The Best Graphics Cards For Any Budget...Even YOURS! A Top 10 Tech Review
- Ray Ian Ampoloquio
- Oct 19, 2016
- 5 min read
When it comes to gaming PCs, the graphics card is an indispensable component. After all, it is what gamers need to play their favorite video games smoothly and enjoy all of the eye candy that comes with it. But, with so many options available today, finding the right graphics card for your system can be hard. Lucky for you, we’ve got your back.
Our guide will tell you which are the best graphics cards for gaming PCs for all budgets out there on the market today!
Note: We will be using the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the stock / reference models to promote fairness to audiences from various countries. Prices may vary depending on where you live, as well as for graphics cards with aftermarket coolers.
MSRP information based on the price listed on Wikipedia.org, as well as recent announcements of official price cuts.
COUNTDOWN TO THE OVERALL BEST
The AMD R7 360 is what you would consider as the entry point card for HD gaming (720p) and eSports. No more, no less. With an MSRP of $109, the card usually sells for a couple of bucks cheaper than its original MSRP, depending on where you live. Regardless, the R7 360 performs much better than other graphics cards available in the same price range.
The 750Ti is a viable alternative and a less power hungry one at that. But, the power consumption difference between the cards is minimal. The only real scenario where the 750Ti makes sense is if you’re upgrading an older PC since it doesn’t need a 6-pin connector.
Although the RX 460 shares the same MSRP as that of its older sibling, the R7 360, it usually goes for a couple of bucks higher. But then again, it’s also more powerful than the R7 360, and much more power efficient at the same time.
If you can get the RX 460 at no more than $10 more than its intended MSRP of $109, consider buying it instead of the R7 360.
In the same price range, many cards offer decent performance at 1920x1080. Albeit, with detail settings dialed back. The GTX 960, R9 380, and the new RX 470 all make for strong cases. But, the GTX 950 wins out because it’s the most cost-effective of the bunch, as it can offer nearly the same performance as the GTX 960 once overclocked. Even better is that some models use less than 75W and don’t need a 6-pin adapter, which makes it a great card for older PCs.
If you’re looking for the cheapest card on the market that offers decent frame rates at 2560x1440, and can easily max out games at 1920x1080, it’s hard to go wrong with the RX 480. Although benchmarks are often mixed, as it’s sometimes placed ahead of the R9 290 and GTX 970, while it’s also put behind at times, you just can’t deny the appeal of this card. It’s also the cheaper and newer card of the three.
The problem, though, is that it’s not exactly easy to get a hold of the RX 480. In many countries, these cards often go quickly as soon as they’re available. Some retailers take advantage of this shortage and sell it for a higher price, in which case, it won’t be worth it anymore.
With an MSRP $10 less than that of the 8GB variant of the RX 480, the GTX 1060 wins out mainly because it’s easier to find them in stock and plenty of benchmarks put it ahead of the RX 480. Also, it’s worth noting that the 1060 has a 3GB variant available at the same MSRP as that of the 4GB RX 480.
You’re probably wondering, why the sudden jump from $229 to $429? Well, for starters, it’s not exactly worth it anymore to take a look at cards in between the said price. Usually, they utilize older architecture, and most of the time, offer performance that can be had for a much lower price.
Besides, if you plan on gaming at 1440p, the GTX 1070 is probably what you’re looking for.
Considered as the best graphics card available today overall, the GTX 1070 is the most-cost effective solution for those looking to max out almost any game at both 1920x1080 and 2560x1440. Also, as a single GPU configuration, the GTX 1070 is capable of gaming at 4K. Albeit, with detail settings toned down considerably.
Honorable Mentions:
GTX 1080 8GB GDDR5X – MSRP: $599
Considered as the king of graphics cards at launch, the GTX 1080 offers playable 4K frame rates without scaling down quality settings much. Although it has since been dethroned, the GTX 1080 is still a very capable and powerful card, one that’s rated at an amazingly low 180W TDP.
GTX Titan X 12GB – MSRP: $1200
With an MSRP that puts it at the same price as two GTX 1080’s, it doesn’t really make sense for anyone to buy a GTX Titan X. But, for those who really want to game at 4K smoothly using ultra-quality presets, the Pascal architecture-based Titan X is the most powerful graphics card that you can buy for gaming PCs today, bar none. Seriously, no other single-GPU solution even comes close to what the GTX Titan X offers at 4K with everything maxed out.
Of course, at $1,200, this graphics card is going to cost you a lot of money. Plus, even if you do have the money, getting these cards isn’t as easy as well. The availability of these monster cards, which can only be bought from GeForce.com, is scarce at best.
GTX 980/980 Ti – MSRP: $499 / $325
Considered as two of the best graphics cards available in the market just a few months ago, the introduction of the GTX 1080 and 1070 rendered these two cards obsolete and prompted Nvidia to mark down their official prices to clear stocks.
While the GTX 1060 is faster than the GTX 980 and the same goes for the GTX 1070 and GTX 980Ti, both graphics are still viable options due to their availability, and lowered prices.
AMD R9 390 / GTX 970 – MSRP: $329 / $265
Due to the recent introductions of the RX 480 and GTX 1060, the R9 390 and the GTX 970 saw their performance overshadowed by their more power efficient, cheaper, and newer siblings. But, that doesn’t mean there’s no market for them anymore. Although AMD has yet to officially announce a price cut on the R9-390, Nvidia has officially done so for the GTX 970. Both cards can also be seen being sold for discounted prices in many countries.
Capable of maxing out most games at 1920x1080, the R9 390 and GTX 970 are viable options if the GTX 1060 and RX 480 are hard to come by in your area.
There you have it. The best graphics cards for any price range that you can buy in the market today.
Choosing the right graphics card has never been easier!
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