Modern graphics cards are the worst offenders when it comes to affordability, and you’re not given a lot of financial wiggle room when buying one. Finding the best graphics card for under $500 is possible nowadays, and we have a list that may help you in your quest to build a good PC.
Building a PC has always been hard for people on a budget. GPU Prices are constantly changing, and new technology is always on the horizon. All of this puts people in a tough position, especially if you’re interested in building a rig that’s going to last you a long time.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the 5 best graphics cards under $500, and why you should consider getting them.
ASUS Dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 V2 OC Edition
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 |
| Memory | 12 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Transfer Speed | 15 Gbps |
| CUDA Core | 3584 |
| Memory Interface | 192-bit |
| Dimensions | 200 x 123 x 38 mm |
| Recommended PSU | 650W |
NVIDIA is known for its line of top-tier GPUs, with the RTX 3060 being a part of the critically acclaimed RTX 30 series. RTX technology offers you the ability to use graphical ray-tracing and DLSS, which are both staple features of the RTX 30 series. Even though it once was quite expensive, prices have calmed down in the past year.
Performance-wise, the RTX 3060 is the most affordable GPU that can deliver optimal frame rates at both 1080p and 1440p resolutions in the majority of modern games. As mentioned previously, ray tracing and DLSS are a possibility. Keep in mind that ray tracing on 1440p won’t give you a lot of frames with the 3060, as it’s still pretty demanding.
There are currently many versions of the RTX 3060 available from various manufacturers, and most dual-fan models go for under $500 in any store that sells PC parts. Overall, this GPU is great for people who are either on a budget or don’t want anything too extreme for less than $500.
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3050
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 |
| Memory | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Transfer Speed | 14 Gbps |
| CUDA Cores | 2560 |
| Memory Interface | 128-bit |
| Dimensions | 278 x 130 x 49 mm |
| Recommended PSU | 650W |
The RTX 3050 is yet another graphics card that was introduced as a part of the RTX 30 series. It isn’t as old as its stronger counterparts, but it’s still below them in terms of general performance. Just like with every RTX card, the 3050 offers both ray tracing and DLSS.
Generally speaking, the RTX 3050 is considered to be the perfect choice for purely 1080p gaming. It can take on most modern games at 1080p on medium to high settings with solid frame rates. Not only that, but it’s also great for someone that’s looking to get into content creation at a reasonable price.
Availability is also a plus when it comes to the 3050. There’s always going to be one in stock at any given store, which is a blessing considering how sought-after the GPUs from the RTX 30 series are. We can confidently say that this is among the best budget GPUs that are currently available on the market.
ASUS GeForce RTX 2060 Overclocked
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 |
| Memory | 6 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Transfer Speed | 14 Gbps |
| CUDA Core | 1920 |
| Memory Interface | 192-bit |
| Dimensions | 270 x 111 x 58 mm |
| Recommended PSU | 500W |
Unlike the previously mentioned GPUs, this one is from the RTX 20 series. The RTX 20 series saw a lot of success in 2019, and they were your go-to choices at the time. It quickly became mediocre due to the anticipated release of the better RTX 30 series in 2021, but it still performs well as a mid-range card.
The RTX 2060 is very similar to the aforementioned RTX 3050. It runs most modern games on high or ultra settings at 1080p very well. You could also run games at 1440p with this card, but you simply won’t have as smooth of an experience. To top it all off, ray tracing and DLSS are also features that you can utilize with the 2060, that is if you don’t mind a hit in performance.
There’s not much room for older GPUs in such a competitive market. Regardless, the RTX 2060 is still looked at as the best mid-range GPU that can comfortably run modern games. As for pricing, these types of graphic cards usually go for less than $500 on Amazon.
ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti |
| Memory | 6GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Transfer Speed | 14 Gbps |
| CUDA Core | 1536 |
| Memory Interface | 192-bit |
| Dimensions | 206 x 124 x 46 mm |
| Recommended PSU | 450W |
The GTX 1660 Ti is one of the last cards from the famous GTX series of graphics cards. It was released in 2019 alongside the RTX 20 series, yet it’s not quite an RTX card. It lacks some of the features that the RTX 20 series offers, but it’s still great for traditional gaming nonetheless.
As expected, the GTX 1660 Ti can run most modern games at high or ultra settings at 1080p. The only real downside would be its inability to provide you with graphical ray tracing, as the more expensive RTX cards do. In summary, it shares a lot of similarities with the RTX 2060, just without the RTX features.
The absence of key RTX features is also what makes it cheaper, and many still consider it a budget version of the RTX 2060. If you don’t care for ray tracing and can’t spare more than $500 for a graphics card, then the GTX 1660 Ti will definitely interest you.
Gigabyte Radeon RX 6700 XT Eagle
| GPU | AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT |
| Memory | 12 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Transfer Speed | 16 Gbps |
| CUDA Core | 2560 |
| Memory Interface | 192-bit |
| Dimensions | 282 x 113 x 40 mm |
| Recommended PSU | 650W |
Although NVIDIA is the fan-favorite choice, AMD stepped up its game with the RX 6000 series of graphics cards. There are quite a few GPUs in this series, but the one that caught our eye was the RX 6700 XT. It’s praised as one of the most affordable 1440p GPUs on the market right now.
Performance is always the most asked question when it comes to graphics cards under $500. The 6700 XT excels at both 1080p and 1440p resolution gaming, and it should allow you to run the majority of modern games on high or ultra settings. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing is included with this card, but having it enabled whilst gaming in 1440p will tank your performance.
This card is commonly compared to NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 GPUs. They’re both very similar in terms of performance, with the 6700 XT delivering a small frame rate increase at the cost of higher temperatures. This is by far the best graphics card for under $500 that we found online.
That is our list of the 5 best graphics cards under $500. The GPU market is highly susceptible to price changes, and you can never really predict just how far prices might rise or sink in the future. We’ve learned that nothing in the tech world is guaranteed, especially when you factor in pricing.
If you’re looking for more PC gear on a tight budget, then we’d suggest checking out our list of the best gaming mice under $100.
