Place oven racks in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir graham cracker crumbs together with sugar and melted butter until well incorporated and mixture looks like damp sand. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press crust into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix cream cheese for 30 seconds until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add in granulated sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix again until incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again briefly.
Crack eggs into a liquid measuring cup and using a fork, beat until well scrambled. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the eggs into the cream cheese mixture and stop stirring once the egg has been incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom again, ensuring the entire mixture is smooth. If there are a few small lumps, try to fold them in using the rubber scraper.
Once the batter is completely smooth and ready, tap the bowl on the counter for 30-45 seconds to remove as many air bubbles as possible. You should see them popping on the surface as you tap the bowl. Pour filling into the center of the graham cracker crust and gently smooth the top. The batter will be very full!
Bake for 30 minutes at 325°F. Reduce temperature to 250°F and continue cooking for 45 minutes more. Once this time has elapsed, turn the oven off and keep the cheesecake inside for another 30 minutes for some carryover cooking without opening the oven door. Crack the oven door to let the cheesecake cool slowly for one hour before removing. At this point, the cheesecake should be slightly warm. Bring the cheesecake to room temperature on the counter (3-4 hours) before covering with plastic wrap and transferring to the fridge.
Refrigerate until chilled completely (6 hours to overnight). To serve, open the springform pan and remove the collar. Decorate as desired. Dip a sharp knife into hot water, wipe off any excess water, and slice. I like to dip my knife in water between each slice to get really clean-looking pieces.