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When you want to play your favorite games on a budget, choosing the best graphics card can be extremely difficult. In an era when GPU prices are sky-high, it is difficult to find a gaming GPU for $300.
GPU prices have fallen significantly in August from Nvidia & AMD’s MSRP levels. Gamer’s tight budgets have now enabled them to afford low-mid-range graphics cards.
With low to medium settings, you can now play all of your favorite AAA games without breaking the bank. Therefore, we have compiled a list of some of the best graphics cards under 300 that will let you play hit titles like GTA V, Call of Duty WWII, and Fornite at high settings without any issues.
Best GPU under $300 List
The following graphics cards offer good value for low budgets:
1. Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 580 8GB – Under $300, the best GPU to buy
Best Entry-level card
Reasons to Consider
In the market for budget graphics cards, AMD’s Radeon RX 580 is the cheapest GPU with 8 GB of video memory. It uses GCN 4th Gen graphics cores, while the previously mentioned cards use RDNA 7 Nm cores. The settings for some advanced games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Resident Evil, Village can even be reduced if you want to play them at lower speeds.
Specifications
- 8GB GDDR5 Memory
- 256-bit Interface
- 1366 MHz Clock Speed
- 2304 Stream Processors
- 450 PSU Requirement
In terms of price and performance, the RX 580 is one of the most powerful cards on the market. Gaming still performs well with this graphics card despite its outdated GDDR5 memory.
PUBG and Fortnite at 1080p settings would be playable with this graphics card’s 8GB of GDDR5 memory, 256-bit interface, and 2304 stream processors.
Aside from this, this card consumes less power than other AMD RX graphics cards. Since it consumes less than 225W, no power supply is needed.
It comes with LiquidVR technology, so you can play VR games without experiencing lags or glitches. Moreover, AMD’s FreeSync technology boosts the frame rates of games by boosting their performance.
A Sapphire RX 580 might be your most most suitable choice if you need a high-performance gaming card at an affordable price.
2. MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 – Entry-level Nvidia GPUs
Entry-level Nvidia GPU
Reasons to Consider
For low-budget gaming rigs, this is one of the best graphics cards from NVIDIA. Dual fans provide efficient cooling for the GTX 1660. A powerful CPU in your gaming rig will allow you to play most games at 720p or even 1080p settings.
Specifications
- 6GB GDDR5 Memory
- 1830 MHz Clock Speed
- 192-bit Memory Interface
- 1408 CUDA Cores
- 450W PSU Requirement
Gaming enthusiasts will find the MSI GTX 1660 to be one of the best Nvidia graphics cards on the market at a reasonable price. Best video card under 300 that can easily play demanding 1080p PC games are difficult to come by.
192-bit interface and 6GB GDDR5 memory make the GTX 1660s an ideal gaming card. Additionally, it boasts 1408 CPU cores and is clocked at 1830 MHz for faster performance. With Nvidia’s Pascal architecture, the MSI GTX 1660 is powered efficiently and can transfer data faster than other graphics cards.
In comparison with AMD RX 580, we found no difference in the gaming performance of GTX 1660. When compared to the RX 580, the GTX 1660 showed higher frame rates in some games, such as GTA V and Fortnite. For improved performance, MSI AfterBurner lets you overclock this GPU.
The GTX 1660 has been modified extensively by MSI at this point. It maintains its aesthetic appearance while dissipating heat efficiently thanks to the two TORX 3.0 fans.
This card does not feel like a cheaper video card as soon as you take it out of the box. Due to its RGB lights, this graphics card can add more colors to your gaming case. All in all, it’s an affordable GPU that’s reliable for gamers who don’t want to push their resolutions beyond 1920×1080.
3. MSI Gaming Radeon RX 5500 XT Review – Most Reliable AMD GPU Under $300
Most Reliable AMD GPU
Reasons to Consider
Gaming and video editing are ideal for the MSI RX 5500 XT. With dual TORX 3.0 fans, AMD’s RDNA architecture, and GDDR6 video memory, this is the most affordable gaming PC.
Specifications
- 8GB GDDR6 Memory
- Clock speed up to 1845 MHz
- 128-bit Interface
- 2560 Stream Processors
- 400W PSU
Video editing and gaming enthusiasts will find the RX 5500 XT to be an ideal graphics card. Because of its 2560 stream processors and 8GB GDDR6 memory, this GPU fits perfectly within that equation.
Due to its higher clock speed, this video card can easily handle AAA titles up to 1080p resolution, despite its 128-bit interface.
As with the MSI GTX 1660, MSI has packed this card with surprises. A TORX 3.0 fan and a powerful fan are located at the top of the case to ensure efficient cooling.
With MSI AfterBurner software, you can easily overclock this GPU for more performance. There are no issues with overclocking MSI RX 5500 XT up to 1845 MHz. A card like this might be a worthwhile choice if you’re looking for the most value for your money.
Our frame rates were fantastic when playing Modern Warfare with this card. GPU temperatures remained stable even at 1080p. Thank you again for keeping the temperatures to a minimum with the twin TORX 3.0 fans.
4. ASUS GeForce RTX 2060 Overclocked 6GB Review – Low Budget RTX Card
Low Budget RTX Card
Reasons to Consider
In Nvidia’s ray-tracing world, the RTX 2060 is the gateway. It’s an affordable way to check out Nvidia’s Turing architecture even though it’s not up to the level of other high-end RTX cards when it comes to ray-tracing.
Specifications
- 6GB GDDR6 Memory
- 1785 MHz Clock Speed
- 1920 CUDA cores
- 192-bits
- 450W
It is a misconception that Nvidia’s RTX cards are intended for extreme gaming. There is no power to boost clock speed up to 1785 MHz in the RTX 2060, but it does feature 6GB of GDDR6 memory, a 192-bit interface, and a boost clock speed of 1785 MHz. You can add more life to your gameplay with the ray-tracing feature at the top.
It is now possible to play most games at 1440p settings on this low-cost GPU, but without ray tracing. When you turn on ray-tracing, it will affect your frame rates. It isn’t recommended to buy this GPU just to experience ray-tracing unless you have a high-end gaming CPU and more RAM.
By default, the Asus RTX 2060 operates at 1785 MHz. Playing games at 1440p resolution is possible with this mid-range video card. It comes with two powerful cooling fans at the top to maintain temperatures at a higher clock speed.
RTX graphics cards like this one offer excellent value for money. Buying it just for ray-tracing is not recommended. In contrast, the RTX 2060 is a suitable choice for gamers who wish to play demanding titles at medium or even high settings (depending on their system specifications).
5. ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 Mini 8GB GDDR5 – Performance & Budget in One Place
Performance & Budget
Reasons to Consider
An affordable but high-performance graphics card. There is no problem fitting the Zotac GTX 1070 Mini into the smallest gaming PC cases. Mid-range gaming builds benefit from this video card’s Pascal Architecture & 8GB GDDR5 memory.
Specifications
- 8GB GDDR5 Memory
- 256-bit Interface
- 1873 MHz Clock Speed
- 1920 Cuda Cores
- 500W PSU Requirement
In terms of affordability and performance, the GTX 1070 is one of Nvidia’s best cards. This graphics card still delivers excellent gaming performance despite its affordable price tag.
In addition to 8GB of GDDR5 memory, the Zotac GTX 1070 Mini offers a 256-bit interface, making it compatible with most graphically intense games at 1080p. The only thing to worry about is power consumption. GPUs require a minimum 500W power supply to be safe.
As a result of its smart dimensions, this graphics card fits easily in mid-tower PC cases. When ray tracing is turned off, it performs somewhat like RTX 2060 in gaming. RTX 2060 GPUs are comparable to GTX 1070s if you remove ray tracing.
Final Conclusions & Recommendations
You have a limited selection of graphics cards for your gaming rig when you are looking for the most powerful under $300 graphics card. Before choosing one of those low-budget GPUs, you have to consider your budget and needs. A powerful graphics card for 1080p gaming doesn’t have to break your bank account.
It is impossible to enjoy quality gaming with a cheap graphics card unless it is paired with a reliable CPU and RAM. When choosing a budget-friendly graphics card, make sure you have a powerful processor and more RAM installed on your computer.
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