The landscape of graphics cards has shifted dramatically, with prices soaring higher than ever before. However, there's a silver lining for budget-conscious gamers: budget graphics cards are making a comeback, and they're better than ever. My top pick, the Intel Arc B580, launched at a wallet-friendly $249 and outperforms any other GPU in its price range below $300. This is a significant improvement over settling for cards that were priced similarly to the GTX 1070 Ti back in 2014. Even a $450 card like the RTX 5060 Ti is a steal compared to the $999 starting price of the RTX 5080, making it a budget-friendly option by today's standards.

TL;DR - These Are the Best Budget GPUs:

### Intel Arc B580

4See it at Newegg### PNY Dual Fan OC GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB

5See it at Newegg### Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 7600 OC

2See it at Amazon### MSIGeForce RTX 3050 Gaming X

1See it at Amazon### AMD Radeon RX 9070

0See it at Newegg

Even with a lower price tag, you can still enjoy an outstanding gaming experience, as long as you manage your expectations wisely. While the RTX 5060 Ti isn't designed for 4K gaming, it excels at 1080p and even 1440p, making it the perfect choice for the majority of gamers, according to the latest Steam Hardware Survey. So, you don't need to break the bank to build a great gaming PC in 2025, despite the higher costs compared to the past.

With years of experience reviewing graphics cards, I can confidently vouch for the performance and value of every GPU listed here.

Contributions by Kegan Mooney and Georgie Peru

What Do We Consider a "Budget GPU"?

In today's market, graphics cards are pricier than ever, with some Nvidia models reaching up to $2,000, while even the more affordable options cost hundreds. A budget graphics card that used to be around $200 and deliver solid 1080p gaming performance is now a thing of the past. For example, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, which could be considered budget-friendly by today's standards, costs $399.

It's all about perspective. With high-end cards around $1,000 and mid-range options like the AMD Radeon RX 9070 at $449, budget GPUs typically fall in the $200 to $300 range. While you can find cheaper last-generation cards, you'll need to make some compromises. However, an RTX 3060 or RTX 2060 will still provide excellent 1080p performance, even if you miss out on some modern features.

Ask yourself if you truly need the best ray tracing effects—chances are, you can do without them.

Intel Arc B580 – Photos

View 5 Images1. Intel Arc B580

The Best Budget Graphics Card

### Intel Arc B580

4The Intel Arc B580 stands out as the best budget graphics card we've seen in years. Period.See it at NeweggProduct SpecificationsBase clock2,670MHz VRAM12GB GDDR6Output3 x DisplayPort 2.1, 1 x HDMI 2.1aShading cores2,560Compute units20PROSExcellent performance at 1440pVery affordableCONSSome driver problems at launchFor years, it felt like budget graphics cards were overlooked by manufacturers. Nvidia, for example, hasn't released a successor to the GTX 1660 Ti, pushing budget gamers towards last year's models. Thankfully, Intel has stepped up, and their second generation of graphics cards offers an exceptional entry point into PC gaming. The Intel Arc B580 is undeniably the best budget graphics card we've seen in years.

Priced at just $249, it comes equipped with 12GB of VRAM, surpassing the 8GB found in the RTX 4060 and Radeon RX 7600. While 8GB is sufficient for 1080p, 12GB is crucial for higher resolutions where the frame buffer can fill up quickly. My review of the Intel Arc B580 revealed it delivers superior performance at 1440p compared to other cards in its class, largely thanks to its ample VRAM.

Intel Arc B580 – Benchmarks

View 15 ImagesIn fact, across the eight games I benchmarked with the Intel Arc B580, it offered the lowest cost per frame. Averaged across the test suite, the Arc B580 costs just $3.72 per frame at 1440p, compared to $4.39 for the RTX 4060 and $4.89 for the AMD Radeon RX 7600, based on retail prices. For its price, the B580 provides unmatched value for budget-conscious gamers.

Surprisingly, the B580 excels at handling ray tracing, even outperforming Nvidia's hardware in games like Cyberpunk 2077. At 1440p with the Ray Tracing Ultra preset and XeSS set to Balanced, it achieves a solid 60fps average, outperforming the more expensive RTX 4060, which manages 49fps.

However, as this is only Intel's second generation of graphics cards, there are still some bugs to iron out. During my testing with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, I encountered a bug where the benchmark ran without rendering the gun in the player's hand. This issue, though annoying, is fixable and was present across all Intel GPUs tested, including the last-gen Arc A770 and A750.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti – Photos

View 5 Images2. Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti

Best Budget Graphics Card Under $450

### PNY Dual Fan OC GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB

5See it at NeweggProduct SpecificationsShaders 4608Compute units36Base Clock2407MHzVRAM16GB GDDR7 Output3 x DisplayPort 2.1b, 1 x HDMI 2.1bBus StandardPCIe 5.0PROSDLSS 4 compatibleIncredible 1080p performanceCONSStruggles at higher resolutionsNvidia has struggled to follow up its RTX 4000 series, but the RTX 5060 Ti marks a significant improvement over the RTX 4060 Ti. This leap in performance is largely due to its larger chip size, now featuring 36 compute units instead of 34, along with new features like DLSS 4.

The key feature of this generation is the advanced Frame Generation technology, with the RTX 5060 Ti supporting Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) through DLSS 4. This AI-driven technology can generate up to three interpolated frames for every rendered frame, boosting frame rates at the cost of some latency. It's not ideal for games requiring quick reactions, like Marvel Rivals.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti – Benchmarks

View 12 ImagesMy review of the Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti showed it to be about 23% faster than the RTX 4060 Ti across the entire test suite, and 43% faster than the RTX 3060 Ti. This isn't a massive generational leap, but it's enough to handle any game at 1080p or 1440p with settings maxed out.

Note that there are two versions of the RTX 4060 Ti: one with 16GB of VRAM, which I reviewed, and another with 8GB. Given how memory-intensive modern games are becoming, it's best to steer clear of the 8GB model.

Best Gaming PC Deals

Legion Tower 5 Gen 8 (AMD) with RX 7600- $1,049.99Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 (Intel) with RTX 4080 Super- $2,699.99Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 (Intel) with RTX 4070 Ti Super- $2,199.99Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 (32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) Gaming PC- $2,499.99### Radeon RX 7600

View 5 Images3. Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 7600 OC

Best Budget AMD GPU

### Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 7600 OC

2See it at AmazonProduct SpecificationsBase clock2655MHz VRAM8GB GDDR6Outputx2 HDMI 2.1, x2 DisplayPort 1.4aShading cores2,048Compute units32PROSSolid 1080p performanceCompetitively pricedCONSUnderwhelming ray tracing performancePurchasing a budget graphics card means making compromises. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 isn't ideal for ray tracing enthusiasts, but it excels at traditional 1080p gaming. If you're more interested in playing games like Phasmophobia with friends than in fancy ray tracing, this card is perfect.

My review of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 showed that while it struggles in some games, like Cyberpunk 2077, it easily delivers over 60fps at 1080p in others, such as Total War: Warhammer 3, where it achieves up to 83fps. At around $250, it's hard to complain.

Moreover, the RX 7600 comes with 8GB of VRAM, more than enough for most 1080p gaming needs. It's excellent for running popular games smoothly, even if you need to dial back ray tracing settings occasionally. That's a compromise I can live with.

4. MSI GeForce RTX 3050 Gaming X

Best Budget GPU Under $200

### MSIGeForce RTX 3050 Gaming X

1The RTX 3050 may be from the last generation, but if you're looking for a budget-friendly 1080p graphics card, it's hard to beat.See it at AmazonProduct SpecificationsBase Clock1507MHzVRAM6GB GDDR6Outputx2 HDMI 2.1, x1 DisplayPort 1.4aShading cores2304Compute units18PROSImpressive dual fan coolingGreat valueCONSOnly 6GB VRAMThe RTX 3050 is an older card from Nvidia's 3000-series, but with no direct successor in sight three years into the Ada Lovelace generation, it remains a fantastic value. It delivers solid 1080p gaming performance in nearly every game you throw at it.

You might need to adjust quality settings for more demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Horizon: Forbidden West. At the time of writing, the EVGA RTX 3050 is available for just $179 on Amazon, making it the most affordable way to enter PC gaming without resorting to used cards.

Thanks to Nvidia's third-generation Tensor cores, the RTX 3050 supports DLSS 2.0, which can boost performance in supported games. However, I wouldn't recommend enabling ray tracing on this card, as it won't provide a satisfying experience. It's best suited for traditional gaming workloads, esports, and indie games.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 – Photos

View 4 Images5. AMD Radeon RX 9070

Best Mid-Range GPU

### AMD Radeon RX 9070

0While it's priced close to the RX 9070 XT, the Radeon RX 9070 offers exceptional value for 1440p gaming. See it at NeweggProduct SpecificationsShading Units3584Base Clock1330 MHzBoost Clock2520 MHzVideo Memory16GB GDDR6Memory Bandwidth644.6 GB/sMemory Bus256-bitPower Connectors2 x 8-pinPROSExcellent 1440p performance16GB of VRAMCONSNot technically a budget GPUWhile the AMD Radeon RX 9070 isn't a budget card by traditional standards, it's the best value you can get under $600 once stock stabilizes. It's the entry point to the mid-range, offering excellent 1440p performance with more VRAM than you'd expect at this price point.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT & 9070 – Benchmarks

View 11 ImagesIn my review of the Radeon RX 9070, it outperformed the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 at the same price point, even in ray tracing-heavy games, thanks to improvements in AMD's ray tracing pipeline. For example, in Cyberpunk 2077, the Radeon RX 9070 achieves 93fps at 1440p with the ray tracing ultra preset and FSR set to balanced, compared to 90fps for the RTX 5070 with similar settings.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 also comes with 16GB of GDDR6, which, while not as fast as the GDDR7 on the Nvidia card, is more than the 12GB on the RTX 5070. This will be crucial as games become more memory-intensive, especially at higher resolutions. The only downside is its proximity in price to the RX 9070 XT, which can handle 4K gaming for just $50 more. It's a small price to pay if you're using a 4K display.

How to Pick the Best GPU on a Budget

Choosing the best budget GPU doesn't have to be overwhelming. It's about finding the right balance between performance and cost. Start by considering what you'll use the GPU for.

Look at factors like frame rates, resolution capabilities, and compatibility with your existing hardware. If you have a specific game in mind, check its system requirements to guide your decision.

Keep an eye out for sales, discounts, and bundle deals. GPU prices can fluctuate, so waiting for a good deal can save you money. Older models often drop in price after new releases, offering great value. Combining a quality GPU with a smart purchase can maximize your investment.

FAQs about Cheaper GPUs

How much should I budget for a GPU?

For less demanding games at 1080p, you can find a decent graphics card between $200 and $400. For 1440p or 4K gaming, prices can go well beyond $500.

What is the best budget GPU for content creation?

For content creation on a budget, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti is a solid choice. It has enough CUDA cores for creative workloads in apps like Adobe Premiere or Blender, and its 4th-generation Tensor cores support DLSS, which is increasingly integrated into popular content creation software.