Field Notes № 01NVIDIA · 2016—2026

GPU Upgrade Strategies, Backtested

Given the same budget over time, is it better to upgrade often to mid-range cards, or save up for a flagship every few years? Can you really future-proof with one big upgrade?

Thesis What matters is how your card holds up over a long horizon — both on average and at its worst.
Ch. 01

How often should you upgrade your GPU?

Ch. 02

Which strategy is best for your budget?

Below, every strategy is grouped into a cost-per-year bucket. Each chart overlays every strategy in that price band; the top-ranked one is drawn in accent. Click a line — or a row in the table — to focus on it. Use the toggle in each chart's header to rank strategies by their minimum or average performance.