Best Graphics Cards for Gaming yyyy]
The Best Graphics Cards for Gaming Shortlist
[add-table]
Some Important Terms for Buyers
If you don’t know much about graphics cards, here are the most critical things you should look for when buying a new one. Learning about the most important graphics processing unit (GPU) terms will help you figure out what graphics card is best for you.
CUDA Cores and Stream Processors
When referring to GPU cores, Nvidia uses the term “CUDA,” while AMD uses “Stream Processors.” As a general rule, the higher the core count a graphics card has, the more computing power it’s going to have.
Although CUDA Cores and Stream Processors have the same end goal, they don’t follow the same route due to the huge differences between Nvidia and AMD’s GPU architecture. This means comparing one to the other won’t lead to a clear result.
Memory (Video RAM)
Just like your ordinary random-access memory (RAM), VRAM is measured in gigabytes. The more memory a graphics card can use to store graphical data, the more efficient it is in tackling graphics-related tasks. When playing a video game, one of these tasks is efficiently rendering complex images and textures to produce a smooth gameplay experience.
Note that having a million VRAM isn’t necessary if all you’re playing is 2D Super Mario Bros. In 1080p and 1440p displays, most marketed games today use about 2GB to 6GB, so we recommend looking for a GPU that has at least 8GB memory.
Thermal Design Power (TDP)
TDP tells you how much power a graphics card needs to generate the maximum amount of heat it can take without frying its innards. This is crucial since playing video games with dazzling graphics demands an intense workload that will inevitably heat up the GPU.
If you’re considering a graphics card with a TDP higher than about 200 watts, we suggest investing a little bit more on a PC case that has a great ventilation system.
It will prevent your processors from overheating and prolong their lives.
Choosing the Best Gaming PC Graphics Cards
Let’s not waste time: the best graphics cards for gaming are, of course, the most expensive ones. In this simple school of thought, the latest products available (but always unavailable to buy) are immediately hailed champions—graphics cards like Nvidia’s RTX “the BFGPU” 3090 and AMD’s RX 6900 XT.
If you have money and can spend it without worrying one nickel, you can close this page right now, head over to eBay, and look for these two GPUs. If you find and buy one for $500, $700, or even $1,000 more than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), then we respect your choice. Though with a little grimace.
The best gaming PC graphics cards are surely the fastest and priciest ones when the only thing being considered is sheer performance. Once you put purpose into the equation, however, you start seeing the excess. You realize that the top-of-the-line products are only as good as what they’re meant to be used for.
For daily gamers like you and I who mainly play video games in their natural habitat of 1080p, we can be more than happy with GPUs that do perform well but don’t cost one liver of a unicorn. With graphics cards like the RTX 3060 Ti and the RX 6700 XT, you’re getting the latest innovations at decent MSRPs.
We say let the artists, the developers, the renderers, and the 2% of gamers who game in 4k buy the 3090s and 6900 XTs. Because the truth is, the percent difference of price heavily outweighs the percent difference of gaming performance. You wouldn’t want to pay 50% or 70% more just for a mere 15-fps increase.
At the same time, you shouldn’t consider upgrading to previous-gen graphics cards, like the ones in Nvidia’s 20 series and AMD’s 5000 series. Mid-range GPUs of today, such as the RTX 3060 Ti, have shown a significant leap in performance that matches and even beats the high-end RTX 2080 Ti while costing $800 less.
The Best Graphics Cards for Gaming
GeForce RTX 3080
The Overall Best
MSRP: $699
Specs:
CUDA Cores: 8704
Base Clock: 1440 MHz
Boost Clock: 1710 MHz
Memory: 10GB GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth: 760 GB/s
Total Display Power: 320 watts
Pros
- Excellent performance in 1440p with max settings
- Decent in 4k
- Much better priced than the 3080 Ti and 3090
Cons
- Needs a lot of power
- Too much for 1080p displays
- Has 6GB less memory than the RX 6800 XT
All things considered, Nvidia’s RTX 3080 is the best graphics card for gaming.
If you want to upgrade from the previous gen directly to the RTX 3080 instead of going for the bang-for-the-buck option that is the RTX 3060 Ti, you truly deserve to buy yourself something worth $700 for having a big brain.
Starting with horsepower, the RTX 3080 beats the last batch of the 2080 GPUs by up to a groundbreaking 75%, which gets even more ridiculous since it’s a graphics card that costs $500 less.
On the other hand, we don’t recommend going for the RTX 3080 Ti as it costs $500 more while offering an uplift of only 3% to 14% from the RTX 3080. Surely that’s money you can spend on the best gaming chairs instead.
The range of functionality is another advantage of choosing the RTX 3080. Even when playing the biggest triple-A games in 4k displays, the RTX 3080 runs smoothly thanks to Nvidia’s new Ampere architecture that takes real-time ray tracing and DLSS capabilities to unprecedented new heights.
Upgrading to the RTX 3080 will give you the overall best dollar per value ratio.
For $700, its performance is hot on the heels of the $1,500 RTX 3090, which is currently Nvidia’s fastest graphics card for gaming and productivity.
Adding the fact that it’s clearly ahead of the RTX 2080 Ti and the RTX 3070 in terms of raw FPS and streaming features, it becomes obvious why the RTX 3080 is the real flagship GPU for gaming.
Radeon RX 6800 XT
The Overall Best 2.0
MSRP: $649
Specs:
Stream Processors: 4608
Base Clock: 1825 MHz
Boost Clock: 2250 MHz
Memory: 16GB GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth: 512 GB/s
Total Display Power: 300 watts
Pros
- Excellent performance in 1440p with max settings
- Lots of memory
- Slightly better than the RTX 3080 in traditional rendering
Cons
- Image upscaling is inferior to Nvidia’s DLSS
- Ray tracing needs improvement
- Not a workstation stronghold
AMD’s RX 6800 XT is the immediate counterpart of Nvidia’s RTX 3080, and the debate about which one trumps the other is still the action movie everyone is waiting for.
Being in the same price range, you might get the idea that the rivalry between these two cards can be simply chalked up to individual preference. But that’s only half the story.
There are certain fields where the RX 6800 XT takes the win while there are also some areas where the RTX 3080 comes on top. This causes dissent. For instance, the RX 6800 XT shows advantages in some titles, particularly AMD-featured ones like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Meanwhile, the RTX 3080 shows about a 13-15% average uplift on some games played in 4k due to its slightly better memory bandwidth and render output units (ROPs). This makes your decision to buy it for nearly 7% more than the MSRP of the RX 6800 XT worth it.
Though the RX 6800 XT takes another win when it comes to traditional rendering. It’s one of the best graphics cards for 1440p gaming, especially if you don’t think much of ray tracing as most Nvidia followers do. It also has 16GB memory compared to the RTX 3080’s 10GB.
In the end, the RX 6800 XT and the RTX 3080 can be both considered as the best graphics cards for gaming.
Performance-wise, they show the same FPS in multiple games tested on multiple benchmarks.
If gaming in 4k is your priority, the RTX 3080 is the right card since it has DLSS features that will butter up those FPS for high-display gaming. If you’re a 1080p or 1440p player, the RX 6800 XT, with its better price and VRAM, can be the more reasonable choice.
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Cheap Beast
MSRP: $399
Specs:
CUDA Cores: 4864
Base Clock: 1410 MHz
Boost Clock: 1665 MHz
Memory: 8GB GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth: 448 GB/s
Total Display Power: 200 watts
Pros
- Way cheaper than Nvidia’s current kings but has much of their qualities
- Great ray tracing at 1440p with DLSS
- Perfect for 1080p gaming
Cons
- Not exactly for 4k
- 8GB memory could be a problem in the long run
- Currently overpriced for a mid-range GPU
In December 2020, Nvidia launched the RTX 3060 Ti, following shortly the RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 which came out in September and October.
Like its pricey big brothers, the RTX 3060 Ti belongs to Nvidia’s Ampere collection, the newest architecture of GPU that takes a giant leap from the previous generation of graphics cards.
The RTX 3060 Ti boasts more than double the RTX 2060 Super’s CUDA cores and a 25-watt increase in rated power. Compared to the RTX 2080 Ti, the top dog of Nvidia’s 20 series that costs $1,200, this GPU offers about the same FPS and overall performance, which is why it’s one of the best graphics cards for gaming out there.
Though the difference between the RTX 3060 Ti’s Ampere architecture and the RTX 2080 Ti’s Turing architecture gets highlighted when traditional rasterizing and ray tracing become part of the conversation.
But what makes the RTX 3060 Ti so attractive is that it’s one of the best budget gaming graphics cards in the market. At an MSRP of $400, just $70 more than the RTX 3060, you’re getting a solid increase in FPS and Nvidia’s latest feature set that makes the 30 series ahead of the game.
Sure, the RTX 3060 Ti only has 8GB of memory where the RTX 3060 has 12GB, but the RTX 3060 performs nearly the same as the RTX 2080 Super. Why would you upgrade to a graphics card that runs the same FPS if you can upgrade to a one where there’s an evident improvement?
GeForce RTX 3090
Nvidia’s Fastest
MSRP: $1,499
Specs:
CUDA Cores: 10496
Base Clock: 1395 MHz
Boost Clock: 1695 MHz
Memory: 24GB GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth: 936 GB/s
Total Graphics Power: 350 watts
Pros
- The fastest graphics card for gaming in the world
- Excellent for creators, researchers, and rich gamers
- A graphics card you can use for years
Cons
- Extremely pricey
- Overkill for 1080p and 1440p gaming
- 8k application is currently irrelevant
In a world where everyone can afford whatever they want, the RTX 3090, a.k.a. “Big Ferocious GPU,” would easily be crowned as the best graphics card for gaming.
And while it’s the best graphics card for gaming in this world, we’re not all noble people who can buy something as expensive as a piece of hardware with such a scary title.
Regardless, Nvidia’s RTX 3090 is the fastest graphics card for gaming right now—about 8-15% better than the RTX 3080 across all displays. This slight increase in performance, however, comes at an unreasonable price of a staggering 114% more than the RTX 3080.
This is why we don’t recommend buying the RTX 3090 strictly for gaming. The cost you’ll be paying for is significantly more than the additional benefits you’ll receive, at least assuming that you’re only going to use it for gaming.
We suggest instead that you reserve your money for other computer parts, perhaps for buying a new gaming keyboard. Feel free to check out the best gaming keyboards if that’s something you’re interested in.
Still, we won’t blame you if this is the graphics card you want. After all, it is a monster of a GPU that wins over all the contenders in AMD’s 6000 series and, to some extent, beats the RTX 3080.
Its excessive features will live on to accommodate the innovations of the gaming industry in the future, which all good gaming graphics cards do.
Radeon RX 6900 XT
AMD’s Fastest
MSRP: $999
Specs:
Stream Processors: 5120
Base Clock: 1825 MHz
Boost Clock: 2250 MHz
Memory: 16GB GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth: 512 GB/s
Total Graphics Power: 300 watts
Pros
- Better rasterization performance
- Cheaper than Nvidia’s RTX 3090
- Great for 4k
Cons
- Pricey
- Overkill for 1080p and 1440p gaming
- Productivity performance lags behind even the RTX 3080
The RX 6900 XT has the same RDNA 2 architecture, core clocks, memory, memory bandwidth, and graphics power that the RX 6800 XT has. In fact, if it wasn’t for the difference in compute units and recommended power supply, the two would have been identical twins and the $350 increase in price would have been nonsensical.
Are the added cores worth the added cost? In traditional rasterization, the RX 6900 XT beats the RTX 3090 by offering about the same FPS but costing $500 less, an amount of money you can definitely spend on good graphics cards for gaming laptops.
Playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider at high settings in 1080p with ray tracing turned off, the RX 6900 XT hits an average FPS of 171, about 2 FPS above the RTX 3090’s 169. A slight increase.
But the mood changes when you begin to consider real-time ray tracing, where the RX 6900 XT is eclipsed even by the RTX 3080, a graphics card that costs $300 less. Playing the Shadow of the Tomb Raider in the exact settings with ray tracing turned on, the RX 6900 XT averages 125 FPS, while the RTX 3080 averages 135.
When choosing the RX 6900 XT, it helps to know that rasterization is still the more accepted rendering technique than ray tracing. Still, we recommend buying the RX 6800 XT instead of the RX 6900 XT for the same reason we recommend buying the RTX 3080 over the RTX 3090: the increase in performance is virtually unnoticeable.
GeForce RTX 3070
RTX 2080 Ti Killer
MSRP: $499
Specs:
CUDA Cores: 5888
Base Clock: 1500 MHz
Boost Clock: 1725 MHz
Memory: 8GB GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth: 448 GB/s
Total Graphics Power: 220 watts
Pros
- Matches the RTX 2080 Ti’s performance at half the price
- Only uses 20 watts more power than the RTX 3060 Ti
- Ampere architecture
Cons
- 8GB memory is the same as the RTX 3060 Ti
- Can fall short in 4k
- Currently overpriced
The RTX 3070 sits between the RTX 3060 Ti and the RTX 3080, costing $100 more than the former and $200 less than the latter. And since we’ve already recommended buying those as they are Nvidia’s true flagship gaming cards for PC, it would be hard to add in the RTX 3070 without first making clear who should buy it.
So, who should buy the RTX 3070? Probably the same people that would pay a premium going from the RTX 3080 to the RTX 3090 but are a little more conservative about their money.
The RTX 3070 is closely similar to the 3060 Ti except it has about 20% more core counts.
This small gain in core units translates into about a 10-15% increase in gaming performance, especially in 1080p and 1440p displays. As you’ll recall, the RTX 3090 shares the same slight advantage over the RTX 3080 but for a much higher premium since the RTX 3090 is leaning towards productivity rather than full gaming.
Upgrading from the previous gen to the RTX 3070 is an okay choice. Our only problem with paying a premium for a mild benefit is that there’s always one card to upgrade to. The RTX 3070 costs $100 more than the RTX 3060 Ti but so does the RTX 3070 Ti to the RTX 3070.
And from there, why not go for the RTX 3080, which is already labeled as one of the best graphics cards for gaming right now? The only excuse we’re willing to accept is urgency. If you really must buy one now in the middle of the shortage, then it doesn’t really matter what latest gaming graphics cards for PC you buy, does it?
Radeon RX 6700 XT
Mid-Range Alternative
MSRP: $479
Specs:
Stream Processors: 2560
Base Clock: 2321 MHz
Boost Clock: 2581 MHz
Memory: 12GB GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth: 384 GB/s
Total Graphics Power: 230 watts
Pros
- Decent in 1440p
- Has 4GB more memory than the RTX 3060 Ti and the RTX 3070
- RDNA 2 architecture
Cons
- Underperforms in ray tracing
- Image upscaling needs work
- Currently overpriced for a mid-range GPU
AMD would love you to believe that the $480 RX 6700 XT is the counterpart of Nvidia’s $500 RTX 3070.
And after putting the two side by side on a test bench, you’ll see that you’re getting about the same FPS for paying $20 less. But that test started on equal footing, which means the DLSS toggle is turned off.
Once turned on, the hierarchy shifts a little bit, with the RX 6700 XT getting pushed back to its proper rival, the RTX 3060 Ti, a graphics card that retails for $80 less. Using DLSS in 1440p, the 3060 Ti takes the lead by offering around 10-20 more FPS than the RX 6700 XT.
To give the RX 6700 XT some credit, it has 12GB VRAM compared to the 8GB that the RTX 3060 Ti and the RTX 3070 have. Paired with the best mouse for gamers and sitting on your gaming chair, this mid-range GPU will make you feel like a conqueror.
While you can argue that having a lot of memory is an excess that serves a minimal purpose for gaming, it’s still a good thing to have especially in preparation for the more demanding games in the near future.
Asking what graphics card is best between the RTX 3060 Ti, the RX 6700 XT, and the RTX 3070 can throw you into a loop.
If you prefer a card that performs well in ray tracing and can artificially increase your FPS, we recommend going for RTX 3060 Ti. If you play games in 1080p max settings with no ray tracing, choose the RX 6700 XT.
Conclusion
Buying the best graphics card for gaming has never been harder than today. The crypto frenzy that has overtaken the world along with the influence of the pandemic has exhausted the earth’s supply of graphics cards, leaving demand unmet.
Prices have climbed unreasonable heights, and it seems there won’t be anything normal for a while. That being said, you might think this isn’t the right time to make a list of gaming graphics cards for PC.
You’re exactly right, which is why we recommend sticking with your current GPU for now. Good gaming graphics cards like the previous-gen GTX 1660 Super and Radeon RX 5600 XT can provide a great gaming experience even at high settings.
If you own a mid-range GPU and don’t have any problem with it except the nagging feeling that it’s outdated, stay with it.
Rest assured that it’s more than enough for gaming even this year, especially in 1080p, the most famous resolution gamers use.
But if for some serious reason you have to buy one now despite the current market—perhaps your current GPU is toast and running flames per second—then we suggest buying Nvidia’s RTX 3080 or AMD’s RX 6800 XT.
While it’s going to hurt your bank account a lot, getting one of these GPUs at a scalper’s price will give you the best value per dollar ratio. As they’re both excellent in gaming at 1440p and 4k, you’ll be able to use them for playing new triple-A games in the future.
On top of that, the RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT will give you strong workstation benefits, although the RTX 3080 performs better here since most creativity software that makes good use of the GPU is optimized for Nvidia.
Best Graphics Cards for Gaming 2021 FAQ
Should I buy a graphics card in 2021?
We recommend not buying a graphics card at the moment since the prices have reached twice the MSRP, sometimes even thrice depending on the card.
If you have a working GPU that only has a few problems, you should consider prolonging its life and upgrading later when prices have landed back on earth.
Which graphic card is best for gaming in 2021?
The RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT are the flagship GPUs for gaming in 2021. The RTX 3080 performs much better in ray tracing and features DLSS, an image upscaling technology that significantly boosts frame rate even when gaming at high settings in 4k.
On the other hand, the RX 6800 XT has a beefier VRAM than the RTX 3080 while costing $50 less in MSRP. AMD’s image upscaling technology, called FSR, is far from being on the same level as Nvidia’s DLSS though.
Is GTX 1650 good for gaming in 2021?
The GTX 1650 is a decent graphics card even by today’s standards. It has the feature set of Nvidia’s Turing architecture and can run most triple-A games at more than 60 FPS in 1080p.
What is the most powerful graphics card in the world in 2021?
The most powerful GPU in the world is the Nvidia Titan V.
Built for scientists, particularly AI researchers, it features the innovations of Nvidia’s Volta architecture: over 21 billion transistors, 125 teraflops per second, and 640 Tensor Cores for the ultimate crunching of deep learning and other AI-related algorithms.
What is the most expensive graphics card in the world in 2021?
The most expensive GPU you can buy is the $3000 Nvidia Titan V, which also happens to be the most powerful GPU in the world. While it can work magic for playing video games, it’s meant for AI researchers who need powerful hardware for the most demanding supercomputing tasks.
9 Best Budget Graphics Cards For Gaming in 2022
Gaming without spending hundreds of dollars is very possible in 2022, thanks to the budget graphics cards we have this year from AMD, Nvidia, and Intel joining the market soon.
A budget graphics card for some people falls in the range of $80-$120 while for some, it may be above $150. We currently have a lot of Budget GPUs from both manufacturers ranging from $80 up to $300.
This provides good flexibility to build gaming PCs with a wide range of budgets.
Here is a list of the top 8 best budget graphics cards in 2022 which provide excellent value per dollar spent and are capable of playing most of the games at 1080p with smooth frame rates on medium to ultra settings.
Best Picks
Name
PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 6400 ITX
EVGA GeForce GTX 1650 Super SC Ultra Gaming
XFX Speedster SWFT 210 Radeon RX 6600 CORE
Price
$149.99
$221.79
$229.99
Buy
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon
Name
PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 6400 ITX
Image
Price
$149.99
Buy
Buy from Amazon
Name
EVGA GeForce GTX 1650 Super SC Ultra Gaming
Image
Price
$221.79
Buy
Buy from Amazon
Name
XFX Speedster SWFT 210 Radeon RX 6600 CORE
Image
Price
$229.99
Buy
Buy from Amazon
Posted: November 14, 2022
If you are looking to build a gaming PC that costs less than $300 but can play your favorite games smoothly, you are at the right place.
We understand that not everyone has several hundred or thousands of dollars to invest in a gaming PC. This does not mean you can not enjoy your gaming […]
The Best Budget Graphics Cards
AMD Radeon RX 550
Sale
29 Reviews
PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 550 Low Profile Graphics…
- Memory Speed:6.0 Gbps
- Video Memory: 2GB GDDR5
- Stream Processor: 512
- Boost Clock: Up to 1071MHz
From AMD’s side, we have the RX 550 which is currently the only decent budget GPU fit for gaming. However, it too has two variants where the 2GB is the cheapest one but is still a great deal under $100. It features 2GB of GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit memory bus.
While not a great deal-breaker, it’s still a good starter for those who never had a hands-on gaming PC and want to start with something that fits the budget and gets the job done. It can let you play older titles, less-intensive titles, and some modern titles on 720p resolution with low to medium settings.
This is sufficient considering that you are paying only $80-$90.
Nvidia Geforce GT 1030
2,607 Reviews
Gigabyte GV-N1030OC-2GI Nvidia GeForce GT 1030 OC…
- Powered by GeForce GT 1030
- Integrated with 2GB GDDR5 64 bit memory
- Supports HDMI 4K at 60 hertz. Digital max…
- Smooth 4K video playback and HTML5 web browsing
There are currently two versions of the GT 1030. One is with the GDDR5 memory and the other one is with GDDR4. Make sure you don’t buy the second one as it is way slower. The Gigabyte GT 1030 OC is an excellent budget graphics card that easily fits in most mini-ITX cases and won’t pose a problem like the two fan cards.
It is made with 384 Cuda Cores and features 2GB of VRAM that has a bandwidth of 48GB/s which is almost 4 times the one with the GDDR4 memory. As a very cheap card, you can’t expect it to max out the settings at 1080p resolution. Somewhat between 720p and 900p is recommended for gaming with it and you can put the settings on medium for fairly good graphics.
If you want to play at 1080p, then remember to put all the settings to low otherwise you won’t be able to play most games. Currently, it’s the only sub $100 card which is meant for playing games. Going below it is not recommended as they are not meant for gaming, but rather for providing display only.
Intel ARC A380
Despite being a slower card than the competitors from AMD and Nvidia, the Intel ARC A380 has managed to show some good performance for a price of less than $150. The card is currently not available in a lot of countries but the availability should get better with time soon.
The ARC A380 is the first and slowest in the ARC Alchemist family and features 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM. It has a TDP of 75W and can manage the power from the PCI-E slot itself. However, some editions come with a single 6-pin power connector and may have a few more watts higher than the reference edition.
For 1080p gaming, you can expect 40-60 fps on medium settings in modern titles and therefore, the card is most suitable for less graphical-intensive as well as esports games that have a lower GPU requirement.
Posted: August 17, 2022
When I say “Cheap”, it should mean that the gaming PC should be affordable to the vast majority of the PC gamer community and should be able to play a lot of popular titles, especially eSports games. Therefore, it shouldn’t be only ‘Cheap’ as it is not possible to play all the games on it […]
AMD Radeon RX 6400
Sale
75 Reviews
PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 6400 ITX Graphics…
- Video Memory: 4GB GDDR6
- Stream Processor: 768
- Game Clock: 2039 MHz
- Boost Clock: 2321 MHz
Finding a good budget GPU under $200 is right now the most difficult task until AMD launched the RX 6400. It might look just like any other entry-level GPU for gaming but it is currently the only best card for $160. Not only you can buy it for MSRP but you can play games at 1080p medium-high settings.
This GPU, however, suffers the same fate as its elder sibling, the RX 6500 XT, but despite that, it beats the GTX 1650 for the same price.
It features 768 Stream Processors and clock speeds that start at 2039MHz up to 2321MHz. With 4GB of GDDR6 memory, you can ensure up to high settings in most AAA titles without the fear of bottlenecking on the VRAM’s part lastly, it is super power-efficient and can fit in almost any compact case due to being a single-slot GPU.
AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT
Sale
75 Reviews
PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 6400 ITX Graphics…
- Video Memory: 4GB GDDR6
- Stream Processor: 768
- Game Clock: 2039 MHz
- Boost Clock: 2321 MHz
Before you freak out, let me just clear up a few things. Indeed, the RX 6500 XT is one of the worst graphics cards but currently, we have no other option for around $200-$220 except for the 6500 XT. RX 580/590, and GTX 1650 Super are no longer available for less than $200. The RX 6500 XT despite its big limitations is faster than the GTX 1650 and Super edition and therefore, under some conditions it is a good choice.
It can provide 60 fps in most games at 1080p on high settings. The problem here is the PCI-E lanes bandwidth which is limited to only 4. This makes it only better on motherboards that come with PCI-E Gen 4.0 support and therefore if you have a motherboard that doesn’t have this feature, it’s better to avoid this card.
It comes with 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM, 1024 Stream processors, and a boost clock of more than 2800MHz. It is power-efficient and requires a single 6-pin power connector. This will be a fine choice for $200 with any budget gaming processor like the i3 12100F or any latest Ryzen CPU under $150.
Related- Best Budget Gaming Motherboards
Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 Super
Sale
921 Reviews
EVGA GeForce GTX 1650 Super SC Ultra Gaming, 4GB…
- Real Boost Clock: 1755 MHz; Memory Detail: 4096 MB…
- All-new NVIDIA Turing architecture to give you…
- Dual fans offer higher performance cooling and low.
.. - Built for EVGA Precision x1 All-metal backplate,…
The GTX 1650 Super is one of the best choices if you can get it for around $200. It is also a little faster than the RX 6500 XT and it is not limited by the PCI-E lanes bandwidth. It is based on the Turing architecture and for a few years, it has been very successful in the budget gaming segment.
It can play almost any game at 1080p high settings and almost every game can reach 60 fps. I prefer it for eSports games more than AAA titles and it can do a really good job in those less graphically intensive games. It comes with 1280 Cuda Cores and 4GB of GDDR6 memory which is sufficient for most graphics settings at 1080p but may not be adequate for every game you play.
Nvidia Geforce GTX 1660 Super
Sale
441 Reviews
Asus GeForce GTX 1660 Super Overclocked 6GB…
- Powered by NVIDIA Turing with 1408 CUDA cores and.
.. - Supports up-to 3 monitors with HDMI 2. 0B,…
- Phoenix double-ball Bearing fan provides superior…
- Gpu Tweak II makes monitoring performance and…
GTX 1660 Super is one of the best addition to Nvidia’s catalog that is faster than the GTX 1660 and provides much more than 60 fps at 1080p. I previously listed GTX 1660 Ti as a recommendation but GTX 1660 Super is only a little bit behind it and the price difference is significant.
GTX 1660 Super features 6GB of GDDR6 memory with 1408 Cuda Cores and a boost clock of 1830MHz on this Asus OC edition. This card is significantly faster than the RX 6500 XT giving around 10-30% better performance depending upon the title. It can easily max out any game at 1080p and still give you consistent 60 fps.
This card can also play most games at 1440p with high settings with around 60 fps. If it’s available for around $250 in your region, then there is no other better budget graphics card for this price and you should combine it with something like i3 12100F or i5 12400F for getting the most out of your money.
Nvidia Geforce RTX 3050
Sale
321 Reviews
ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3050 Twin Edge OC 8GB…
- Memory Speed:14 Gbps
- NVIDIA Ampere architecture, 2nd Gen Ray Tracing…
- 8GB 128-bit GDDR6, 14 Gbps, PCIE 4.0
- IceStorm 2.0 Advanced Cooling, FREEZE Fan Stop,…
The Geforce RTX 3050 is the latest addition to the Ampere family. Nvidia launched this for 1080p gamers, which is faster than the GTX 1650. However, the pricing is higher than it should be. Initially launched for $250, this card is not available for less than $300 anywhere and the performance is very similar to GTX 1660 Super.
However, as of today, both the GPUs can’t be found for $250 and it is recommended that you buy the RTX 3050 if it is only a few more bucks costlier than the 1660 Super in your region. It is faster in many things than the 1660 Super like Ray Tracing. It is the cheapest GPU that can perform Ray Tracing and thankfully, the card is not crappy like the Turing series.
It can provide 40-60 fps in most titles with DLSS On at 1080p with Ray Tracing. It comes with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM that is more than sufficient for 1080p as well as 1440p resolutions and is made up of 2560 Cuda Cores that rapidly execute graphical operations. It is definitely a top choice for budget gaming CPUs if you can get one under $300.
AMD Radeon RX 6600
Sale
1,212 Reviews
XFX Speedster SWFT 210 Radeon RX 6600 CORE Gaming…
- Memory Speed:14 GBPS.Minimum Power Supply…
- Chipset: AMD RX 6600
- Memory: 8GB GDDR6 AMD RDNA 2 architecture elevates…
- Boost Clock: Up To 2491MHz
Last but not the least, the Radeon RX 6600 can be crowned as the best budget graphics card for $300. Not only it is priced well but it beats the GTX 1660 Super and RTX 3050 for almost the same or less price. It straight away puts the RTX 3050 to shame in gaming by providing 30-40% higher performance in most games.
It can max out games at 1080p resolution and is capable of handling AAA titles even at 1440p.
Not only that but it is also capable of Ray Tracing, thanks to RDNA 2 architecture, the RX 6600 is a beast card with low power consumption with just 132W of TDP. It comes with 1792 SPs and clock speeds ranging from 2.0-2.5GHz. It gives you a good 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM that is adequate for ultra settings in graphically intensive games and thus, you don’t need to look further if you are trying to settle down with a $300 card.
Must Know Things For A Budget GPU
Determine Your Budget And Need
Make sure before you buy a graphics card, you know your budget. You can have $100 or even $500 for buying a GPU but if you are going to build a completely new PC then defining and distributing the expenditure between different components is a little difficult. If you are buying a new PC, then make sure you don’t buy an overkill graphics card for your CPU. A Pentium processor can’t handle RTX 3070 or GTX 2080 Ti.
Similarly, a GT 1030 is too weak for an i7 10700K.
Another important thing is to define your requirements. Without knowing what you want, you can either overspend or underspend on your graphics card. If you are just starting and want to enjoy some eSports or Casual games then a budget graphics card will be enough for the job. But in case you want to enjoy the games on ultra textures at 1080p or higher resolution then you will need to buy higher-end graphics cards like GTX 2060 or RTX 3060 Ti etc.
How Much VRAM You Will Need?
VRAM is the memory that is different from the main system RAM and is only dedicated to providing the horsepower your graphics need. Every dedicated Graphics card has some dedicated VRAM which now in modern GPUs can vary from 1GB up to 16GB. To play games on higher settings at 1080p at least, you need to have at least around 3-4GB VRAM on your Graphics card. If you go lower than that, then you may have to lower some of the settings in your games for getting good frames per second.
If you want to max out textures, anti-aliasing, foliage, shadows, etc. in a AAA game, then you will need at least 6GB of VRAM that is present in GTX 1660 and higher-end Graphics cards. Right now, I don’t know of any game that utilizes more than that except in the case of higher resolution like 4K.
Cooling Is Essential For Graphics Cards
Low Profile graphics cards have smaller heatsinks and therefore aren’t efficient in maintaining good temperatures if you overclock them but graphics cards with bigger aluminum heatsinks with copper heat pipes with 2 or more fans are extremely important for maintaining good temperatures even while overclocking to the full potential. If you are not doing any type of overclocking, you should still make sure that your PC chassis has enough ventilation for proper air intake and exhaust.
How Much Wattage You Will Need?
Different graphics cards have different TDPs and their power consumption varies. So, you need to check the graphics card’s TDP before buying it.
Make sure your power supply is having enough wattage capacity to run your whole system without any bottlenecks.
A system that uses low-end or budget components will have no problem running on a 400 watts reliable power supply. Still, when it comes to running an RTX 3080, i7 12700K, Multiple Fans, AIO coolers, and several storage devices, then you will need a higher wattage power supply. Make sure you check the TDP of all of your components and see if your PSU still has enough wattage capacity to power your Graphics card.
Another important thing to note is the graphics card power ports. Make sure your Power supply has the power connectors that your graphics card requires. A GPU with a 6-pin port will use a 6-pin power connector from the power supply. Generally, almost all the budget power supplies in the modern day have a 6-pin power connector at the minimum. If your graphics card has 2x 8-pin power ports, your PSU must have those to run the graphics card with stability.
GPU Should Be Compatible With The Monitor
Sometimes a particular graphics card from a different manufacturer will not have the I/O ports for connectivity as your monitor requires to show the display.
Check the I/O ports at the back of your monitor and also the I/O ports of the graphics card you are buying.
If your monitor is a 144Hz gaming monitor, then you must have a DVI port or a DP port on your monitor/GPU to get those 144Hz refresh rate smoothness. Make sure both your graphics card and monitor have these ports to avoid mishappening.
MSI: Top 5 Cheapest Graphics Cards for Gaming
Upgrading your gaming PC is a big deal, especially when it comes to upgrading your GPU. How not to miscalculate with the choice of video card and get the maximum frame rate and picture quality in your favorite game for the minimum budget?
We decided to study this issue in more detail and in this partner material with the TELEMART.UA store we found five graphics accelerators, the purchase of which will be the most profitable investment in August 2022.
Partner material?
Based on what indicators this top was formed
The main selection criterion is the ratio of price to performance.
We determined this indicator for 19 current video cards and chose the top five.
Calculations used the average market value of the GPU and the average FPS in popular games at medium settings without ray tracing (data from techspot):
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Far Cry 6
- Hitman 3
- Dying Light 2
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Based on the results of the calculations, three diagrams were prepared that clearly show the price-performance ratio in different resolutions.
Data for Full HD expansion
Scores for QHD expansion 4K results
Which graphics card to buy in August 2022
Radeon RX 6650 XT
Ideal price/performance graphics card for FHD gaming. This graphics accelerator provides high frame rates in all modern games at Full HD resolution. This graphics card can play ray tracing (but using FSR scaling technology).
Radeon RX 6650 XT in MECH modification from MSI can now be purchased in the TELEMART.UA store at a price of UAH 20,350, and the Gaming X version for UAH 22,385.
GeForce RTX 3050
For fans of Nvidia solutions, the GeForce RTX 3050 is the best choice in the 1080p segment. Its advantages include relatively low cost, support for innovative Nvidia technologies — DLSS and ray tracing. The graphics accelerator provides comfortable frame rates at ultra and high settings in many modern games. In AAA games, you can always turn on smart scaling and get more FPS without significant loss in image quality You can buy a GeForce RTX 3050 in the MSI Ventus version in the TELEMART.UA store at a price of UAH 16,085 .
Radeon RX 6700 XT
This graphics card is the base for running QHD games! It can easily compete with the GeForce RTX 3070 in certain games, with a lower cost per frame and more video memory.
Its disadvantage is the low performance in games with ray tracing. If that doesn’t matter to you, feel free to opt for the RX 6700 XT. You can buy this model in the MSI MECH modification now at the price of 25 349 UAH in the TELEMART.UA store.
GeForce RTX 3060 TI
The GeForce RTX 3060 TI is the green ticket to 2K gaming. Maybe even in 4K? It all depends on the gaming preferences of the individual user. In general, the RTX 3060 TI is a worthwhile investment, as it is similar to the powerful RTX 2080 Super, but with less power consumption. It is slightly behind the RTX 3070 in terms of performance, but this gap can be easily reduced by purchasing an overclocked version with a higher frequency. You can buy RTX 3060 TI in MSI Ventus modification in TELEMART.UA store at the price of UAH 24,999.
GeForce RTX 3080 12G
When it comes to 4K gaming, the RTX 3080 with 12GB of VRAM is the best option.
It provides a performance boost of 3-5% and sometimes up to 10% in games compared to the 10 GB version and has a lower cost per frame. You can also try playing at UHD resolution with low-end Ampere graphics accelerators, such as the RTX 3070 or RTX 3070 TI, but the frame rate in this case is unlikely to satisfy the demanding PC user. Therefore, take a closer look at the GeForce RTX 3080 12G. The MSI Ventus version is available in the TELEMART.UA store at a price of UAH 42,299.
Conclusions
There are more and more graphics accelerators on the market that satisfy the requirements of every gamer and PC enthusiast. If it’s important for you to get the highest frame rate within your budget, look at the Radeon RX 6650 XT and GeForce RTX 3050 (1080p resolution), Radeon RX 6700 XT and GeForce RTX 3060 TI (1440 resolution 4K resolution). We also recommend Follow current promotions and discounts for MSI video cards in the TELEMART.
UA store — then the chance to profitably buy your dream model will increase significantly!
Partner material?
Select video card
This is partner material. Information for this material was provided by a partner.
The editors are responsible for the compliance of the style with editorial standards.
You can order material about you in the format of a PR article here.
GeForce RTX 3050, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, GeForce RTX 3080 12G, MSI, Radeon RX 6650 XT, Radeon RX 6700 XT, TELEMART.UA
Which video card is best for gaming in 2022
Due to high-resolution graphics and the introduction of 3D volumetric rendering formats, computer games are among the most resource-consuming digital content. Therefore, the requirements for them are increased.
To ensure the most comfortable gaming experience, manufacturers develop special specialized video cards adapted and optimized for colorful graphics and the dynamics of computer games.
Such cards are called playing cards. And users often wonder — what is the best graphics card for gaming in terms of hardware upgrades for best results and maximum satisfaction? Despite the apparent simplicity, the question is far from unambiguous.
How the rating of video cards for games is formed
The so-called «independent» experts or projects, magazines, bloggers, communities actually directly depend on their target audience. The method of choosing and evaluating computer hardware is determined by the interests and habits, financial capabilities of digital magazine readers. And different online media have completely different regular readers:
- Professional gamers focused on winning multiplayer championships.
- Freelancers who make money selling game assets.
- Owners of inexpensive weak computers.
- «Regular» users who play from time to time and are not particularly demanding on quality.
- Mobile gamers using smartphones or tablets.
And you can also remember merchants (sellers) on marketplaces and online stores who earn money by selling computer hardware. For merchants, the best graphics cards for gaming are current bestsellers, top sellers in the digital market.
So, when a gamer is going to turn to information from the TOP video cards for games, hoping to get useful recommendations for further use when upgrading equipment, the first thing to do is find out for which target audience the list is prepared.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090
Best cards of 2022 based on user goals
For professional gamers and competitive players with big and big cash prizes, experts recommend the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090. It is also positioned in the ratings as the best video card for gaming in 2022. It is also the most powerful and fastest. On the benches, it shows performance 15% higher than the RTX 308 in most benchmarks and tests. However, the cost is twice as expensive.
Frequently Asked Question — which graphics cards are best for gaming in the budget, low-end segment? Here, the experts recommended the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 550 5 911.
There are also so-called professional budget (often referred to as semi-professional) cards — for gamers with ambitions to reach the top of their skills over time and enter the list of the most productive players of the year. Three samples stand out here: PNY Quadro K1200 20 900, GIGABYTE Radeon RX 570 9,819 and PNY Quadro K620 11,767. What if it’s even cheaper? Then you can take the GeForce GT 710 or GT 730.
Speaking about the good, it is appropriate to talk about the other side of the coin. The worst video card of the current season is the Radeon HD 5450 (512MB DDR3). According to all significant characteristics and all ratings, the product falls into the category of the worst. However, it is supported on Windows 10 and there are no problems using it. Is that in relation to the quality of the picture and in general.
In terms of sales, the top five were NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, AMD Radeon RX 580 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070.