What is Ray Tracing?
Ray tracing is an advanced rendering technique that simulates the physical behavior of light to create incredibly realistic visuals in games. Instead of faking reflections and shadows, it tracks individual light rays, resulting in stunningly accurate lighting, reflections, and refractions. This technology brings a new level of immersion and visual fidelity to modern PC gaming.
How Ray Tracing Works (Simply)
Imagine a virtual camera in a game world. Ray tracing works by shooting 'rays' from this camera into the scene. When a ray hits an object, it can bounce off (like a reflection), be absorbed (creating a shadow), or pass through (like glass). The game then calculates how these light rays interact with the environment, determining the color and intensity of every pixel on your screen, just like light behaves in the real world.
The Performance Cost
Simulating light in this way is incredibly demanding on your GPU. Each ray calculation requires significant processing power, meaning enabling ray tracing often leads to a noticeable drop in frame rates. To combat this, technologies like NVIDIA's DLSS and AMD's FSR are crucial, using AI or upscaling to boost performance while maintaining visual quality.
Which GPUs Handle It Best?
NVIDIA's RTX series GPUs (e.g., RTX 3060, RTX 4070, RTX 4090) were the first to feature dedicated RT Cores, specifically designed for ray tracing calculations. AMD's Radeon RX 6000 and RX 7000 series (e.g., RX 6700 XT, RX 7800 XT) also support ray tracing, though NVIDIA generally holds a performance lead in this specific area. Higher-end cards from both brands will offer the best ray tracing experience.
Is Ray Tracing Worth It?
For many, the visual upgrade is significant, especially in games designed with ray tracing in mind, like Cyberpunk 2077 or Alan Wake 2. However, the performance cost means you might need a powerful GPU and rely on upscaling technologies to maintain playable frame rates. If you prioritize maximum frame rates over visual realism, you might choose to disable it.
Key takeaways
- •Ray tracing delivers hyper-realistic lighting, reflections, and shadows, but it's very demanding on your GPU.
- •NVIDIA RTX GPUs (30-series and 40-series) generally offer the strongest ray tracing performance due to dedicated RT Cores.
- •AMD Radeon RX 6000 and 7000 series GPUs also support ray tracing, with performance improving in newer generations.
- •Upscaling technologies like DLSS (NVIDIA) and FSR (AMD) are essential for maintaining playable frame rates with ray tracing enabled.
- •Consider your budget and priorities: a high-end GPU is needed for a smooth ray tracing experience, otherwise, you might prefer higher frame rates without it.
What to do next
- →Browse our selection of NVIDIA RTX GPUs
- →Explore AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series cards
- →Read our guide on DLSS vs. FSR
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