Don't Choose the Wrong VGA! These Are Mistakes That Gamers and Designers Often Make

Choosing a graphics card or VGA (Video Graphics Array) is one of the most important decisions that gamers and graphic designers must make. The right VGA can improve visual performance and productivity, while the wrong choice can actually hinder the gaming experience or work on 3D design projects. Unfortunately, many still make mistakes in choosing a VGA, mainly due to lack of information. Here are some common mistakes that are often made by gamers and designers.

1. Choosing a VGA Based Only on Price

Many gamers and designers choose a VGA based only on price. Although a cheaper graphics card may seem tempting, it is important to consider its specifications. If the VGA is not capable of supporting the desired resolution or is not powerful enough for heavy graphics applications, the end result will not be satisfactory.

For graphic designers who use software such as Blender, Autodesk, or Adobe Premiere, a more powerful graphics card such as the NVIDIA RTX series is highly recommended. Meanwhile, for gamers, choosing a VGA with optimal performance for the latest AAA games is very important.

2. Ignoring Power Supply Requirements (PSU)

One of the most common mistakes is ignoring the VGA's power requirements. Many people buy high-performance graphics cards without checking whether their power supply unit (PSU) is capable of supporting the VGA. High-end VGAs such as the RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT require a fairly large PSU, usually at least 650W to 750W. Without adequate power, the system can crash or even be damaged.

3. Not Paying Attention to Compatibility with the CPU

A powerful VGA will not provide the best performance if it is not balanced with a suitable CPU. Many think that a more expensive graphics card will always increase performance, but if the CPU is unable to keep up, this will cause bottlenecking. To avoid this, gamers and designers must balance the choice of VGA with their processor. For example, if you are using an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5, a balanced choice such as the NVIDIA RTX 3060 will be more efficient than choosing a VGA that is too high.

4. Not Paying Attention to Video Memory (VRAM)

Another mistake is not paying attention to the VRAM (Video RAM) capacity. For gamers who play at 1080p resolution, a VGA with 6GB or 8GB VRAM may be enough. However, for graphic designers or gamers who play at 4K resolution, a VGA with 10GB to 12GB VRAM such as the RTX 3080 is highly recommended. Larger VRAM helps in rendering complex 3D objects and also ensures stable performance when working with large files.

5. Ignoring Required Special Features

Every modern graphics card is equipped with special features such as ray tracing, DLSS, and CUDA cores that are very important for graphic designers and gamers. For example, the ray tracing feature on NVIDIA graphics cards provides realistic lighting and shadows in games, while CUDA cores are very useful for faster graphics rendering in software such as Autodesk Maya or Cinema 4D. Ignoring these features can make the work or play experience less than optimal.

Choosing the right VGA requires careful planning and a deep understanding of your specific needs, whether for gaming or graphic design. Don't let these mistakes ruin your system's performance. If you want to get the best VGA recommendations for your needs, contact Thrive now! We are ready to help you choose and provide the best devices to support your success.