7 Solid GPUs Under $200
We rated, reviewed, & compared 7 of the best budget graphics cards under $200. These budget GPUs are perfect for gamers who are strapped for cash but who want to be able to play their favorite games.
If you’re a PC gamer, the one component inside of your computer that will have the biggest impact on your in-game performance is your graphics card. Whether you’re building a new budget-friendly gaming computer and you’re looking for a graphics card that will give you optimal performance for your budget, or you’re looking to upgrade an older system and you just need an affordable option that will allow you to play games on at least lower settings, the good news is that you have a few different options to choose between.
In this guide, we’ve reviewed seven of the best cheap video cards under $200 to give you viable options for your new build or upgrade at multiple price points. These options will range from being 1080P powerhouses that can play any game on a budget 1080P monitor at higher settings, to ultra-cheap entry-level cards that will be ideal for upgrading an older system that can no longer run games on a 1080P monitor.
So, if you don’t have a huge budget, but you need a new graphics card that will allow you to play your favorite games, one of the options below should do the trick for you.
Table of Contents
1. Our Picks for the Best Cheap GPUs
2. Top Pick: ZOTAC GTX 1660 6GB
3. Runner-Up: XFX RX 6500 XT 4GB
4. Sub-$150: XFX RX 6400 4GB
5. Entry-Level: PowerColor RX 550 2GB
7. Honorable Mentions
Our Top Picks for the Best Budget Graphics Cards
The table below gives you our picks for the best budget GPUs. We’ve made our pick for the best graphics card under $200 overall, a runner-up pick, the best GPU under $150, and the best entry-level GPU option.
| NAME | SPECS | RATING | |||
|
TOP PICK |
ZOTAC GTX 1660 |
|
8. 8/10 |
Check Price Read Review » |
|
|
RUNNER-UP |
XFX RX 6500 XT |
|
8.7/10 |
Check Price Read Review » |
|
|
SUB-$150 |
XFX RX 6400 |
|
8.5/10 |
Check Price Read Review » |
|
|
PowerColor RX 550 |
|
8.2/10 |
Check Price Read Review » |
*To read our full overviews on our top budget GPU choices, just click the “Read Review »” button. You can also keep scrolling down to find more options based on your specific budget.
1. ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1660
The best budget graphics card
Our Rating: 8.8/10
Check Price on Amazon
If you’re looking for the best budget graphics card under $200, then this GTX 1660 from ZOTAC is not what you’re looking for. That’s because it comes in at just slightly over $200.
However, it is close enough and if you can stretch your budget just a bit, you’ll get a much more powerful GPU when compared to the true sub-$200 graphics cards on this list.
Also Read: Best Gaming PC Build for $600
This GTX 1660 Super comes with a 1530MHz core clock and a 1785MHz boost clock. It sports 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM and requires a minimum of a 450-watt power supply. It also measures in at just under 8.5-inches, making it a great option for smaller builds.
For performance, you can expect this GPU to max out any game on a 1080P monitor. And, it should achieve a high-enough average framete in most games to where you’d benefit by pairing it with a 144Hz monitor that has G-Sync technology.
2. XFX Radeon RX 6500 XT
Our runner-up budget GPU pick
Our Rating: 8.7/10
Check Price on Amazon
If you don’t quite have $200 to spend, your next best bet is probably this Radeon RX 6500 XT from XFX. The RX 6500 XT isn’t the GPU in the world and it even loses in benchmarks to older generation cards (like the RX 5500 XT).
That’s mainly due to the fact that it comes with a lower VRAM capacity (only 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM). However, the RX 5500 XT is difficult to find and the RX 6500 XT is readily available. So, while 4GB of VRAM may not be ideal, at this price point, it’s still the best offering.
Also Read: Best Gaming PC Build Under $500
Furthermore, the RX 6500 XT is still powerful enough to allow you to play any games on a 1080P display (ideally, with AMD’s FreeSync technology) on at least medium settings. And, for non-demanding esports titles like Rocket League of League of Legends, or games like Minecraft, it is more than powerful enough to get the job done.
So, if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly GPU option, the RX 6500 XT is a decent option worth considering.
3. XFX Radeon RX 6400
The best sub-$150 graphics card
Our Rating: 8.5/10
Check Price on Amazon
If you have a tighter budget and you can’t spend more than $150, this XFX Radeon RX 6400 graphics card is a good option. The RX 6400 lags a bit behind both the GTX 1660 Super and the RX 6500 XT, but it will still run most games on a 1080P monitor on at least medium settings.
This card is also one of the shortest options on this list, sporting a low-profile design, and measuring in at 6.3-inches long. So, that would make it an excellent option for a smaller form-factor system.
It also comes with a 2321 MHz base clock rate and 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM.
Overall, if you don’t have the budget to get a GTX 1660 Super, an RX 6400 is probably your next best option. And, of the RX 6400s currently on the market, this XFX card offers the best price to performance as of the time of writing this article.
4. PowerColor Radeon RX 550
The best entry-level GPU
Our Rating: 8.2/10
Check Price on Amazon
If you don’t have more than $100 to spend on a graphics card, you have a few options. As of right now, the best sub-$100 GPU is an RX 550. And, as of the time of updating this guide, the top sub-$100 RX 550 currently available is this low-profile option from XFX.
This card comes with a 1071 MHz base clock rate, 2GB of VRAM, and a single fan cooling configuration. Due to the single fan configuration and low-profile design, this RX 550 measures in at just 6.0-inches long. So, it’s a great option for a budget-friendly mini gaming PC build.
For performance, you can expect to run most games on a 1080P monitor on at least lower settings. For non-demanding games like League of Legends, this card will work just fine and for more demanding games, you can play on lower settings until you have enough money to upgrade to something more powerful.
5. EVGA GeForce GTX 1650 Super
Honorable mention #1
Our Rating: 8.7/10
Check Price on Amazon
While it might seem that I have something against NVIDIA cards based on this article, the reality is that, at the current price points, AMD cards seem to make more sense in the sub-$200 price range.
The GTX 1650 Super does provide a slight performance boost over the RX 6500 XT in most games, however it also comes in at—or just above—$200. And, at that point, the GTX 1660 Super listed above would be a better option.
However, if you’re able to find a GTX 1650 Super for the same price (or cheaper) than the RX 6500 XT, then you’d probably be better off choosing it instead. And, if they do, this EVGA card would be one of the better options. It comes with a 1755 MHz base clock, 4GB of VRAM, and a dual fan configuration. It also measures in at 8.0-inches long.
Overall, though, you can either spend a little more to get a better performing card (the GTX 1660 Super), or you can spend less and get virtually the same performance (RX 6500 XT.
) So, for now, the GTX 1650 Super is an Honorable Mention.
6. PNY GeForce GTX 1650
Honorable mention #2
Our Rating: 8.5/10
Check Price on Amazon
Another NVIDIA card that doesn’t make it into our top picks due to the price it comes in at is the non-Super GTX 1650. The standard GTX 1650 costs close to the same amount as the RX 6500 XT. However, the RX 6500 XT provides quite a bit more performance than the GTX 1650.
So, as of right now, the RX 6500 XT has a better price-to-performance ratio.
Of course, with graphics card prices changing on a daily basis, it is worth taking a look at 1650 prices before you make your final decision. And, of the GTX 1650 options out there, this PNY card is a decent option.
7. Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030
Honorable mention #3
Our Rating: 8.0/10
Check Price on Amazon
Another sub-$100 graphics card option is this Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030.
At just under $85, it is the most affordable option on this list. And, if you’re working with a tight budget to build a new gaming PC or upgrade an older computer, a GT 1030 is an excellent option.
Also Read: Best Gaming PC Build for $400
It won’t give you great in-game performance—especially in demanding titles—but it can hold you over until you can afford an upgrade.
Ultimately, the GT 1030 is an entry-level card that won’t work for most individuals. If you are strapped for cash, though, and need a cheap GPU to get you by, it should do the trick.
Which Budget GPU is Right for You?
While it is true that the better the graphics card you have, the higher the framerate you can get in your games, it is also true that even today’s top games can be run fairly well by a budget graphics card at 1920 x 1080 resolution. For instance, the three options in the $150-$200 price range (the GTX 1660 Super, RX 6500 Xt, and GTX 1650 Super) should be able to handle today’s most demanding games on medium settings on a 1080P monitor.
And, even the options in the $100-$150 price range will serve you well for 1080P gaming as well.
If you’re playing non-demanding games, like Rocket League, League of Legends, or Dota 2, etc., you can save even more money by going with something like an RX 550 or GT 1030 without sacrificing much in terms of your in-game experience.
So, the bottom line is that, whether you’re looking for a decent upgrade for your older desktop, or you’re looking to build an affordable gaming PC, there are graphics card options for under $200 that will deliver you a pretty solid in-game experience.
Also Read:
- NVIDIA RTX vs GTX: Is RTX the Better Option?
- GPU vs. Graphics Card: What’s the Difference?
- Do You Need to Uninstall Old Graphics Drivers Before Installing A New Graphics Card?
The best budget graphics card to get in early 2023
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The budget graphics cards market will evolve in 2023, but these cards offer a great balance of price and performance.
With the Christmas season done, PC gamers are already looking forward to the next upgrade to save for. In the case of graphics cards, players don’t have too many options close to the $200 mark. It’s a two-horse race between the RX 6500 XT and the GTX 1660 Ti, but each one comes with a set of pros and cons. If you’re looking to upgrade your graphics card on a budget in 2023, here’s a comparison between the two best options.
The RX 6500 XT is the king of budget graphics cards in 2023
The $200 price point is competitive for computer hardware manufacturers, but AMD chose to stand out in the field with a slightly lower asking price. With XFX cooler-equipped models going for just $170, the 6500 XT offers an excellent GPU pairing for most budget AMD processors in 2023.
The 6500 punches above its weight class with GDDR6 VRAM. It also comes with budget-friendly features like low power consumption and a relatively small footprint. The only real downside to this card is its relatively small total VRAM at just four gigabytes, which could restrict performance for virtual reality or resolutions 1440p and up.
The GTX 1660 Ti makes a great update for prebuilts
If you have an older system but only plan on upgrading your GPU, the Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti may be your next upgrade. First released in 2019, this card has slowly decreased in price until it’s now available for cheap. At just $230, the card offers the best bits of the previous generation, making it easy to implement into most prebuilt rigs.
This card offers slightly less raw performance than the 5600 XT, but it makes up for it with six gigabytes of VRAM and full G-SYNC compatibility. Nvidia boasts impressive performance for the graphics card across several of the most popular titles, and its recent price cut makes it a great budget option going into 2023.
GTX 1660 Ti vs RX 6500 XT: Which one wins?
With the options laid out, is the GTX 1660 Ti or the RX 6500 XT the best budget graphics card for the new year?
The 1660 Ti is arguably the better choice for older systems, as it has better compatibility with most recent hardware thanks to its Turing architecture and GDDR5 VRAM.
With age also comes drivers, a factor that can put this card on par with newer ones in certain titles. For budget gamers who still want to poke around in VR or play in 4K resolution, the extra VRAM in the 1660 Ti will definitely come in handy.
However, the 5600 XT stands out as the better option for brand-new builds thanks to its raw power. With seven-nanometer architecture, the card is short-term futureproof and will continue to be updated for years to come. AMD CPUs also tend to play nicely with their graphical counterparts, and when the budget is concerned, it’s hard to argue with that cheaper price tag.
What do you think?
Video card for cs go. Budget gaming option, settings.
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Every computer has a huge number of parts. The highest priority component for CS:GO is the video card. Too much depends on her in the game.
Which video card for cs go