Reference Vs. Custom Graphics Cards Which Should You Buy?

We break down everything you need to know to make a smart purchase.

- Brad Chacos

While our guide to the best graphics cards (go.pcworld.com/ beg) can help you identify which hard ware 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 you might be better suited with a reference video card, here’s a high-level breakdown of the pros and cons of each.

REFERENCE GRAPHICS CARDS: PROS AND CONS

“Reference” graphics cards utilize designs crafted by AMD and Nvidia, the companies that create and supply the actual graphics processing units (GPUs) at the heart of the hardware. They exist to ensure a baseline level of quality, and to help get more graphics cards quickly out the door when new GPUs launch. Customized cooling solutions take longer to engineer. That brings up the first consideration: If you want to get a hot new GPU the second it releases, a reference design may be your only option, as was the case for the first month (go.pcworld.com/ fmo) of the Radeon RX 5700’s recent launch.