock Speed: 1320 MHz
• Bandwidth:  360 GB/Sec
• Memory Interface: 192-bit 

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This is the one if you are a gamer and a 3D artist who needs a GPU that goes hand in hand with their demands. This GPU comes with less price than RTX 3070, but it offers a bit less performance than that GPU. If you can spare a few bucks, go a step higher and get 3070. 

Another best part about this GPU is that it is compact. You can easily fit it inside your small forms factor PC case. Apart from that, it does not overheat as well as with many other compact GPUs owing to its efficient cooling fan design. 

While this GPU can be an excellent help for photo editors, it is also suitable for crypto miners. Why? Because it can do millions of computations in seconds. And gaming can handle most titles seamlessly at good FPS and resolution.

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4. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

High-End Pick

Reasons to Consider

If your Photoshop and 3D rendering endeavors will continue for a while, we recommend getting a powerful GPU like NVIDIA GeForce 3090 gpu. In comparison, this GPU makes a hole through your pocket to make it worth every penny you spend. This high-end graphics card is a real workhorse since it has 10496 CUDA cores, 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, and a 384-bit memory bus.

Specifications

• Ram:  24 GB GDDR6X
• Video Output:  DisplayPort 1.4a (3), HDMI 2.1 (1)
• CUDA:  10496
• Boost Clock Speed: 1695 MHz 
• Base Clock Speed: 1395 MHz
• Bandwidth:  936 GB/Sec
• Memory Interface: 384-bit

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The 3000 series has much to offer for the users, but this 3090 is set on top of all. For many reasons, it’s a good choice for gamers and photo editors alike.

First, it comes with a whopping 24 GB  VRAM. Yes, we just now had that powerful GPU on our list. Next, this GPU has many advanced features like ray tracing and AI performance which let you do real-time rendering.  In fact, it offers up to a 30% performance increase over its predecessor, 3080. 

Moreover, this GPU has an efficient cooling system that does not overheat during intense situations. So we recommend this one if you have a powerful PSU and ample PC space and need an overkill GPU. 

However, if you are a moderate user, you will overkill the GPU as it bottlenecks most CPUs. But as we mentioned, you must pay a lot for this GPU.

5. ASUS ROG Strix NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming

Mid-Range Pick

Reasons to Consider

Next, we have the RTX 3070 gaming review. In contrast, this GPU does suffice for Photoshop endeavors. It also offers good gaming performance. While many users relate its performance to the much more expensive counterpart, like the 2080 Ti, it costs much less than that. Moreover, its 8GB VRAM and more than 5000 CUDA cores run seamlessly for real-time rendering.

Specifications

• Ram: 8 GB GDDR6
• Video Output:  DisplayPort 1.4a (3x), HDMI 2.1 (1x)
• CUDA:  5888 cores
• Boost Clock Speed:  1725 MHz 
• Base Clock Speed: 1500 MHz
• Bandwidth:  448 GB/Sec
• Memory Interface: 256-bit

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Whenever we work with Photoshop, the problem that we encounter is slow performance and lagging. At times it becomes annoying, so we recommend getting an RTX 3070 gaming GPU.

While this GPU is designed with gamers in mind, it works amazingly for photo editors. First, its 8 GB VRAM is more than your Adobe suite asks. In addition, it also has a triple-fan cooling system to keep things calm during the session.

However, since it’s a power-hungry and triple-fan card, you must have enough PC case space and PSU power to run this GPU. And yes. Fan noise is also a thing with this card.

In addition, this card can be a significant upgrade from its predecessor GTX 1000 series GPUs. Its advanced ray tracing abilities let you enjoy crisp graphics during games and also let you do real-time editing. 

Although this card is more than enough for photosetting and Adobe Suite, there might be other choices for high-end 3D rendering tasks. Still, you can achieve good results, but it will cost much.

How to Choose the Best Graphics Card for Photoshop?

You cannot mindlessly opt for any random GPU for Photoshop. Since GPUs are a pricey investment, you must be mindful of your needs and wants and your system’s compatibility with any GPU. Below we are mentioning some of the must-haves in GPU for Photoshop.

Memory

Although Photoshop works primarily on the CPU, so you don’t have to worry about the GPU RAM much. But still, we are looking for a performance boost. You must get at least 4 GB of VRAM when working with Photoshop. Although you cannot hit high FPS for games with this for Photoshop solely, it works well. However, the more, the better. 

Size/Interface

Since you must fit the GPU inside your CPU case, you must ensure it has enough space to accommodate it. Sometimes GPUs are big so that they don’t fit inside or have sufficient ventilation, so get a GPU that can go toe to toe with your PC case space. 

You must also ensure that your motherboard’s interface is compatible with the GPU. Most modern GPUs come with PCIe cables, so make sure your motherboard can house them.   Another problem is the compatibility difference between the graphics card and the software, which can cause glitches or errors. So make sure your gpu can run the software.

Speed

The clock speed of the Graphic card also plays a part in faster processing. Whenever you buy a GPU, check for clock speed as well. You can do any big project instantly if your system can overclock with more than 2000 MHz.

Power Supply

Whenever you shoes a graphic card, make sure that it meets your power supply requirements. Since all GPUs have different power requirements, you need to check if you can connect it to your PC. However, most graphic cards need more current than 75 watts that come from 6- or 8-pin power connectors. You can directly connect GPU to a pc power supply with such connectors.

Price 

GPUs come in different price brackets. Some might cost 100 bucks while others over a thousand bucks. You must consider the budget and whether you need a high-end or mid-range graphics card. 

However, one thing that you should look for is the best price-to-performance ratio. Some GPUs, while being budget-friendly, provide good performance. So choose a GPU that provides the best performance within your budget. 

Connectivity 

The GPUs come with multiple display ports so you can choose a GPU depending on your needs. For example, some GPUs offer 4 HDMI ports while having no other port. So if that works for you, go for it; otherwise, choose one that quickly connects with your monitors.  

Check the program requirements

The minimum system requirement for running Photoshop is: 

Processor: Intel or AMD processor with 64-bit support; 2 GHz or faster processor

Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit) version 1809 or later, or macOS Mojave (10.14) or later

RAM: 8 GB of RAM

Storage: 20 GB of available hard-disk space

Graphics Card VRAM: 4 GB of GPU memory

Monitor Resolution: 1280 x 800 display at 100% UI scaling with 16-bit colour and 512 MB or more

So considering these requirements, you must check if your GPU meets them dually. Moreover, you should also stay current with Adobe’s website for the system requirement. 

FAQs 

1. What is the Best GPU for Photoshop?

There is no fixed set of rules to categorize one specif GPU as best. In fact it all boils down to your personal preferences. Some might want to settle on 4 GB VRAM of GPU while others might want 16GB VRAM for photoediting. But you should determine your needs and wants and choose the one that offer good perfromance. 

2. Should I upgrade GPU or CPU for photoshop?

Despite the fact that Photoshop is CPU oriented application having a good GPU lends a great helping hand for photo editing. In fact, some photoshop features work only with GPU so, you need a GPU upgrade if you are an advanced-level editor.

3. Do I get High-end GPU or Mid-range GPU for Photoshop?

The minimum requirements for the GPU for photoshop are 4GB of VRAM. However if you get mid range GPU like RTX 3000 series it will be good for you. Moreover, if you want to play games as well get a high end GPU. 

Conclusion

Since you will be investing handsome cash to get a GPU, you need to be mindful of your needs. The minimum VRAM requirement for Photoshop is 4GB. However, 8GB is recommended for the best performance. So go for a GPU that has it. Besides, you should also ensure that your PSU can handle the GPU. With a good GPU you can get best performance for your photo editing endeavors. In the end, we will recommend GPUs from our list as, after thorough research, we came up with these five GPUs.