It’s true that PCs remain one of the best ways to game on a budget. So, if you’re on the lookout for the best budget-friendly graphics cards that deliver top-notch performance for your gaming rig, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ve rounded up the best budget graphics cards to unleash your inner gaming beast.
XFX – AMD Radeon RX 580 – GTS XXX Edition
- Video Memory (VRAM): 8GB GDDR5
- Connectivity: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 3 x DisplayPort 1.4
The OG budget king, the RX 580, still throws its weight around like a champ. While not the newest kid on the block, its 8GB GDDR5 memory tackles older titles and esports with buttery-smooth 60+ fps at 1080p. It shines with its Polaris architecture, offering gamers a fantastic 1080p gaming experience. The sleek black design of the XFX GTS XXX Edition adds a touch of style to your gaming setup. Plus, its lower power consumption and friendly price tag make it ideal for budget builds.
Its 8GB of GDDR5 memory ensures smooth multitasking and the ability to handle graphically demanding titles like Metro Exodus or Shadow of Tomb Raider. With a core clock speed of 1366 MHz and 2304 stream processors, the XFX GTS XXX Edition delivers impressive performance.
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SURALLOW Gaming GTX 1660 Super
- Video Memory (VRAM): 6GB GDDR5
- Connectivity: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x DVI-D
Like AMD has the RX 580, Nvidia’s GTX 1660 has long been their budget champion. The Super Edition offers pretty much the same performance as the 1660 Ti while saving you a handful of bucks. It is built on NVIDIA’s Turing architecture, providing a significant boost in performance over its predecessors. Featuring 6GB of GDDR5 memory, it strikes an optimal balance for 1080p gaming. With a core clock speed of 1530 MHz, this card delivers smooth frame rates.
As for cooling, SURALLOW’s GTX 1660 Super is equipped with two freeze fans and a high-performance pure copper heat pipe. While the GPU will take care of itself, you should invest in one of these AIO coolers to keep your CPU frosty. While the temps are always under control, the GPU can sometimes get loud. It’s also worth noting that SURALLOW isn’t a top name when you look at its competition. That said, most of the other Nvidia GTX 1660 Super cards on the market have an inflated price unless you wish to buy them on second-hand marketplaces. For a first-party product, SURALLOW offers excellent value for money for your budget graphics card needs.
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Intel Arc A750
- Video Memory (VRAM): 8GB GDDR6
- Connectivity: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3 x DisplayPort 1.4
The Intel Arc A750 is one of the more modern cards available on the market right now, with support for PCIe 4.0. While it had its fair share of compatibility issues, Intel has managed to squash all the bugs, transforming the A750 into a stellar budget gaming GPU. Its Xe HPG architecture shines in newer titles, offering solid 1080p and even some playable 1440p experiences. The card also comes with built-in ray tracing and XeSS upscaling for future-proof performance.
Moreover, Intel also allows for super easy overclocking via the company’s Arc Control software. For those of you who prefer benchmarks, the Arc A750 manages to outshine both the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 and the AMD Radeon RX 6600, as noted by TechRadar. While the GPU still lacks the extensive features that both AMD and Nvidia offer as part of their software package, if you’re just about gaming, the Arc A750 offers stellar performance for current as well as future games.
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XFX Speedster SWFT 210 AMD Radeon RX 6600
- Video Memory (VRAM): 8GB GDDR6
- Connectivity: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3 x DisplayPort 1.4
While Intel is for folks who want a slight taste of 1440p gaming, the RX 6600 is tailored for gamers seeking excellent performance. With 8GB of GDDR6 memory and a boost clock speed of 2491 MHz, it handles modern titles with ease. It delivers blistering frame rates and even supports ray tracing for a taste of next-gen visuals. It’s based on the RDNA 2 architecture and even supports AMD Smart Access Memory technology when you pair it with an AMD Ryzen CPU. As a result, you get a solid gaming PC without spending a fortune.
The RX 6600 also supports AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution or FSR, which can boost your in-game FPS by up to 2.4 times. Similar to the Arc A750, this also supports PCIe 4.0. XFX’s custom cooling solution ensures efficient heat dissipation, allowing for sustained performance during extended gaming sessions.
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PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 7600
- Video Memory (VRAM): 8GB GDDR6
- Connectivity: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3 x DisplayPort 1.4
The RX 7600 is a game-changer, offering unparalleled 1440p performance at a price that won’t make your bank account weep. FSR 2.0 compatibility gives you an extra boost if frame rates drop. In addition, future-proof features like ray tracing will keep you relevant for years to come.
The GPU also comes with a total of 2048 Stream Processors and also takes the memory bandwidth to 288 GB/s. Couple that with AMD’s added features included in its software suit; the RX 7600 is easily Team Red’s best budget GPU offering. The only downside is that it still comes with 8GB of VRAM, which can prove to be a choking point, especially for 1440p gaming.
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ASUS Dual Nvidia RTX 4060
- Video Memory (VRAM): 8GB GDDR6
- Connectivity: 1 x HDMI 2.1a, 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a
Surprised? Interestingly, ASUS does offer NVIDIA’s best-budget gaming GPU for around $300, making it a solid recommendation. This 1440p powerhouse delivers mind-blowing frame rates and next-gen visual fidelity with ray tracing and DLSS 3.0. The GPU comes with Nvidia’s 3rd generation RT Cores that offer twice the ray tracing performance as its predecessors. Add to that, there’s support for the latest DLSS 3.0 thanks to the 4th-gen Tensor Cores.
Similar to AMD’s budget offering, even the RTX 4060 is limited to 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM. However, ASUS has done the hard work here to ensure that you can squeeze the maximum performance out of this card. The ASUS Dual design features dual axial-tech fans for improved cooling, ensuring stable performance. It also boasts a stunning 2535 MHz frequency on boost clock overclocking mode.
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Last updated on 19 July, 2024
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