Best GPUs for Photoshop in 2025 – our top picks
Reviewed By: Kevin Pocock
Table of Contents
Photoshop can be quite demanding on your system, depending on the complexity of your tasks, and choosing the right graphics card (GPU) is crucial for a smooth and efficient workflow. But when it comes to finding the best GPUs for software, it can be challenging, especially when you may not need the absolute top-of-the-line graphics card for what you primarily use Photoshop for.
Here at PC Guide, we’ve reviewed several GPUs and have tested each one to learn more about how they perform in different software. Based on the results, we’ve selected some options that we think are the right choice for photo editing and other similar productivity tasks.
AMD launches latest Ryzen 9 9950X3D & 9900X3D CPUs!
AMD's highly anticipated Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D chips have finally arrived! Below, we will be listing all the latest listings from the web's biggest retailers.
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D - CA
- AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D - CA
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D - Newegg
*Stock availability and pricing subject to change depending on retailer or outlet.
Products at a Glance
-
Best GPU For Photoshop
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super OC Edition
-
Best Mid-Range GPU For Photoshop
AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
- GPU: Navi 32
- Stream Processors: 3,840
- VRAM: 16 GDDR6
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Bandwidth: 624.1 GB/sec
- Base clock speed: 1,295 MHz
-
Best Intel GPU for Photoshop
SPARKLE Intel Arc B580 TITAN OC
- GPU: BGM-G21
- Shading units: 2,560
- VRAM: 12GB GDDR6
- Memory bus width: 192-bit
- Bandwidth: 456GB/s
- Base/Boost clock speed: 2,670/2,740 MHz
-
Best budget AMD GPU For Photoshop
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 XT Gaming OC
- GPU: Navi 33
- Stream Processors: 2,048
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6
- Bandwidth: 288.0 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 128-bit
- Base clock speed: 2029 MHz
-
Best budget Nvidia GPU For Photoshop
Zotac Gaming RTX 4060 Ti Twin Edge OC
- GPU: AD106
- CUDA cores: 4,352
- VRAM: 8GB / 16GB GDDR6
- Bandwidth: 288.0 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 128-bit
- Base clock speed: 2310 MHz
How we picked
In order to compile our list of the best GPUs for Photoshop, we carefully considered the aforementioned features and factors, along with feedback from professional users and hobbyists alike. We also took into account a variety of budgets and performance needs to ensure that there's a suitable option for everyone. Additionally, we researched the most reputable brands and models in the market, focusing on those with a proven track record of reliability, compatibility, and performance. We evaluated user reviews and expert opinions to gauge the real-world performance of each GPU, specifically in the context of software usage.
On top of this, we always endevour to test products as best we can across a number of benchmarks – be that gaming, or stress-testing to simulate higher loads. By thoroughly examining these factors and balancing performance, cost, and user experience, we've curated a list of the best GPUs that will undoubtedly enhance your creative process and help you achieve outstanding results.
Our top picks
- GPU: AD103
- CUDA Cores: 8,448
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6X
- Bandwidth: 672.3 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Base clock speed: 2340 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2670 MHz
- The best upper mid-range GPU from the latest gen
- Strong performer across our benchmarking
- Supports both ray tracing and DLSS 3.0, should you want to use it for gaming
- 16GB of VRAM gives you plenty of power for editing so long as paired with the right CPU
- Expensive and overkill just for Photoshop alone – so consider this if you’re also using video editing
- Prices may fall once the rumored 50 Series comes out
- Lags behind the 4080 in our benchmarks, which is a far superior card although more expensive
The RTX 4070 Ti Super is an ideal graphics card for a wide range of content creation tasks, making it a perfect fit for Photoshop users. As part of Nvidia's 40 series Super variants, you're getting a hefty 16GB of VRAM and a CUDA core count of 8,448. This trumps the standard RTX 4070Ti, which has 7680 cores and a not-to-shabby 12 GB of GDDR6X memory.
While both cards will do the job, the Super variants are undeniably far better than the cards they replace, so we would always recommend going for the best GPU you can afford. On our benchmarking as part of the RTX 4070 Ti Super review, we saw great performance across the likes of Blender and Firestrike – positioning the card just under the RTX 4080 non-Super edition.
Ultimately, if you want a bit more edge than the original RTX 4070 Ti, better value, and higher framerates than a regular 4070 where smooth 4K gaming is far more feasible (and expected across many titles), then yes – the RTX 4070 Ti Super is worth it.
PC Guide
In the real world, away from synthetic benchmarking, it's safe to say this will help the card (providing the rest of your rig is up to scratch) deliver faster image and video processing times, as well as improved accuracy in tasks such as object recognition. If you're a creative, chances are you're going to want hardware that can handle more than just photo editing apps.
The 4070Ti Super has the horsepower to be a fantastic video-editing tool, although other, cheaper options we've highlighted in the best GPUs for 4K video editing may be worth considering. Add to the mix brilliant gaming performance at 1440p and 4K and it's no surprise, then, that we've named this one top of the pile.
What users say
On Amazon, the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super OC has a rating of 4.7 stars, and more than 1,000 people have reviewed it. Most of the customer reviews wrote positively about the performance, quality, and overall value of the card. “Only have tried a few newer games, but at 3440X1440 on Ultra with DLSS on quality, this thing does deliver. Framerates hover around 90-100. Compared to my 1080, this runs much hotter, so make sure you have a case with good ventilation to keep it cool,” one of the customers wrote in a review. While most users were satisfied with the GPU, a few said that the card was big in size.
- GPU: Navi 32
- Stream Processors: 3,840
- VRAM: 16 GDDR6
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Bandwidth: 624.1 GB/sec
- Base clock speed: 1,295 MHz
- Great gaming and productivity performance
- 16 GB VRAM
- May be overkill if solely used for Photoshop
- 4K is beyond the GPU's reach
If you to stick with Team Red and want a GPU that packs enough power for productivity tools like Photoshop, then you may want to check out the Radeon RX 7800 XT. This is a mid-range option from AMD, and it offers a great blend of performance and affordability. In our 7800 XT review, it managed to perform well in every test we put it through.
To begin with, the 7800 XT offers 16 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, which will be plenty for tasks that consume a lot of memory. On top of that, it has 3,840 Stream Processors and a 256-bit memory interface bus, which help the GPU perform well in graphics-intensive tasks.
The 7800 XT is a great option for those who are after a mid-range card for productivity.
PC Guide
The 7800 XT also operates at a base frequency of 1,295 MHz. While this may seem low, it is important to understand that the base clock speed is when the GPU is not doing anything intensive. In demanding tasks like content creation and gaming, the speed can go up to 2,430 MHz.
As far as the performance is concerned, we tested the 7800 XT in 3DMark, where it delivered 12,331 points in Fire Strike Ultra, 9,080 in Time Spy Extreme, and 10,318 in Port Royal (RT). We then launched Blender 4.0, where we saw the 7800 XT hitting 1130.0 samples per minute in Monster, 586 in Junkshop, and 561.2 in Classroom.
Overall, the 7800 XT is the best mid-range GPU for Photoshop. Its 16 GB VRAM, 3,840 Stream Processors, and a max boost clock speed of 2,430 MHz make it a great choice for creators.
What users say
The 7800 XT has an overall positive rating on Amazon. One of the reviewers praised its performance and said: “I bought this card and used it for 3 weeks. It ran great and gave me 120fps+ on most games on ultra/highest settings giving me really smooth gameplay. The image quality was really nice as well and the screen resolution and colors were very crisp. The fans were not loud on mine at all and the card ran pretty quiet in my opinion.”
- GPU: BGM-G21
- Shading units: 2,560
- VRAM: 12GB GDDR6
- Memory bus width: 192-bit
- Bandwidth: 456GB/s
- Base/Boost clock speed: 2,670/2,740 MHz
- Plenty of VRAM in comparison to the competition
- HDMI 2.1 and DP 2.1 are available
- Great price to performance
- Only Gen 4 x8 PCIe – may be an issue for older motherboards
- Slightly more expensive than reference card
- Still occasional troubles in older games specifically
If you’re looking for the most pocket-friendly graphics card to run Photoshop, we recommend the Intel Arc B580. While Intel didn’t have the best GPUs compared to AMD or Nvidia, the B580 made a massive comeback in more ways than one. In our Sparkle Intel Arc B580 Titan OC review, we put it through its paces in gaming and synthetic testing, and it delivered excellent results, outperforming the RTX 4060, RX 7600 XT, and, in places, even the RTX 4060 Ti.
It also offers exceptional value for money, as it costs less than these cards and can keep up with or outperform them in professional tasks. According to Puget Systems, the Intel Arc B580 scored 1,345 points in Adobe Lightroom Classic 11, which supports GPU acceleration. They also claim that it is 24% faster than the RTX 4060 Ti, and while it might not be directly comparable to Photoshop, it should give you a good idea as to what you can except from this GPU.
That being said, this graphics card features the new Xe 2 architecture and has 20 Xe powering it along with 2,560 shading units and 20 Ray Tracing units. On top of that, it has a base and boost clock speed of 1,700 and 2,740 MHz, respectively. What this means is that it has pretty decent hardware under the hood which is running fast enough to deliver good gaming and professional performance.
The Intel Arc B580 has breathed fresh air in the graphics card market. Providing something new and exciting where there's been a bit of a stalemate between AMD and Nvidia. However, it's still not perfect, with some hitches in compatibility and lacking performance in some areas.
PC Guide
The 12GB GDDR6 VRAM is also something that was a huge winner with the community as budget GPUs, especially from Nvidia, don’t have enough VRAM, which limits their performance at higher resolutions, something we also experienced during our testing.
We ran a couple of games at different resolutions to see how the B580 would perform and compared it against the RTX 4060. In Doom Eternal, the B580 managed 225, 166, and 90 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. The RTX 4060 could only manage 1080p and 1440p with 198 and 150 FPS, respectively, as it didn’t have enough VRAM to handle 4K at ultra nightmare settings.
Besides that, in Cyberpunk 2077, we got 94 and 62 FPS at 1080p and 1440p from the B580, while the 4060 delivered 80 and 47 at 1440p. So, it couldn’t even cross the 60 FPS mark at 1440p, which goes to show how much of an improvement Intel has made. When it came to professional workflows, the RTX 4060 only had better performance in Blender, and in all other tests like 3DMark and Handbrake Tears of Steel 4K render, the B580 had significantly better performance.
So, not only is the Intel Arc B580 more pocket-friendly than the RTX 4060, but it can also push more weight and comes with new technologies like XeSS 2 and XeFG, which help enhance the gaming experience.
- GPU: Navi 33
- Stream Processors: 2,048
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6
- Bandwidth: 288.0 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 128-bit
- Base clock speed: 2029 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2539 MHz
- Decent performance-to-price ratio for Team Red fans
- Alternative to the Nvidia RTX 4060
- More than enough VRAM for Photoshop and editing
- Decent but not spectacular results on our benchmarking
- Lack of Ray Tracing for those wanting a more well-rounded card for gaming
The AMD RX 7600 XT is a decent little card, just managing to sneak onto this list with a commendable 3/5 in our AMD RX 7600 XT review. Under the hood, there's a hefty 16GB of VRAM and 2,048 Stream Processors. This enables it to handle games at higher resolutions and makes it a good option for tasks that require more memory.
Its 2,048 Stream Processors have a base and boost clock speed of 2,029 and 2,539 MHz, respectively. This means that the boost clock can handle 2.5 billion instructions in a second without overclocking it. So, you can get better in-game and professional performance by overclocking the GPU, but that will also increase its TDP and heat generation. In this case, we recommend using a good cooling solution like the best 140mm case fans to ensure a good and stable airflow through the PC case.
The AMD RX 7600 XT holds up well in 1080p and can offer decent native 1440p performance. However, to get the most out of it you're going to need to use FSR upscaling tech, and this card doesn't have enough power for creatives, even compared to its similarly priced rivals.
PC Guide
As for its gaming performance, it managed 86 and 53 FPS at 1080p and 1440p in Cyberpunk 2077, respectively, and 91 and 67 FPS in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. So, this card is good for FHD and 2K gaming, but you’ll have to leverage FSR to get good and stable frames at 2K, depending on how demanding the title is.
That being said, its Ray Tracing performance isn’t the best and tanks the FPS even at 1080p. Besides that, it had 7,465 points in Firestrike Ultra, which gauges a GPU’s ability to render 4K frames, and the RTX 4060 is 6,039 points overall, giving the 7600 XT an edge when it comes to 4K. Overall, this is a good budget GPU with enough power and plenty of VRAM but with the Intel Arc B580 on the market offering better performance with only 12GB VRAM, it makes it a difficult call to opt for other alternatives.
What users say
On Amazon, the GIGABYTE Radeon RX 7600 XT Gaming OC has a rating of 4.5 stars, and over 40 customers have reviewed it. Most customers wrote positively about the card, and they were satisfied with the performance and quality of it. “Used this for my first PC build. Very intuitive to install. Able to handle basically all the online games I play with uncapped frames. Fingers crossed it stays this way!” one of the reviews mentioned.
- GPU: AD106
- CUDA cores: 4,352
- VRAM: 8GB / 16GB GDDR6
- Bandwidth: 288.0 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 128-bit
- Base clock speed: 2310 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2550 MHz
- Affordable price for solid performance in work and play
- 8GB of GDDR6 memory is ample for a decent creative station
- 16GB variant also available for those who need more headroom
- Won’t require a hugely powerful PSU (550W) so in theory an easy switch, motherboard allowing
- Lower performance compared to RTX 4070 Ti Super and less of an all-rounder
- Don’t opt for the 8GB version if you’re looking for a decent gaming rig above 1080p
- Lack of Founders Edition, so you’re need to rely on partner cards which all vary
The Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti may have had a tough time when it launched, but as we found in our RTX 4060 Ti review, it's still a more than capable graphics card. As our tests revealed, the synthetic performance of the RTX 4060 Ti is surprisingly strong, especially considering the limited power of the hardware inside. However, it really struggled when we cranked up both the resolution and graphical fidelity in the Extreme and Ultra variants of our tests.
The RTX 4070 Ti is a powerful GPU further bolstered by the likes of DLSS and ray tracing and while priced higher than many AMD mid-range offerings, largely holds its own.
PC Guide
Another downside is the lack of a Founders Edition, so you'll need to rely on partner cards. We would recommend our test card, which was an overclocked version of the 8GB variant supplied to us by ASUS. The good news is the 4060 Ti only needs a PSU of around 550W, which is very much in line with units often paired with 2nd-gen and 3rd-gen Nvidia cards. In theory, then, the 4060 Ti could be an easy upgrade and won't require too much swapping around other components.
A cheaper alternative still could be the Nvidia RTX 3060, which comes with 3584 CUDA cores, 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, and a 192-bit memory bus. Those specs would provide solid performance for photo editing and graphic design tasks. Again, though, we're not recommeding this too strongly here as it's last-gen tech, but if you're on a budget, prices will continue to fall for the now aging Nvidia 3rd-gen cards.
That said, the RTX 4060 Ti was able to handle 4K gaming natively, managing 45 FPS in Assassin’s Creed Mirage and 47 FPS in The Finals. Turning on DLSS 3 further enhances these frames. On top of that, it also had good performance in synthetic testing, scoring 12,063 points in Cinebench R24 and 7,273 points Fire Strike Ultra.
Overall, the RTX 4060 Ti is a solid card if you’re operating on a budget and want a card that can easily handle professional workflows and deliver good gaming performance.
What users say
On Amazon, the Zotac Gaming RTX 4060 Ti Twin Edge OC has a rating of 4.6 stars and over 60 reviews. Most customers said that they liked the card’s performance, appearance, and value. “This card is a great improvement over the previous card I had GTX 1650. The RTX 4060 Ti runs everything smoothly and so much faster than my previous card,” one of the customer reviews mentioned.
Considerations for the best GPUs for Photoshop
When it comes to choosing the best GPU for Photoshop, there are several key factors to keep in mind, ensuring that your graphics card meets your needs and enhances your creative workflow.
Compatibility
First and foremost, consider the GPU's compatibility with the software and your system, as not all graphics cards are supported by Adobe's software. It's also essential to look at the amount of VRAM (video memory) offered by the GPU, as this will affect your ability to work with large files and multiple layers.
GPU Performance
Another important aspect to consider is the GPU's performance in terms of CUDA cores or stream processors, which determine the card's processing power. This is especially relevant for users who rely on GPU acceleration for tasks like rendering and applying complex filters. Moreover, it's crucial to factor in the GPU's power consumption and cooling system, as these can impact both your system's overall efficiency and noise levels.
Price
Additionally, price and value is an important factor to consider. You want to purchase a GPU at the right time. You can do this by buying a GPU during seasonal sale periods, like Black Friday or Spring. Similarly, price tracker applications, such as Camelcamelcamel, allow you to track price dips so you can time your purchase just right.
Is Photoshop better on CPU or GPU?
Photoshop is primarily a CPU-intensive application, which means that most of its functions rely on the processor for optimal performance. However, with the increasing adoption of GPU-accelerated features in recent years, having a good GPU can significantly improve your experience with photo editing. Tasks like real-time rendering, complex filters, and 3D manipulation benefit from a capable GPU. So, while the software relies heavily on the CPU, a good GPU complements the CPU and enhances the overall performance.
Does Photoshop need a good GPU?
While Photoshop can run on a system with an integrated GPU, having a dedicated GPU is highly recommended for a better experience, especially for professional users.
A good GPU enables faster image processing, smoother performance when working with large files or multiple layers, and better handling of GPU-accelerated features like certain filters and 3D tools. Investing in a good GPU will not only improve your experience but also future-proof your system for more demanding tasks and updates in the software.
About the Author