12+ Best Budget Graphics Card in 2024 (April)

The graphics card is one of the most crucial internal components significantly impacting gaming performance.

The ongoing competition between Nvidia and AMD for market dominance in graphics cards is also responsible for brand loyalty among PC gamers. Because of this, many consumers can buy some of the top graphics cards we show in this article.

Additionally, these inexpensive GPUs are perfect if you’re looking for something for general use, light video editing, or casual gaming.

If you are interested in video editing, don’t miss to check out our list of the best free video editing software.

Your PC’s graphics card makes it easier to view appealing images on your display device.

Many different graphics cards are available, so it is best to research the most affordable and ideal for your needs. This article compiles a list of some of the best budget graphics cards to recommend to those wanting better graphics on a budget.

You might also want to check out our best ps5 hard drives for late-night gaming.

02/20/2024 06:38 pm GMT

What is a Graphics Card?

Like a computer’s motherboard, a graphics card has a processor, RAM, and other components that impact gaming performance.

A graphics card is a display adapter or video card that is in most computing devices. You can display graphical data with clarity, color, definition, and overall appearance.

The other name of the graphics card includes graphics adapter, graphics controller, graphics accelerator card, GPU, or graphics board. If you are interested you can go through our post on the graphics cards for video editing.

 

 

Which is the Best Budget Graphics Card Available?

AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the best budget graphics card available. Have a look at the table given below to find the comparison between various budget cards and choose the one that fits your requirements.

 

The Need for Graphics Cards

Searching for the best budget graphic cards has become highly sought after due to cryptocurrency mining and resellers, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down soon.

Now almost every PC has separate slots where a third party can insert its additional hard drive components to run them. Among the parts of a PC, the graphics card is the one that is responsible for displaying the images on the screen.

Apart from the CPU on a computer, the GPU significantly impacts the gaming PC’s performance.

The GPU has an additional processor that takes data from the CPU. This translates into images that display on the screen, making them vital for video games.

If your graphics card is powerful enough, it can display information in a much shorter span of time, giving you a better gaming experience.

 

12+ Best Budget Graphics Card in 2024

1. AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (Editor’s Choice)

Best overall graphics card

Brand: MSI | Graphics Co-Processor: AMD Radeon RX 5700 | Video Output Interface: DisplayPort, HDMI | Graphics RAM Type: GDDR6

Get ready for maximum performance and jaw-dropping gaming experiences with the powerful AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT series.

It is a powerful accelerated gaming experience that comes with a high-performance RDNA architecture and features Radeon image sharpening fidelity fx and VR technology.

The latest Radeon software for incredibly responsive and immersive gameplay. Radeon RX 5700 series features the new compute units which are best for visual effects and multi-level cache hierarchy for greatly reduced latency and highly responsive gaming.

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 is based on the new 7nm RDNA graphics architecture. One improvement that is worth noticing is the inclusion of PCIe 4.0.

If you are looking for the best graphics card that can deliver a gaming performance at 1440p and want to save some money, then this is a great option.

Also, read our blog on the best software for AR and VR design.

Pros	Cons
➕ Excellent performance	➖ No ray tracing
➕ Good software features
➕ Affordable

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

2. NVidia Geforce RTX 3060

Best budget graphics card

Brand: Gigabyte | Graphics Co-Processor: NVidia GeForce RTX 3060 | Video Output Interface: Display Port, HDMI | Graphics RAM Type: GDDR6

The NVidia GeForce RTX 3060 delivers a huge improvement for 1080p gamers who need solid performance without spending too much money on a graphics card.

The Geforce RTX 3060 uses the same NVidia’s Ampere architecture. The significant change in amperes is in the Streaming Multiprocessor’s datapath.

What we love the most about this NVidia GeForce RTX 3060 is its doubled Floating Point 32 workloads, which enhance gaming performance. This best-budget graphics card comes with 12 GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

This graphics card offers a significant amount of available memory, which might be a little unusual to us. With only the Ampere graphics card surpassing it in terms of RAM capacity, the Geforce RTX 3060 enables multitasking and resource-intensive tasks.

We highly recommend this card for creative professionals and gamers.

The GeForce RTX 3060 is one of the less expensive versions of the NVidia GeForce RTX 3060, as it is a basic graphics card. However, one of its drawbacks that we noticed is its limited bit-bus.

You will not find any flashy RGB lighting or custom backplates with this graphics card. The card has two fans and comes with a heatsink that extends over the PCB.

Its simple black color complements any type of PC.

Pros	Cons
➕ Good performance with 1080p	➖ Only 192-bit bus
➕ Fits in small PCs
➕ Power consumption minimal

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

3. MSI AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT

Best value graphics card

Brand: MSI | Graphics Co-Processor: Radeon™ RX 5500 XT | Video Output Interface: DisplayPort, HDMI | Graphics RAM Type: GDDR6

AMD’s Radeon RX 5500 XT series of graphics cards bring options to the budget-range graphics card market.

Great gaming experiences come from something innovative and different. The Radeon RX 5500 XT series draws power from the RDNA architecture.

This graphics card gives you exceptional performance for high-fidelity gaming. It has a particular graphics card with 8 GB of memory for higher resolution.

The Radeon RX 5500 comes with the latest AMD Adrenaline 2020 edition. This includes features such as Radeon boost, integer scaling, image sharpening, anti-lag, and free sync support.

The RX 5500 XT card comes with a black shroud with two 90mm ball-bearing fans. This calls for a quiet and long-term operation.

This card also has a zero-fan feature where the fan remains low under loads which makes the desktop work in silence with lighter loads.

However, it falls short in certain areas, like struggling with demanding games.

Pros	Cons
➕ Affordable	➖ Struggles with demanding games
➕ Gives a good 1080p gaming performance
➕ Efficient NAVI architecture

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

4. ZOTAC Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Super 

Best super compact budget graphics card

Brand: ZOTAC | Graphics Co-Processor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 | Video Output Interface: DisplayPort | Graphics RAM Type: 6 GB

If you are looking for a compact graphics card, then, ZOTAC Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Super is a great choice for you.

The NVIDIA Turing architecture, which is the brain behind the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, gives the newest games a performance boost.

We highly recommend this best cheap graphics card for those searching for versatility. It is an indispensable friend for your live streams, screenshots, and videos that you can record and share.

You may get the best possible performance and a seamless playing experience with this GTX 1660 SUPER.

Moreover, the GTX 1660 Super has a dual offset fan design and is incredibly small, but it still handles the entire body heatsink for optimal heat dissipation.

Additionally, it has curved fan blades, which work together with the static pressure optimization design to increase the airflow’s endurance.

You can also discover plug-and-play compatibility with top headsets, low latency, and next-generation VR performance.

With improved intelligence, you can fine-tune your ZOTAC GAMING graphics card, change the SPECTRA lighting, or monitor the hardware’s health. For optimal heat extraction, it has direct copper contact with 3 x 6 mm copper heat pipes.

However, it is important to note that this is not as fast as 1080p.

Pros	Cons
➕ Excellent GPU	➖Not as fast as 1080
➕ Wide and curved fan blades
➕ Compact

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

5. MSI Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6600

Best card with RDNA architecture

Brand: MSI | Graphics Co-Processor: AMD Radeon RX 6600 | Video Output Interface: Display port, HDMI | Graphics RAM Type: GDDR6

MSI Radeon RX 6600 brings a performance-focused design that has a list of things that you can use to accomplish the task at hand.

It features a dual-fan arrangement and lays a rigid industrial design that lets this sharp graphics card fit into your PC.

You can gear up yourself for a top-class 1080p gaming performance. The MSI Radeon RX features a breakthrough in the AMD RDNA 2 architecture.

This graphics card has been engineered to deliver a good gaming experience with vivid visuals and an elevated experience.

The Gigabyte Radeon RX 6600 comes with a gunmetal shroud, while the shroud and the backplate of this graphics card come in plastic. One positive point about this card is that it does not produce much heat or sound.

The RX 6600 draws inspiration from RDNA2 architecture. In this version, you are getting 28 compute units. You get ray accelerators with this graphics card.

This is a budget-level graphics card that is easy to select. Even with people who are using older graphic cards like the GTX 1060, which happens to be a popular one.

Pros	Cons
➕ Good gaming performance	➖ Covering comes in plastic
➕ Affordable
➕ Does not heat up fast

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

6. XFX RX 570

Best card for VR gaming

Brand: XFX | Graphics Co-Processor: AMD Radeon RX 570 | Video Output Interface: DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI | Graphics RAM Type: DDR5 SDRAM

The Radeon RX500 graphics card combines optimal technologies for the best gaming performance.

The Radeon RX 500 series of graphics cards features the latest Polaris architecture that includes the 4th Gen GCN graphics cores, a brand new display engine, and new multimedia cores all on the FinFET 14 process technology that helps you enhance the performance and efficiency.

This card has been designed with everything that a gaming card can do and it is also made accessible.

The 4th generation Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture is best for gamers who play the latest AAA titles. It comes with Asynchronous Shaders and an enhanced Geometry Engine to power a new level for smooth gameplay performance.

You can get the next level of gaming immersion with VR gaming and entertainment with Radeon RX graphics cards that receive power from the Polaris architecture.

You can experience the latest premium technologies with the revolutionary FinFET14 technology that provides great performance with efficiency.

Pros	Cons
➕ Good 1080p gaming performance	➖ Minimal improvement over the previous models’
➕ Affordable rate
➕ Compact design
➕ Sound build quality

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

7. PowerColor Radeon RX 6700 XT

Best card to implement the Smart Access Memory

Brand: PowerColor | Graphics Co-Processor: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT| Video Output Interface: Display port, HDMI | Graphics RAM Type: GDDR6

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is a 1440p graphics card built with the RDNA 2 architecture at a much more affordable price.

One of the biggest technologies this graphics card focuses on is Smart Access Memory. This gives your CPU direct access to graphics memory, which will help you reduce the time it takes to render the games you play.

Experience new levels of gaming performance with AMD Smart Access Memory technology when you pair an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card with an AMD Ryzen 5000 Series desktop processor.

Since this particular graphics card uses the RDNA2 architecture, it accelerates ray tracing with Ray Accelerators.

Moreover, this best-budget graphic card also supports the Fidelity FX visual effects suite with the help of Radeon Boost and Contrast Adaptive Sharpening (CAS).

Our review revealed that Radeon Boost lowers the visual quality in scenes with fast movement. However, this helps you boost framerate at the cost of visual effects in parts of the scene.

The PowerColor Red Devil RX 6700 XT Graphics Card uses an exclusive new cooling-fan design to increase airflow and air pressure by up to 60%, achieving a new level of thermal performance.

Pros	Cons
➕ Amazing 1440p performance	➖ Ray tracing performance poor
➕ Affordable
➕ Power-efficient

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

8. XFX Radeon RX 550

Best card for e-sport gamers

Brand: XFX | Graphics Co-Processor: Radeon RX 460 | Video Output Interface: DisplayPort, HDMI | Graphics RAM Type: DDRS5 SDRAM

The Radeon RX 550 is AMD’s first graphics card that houses the Polaris. This particular graphics card is capable of running a number of popular esports games, such as Overwatch and APEX Legends.

This product has a new compact dimension with low power that makes it run on home-theater PCs.

You may optimize the premium technologies around the FinFET 14 technology. This provides extraordinary performance and efficiency.

You can enjoy cool and quiet gaming and leverage the new possibilities with the levels of efficient headroom.

It is of tremendous value to export gamers and home theater PC owners. The Radeon RX 550 Polaris GPU comes with 8 compute units and 512 stream processors and a 1100MHz boost clock along with 2GB of GDDR5 memory.

This graphics card receives power through your motherboard’s PCIe slot with no extra power cables.

Pros	Cons
➕ Good e-sports performance card	➖ Slow in performance
➕ Does not heat up quickly
➕ Affordable

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

9. ASUS Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050

Best card with DLSS capacity

Brand: Gigabyte | Graphics Co-Processor: AMD Radeon RX 580 | Video Output Interface: PCI Express 4.0 | Graphics RAM Type: GDDR5

Asus Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050 delivers a good 1080p gaming performance with modern features.

It has got a whole new level of ray-tracing performance while implementing NVidia’s AI technology of DLSS.  This graphics card has plenty of 8GB of memory, which makes it a target for people who are in search of powerful GPUs.

Asus NVidia RTX 3050 graphics card houses the Ampere Streaming multiprocessor that brings a packed power performance with efficiency.

You may experience the 2X throughput of the first-generation RT cores plus the concurrent RT and shading for a new level of ray-tracing performance. You may also experience the throughput with structural sparsity and advanced AI algorithms such as DLSS.

These cores deliver a boost to your gaming performance and the all-new AI capabilities. The fan design has a reversed central fan direction for less turbulence.

The two-slot design of this graphics card maximizes compatibility and cooling efficiency for superior performance in the small chassis. You can enjoy your gaming experience with relative silence.

Pros	Cons
➕ Good ray tracing performance	➖ Requires a spacious place
➕ Implements the DLSS technology
➕ Does not make sound

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

10. GIGABYTE Radeon RX 580 

Best card with FreeSync technology

Brand: Gigabyte | Graphics Co-Processor: Radeon RX 580 | Video Output Interface: | Graphics RAM Type: GDDR5

The Gigabyte Radeon RX 580 graphics card gives a powerful gaming performance at 1080p.

The front panel of the card features three DisplayPort 1.4 outputs, an HDMI 2.0b output, and dual-link DVI-D output. The GPU can provide an immersive gaming experience because it can support four monitors.

The card also has RGB Fusion which supports up to 16.8 million colors. There are numerous lighting options that might be helpful for you in your gaming. This is done due to the AORUS graphics engine utility.

This card uses the WINDFORCE 2X cooling system that uses two 90mm fans. The airflow of the gans splits by the triangle fan edge and is guided smoothly through the 3D stripe curve on the fan surface.

The 3D active fan feature provides you with semi-passive cooling so the fans are off when you are playing low-power games.

You may reduce screen tearing with AMD’s FreeSync technology. FreeSync helps the monitor to adjust the refresh rate to the frame rate output of the graphics card which helps reduce screen tearing, stuttering, and other negative effects.

With the base of AMD’s Polaris architecture, the Gigabyte Radeon RX 580 is meant for a tremendous gaming experience coupled with a stupendous virtual reality experience.

Pros	Cons
➕ Good HD performance	➖ Lags when it comes to power efficiency
➕ Budget cards with great value
➕ 8 GB memory

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

11. Intel Arc A750 Limited Edition

Best budget graphics card for streamers

Brand: Intel | Graphics Co-Processor: Intel Arc A750 GPU | Video Output Interface: DisplayPort | Graphics RAM Type: GDDR6

The Intel Arc A750 is the best budget graphics card for streamers. Powered by the Xe HPG Architecture, it ensures stunning visuals for your streaming content.

Moreover, this best-budget GPU delivers smooth and reliable performance because of its 2050 MHz and 225 W TDP graphic clock speeds.

It is also equipped with Intel Deep Link technology, featuring Hyper Encode and Stream Assist. This feature ensures that Arc 750 optimizes encoding capabilities that enhance the video quality output in streaming workflows.

The only disadvantage that is evident in its buggy

Pros	Cons
➕ Attractive build quality	➖ Buggy drivers
➕ Affordable
➕ Promising performance

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

12. XFX Speedster SWFT210 Radeon RX 7600

Best card for security

The Radeon RX 7600 offers impressive performance and security-focused capabilities.

This product also features a new compact dimension and low power, making it run on home-theater PCs.

With its primary clock speeds ranging from 1875 MHz to 2655 MHz, the Radeon RX 7600 provides extraordinary performance and efficiency, allowing you to enjoy calm and quiet gaming. It also leverages new possibilities with efficient headroom.

With its emphasis on security, this graphic card is our excellent choice for users seeking enhanced system protection.

Pros	Cons
➕ Provides excellent protection for gamer’s system	➖ Ran hot during testing
➕ Lower power requirements

 

Latest Price on Amazon:

 

How to Choose a Graphics Card

The following is the checklist that you must look over while selecting a graphics card:

Cost:

Graphics cards are costly. Acquiring a high-performance graphics card involves a financial investment.

With ray tracing and other advanced GPU features, investing in an expensive graphics card is worth it.

Based on our reviews, the RTX and the AMD series are the pioneers of graphics cards for gaming, so if you can get them at a reasonable price, it is an excellent investment.

Need for a Graphics Card:

When shopping for a graphics card, it’s important to consider your specific needs and requirements. With this, you can handle the extensive range of options available.

Due to varying conditions, many individuals opt to replace the integrated graphics card that comes with their PC, as it may not be suitable for their specific needs.

If you want a dedicated card for gaming purposes, you need to look into the graphic requirements of the game.

Good GDDR RAM:

Your graphics card requires specifications that may be difficult to understand, but you can ignore most of these and concentrate on your specific needs. One of the essential things to consider is the GDDR RAM, as it shows how much memory your card can work with.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Choosing the Best Budget Graphics Card

In conclusion, choosing the best budget graphics card involves considering several factors. It is essential to assess your specific needs and requirements. You may consider the type of games you are playing, your desired graphic settings and resolution, and last but not least, your budget.

In addition, considering the compatibility of your existing hardware, thermal solutions, and power requirements is crucial.

Next, it is recommended to research and compare different graphics card models based on their performance benchmarks, features, and price-to-performance ratio. Pay attention to factors like CUDA cores, clock speeds, memory type, and size, and support for advanced technologies like ray tracing and AI-enhanced rendering.

Note that reading reviews and user feedback can also help you, as they provide valuable insights into real-world performance and reliability.

Ultimately, the best graphics card for you will depend on balancing your needs, budget, and future-proofing considerations. By thoroughly evaluating these factors and finding a graphics card that meets your requirements; you can enjoy an enhanced gaming or computing experience with smooth performance and visually stunning graphics.

You might find our list of the best graphics cards for video editing useful.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the best budget graphic cards by leaving a comment below. Which one do you think deserves the title of the best budget graphics card?

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