6 Best Graphics Card For Gaming Under 300

ZOTAC GAMING GeForce GTX 1650 OC

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: ZOTAC | Memory capacity: 4GB | RAM type: GDDR5 | Maximum memory speed: 1620 MHz | Chipset brand: NVIDIA | Weight: ‎1.37 pounds | Dimensions: 151mm x 111.15mm x 38.8mm

The NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is a popular name among tech enthusiasts with its reliable gaming performance and excellent performance-to-price ratio. But if you want to get pretty much the same performance but at a lesser price, you can go for the Zotac Gaming GeForce GTX 1650 OC.

I’m not saying that it provides exactly the same performance as the GTX 1660 Ti but the difference is quite small. In short, it’s the best graphics card for gaming under 300 dollars. 

Like the other cards in the series, this one is based on Nvidia’s Turing architecture and features the TU117 graphics processing unit. The “OC” in the name suggests that this card comes overclocked and can take the 1665MHz boost clock up to 1725MHz while maintaining the same base clock.

It beats the vanilla 1650 being an overclocked version plus performs better than the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT in many cases. So, it’s undoubtedly the best mid-range graphics card for gaming with adequate performance. 

Sometimes gamers need numerous types of connectivity options to enjoy a fine gaming experience. This card offers HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort output to accommodate three displays with its multi-display feature.

Other than that, the card has a smaller form factor and a standard aluminum heatsink with a grooved-blade plastic fan and can fit in a wide variety of PC cases. Remember that this card features Turning architecture but lacks any of the RTX features that may affect its performance. 

Final verdict: The Zotac Gaming GeForce GTX 1650 OC is a great mid-range graphics card for budget-conscious users. It surely can’t beat the original GTX 1650 Ti but provides a more impressive performance-to-price value.

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As far as the performance matters, it is capable of delivering a smooth 1080p output along with 60+ fps and above 144MHz refresh rate. Overall, it’s the best graphics card under $200 with the best 1080p graphics performance but lags in managing the 1440p graphics.

PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 550

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: PowerCool | Memory capacity: 4GB | RAM type: GDDR5 | Maximum memory speed: 6 Ghz | Chipset brand: AMD | Weight: 1.3 pound | Dimensions: 152mm x 111.2mm x 38mm

The recent graphics card shortage increased the prices so much that the users started thinking that they can’t find some affordable options. But that is only one side of the story. Despite the high prices, you can find some affordable options in this post including this PowerCool AMD Radeon RX 550, the cheapest graphics card for gaming in this post.

If we compare it with the other products in the market, its closest competitor is the Saphire’s Pulse Radeon RX 550 where both provide identical performance. 

The current RX 550 card is a 4GB GDDR5 version based on AMD’s original Radeon RX 550. It’s built on a 14nm manufacturing process and powered by the Graphics Core Next or GCN 1.3 graphics architecture.

You can take the memory speed up to 6GHz while getting a maximum of 96 GB/s memory bandwidth. Moreover, this card has the advanced DirectX 12 feature that enables it to fully utilize ray tracing and variable rate shading. In this way, you can get more realistic graphics and visual effects. 

Like most cards in this list, it has one DL DVI-D port, one HDMI connector, and one DisplayPort connection support. But the thing that makes it special from all others is the premium VR support.

AMD’s LiquidVR technology can enable us to get jaw-dropping and immersive VR experiences without spending much on the best graphics card under $200. As far as the thermal performance matters, the Radeon Chill is there to improve the power efficiency and lower the temperature when required. 

Final verdict: PowerCool has done a great job in improving the original AMD Radeon RX 550 into a more reliable card. You can enjoy an effective in-game performance thrill with impressive overclocking and more power efficiency.

If you’re looking for an affordable and the best graphics card for gaming under 300 for 1080p graphics output, this is perfect for you. It provides identical performance to the famous Saphire’s Pulse Radeon RX 550 along with VR support and adequate thermal management.

ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 Mini

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: ZOTAC | Memory capacity: 8GB | RAM type: GDDR5 | Maximum memory speed: ‎8000 MHz | Chipset brand: NVIDIA | Weight: ‎2.3 pounds | Dimensions: 210mm x 122mm

ZOTAC has always been an active computer components manufacturer in the market with a wide range of record-breaking titles to its name. The previous GTX 1650 OC is a great value card from the brand but the GeForce GTX 1070 tells us a completely different story.

It’s made to deliver a competitive performance as the regular size card packed in a mini form factor. It has a simple shroud and no flashy features like RGB or any other stuff added to this card to make it more focused on the budgetary market. 

NVIDIA’s Pascal architecture powers this card which is way more efficient than the Maxwell or Kepler architecture. Now, you can reach up to a jaw-dropping clock speed to utilize more performance and speed.

Zotac has improved the card and it can reach up to a 1708MHz boost clock which is 1683MHz in the case of the Nvidia’s version card. If I look at the statistics, the overclocking improvements allow the card to bring up to a 9% performance increase to help in getting maximum graphics quality. 

Design-wise, the card is constructed on an all-black PCB with some high-quality ICs and other components. The absence of the backplate and plastic shroud are some downsides of owning this card Other than that, Zotac’s IceStorm cooling solution with two 90mm fans, two 8mm heat pipes, and two 6mm heat pipes is enough to cool down the graphics card in no time. In short, it’s the best all-in-one .

graphics card for gaming since it has pretty much everything you need as a gamer. 

Final verdict: The Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 Mini is packed with all the necessary features as the regular cards to deliver adequate gaming performance. If you want to build a compact gaming rig with the best graphics card under $300, this is a perfect option for you.

We have tested it for all the current-era games and the results were stunning. You can get 1080p in-game graphics with a whopping 80+ fps and even 1440p graphics quality with 60+ fps on very high settings.

MSI GAMING GeForce GTX 1060

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: MSI | Memory capacity: 3GB | RAM type: GDDR5 | Maximum memory speed: 8108MHz | Chipset brand: NVIDIA | Weight: 1017g | Dimensions: 277 x 140 x 39 mm

The GeForce graphics cards series is one of the most advanced ever created and can give you jaw-dropping performance, power efficiency, and ultimate gaming experience. MSI has taken the original Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1060 and changed several things to present the Gaming GeForce GTX 1060.

It’s for those budget-conscious users who want to buy the best budget graphics card for gaming without compromising on the performance and speeds. 

There is another version of this GTX 1060 3GB which offers 6GB of graphics memory but some of its CUDA cores are disabled. Apart from that, the GTX 1060 3GB offers 1152 CUDA core units and 8008MHz clock speed in gaming mode that can go up to 8109MHz of maximum clock speed.

The card is a bit outdated and uses GDDR5 type memory so no doubt you have to compromise on the speeds if you have been using GDDR6 type graphics memory earlier. 

In contrast, it has some mind-blowing features and specifications as well. Firstly the card is powered by the Pascal graphics architecture along with VR ultra-resolution feature to meet the need for high-quality displays. It is a perfect option to play games at 1080p resolution.

So, if you’re thinking about 2k or 4k, check some other options in this list. In addition, this card is unable to meet the requirements of many games like GTA and Fortnite but can play them at lower settings. 

Regarding connectivity, this best graphics card for gaming under 300 offers three DisplayPort 1.4 ports, one HDMI 2.0b, and one DVI-D port. If we look at its design, it has an old-school bulky look with the red and black color combination.

For cooling purposes, it follows the twin Frozr VI thermal design with a massive heatsink, Torx fan 2.0, and a solid nickel-plated copper baseplate for effective heat dissipation. Overall, this card is enough for 1080p gaming at a budget price. 

Final verdict: MSI has done a great job in changing the original Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1060 into a more suitable graphics card for gaming. The MSI’s version is a great option for you if you want something affordable.

In contrast, it can only go up to 1080p graphics resolution while maintaining a three-digit refresh rate along with a 60+ fps rate. Moreover, you get all the required connectivity options along with effective cooling, efficient performance, and an affordable price tag.

GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5600 XT

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: XFX | Memory capacity: 6GB | RAM type: GDDR5 | Maximum memory speed: 14GHz | Chipset brand: AMD | Weight: 2.64 pound | Dimensions: 11.02 x 5.83 x 1.73 inches

If we look at the graphics cards market, there are two most famous names, NVIDIA and AMD, where AMD is the king of affordable cards. For this time, Gigabyte has done a great job in transforming the Radeon RX 5600 XT into a beast and games-killing machine.

It’s giving strong competition to NVIDIA’s card and is unbeatable in terms of price-to-performance ratio. If we compare it with Nvidia’s RTX 2060, both have pretty much the same performance but the RX 5600 XT is available at a lesser price tag. 

The card was released back in 2020 based on AMD’s 7nm manufacturing process and is powered by the RDNA architecture. One benefit of the 7nm lithography is that it’s less power-hungry than the competition and requires 150W rated power to operate.

Sadly, it lacks the ray tracing and DLSS feature like the Nvidia’s cards but has some important technologies like FidelityFX, Image Sharpening, and more. Also, the better power phases design with MOSFETs and durable chokes add more to overclocking. 

The card’s PCB follows a user-friendly design with an automated production process, a better soldering process, and no sharp edges. Moreover, there are three DisplayPorts and one HDMI port given to establish some secure connections.

Interestingly, the card has RGB lighting on it which is powered by the RGB Fusion 2.0 to do some customization later. The card has the Windforce 3x cooling system containing three 80mm unique fans, five copper heat pipes, and more for proper thermal management. 

Final verdict: The Gigabyte Radeon RX 5600 XT is the best GPU for gaming under $300 with 6GB memory and PCIe 4.0 support for expansion purposes. It’s perfect for gaming without spending much plus getting peak overclocking and cooling efficiencies.

You can play all the current-era titles at 1080p setting at a 60+ fps and three-digit refresh rate. On top of that, you can also use it to get a smooth 1440p graphics output with a three-digit refresh rate but the frame rate would be 30+ in that case.

MAXSUN GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: MAXSUN | Memory capacity: 4GB | RAM type: GDDR5 | Maximum memory speed: 7GHz | Chipset brand: NVIDIA | Weight: 1.19 pound | Dimensions: 7.28 x 4.44 x 1.37 inches

MAXSUN isn’t that famous brand in the market as the others in the market like Zotac, Gigabyte, AMD, or other brands but still, worth it. The brand’s graphics cards are great mixtures of high-end compatibility, excellent thermals, and adequate performance.

The Maxsun GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB is the best value graphics card for gaming with a perfect performance-to-price ratio. So, if you want to receive each penny of your investment in the form of performance, this card is for you. 

The card is based on a 16nm manufacturing process and powered by Nvidia’s Pascal graphics architecture, the successor to the Maxwell architecture. It features a 4GB 128-bit GDDR5 type memory with a 7GHz memory speed.

The 1291MHz base clock speed can increase up to 1392MHz boost clock in full-load conditions. Since there is no support for ray tracing and DLSS support, you can’t expect any type of automatic graphics enhancements–it may lag in this aspect. 

You get DisplayPorts along with one HDMI port, one DP connection, and a DVI link to establish all the necessary connections. Structure-wise, the card is built on a silver-plated PCB sheet with solid capacitors to provide higher efficiency and adequate stability.

There is a 9cm unique fan that provides an impressive airflow without producing much noise. Overall, it’s the best GPU for gaming for under $300 with effective graphics performance, silent operations, and adequate cooling. 

Final verdict: The Maxsun GeForce GTX 1050 Ti isn’t a famous card but perfect for excellent value and a wide range of PC case compatibility due to its smaller size. It has a 4GB memory size that is enough to get 1080p graphics performance with a 60+ fps and a three-digit refresh rate.

Well, if you’re expecting any resolution above the 1080p mark like 1440p, I suggest you choose some other options in this list. There are some solid capacitors in the card that ensure its longer life and effective signal transmission.