If you’re looking for a new graphics card to upgrade your gaming PC, you might be wondering what are the best options in the $200 to $500 price range. There are many factors to consider when choosing a graphics card, such as performance, features, power consumption, compatibility, and availability.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 graphics cards under $500 based on various sources and reviews. Here they are:
1. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is one of the best graphics cards under $500, offering excellent performance for both 1080p and 1440p gaming. It supports ray tracing and DLSS, which can enhance the visual quality and performance of compatible games.
It also has 8GB of GDDR6 memory, a 256-bit memory bus, and a boost clock of up to 1665 MHz. The RTX 3060 Ti is based on the Ampere architecture, which improves the power efficiency and features of the previous generation Turing cards.
The RTX 3060 Ti has an MSRP of $399, but it can be hard to find at that price due to high demand and low supply.
However, some models can be found for around $450-$500 on online retailers like Amazon and Newegg.
2. AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is another great choice for gamers who want to play at 1440p resolution with high settings. It competes well with the RTX 3060 Ti in most games, and sometimes even surpasses it in some titles that favor AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture.The RX 6700 XT has 12GB of GDDR6 memory, a 192-bit memory bus, and a boost clock of up to 2581 MHz.
It also supports ray tracing and FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), which is AMD’s alternative to DLSS.
The RX 6700 XT has an MSRP of $479, but it can also be found for slightly higher prices on online retailers like Amazon and Newegg.
3. Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super is a slightly older but still capable graphics card that can handle most games at 1080p or 1440p resolution with decent settings. It also supports ray tracing and DLSS, which can improve the gaming experience in some titles.
The RTX 2060 Super has 8GB of GDDR6 memory, a 256-bit memory bus, and a boost clock of up to 1650 MHz. It is based on the Turing architecture, which was the first generation to introduce ray tracing cores and tensor cores for DLSS.
The RTX 2060 Super has an MSRP of $399, but it can be found for much lower prices on online retailers like Amazon and Newegg.
4. AMD Radeon RX 6600
The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is a budget-friendly graphics card that can deliver smooth performance for 1080p gaming with high settings. It is not as powerful as the RX 6600 XT or the RTX 3060, but it is more affordable and widely available. The RX 6600 has 8GB of GDDR6 memory, a 128-bit memory bus, and a boost clock of up to 2491 MHz.
It also supports ray tracing and FSR, which can enhance the graphics quality and performance in some games.
The RX 6600 has an MSRP of $329, but it can be found for around $350-$400 on online retailers like Amazon and Newegg.
5. Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is another budget-friendly graphics card that can provide solid performance for 1080p gaming with high settings. It does not support ray tracing or DLSS, but it still offers good value for money. The GTX 1660 Ti has 6GB of GDDR6 memory, a 192-bit memory bus, and a boost clock of up to 1770 MHz.
It is based on the Turing architecture, but without the ray tracing cores and tensor cores. The GTX 1660 Ti has an MSRP of $279, but it can be found for around $300-$350 on online retailers like Amazon and Newegg.
Conclusion
These are our top picks for the best graphics cards under $500 in June 2023. Of course, there are other options available in this price range, but these are the ones that we think offer the best balance of performance, features, and value.
We hope this post helps you find the right graphics card for your gaming PC. Happy gaming!
