How do you think that you enjoy attractive graphics on your mobiles, laptops, tablets, and all e-devices? Of course, it results from the great functionality of the GPU in your system (or precisely graphics card). It is a graphic processing unit. And as the name shows, it supports the processing of all kinds of graphical illustrations.
In short, it ensures a visual treat for your eyes to let you feel the content that you are watching or manipulating. Hence, GPU tackles the specific task of displaying pictures (or videos) to you.
Covid-19 badly affected the manufacturing of graphics card units on a large scale. Due to this reason, the prices of graphics cards have increased highly. But you should stop getting worried now!
This article will let you know about the best-upgraded graphics card of 2021. We have hunted for efficient graphics cards having maximized workability, but these units will not cost you that much. Because here we are presenting you the best graphics card under $300.
Hence you will get all of the detailed information about the budget-friendly graphics card. This article consists of the best and relatable information to IT experts, data scientists, web surfers, gamers, etc.
At A Glance:
Best pick
GeForce RTX 2060
GeForce RTX 2060
✓
Great workability
✓
Fast graphics card
✓
Perfect for different media editing
Staff Pick
Sapphire Radeon RX 580
Sapphire Radeon RX 580
✓
Stand out reliability
✓
Display bright colours on the screen
✓
Presents free-sync technical aspect to tackle refresh rate automatically
Budget Pick
Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 Graphics Card
Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 Graphics Card
✓
Quiet graphics card having good quality
✓
Highly suitable for medium end gaming
✓
Optimized budget graphics card
Our Recommendations Top 8 Graphics Card Under $300:
GeForce RTX 2060
Best pick
View on amazon
Brand: MSI | Dimensions (LxWxH): 8.9 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches| Item Weight: 4.99 Pounds| Memory Speed: 14 GHz | Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060| Chipset Brand: NVIDIA | Graphics Card Ram Size: 6GB
If you are looking for the best graphics card, you cannot ignore MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2060. It is because of its 1710MHz boost clock combined with the RTX platform. The power consumption of 160W is good to know.
It supports features of artificial intelligence, ray tracing (real-time), and many more to give you a distinctive experience of using it. It has a dual-fan as well, and size-wise it is designed to fit any PC perfectly. The graphics RAM is GDDR6. The excessive components are graphics cards, cables & connectors, and manuals as well.
It is easy to install, and it is durable in usage. Consider buying it if you are searching for an NVIDIA graphics card in an affordable price range with high-quality maintenance.
The Pros
✓
Great workability
✓
Fast graphics card
✓
Perfect for different media editing
The Cons
✗
RTX dominates performance on 4K
✗
Slightly pricey than previous ones
Sapphire Radeon RX 580
Staff Pick
View on amazon
Brand: Sapphire Technology| Dimensions (LxWxH): 11.25 x 3.5 x 6.5 inches| Item Weight: 0.176 Pounds| Memory Speed: 1750 MHz | Graphics Coprocessor: AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT| Chipset Brand: AMD | RAM: 8GB
Sapphire always ensures to provide top-notch graphics products to the world. Sapphire Radeon RX 580 is the best reference to the previous statement. It is a graphics card of the world’s top-tier brands that deliver quality products to as many folks as possible.
It comes with a full-screen resolution of 3840×2160. You can prefer it over other graphic cards if you need 2304 stream processors with the perfect boosting capability. Besides gaming, you can use it for various other purposes like task accomplishment, entertainment, etc.
Eyefinity lets you set the display and vision by customizing it according to your preferences. It can easily tackle HDR (high dynamic range) technology and present sharp visuals to you.
The Pros
✓
Stand out reliability
✓
Display bright colours on the screen
✓
Presents free-sync technical aspect to tackle refresh rate automatically
The Cons
✗
Intensive consumption of power
✗
Not much upgraded than the previous generation
Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 Graphics Card
Budget Pick
View on amazon
Brand: Gigabyte | Dimensions (LxWxH): 6.6 x 4.3 x 1 inches| Item Weight: 1 Pounds| Memory Speed: 6008 MHz| Graphics Coprocessor: GeForce GTX 1030| Chipset Brand: NVIDIA | Graphics Card Ram Size: 2GB
The Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 graphics card contains a full-sized slot bracket in it. It is among low-profile graphics cards that are good for their valuable specs but cost you less. Empowering by GT1030 is a worthy addition that gives a new dimension to gaming and other heavy tasks to perform using this GPU.
There is no reason to not add this worthy card to the list of best graphics cards under $300. Hence, you will not need to break the banks or go out of the budget to purchase a sound quality graphics card. It supports 4k video playback but to a certain extent. But first thing first, check the compatibility of it with your PC before purchasing it!
The Pros
✓
Quiet graphics card having good quality
✓
Highly suitable for medium end gaming
✓
Optimized budget graphics card
The Cons
✗
It can run GTA 5 but not at 60fps
✗
Cyberpunk 2077 also runs poorly on it
PowerColor Radeon RX 550 Graphics Card
View on amazon
Brand: PowerColor | Dimensions (LxWxH): 5.98 x 4.41 x 1.5 inches| Item Weight: 1.3 Pounds| Memory Speed: 6 GHz | Graphics Coprocessor: AMD Radeon RX 550 | Chipset Brand: AMD | Graphics Card Ram Size: 4
Do you think that you cannot get a good-quality graphics card for 300$? It is not a completely wrong thing, but to some extent, it is a myth due to the availability of the best graphic cards under $300. But these are best regarding some features & hence there is a minimal compromise on the quality sometimes. And sometimes, you can get an amazing one as well at such an affordable price!
Radeon RX 550 is one of the best graphic cards under $300 due to its high-end attributes & in-built mechanism. It is far better than other inexpensive graphic cards. It is innovative by handling all of the modern requirements of a GPU in it.
It supports everything from 3D graphics to gaming visuals flawlessly via an empowered latest AMD processor. The cooling impact is mediocre, but kudos to the upgrading
The Pros
✓
Upgradability option is available
✓
A cheap graphics card with more than enough specs
✓
It fits precisely in the PC case (by taking two slots)
The Cons
✗
Fragility factor is high
✗
No RGB lighting
MSI GeForce GTX Graphics Card
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Brand: MSI | Dimensions (LxWxH): 9.02 x 5.16 x 1.54 inches| Item Weight: 10.2 ounces| Memory Speed: 7000 MHz | Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti | Chipset Brand: NVIDIA| Graphics Card Ram Size: 4GB
It is a versatile card that saves a lot of space and works efficiently. OK, let us reach its ultra-cheap price that can fascinate anyone who wants a standard graphics card for PC. Well, being the best graphics card under $300, it has some specs briefly described next.
It is a mind-blowing small graphics card having extensive functionality to enhance your graphics and visuals. You will not believe it supports any game you will throw at it. You have to bear the malfunctioning and mediocre operation of its fans. But any lubricant can help you out there as a quick fix!
On top of that, it is effortless to fit it in your system/PC. It lasts for a lesser time, but it depends on your care as well. Grab the one and give it a must-try because sometimes you find the best out of an unexpected and cheap product that magnificently supports you later!
The Pros
✓
Compatible with modern gaming requirements
✓
Draws low power
✓
It keeps its temperature impressively optimized
The Cons
✗
To some extent, it isn’t clear
✗
Repair takes time
ASUS GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
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Brand: ASUS | Dimensions (LxWxH): 8.27 x 1.57 x 4.72 inches| Item Weight: 9 ounces| Memory Speed: 7008 MHz | Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 | Chipset Brand: NVIDIA | Graphics Card Ram Size: 4GB
ASUS GeForce GTX 1050 Ti received mixed reviews from the folks who used it. But it is still one of the best cards under 300$ (costing you a very few dollars above 300). Allowing GPU tweak II with XSplit Gamecaster gives you outstanding performance with real-time streaming.
A plus in this graphics card is its gaming booster function that enhances graphics to a very splendid level. You don’t need any extra supply of power to plug in and initiate playing successfully. With cinematic experience, gamers can buy this graphics card if they currently desire a mid range graphics card.
And seeming the reliability factor, it is a reliable product with adequate durability. What else can you wish for when you get such a premium quality graphics card for $300 (+ some adding a few dollars)!
The Pros
✓
Sound graphics card for video editing
✓
Installation is easy
✓
Reliable and fast
The Cons
✗
It needs an extensive power
✗
You need to reboot the system frequently
Radeon RX 5600 XT
View on amazon
Brand: XFX | Dimensions (LxWxH): 11.02 x 5.83 x 1.73 inches| Item Weight: 2.64 Pounds| Memory Speed: 14 GHz | Graphics Coprocessor: AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT| Chipset Brand: AMD | Graphics Card Ram Size: 6GB
It is a heavy graphics card supporting gaming purposes as well. You will be amazed to know that you can get such a great graphics card for an economical price range. It is a good-quality graphics card that will enhance your visual illustration experience by many times. To boost up the enjoyment level, you can set it to its maximum level as well. And then you can quickly feel the difference between the prior graphics view and the latest one!
XFX Thick II consists of dual-fan cooling that is a remarkable thing to consider. It is because a fantastic machine can work more effectively than a hot and tired machine. It provides you RDNA’s high-end architecture as well, which is the core of versatile 7nm technology processing.
It is considered as the top class upgrading option for gaming PCs having 1440p and so on. Hence there is no reason not to include it in the best graphics card in every respect!
The Pros
✓
Excellent and valuable graphics card
✓
Installation is easy
✓
High level of stability
The Cons
✗
6GB can be problematic in the future with 8GB cards
✗
It does not support ray-tracing
MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1660
View on amazon
Brand: MSI | Dimensions (LxWxH): 9.7 x 1.8 x 5 inches| Item Weight: 1.9 Pounds| Memory Speed: 14 GHz | Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX1660 SUPER| Chipset Brand: NVIDIA | Graphics Card Ram Size: 6GB
The MSI graphics card is renowned for its efficient power consumption, unrivaled performance, and outstanding functional experience. It is a compatible gadget with NVIDIA’s leading headsets. It will let you experience the graphics instead of just watching them via its high-end in-built mechanism.
It has an effective resolution enough for clarifying the pixels for you. It is not less than a precious thing for gamers due to its quick game installation, and the best encoder is here to stream. You will be satisfied because of its out-of-this-world performance.
It ticks all the boxes for being the most suitable graphics card. Don’t miss the opportunity to grab it now and let yourself enjoy the realistic visuals!
The Pros
✓
Great lighting
✓
Works fast and silently
✓
Worthy for the price
The Cons
✗
It does not support RTX
✗
Not good for 4K gaming
A Buying Guide to the Best Graphics Card Under $300:
Let us check the specifications of the best graphics card under $300 and mid-range by getting straight into the buying guide:
Size of GPU:
You need to make sure that you know the size of the graphics card on your PC. It will help you to get a better quality & updated GPU for higher efficiency. You know that gaming requires an extensive functionality mode of the graphics card to illustrate visuals effectively. Hence there are separate GPUs for gaming devices. But there are slightly light-sized graphics card units for normal operability of data handling, video editing, graphic designing, etc.
Brand of Graphics Card:
NVIDIA & AMD are the two top brands that are comparatively launching new GPUs after an updated version. NVIDIA strives to provide the most potent hardware while AMD focuses on worthy performance and processing. Both are worthy and go with the one that suits your system.
Clock Speed of GPU:
In simple words, clock speed refers to how fast the cores of the GPU (graphics card) will work to tackle information and process it. It is generally measured in MHz (megahertz). A 50-100 MHz boost is good enough, but some GPUs will have more swift GPU speed to process heavy data like games, etc.
Price & Warranty:
It would be best not to think about the price factor when reading this article, as we will give you complete information about purchasing the best graphics card under $300. As far as warranty is concerned, we will mention it in most of the products illustrated below. And you can check it from the amazon link, which will provide the product details.
Summary Top 8 Graphics Card Under $300:
Conclusion
You need to know one thing crucially here that the best graphics cards under $300 primarily include those that are low-profile GPUs. It means that they will have good-quality specs which are lacking at some point also. But their working capability will be quite OK. So, look at this article, and you will learn about GPUs under 300$, midrange, and slightly higher ranges as well! I wish you luck while shopping for the best graphics card having compatibility with your system!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find the best graphics card for under $300?
Yes, in this article, many graphics cards are under $300, but some have specially mentioned low efficiency. It is due to adjusting the balance between price range and quality. There are some slightly higher range products as well that are excellent in quality and budget-friendly as well. Kindly go to the products and check according to your need and preference.
What is better to stream; AMD OR NVIDIA?
AMD has many high-end specs and inevitable contributions in GPUs, but overall performance-wise, NVIDIA is the best pick. It is because it outperforms NVIDIA in the VCE encoder and has the support of many streaming software. But still, you can check according to your system requirements.
What is the best way to check GPU’s temperature?
The constant high temperature of a GPU can affect its lifespan badly. There are many GPU temperature monitoring software that comes along with GPU. Check the temperature of your GPU there
