Quality realistic games depend on a type of graphics known as raytracing. Raytracing works out the physics and the optics mathematics in real time to produce results that are look alikes to real life images.
The article below will teach you Raytracing 101 and why you need it and want it in your games !

Raytracing is a mathematical method of actually tracing the path light rays beginning from the light source and then bouncing and refracting ( bending) off of all the items in a scene.  Since 2019 shortcuts in the math tracing the rays and advances in graphics hardware have allowed raytracing to happen in real time.

You will find raytracing is optimized if you decide to go with Alienware brand computers.

Once upon a time, raytracing one still in a CGI movie like toy story would take a farm of computers working for hours.
With the new Nvidia card like Nvidia 4090 and Nvidias competitors like American Micro Devices (AMD), raytracing can be done many many times a second by one graphics car.

Raytracing by Nvidia Geforce and AMD cards can now be done in real time at at high frame rates.

By buying an Nvidia Geforce 3050  and its recent upgrade the Nvidia Geforce 4090 you will have access to realistic games with almost big screen CGI special effects.


My opinion is , and has been since 2019,  The lions share of your PC purchase should be spent on your video card.

Raytracing is now done on the FLY with these Nvidia cards.
But Nvidia cards are also used by AI machines to actually think with and put together associations of words , phrases and thoughts.

AI uses Nvidia cards to not only understand a drawing prompt but to also make the draying.

AI please draw the following
"A realistic image of a Werewolf riding a Harley style chopper in front of A gothic citadel."


See how the shadows are all accurately traced out beneath the bike?

Raytracing. Its worth paying for.

Since the pandemic I have only bought graphics cards in the Nvidia 3050 range and higher. Gaming rigs however had a price hike during the pandemic due to crytpocurrency mining.


Now for a time Nvidia Geforce cards were also being used for a related mathematical function, Blockchain mining also cryptocurrency mining.


Partway through the pandemic Nvidia neutered the ability of their cards to mine Bitcoin and other blockchain crypto currency. They did this to stop the price hike in Nvidia cards due to Bitcoin miners buying all the cards up and driving the prices up.


SInce neutering the ability to mine bitcoins and other crypto the price of the Nvidia cards has dropped back to a normal range.


A cutting edge brand spanking new  Nvidia Geforce card goes for around 700 - 900$.

A year old but new Nvidia Geforce card should go for about 400$.

And a two year out of date but  new Nvidia Geforce card should run for about 200$



The above cost estimates can change and can be wrong demanding on demand. But you can use the guide as is intended  a way to help you budget your new machine and what it should be costing you. The above guide is so you don't overpay.


A gaming desktop costing you 1800 should have about 1/3 of that cost be devoted to the price of the graphics card.


A gaming rig costing you 2700 should have a cutting bleeding edge video card in it.


A gaming desktop or gaming rig costing you about 1200 will have a card in it that is about 2 years out of date BUT will still get the job done and done beautifully.


A short list of Raytrace capable Nvidia cards and their prices.


Nvidia Geforce Card Model


Year

Nvidia Geforce 4090  Check on Amazon.com


2023

Nvidia Geforce 4080 Check on Amazon.com


2023

Nvidia Geforce 4070 Check on Amazon.com


2022

Nvidia  Geforce 3090 Check on Amazon.com


2020

Nvidia Geforce 3070 Check on Amazon.com


2020

Nvidia Geforce 3060 Check on Amazon.com


2020

Nvidia Geforce 3050 Check on Amazon.com


2020