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If you want to save a few bucks on your PC’s gaming setup, we can help you find the cheapest graphics card for your job.
You may be looking for a cheap graphics card to play less demanding games like Fortnite, or to run video editing software like Davinci Resolve. Depending on how little you want to spend, you can expect the cheaper graphics card to feature less overall VRAM, lower clock speeds and fewer outputs.
So while opting for a budget GPU would arguably involve some trade-offs, now is one of the most productive times to get a less expensive graphics card thanks to recent releases, adding Nvidia’s 40-series and AMD’s RX 7000-series cards.
Fortunately for us, those very good new graphics cards have done us the favor of reducing the costs of older graphics cards, leaving us with a wide variety of cheap graphics cards to buy. Furthermore, the most productive Intel Arc GPUs have wonderful specifications. at low cost – feel free to check them out.
So while it’s not yet time to look at the best budget graphics cards of this generation, like the Nvidia RTX 4050 or AMD RX 7600, our assortment is a good position to start, especially if you’re considering it. install on an old computer gaming rig.
So let’s cut to the chase: here are the budget graphics cards.
Basic Clock
1552 MHz
Increase the clock
1807MHz
VRAM
8GB
Size
224 x 116 x 39 mm
Recommended PSU
300W
We’re a big fan of the ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3050, which has one of the most price-performance ratios when it comes to graphics cards. We think it would be one of the GPUs for the i5-13600K.
Its standout features include DLSS and ray tracing, which are welcome features of the 3050’s budget credentials. Plus, it comes with a low TBP, making it a much more limited selection than newer versions. These are especially welcome for those who enjoy visuals when it comes to gaming.
In terms of design, you’ll get 88mm dual fans that cope pretty well with thermal output. Though some will be inevitably disappointed, the Zotac 3050 Twin OC does not have any RGB bling, instead going for a low-key design. It also only has a single HDMI port, though this is potentially balanced out by its three DisplayPorts.
If you need any further convincing, our graphics card expert Seb from WePC provides a little more insight into the Zotac RTX 3050 OC card.
“This graphics card offers the right functionality for its price, especially when it comes to gambling with a 1080p resolution. It provides a smart access point for Nvidia’s RTX family of graphics cards, meaning users can take advantage of features like DLSS and ray tracing whenever possible.
Basic Clock
1320MHz
Boost Clock
1807MHz
VRAM
12GB GDDR6
Size
235 x 124 x 42mm
Recommended Diet
450W
This will be your graphics card of choice if you want to play 1440p on a budget. You’ll want to make sure you have the most productive 1440p gaming monitor for the task before committing to this bad boy. Our GPU guru, Seb, also pointed out that the best AMD RX 6600 XT graphics cards are worth trying out if you want to pick Nvidia.
The 3060 Ventus OC makes our list of most sensible picks due to its rugged design, quality cooling system, and price.
Like the Zotac RTX 3050 OC card, the 3060 Ventus features a dual-fan thermal design and this card is reputed to cool. This is potentially helped by its on-screen demo that provides real-time data on your system’s performance.
Like the RTX 30five0, this card also features Nvidia’s second-generation RTX architecture, built with advanced ray tracing cores, Tensor cores, and high-speed G6 memory. If you have a processor like the Ryzen five five600x, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus OC would be an option.
Read more: Best 1440p graphics cards: Our most sensible picks
Basic Clock
2. 310MHz
Increase Clock
2815MHz
VRAM
4 GB
Dimensions
192x117x38m
Recommended PSU
300W
We must introduce a particular budget graphics card for Fortnite because of its popularity. If you haven’t already, take a look at the formula requirements for Fortnite and then think about the potential trade-off between the most productive graphics settings and anything else. a little further down.
The RX 6500 XT strikes what we reckon is a pretty good balance. This GPU will guarantee you high performance in Fortnite and the kind of frame rates you need to maintain an advantage over the others in the battle royal. It offers this for a reasonable price that will be affordable for many.
Yes, the RTX 3050 is still a high-end graphics card capable of achieving decent frame rates in any game you throw at it.
The most reasonable RTX cards are, unsurprisingly, the least powerful. That means you should check out the RTX 2060 and RTX 3050 if you need a reasonable GPU that’s still capable of ray tracing.
Romilly is a tech writer for Videogamer. When she’s not covering the latest tech and hardware releases, you’ll find her taking care of her Nintendogs.