These are the 5 best budget GPUs you can buy for under $300

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nvidia rtx 4060 reappraisal 03 Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Graphics cards are only getting much expensive, but location are still a fistful of fantabulous fund GPUs you tin prime up today. As nan procreation nears its extremity and we await nan presence of RTX 50-series and RDNA 4 graphics cards, we've seen GPU prices driblet connected last-gen options for illustration nan RTX 4060 and RX 7600, which are immoderate of nan champion fund graphics cards you tin buy.

For nan purposes of this guide, we're defining a fund graphics paper arsenic thing that costs little than $300. In nan discourse of a afloat PC build, that should mean nan wide value you're spending connected a PC is betwixt $600 and $700. If you person a spot much money to spare, make judge to publication our afloat roundup of nan best graphics cards, which has a fewer much costly options.

Get your play teardown of nan tech down PC gaming

nvidia rtx 4060 reappraisal 01 Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Nvidia RTX 4060

The champion fund GPU

Pros

  • DLSS 3
  • Excellent efficiency
  • Price simplification compared to last-gen
  • Strong ray tracing performance

Cons

  • Beaten by cards that are only $30 more
  • Limited representation interface
  • Weak astatine higher resolutions

Although nan RTX 4060 loses immoderate points compared to AMD's cheaper RX 7600, it's go overmuch much charismatic complete nan past respective months. You'll still find astir models for nan $300 database price, but immoderate person dropped beneath that mark. And erstwhile connected sale, nan RTX 4060 is simply a steal, offering not only coagulated earthy performance, but besides features for illustration Nvidia's coveted DLSS 3.5.

Those features are wherever nan RTX 4060 genuinely shines. In Cyberpunk 2077 pinch nan Ultra RT preset, nan paper conscionable hardly makes it past 30 fps. Turn connected DLSS 3, however, and you'll get good complete 90 fps, each pinch nan ray tracing sliders tuned to nan max. That's unheard of for a $300 graphics card, and it's each enabled by Nvidia's next-gen characteristic set.

Raw capacity isn't bad, either, though location are amended options astir nan aforesaid value if you aren't concerned astir ray tracing and DLSS 3. Overall, nan paper falls conscionable short of last-gen's RTX 3060 Ti, though it manages to outpace nan Arc A770. And, if you facet successful ray tracing performance, it's really faster than nan AMD RX 7600.

PNY GeForce RTX™ 4060 8GB XLR8 Gaming Verto™ Dual Fan OC Graphics Card DLSS 3 (128-bit, PCIe 4.0, GDDR6, HDMI/DisplayPort, Supports 4k, 2 Slot)

Nvidia RTX 4060

The champion fund GPU

amd rx 7600 reappraisal 3 Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

AMD RX 7600

The champion fund GPU from AMD

Pros

  • Solid 1080p gaming performance
  • Aggressive pricing
  • Only a azygous 8-pin powerfulness connector
  • Compact design

Cons

  • Memory interface limits higher resolutions
  • Ray tracing capacity is lacking

The AMD RX 7600 was destined for failure, but a speedy pricing accommodation days earlier releasing has transformed it into nan go-to fund graphics paper this year. You tin find it betwixt $250 and $280, and location isn't different current-gen GPU targeting that price. And compared to last-gen options, nan RX 7600 is overmuch faster.

It's astir comfortable astatine 1080p, wherever you'll soar past 60 frames per 2nd (fps) successful demanding games for illustration Cyberpunk 2077 pinch maxed-out settings. It tin ace 100 fps successful a batch of titles, too, specified arsenic Horizon Zero Dawn and Assassin's Creed Valhalla without lowering immoderate of nan graphics settings.

Compared to nan competition, nan RX 7600 manages to lucifer Intel's Arc A770 overall, and that GPU still costs $300 to $350. It besides ends up astir 13% faster than last-gen's RX 6600 XT and RTX 3060, some of which waste for astir nan aforesaid price. Most importantly, nan RX 7600 thumps Nvidia's $300 RTX 4060 extracurricular of ray tracing, which is its astir nonstop competition.

XFX Speedster SWFT210 Radeon RX 7600

AMD RX 7600

The champion fund GPU from AMD

intel arc a770 a750 reappraisal 7 Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Intel Arc A750

The champion worth GPU

Pros

  • Great 1080p and 1440p gaming performance
  • Competitive ray tracing performance
  • Relatively inexpensive

Cons

  • Resizable BAR is necessary
  • XeSS needs immoderate work

Intel's Arc GPUs had a unsmooth start, but they're a amazingly bully value a twelvemonth aft launching, assuming you don't mind dealing pinch a fewer quirks. The Arc A750 wasn't overmuch of a GPU erstwhile it released, but it has quickly go a go-to fund graphics paper aft Intel trim nan price. Now, you tin find it betwixt $220 and $240, and that's a value scope that AMD and Nvidia don't person a current-gen offering in.

You're getting capacity astir on-par pinch an RTX 3060, conscionable for somewhat cheaper. It's a 1080p graphics paper that tin deed 60 fps successful nan astir demanding games pinch each of nan settings cranked up, but you should expect little capacity successful titles pinch ray tracing. This is simply a paper that's conscionable hitting 60 fps astatine 1080p Ultra, while cards for illustration nan RTX 4060 and RX 7600 tin comfortably sprout past that mark.

It's a awesome value, particularly if you tin prime up a paper for astir $220. You should support successful mind immoderate of nan issues pinch Intel GPUs, though. The drivers proceed to amended pinch each caller release, but location are still games that occasionally popular up that inexplicably won't activity connected nan cards. Intel is usually accelerated to rumor a patch, but it's thing to support successful mind.

Sparkle Intel Arc A750 ORC OC Edition, 8GB GDDR6, ThermalSync, Torn Cooling, Axial Fan, Metal Backplate, SA750C-8GOC

Intel Arc A750

The champion worth GPU

The AMD RX 6700 XT sitting connected a table. Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

AMD RX 6750 XT

The champion last-gen fund GPU

Pros

  • Very inexpensive correct now
  • 12GB of VRAM
  • Powerful capable for 1440p

Cons

  • Poor ray tracing performance
  • No DLSS

AMD's last-gen RX 6750 XT isn't a fund graphics card. It's judge priced for illustration one, though. The antecedently midrange paper is now disposable for astir $310 to $330. That's supra what we group arsenic a "budget" graphics card, but nan RX 6700 XT is good worthy stretching your fund for.

The RX 6750 XT is priced for illustration a fund graphics card, but it doesn't execute for illustration one. It gets adjacent to nan capacity of nan $400 RTX 4060 Ti, and it sometimes moreover thumps that card. In Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Forza Horizon 5, nan RX 6700 XT is faster, hitting 120 fps and 150 fps astatine 1080p, respectively.

As is nan lawsuit pinch each AMD cards, nan main trade-off is ray tracing performance. The RX 6750 XT is often slower than moreover nan Arc A750 erstwhile ray tracing is brought into nan mix, and it doesn't person entree to Nvidia features for illustration DLSS 3.5. However, for PC gamers look for nan champion bang for their buck, there's nary woody for illustration nan RX 6750 XT correct now.

XFX Speedster QICK319 Radeon RX 6750XT CORE Gaming Graphics Card pinch 12GB GDDR6 HDMI 3xDP, AMD RDNA 2 RX-675XYJFDP

AMD RX 6750 XT

The champion last-gen fund GPU

Intel Arc A580 Graphics paper pictured alongside its box. Geizhals / ASRock

Intel Arc A580

The champion GPU nether $200

Pros

  • Decent 1080p performance
  • Less than $200
  • Solid ray tracing capacity for nan price

Cons

  • Occasional driver issues

If you're connected a strict budget, you don't person a batch of options for GPUs successful 2023. The main GPUs are Nvidia's RTX 3050 and AMD's last-gen RX 6500 XT, some of which person awesome issues. Thankfully, Intel has nan Arc A580 astatine $180. It's not a showstopping GPU, but it's faster than some nan RTX 3050 and RX 6500 XT, nearing nan capacity of AMD's RX 6600.

While nan astir of nan GPUs connected this are 1080p Ultra picks, this is much of a 1080p High pick. You'll get supra 60 fps successful games for illustration Forza Horizon 5, but you'll request to bump down immoderate settings successful games for illustration Cyberpunk 2077 and Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart to get soft performance. That's a reasonable trade-off considering really inexpensive this GPU is, though.

Once again, nan only caveat is Intel's driver support. Some titles, specified arsenic Starfield, don't play nicely pinch Arc GPUs astatine launch, and nan A580 is nary exception. It's a coagulated paper astatine a awesome price, but you whitethorn request to woody pinch immoderate unusual capacity occasionally.

Sparkle Intel Arc A580 ORC OC

Intel Arc A580

The champion GPU nether $200

Other fund GPUs

Intel Arc A770

intel arc a770 a750 reappraisal 7

The Arc A770 is simply a coagulated graphics card, but it's often hit by nan RTX 4060 and RX 7600, and it still costs betwixt $300 and $350. It's not a bad graphics card, but it would request to driblet to astir $250 to beryllium a really bully woody successful 2024. Intel Arc A770 Review

AMD RX 7700 XT

amd rx 7800 xt 7700 reappraisal 1

The RX 7700 XT was surely not a fund graphics paper erstwhile it launched for $550. However, it's seen respective value drops complete nan past year, and it now sells for astir $400. That's retired of nan value scope for this guide, but if you tin prevention up a bit, it's a awesome offering astatine $400 -- aliases moreover little connected sale. AMD RX 7800 XT Review

Nvidia RTX 3070

The RTX 3070 is very difficult to find successful stock, but location are still immoderate retailers pinch listings astir $350. And if you shop nan secondhand market, you tin find it arsenic debased arsenic $260. It's a very coagulated graphics paper for that price, though nan 8GB VRAM capacity could origin immoderate issues successful modern games supra 1080p.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who makes nan champion fund graphics card?

If you're shopping connected a budget, AMD graphics cards usually supply nan champion bang for your buck. Nvidia's latest GPUs travel packed pinch other features that warrant a value premium, and though those are worthy nan other cost, AMD's cards travel retired connected apical for worth erstwhile it comes to earthy performance.

Intel has besides made a sanction for itself pinch nan Arc A750 and A770, which stay 2 very awesome GPUs considering their price. However, we're still waiting connected next-gen Intel graphics cards to spot what they tin connection to gamers connected a budget.

Which fund graphics cards should I avoid?

Despite coagulated pricing, location are immoderate fund graphics cards you should avoid. The astir salient 1 is nan RTX 3060. Although it was a awesome GPU for its time, Nvidia's last-gen action hasn't really dropped successful price. You'll still find it for astir $250 to $300, contempt nan truth that some nan RX 7600 and RTX 4060 connection overmuch amended capacity astatine nan aforesaid price.

There's besides nan utmost fund tier of GPUs -- graphics cards that costs astir $100 to $150 for illustration nan RTX 3050 and Intel Arc A380. It's champion to debar these GPUs if you can. Spending up for a $200 aliases $250 graphics paper will unlock overmuch higher performance, truthful it's worthy redeeming up a spot much for a paper for illustration nan RX 7600 if you can.

What's nan cheapest graphics card?

You tin find graphics cards for arsenic inexpensive arsenic $50 connected websites for illustration Newegg, but nan cheapest modern action is nan Intel Arc A380 astatine astir $110. Considering nan price, it's really a reasonably awesome offering, but it's still overmuch weaker than an RTX 3050. You should only see nan Arc A380 if you scheme connected playing lightweight games for illustration Rocket League aliases Minecraft astatine 1080p.

How overmuch should I walk connected a fund graphics card?

Most fund graphics cards autumn betwixt $100 and $300, but nan saccharine spot for trying to get nan astir capacity for your dollar is astir $250 to $300. That's wherever we find cards for illustration nan RX 7600, RTX 4060, and Arc A770, each of which present a awesome worth erstwhile comparing their value to their performance.

Once you commencement going beneath $200, GPUs often present acold little capacity than their value would suggest, akin to really costly graphics cards show diminishing returns connected performance. If you're trying to get a GPU that will past you a agelong time, spending betwixt $200 and $300 is your champion bet.

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