Finding an affordable GPU that gives you good performance while staying under your budget can be tough. Even if you manage to find a GPU that works well all around, chances are, it won’t be under your budget. An ideal GPU delivers phenomenal performance without breaking the bank.
The current market is full of Nvidia and AMD graphics cards available in various price ranges, with Intel also entering the GPU scene. So if you want to find the best GPU that fits your budget, we have got you covered! Here we will discuss the most affordable GPUs you can buy without breaking the bank. So without further ado, let’s get started!
1. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
- Core Base Clock: 1,552 MHz
- Memory: 8 GB GDDR6
- Stream Processors: 2560
- Ray Tracing Cores: 20
- Memory Clock: 14 Gbps
Finding an Nvidia graphics card can be challenging when you are on a budget. Though you won’t find a list of GPUs by Nvidia when you are under a budget, you can certainly invest in Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, which is a solid choice and an affordable option for 1080p gaming. And if gaming isn’t your thing, then the GPU has much more to offer.
The GeForce RTX 3050 offers a variety of features like Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology and tensor cores, enabling the system to handle creative workloads.
Furthermore, you will also find an 8-pin power connector and ray tracing, which are hard to find at such a price tag of £185. However, on the downside, this GPU consumes higher power and loses to the RTX 2060 in terms of performance.
2. AMD Radeon RX 6600
- Core Base Clock: 1,626 MHz
- Memory: 8 GB GDDR6
- Stream Processors: 1792
- Ray Tracing Cores: 28
- Memory Clock: 14 Gbps
If you want a cheap graphics card by AMD, then the Radeon RX 6600 is the right pick. With this graphics card, you can play games at 1080p with 30 FPS and enjoy features like AMD Radeon Super Resolution. The GPU consumes less power and is priced at £250, which is relatively affordable compared to other AMD’s XT variants.
The graphics card offers one HDMI port and three display ports making the GPU fully portable. Furthermore, the GPU also has an 8-pin power connector. However, on the downside, 1080p is the maximum you can go with the Radeon RX 6600, which means you can’t go anywhere close to 1440p.
3. Nvidia GTX 1660 Super
- Core Base Clock: 1,520 MHz
- Memory: 6GB GDDR6
- Stream Processors: 1408
- Ray Tracing Cores: No Ray Tracing Cores Available
- Memory Clock: 14 Gbps
Another affordable GPU by Nvidia is the GTX 1660 super, but this GPU comes without ray tracing. Despite this, the GPU is still one of the best in terms of performance and comes at a reasonable price.
The GTX 1660 super is a beast, and it can crack out nearly 80 FPS on games like Middle Earth: Shadow of War with 1080p resolution. You can also get a decent frame rate of 54 FPS at 1440p, which is commendable considering the price of the GTX 1660 super is only £200.
However, the GPU has a few drawbacks, like it doesn’t offer ray tracing cores and the ports available on this GPU are limited.
4. AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
- Core Base Clock: 2,064 MHz
- Memory: 8 GB GDDR6
- Stream Processors: 2048
- Ray Tracing Cores: 32
- Memory Clock: 16 Gbps
If you want an affordable GPU that gives you the best of both worlds, you certainly can’t go wrong with the Radeon RX 6600 XT. Although you may not be able to play on 1440p resolution, this is still a great graphics card if you are comfortable with 1080p.
You can enjoy your favourite games on max settings without worrying about frame drops. And thanks to AMD’s hardware-driven Radeon Super Resolution, you can get decent frame rates even with ray tracing turned on.
Furthermore, the GPU has comparatively lower power consumption and offers excellent thermal performance. However, on the downside, it can’t break through to 1440p. The cost of the GPU is slightly higher than others, with a starting retail price of £329.
5. AMD Radeon RX 5700
- Core Base Clock: 1,465 MHz
- Memory: 8 GB GDDR6
- Stream Processors: 2,304
- Ray Tracing Cores: No Ray Tracing Available
- Memory Clock: 14 Gbps
If you are on the hunt for a GPU that delivers performance and can go a little over £250, then the Radeon RX 5700 is the graphics card you should invest in. The GPU can provide 1440p gaming on max settings, which is rare with a budget GPU.
The Radeon RX 5700 has two power connectors, one with six and eight pins. There are two ports, an HDMI which supports 4K60, and a standard display port. However, the GPU comes at £275 and doesn’t have ray tracing, which can be annoying for some gamers.
6. Intel Arc A750
- Core Base Clock: 2050 MHz
- Memory: 8 GB GDDR6
- Ray Tracing Cores: 28
- Memory Clock: 16 Gbps
Are you bored with the products by Nvidia and AMD? Though getting bored of the GPUs produced by such companies is rare, however, if you are looking for a change, then the Intel Arc A750 can be your next significant upgrade. The GPU comes at an affordable price tag of £235 and can serve your system with some serious horsepower.
The Intel Arc A750 is even better than Nvidia RTX 3050, and if we compare the GPU’s price-to-performance ratio, the Intel Arc A750 is quite similar to Nvidia RTX 3060.
Though you will find various features in this GPU, however, if your motherboard doesn’t support a resizeable BAR, you must avoid Intel Arc Alchemist GPUs. This is because the GPUs require resizable BAR to achieve good performance.
Conclusion
The GPU market we have today is vast, and many major companies like Nvidia are releasing new graphics cards every year that are equipped with the latest technologies. These cards fit every price range so whether you want a top-of-the-line card like the RTX 4090, or a budget card like the RTX 3060, you will not be disappointed with the available options!
In the end, it all comes down to your usage and purpose for investing in a GPU to ensure that the one you go with has all the features you need and serves you according to your requirements.
