REFERENCE VS. CUSTOM GRAPHICS CARDS WHICH SHOULD YOU BUY?

While our guide to the best graphics cards can help you identify which hardware works best within your budget, simply knowing that you want to buy, say, a Radeon RX 5700 is only the start of the process. You’ll find endless models available for every graphics card, ranging from humble “reference” cards designed by AMD or Nvidia themselves, to highly customized options packing bespoke cooling solutions and extra features by “add-in board” partners like EVGA, Sapphire, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and more.

So should you buy a reference card or a custom graphics card when you’re on the hunt for a new GPU? The short answer is most—but not all—people should buy a customized model.

For the longer answer, as well as a look at the niche cases where