5 best GPUs for AAA gaming in mid-2025

We're halfway through 2025, and AAA gaming has never been more demanding. Nowadays, you'll want GPUs that play 1440p at high settings as a minimum, with 4K gaming being the gold standard. In terms of the options, Nvidia's RTX 50-series Blackwell cards and AMD's RX 9000-series are in the lead, with older GPUs still maintaining decent value.

Stock issues are often gamers' biggest woe. Almost all high-end video cards are sold out, and prices for the remainder have been jacked up. Cards like the 5090 are selling for over $2,500. Keeping this in mind, here are the five GPUs that you need to be looking at for serious AAA gaming in 2025.

NOTE: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion.

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Multiple mid-range and high-end GPUs can be bought for AAA gaming

1) Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super ($949)

The RTX 4080 Super offers proven 4K performance without the availability headaches (Image via Nvidia)

Now that it's a generation old, even brand-new RTX 4080 Super cards sell for around $900-999, with even better deals available in the used market. The card is barely slower than the 5080, bundles the same 16 GB VRAM buffer, and is faster than the RX 7900 XTX (which has been out of stock for a few months). At 4K, expect solid performance across all modern titles with few to no hiccups.

Specification	Details
CUDA Cores	10,240
Base/Boost Clock	2,295 / 2,550 MHz
Memory	16GB GDDR6X
Memory Bus	256-bit
TDP	320W

The RTX 4080 Super comes with 10,240 CUDA cores and 16GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus. While there's no 3x and 4x Multi-frame Generation, you still get the 2x preset, which is enough for most AAA titles in mid-2025.

Pros:

• Available to purchase near MSRP
• Proven 4K gaming performance in current AAA titles
• Mature drivers with excellent game compatibility

Cons:

• Uses older GDDR6X instead of GDDR7
• No DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation support
• Will be obsoleted by RTX 50-series eventually

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2) AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ($599)

The RX 9070 XT delivers incredible value for AAA gaming (Image via AMD)

The RX 9070 XT is one of the most competitively priced GPUs in 2025, assuming you can find one at MSRP. At $599, it makes the RTX 5070 Ti a harder sell since it offers similar performance. With proper undervolting, it can even beat the RTX 5080 in some games. This makes it one of the top choices for budget-conscious gamers in 2025.

Specification	Details
Compute Units	64
Base/Boost Clock	1,660 / 2,970 MHz
Memory	16GB GDDR6
Memory Bus	256-bit
TDP	304W

The RX 9070 XT bundles the latest RDNA 4-based Navi 48 chip with 64 compute units. You get 16GB GDDR6 VRAM buffer, which, although slower than Nvidia's 50 series GPUs, offers enough future-proofing in demanding AAA games.

Pros:

• 16GB VRAM handles high-res textures without issues
• Big AI and ray tracing improvements over previous AMD generations
• Excellent value at $599 MSRP

Cons:

• Questions about retail supply remain due to high demand
• Ray tracing still trails behind Nvidia in demanding scenarios
• FSR upscaling quality behind DLSS

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3) Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ($749)

The RTX 5070 Ti brings 16GB GDDR7 to the mainstream tier (Image via Gigabyte)

The RTX 5070 Ti is a mid-premium graphics card built for AAA gaming that targets the $750 price point. It is significantly faster than the last-gen 4070 Ti while being placed in a price bracket untouched by AMD and last-gen cards. The pixel pusher allows for comfortable 4K AAA gaming, with the 16 GB GDDR7 memory allowing sufficient future-proofing.

Specification	Details
CUDA Cores	8,960
Base/Boost Clock	1,876 / 2,482 MHz
Memory	16GB GDDR7
Memory Bus	256-bit
TDP	285W

Surprisingly, the RTX 5070 Ti uses the same GB203 die as the RTX 5080, just cut down. Per benchmarks, it is 20% better at native ray tracing performance than the RTX 4070 Ti without DLSS.

Pros:

• 16GB GDDR7 memory handles 4K textures comfortably
• DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation provides massive performance boosts
• 20% native ray tracing improvement over RTX 4070 Ti

Cons:

• Street prices are approaching $1,000+ due to supply issues
• Performance improvements over RTX 4070 Ti Super are minimal in some games
• Limited availability makes it hard to recommend

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4) Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 ($1,100+)

The RTX 5080 offers flagship-level performance when you can find one (Image via Nvidia)

The RTX 5080 is designed for native 4K AAA gaming without compromises. Although it isn't much faster than the RTX 4080 Super in native rendering, and might be matched by the RX 9070 XT in some titles, DLSS 4 makes all the difference. You can easily push most titles to 200-250 FPS at 4K max quality, which few other GPUs can match. The only problem is finding one to buy.

Specification	Details
CUDA Cores	10,752
Base/Boost Clock	2,295 / 2,410 MHz
Memory	16GB GDDR7
Memory Bus	256-bit
TDP	360W

The RTX 5080 uses the same GB203 chip with a few extra CUDA cores (10,752 vs. 8,796). You get the same 16GB of GDDR7 memory, which is slightly clocked higher to deliver better bandwidth. We recommend the 5080 over its last-gen counterpart if you have future-proofing in mind.

Pros:

• Strong 4K performance in demanding AAA titles
• DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation can provide massive frame rate boosts
• 34% more memory bandwidth than RTX 4080

Cons:

• Sold out almost immediately with 50%+ price markups
• Only marginal improvement over RTX 4080 Super without AI features
• 360W TDP requires a robust cooling solution

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5) Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 ($1,999)

The RTX 5090 remains the undisputed king of AAA gaming (Image via Nvidia)

The RTX 5090 is the fastest gaming graphics card ever made. Although it costs an eye-watering $1,999, this is the ultimate AAA gaming solution you can buy. It is a whopping 30% faster than the last-gen RTX 4090 without DLSS. With 3-4x multi-frame gen turned on, you can consistently push beyond triple-digit framerates.

Specification	Details
CUDA Cores	21,760
Base/Boost Clock	2,010 / 2,410 MHz
Memory	32GB GDDR7
Memory Bus	512-bit
TDP	575W

The RTX 5090 is absolutely decked out in terms of hardware. You get the flagship GB202 graphics chip with 21,760 CUDA cores, which is double that of the next-best 5080. In terms of VRAM, the card is packed with 32GB GDDR7 memory, effectively future-proofing it for the next four to five years.

Pros:

• Unmatched 4K performance in all AAA gaming
• 32GB VRAM future-proofs against texture requirements
• DLSS Multi Frame Generation delivers ludicrous frame rates in compatible games

Cons:

• $1,999 MSRP puts it out of reach for most gamers
• Some RTX 5090s have already melted due to connector issues
• 575W TDP requires a high-end PSU and cooling

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Overall, the GPU market for AAA gaming hardware in mid-2025 is pretty sloppy. Most high-end video cards cost a fortune, with some high-end options like the 5080 and 5090 pushing $1,000+ prices.

Although the 5090 is at a level of its own, if you must upgrade immediately, the RTX 4080 Super and the RX 9070 XT make the most sense for AAA gaming.