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Looking for the best budget GPU for gaming?
Finding the right graphics card without breaking the bank can be a challenge, but it’s crucial for a smooth gaming experience.
In this video, I’ll walk you through the top budget GPUs that deliver excellent gaming performance without emptying your wallet.
Hang tight, because by the end, you’ll know exactly which budget GPU will give you the most value.
So let’s get started!
Number 3. MSI Gaming RTX 3050 VENTUS 2X 6G OC
MSI Gaming RTX 3050 VENTUS 2X 6G OC is a newly launched variant of the RTX 3050 graphics card, offering decent performance on the latest AAA games, at a much lower price point than its older brother, the RTX 3050 8GB variant.
This card is based on the GA-107 GPU variant, which is different than the older GA-106 variant used in the 8GB variant of the RTX 3050. This along with a smaller memory bus and bandwidth leads to a lower TDP value of only 70W. As such, the GPU does not require power externally from the power supply, rather the PCI-e slot is enough to power it. This can be especially helpful for users who own an OEM build, where no additional power connectors are provided for a dedicated graphics card. Additionally, the RTX 3050 is based on the Ampere architecture, an upgrade from its predecessor based on the Turing architecture, with a smaller processor size of 8nm compared to 12nm, and 20% more CUDA cores.
As for the power of the GPU in terms of performance, it does a fairly decent job with newer games at 1080p, though you will likely not play them on the highest of settings. The performance can vary a lot depending on the games that you play. In open world games, the card is likely to suffer more than something like first person shooters. If you are an avid Counter-Strike or Valorant player, this card is a solid choice as you are looking at FPS in the 250-300 range. At this price range, this card outperforms the GTX 1660 Super by 1-5% and even more in some games.
What’s even more solid is the thermals of the graphics card. It uses a two fan design, that is curved uniquely to facilitate more airflow and air pressure. This keeps the card cool even during long gaming hours. The hotspot on the card reaches around 72 degrees celsius during intense loads, while the temperature remains at a cool 60 degrees celsius. However, the fans are on the louder side, and you will most likely be able to hear them through your PC case.
Furthermore, the card does not try to come off as premium or high-end, being only 189mm long and 109mm wide. It does offer adequate connectivity, on the other hand, with a single HDMI 2.1 port and two 1.4a DisplayPort ports. These options are more than enough for the purpose this card is aimed at – gaming at 1080p resolution.
To summarize, while this card does not blow off the charts in terms of performance or aesthetics, it really is a decent option for budget gaming, allowing you to play the newest games while consuming the least amount of power from its competitors. I would recommend this card if you are really on a tight budget, own an OEM build, or want the latest generation card at a minimal cost.
In short, what I like is:
Decent performance for its price tag
Lowest power consumption among competitors
Good for OEM builds, with no external power connector requirement
What I don’t like:
Loud fan noise
Ratings:
Design: 7/10
Performance: 7/10
Acoustics: 6/10
Thermals: 9/10
Value: 7/10
Overall Rating: 7/10
Number 2. ASRock Intel ARC A750 Challenger D 8GB OC
Coming second on our list of the best budget graphics cards is the ASRock Intel Arc 750 Challenger D 8GB OC. Arc a750 is the lower tier of the Arc 7 lineup, with the Intel Arc a770 topping the list, at a higher price point. The Arc series is the first iteration of the commercial Intel graphics cards, and they are quite promising, to say the least.
To start off, the card is of a typical size you would expect from a budget to mid-range GPU, with 271mm in length, and 132mm wide. It uses the Generation 12.7 architecture, codenamed Alchemist, with a base clock of 2200 MHz that has been boosted by 7% due to the factory applied overclock. The L2 cache stands at 16 MB, with 448 Tensor cores present.
With that said, how do all these specs weigh in performance? At 1080p resolution, this card can compare to the performance of much more expensive cards like the RX 7600 XT, and even the RTX 4060 in certain games. This is especially impressive considering the card sits in the roundabouts of $200, while the other cards easily go for $300+. As for its direct competitors, the RX 6600 XT and even the RX 7600, the Arc a750 can outperform them by 1-5% in different games. All of this is thanks to continuous driver updates from Intel, which increase the performance of the cards in various games by large margins. However, since these cards are relatively new, I would recommend regularly checking for driver updates, if you end up buying one. Unlike AMD and NVIDIA, Intel drivers are not quite mature yet, which leaves a lot of room for precious performance gains and stability as they work on improving DirectX support across their cards.
All of this performance is backed by the dual-fan cooling system design of the card. The heatsink includes multiple tightly fit copper heatpipes that maximize contact with the PCB, along with a nano thermal paste and premium thermal pads throughout the PCB for improved heat dissipation. This keeps the temperatures at an average of 63 degrees celsius when playing games at high settings. Albeit, the power draw remains the highest in comparison with its competitors at around 212W. As such, the minimum recommended power supply officially is 550W. Fortunately, the acoustics remain at a fairly decent level, though the fans are likely to get loud if you push the limits by applying further overclocks.
Other than gaming, I also think this card can be a solid choice for streaming, with the presence of the AV1 encoder, which minimizes the hit on performance. Speaking of streaming, the card is capable of streaming video to 4K and even 8K displays, an impressive feature for a budget GPU. As for connectivity, you get a single HDMI 2.1 port, along with three 2.0 DisplayPorts.
In terms of looks, I do prefer the stock edition of the Intel Arc A750 for a more premium look. The ASRock Arc A750 Challenger D provides a more traditional look, with dual axial fans and stripes on the front panel. At such a tight budget, you are not investing in aesthetics, but the overall performance.
In short, this card gives a tough time to even higher-end cards, while outperforming its direct competitors in most of the games. Plus, considering further optimization of the graphics drivers from Intel, the card is only going to get better.
What I like is:
Great performance
Supports AV1 encoder
Amazing price to performance ratio
What I don’t like:
Larger power draw compared to competitors
Ratings:
Design: 7/10
Performance: 8/10
Acoustics: 8/10
Thermals: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Overall Rating: 8/10
Number 1. Sapphire 11339-04-20G PULSE AMD RADEON RX 7600 XT
The Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is my choice for the best budget GPU for gaming. The RX 7600 XT is based on the latest RDNA 3 architecture from AMD of the NAVI III family that goes head to head with its competitors, providing amazing performance and value.
Starting with the specs, the CPU count and cache remain unchanged from the previous RX 6600 XT generation, but the processor is now based on 6nm instead of 7nm in the predecessor. In addition, the memory has been doubled from 8 gigs to 16GB in the 7600 XT. Game clocks have also experienced an increase of around 4%, which may not seem significant, but the clock speeds are not the only party at play.
When it comes to playing games, the card performs impressively, outclassing the NVIDIA RTX 4060 in most cases by around 1-3%. While the card is being advertised as ideal for 1080p gaming, you can achieve quite decent framerates on higher resolutions like 1440p, averaging about 60-70 FPS, depending on the game. The card scores around 8100 points when stress tested on FurMark, and there is room for overclock allowing it to push even further.
Unfortunately, what it pushes far is power consumption. In comparison to RTX 4060 or even the stock RX 7600, this card has the lowest power efficiency. This certainly does not take away from the outstanding performance of the card, but it’s something to keep in mind. It has a TDP value of 192W, with a recommended power supply of 450W. While the card was originally aimed to use the newer 12VHPWR connector, the idea was later dropped in favor of the older 8 pin PCI-e power connectors.
For cooling, Sapphire uses Dual-X Cooling technology, including dual ball bearing fans, which results in around 10% lower acoustics without any compromise. The heatsink includes composite heatpipes that are designed to evenly spread heat, improving the overall heat transfer of the card. This results in the card keeping cool at around 70 degrees celsius during stress tests, while the hotspot temperature reaches a maximum value of 84 degrees celsius. This can be further improved by customizing the fans’ speed curve. The noise levels of the fans remain low, and they are not audible outside the CPU case, thanks to the blade design.
Speaking of design, Sapphire does a solid job of providing a premium look and feel to the card. It uses an all-aluminum backplate that helps in heat dissipation and overall rigidity of the card. Red lines run across the front panel, with a Sapphire logo on the top, and the traditional heartbeat line on the back with Sapphire Pulse branding. It also features fuse protection built into the circuit that safeguards the internal components from any overloads or short circuits.
Finally, the card offers 2x HDMI 2.1a ports and 2x DisplayPort 2.1 ports for connectivity, supporting a maximum resolution of 7680×4320. All in all, the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7600 XT is an amazing budget graphics card that can handle any AAA games that you play at 1080p with quite ease.
In summary, what I like is:
Outstanding performance in its price range
Great connectivity options
Excellent cooling solution
Decent overclocking potential
On the contrary:
Low power efficiency
Ratings:
Design: 8/10
Performance: 9/10
Acoustics: 8/10
Thermals: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Overall Rating: 9/10
So what do you think? Which of these is the best graphics card for you?
Or do you think another budget GPU is better?
Tell us in the comments below.
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