Best Graphics Cards for the Money (Archive)

[cangelini]

Here are the best gaming GPUs for the money. These graphics cards offer the best performance at their price and resolution (from 720p to 4K).

Best Graphics Cards for the Money : Read more

 

[adamovera]

Archived comments are found here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3212052/graphics-cards-money.html

 

[GTAPC]

The GTX 1080Ti is right around the corner and was sooner than I expected. With a reveal this January 2017 at CES. I guess I'll wait for this before I go upgrading.

 

[belegCZE]

well obviosuly 4k gaming aint still affodable, gonna stick with ym current GTX970 and fullHD monitor for sure.
Hopefully the next gen GPUs will be real deal to 4k gaming.

 

[Olle P]

I wonder how much driver improvements since the GPU reviews has been taken into consideration?

Example:
When the Radeon RX 480 as well as the GeForce GTX 1060 were released they were both fairly good at 1440p. Now they're very capable at 1440p, with only a few titles unplayable at maxed image quality.

 

[WickedPigeon]

That's a big jump from the GTX1050Ti @ $150 to the RX480 @$425. Isn't there anything in the middle? I'm so confused.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

That's a big jump from the GTX1050Ti @ $150 to the RX480 @$425. Isn't there anything in the middle? I'm so confused.

the 1050ti maxes out 1920x1080. so why pay more for 1920x1080 use? the 480 and 1060 are playable 1440p so the next step up.

 

[Olle P]

That's a big jump from the GTX1050Ti @ $150 to the RX480 @$425. Isn't there anything in the middle? I'm so confused.

The RX480 isn't $425, but rather $225 (for the 4GB version).
The tricky thing is that there are RX470 selling at the same price point as GTX1050Ti, and the RX470 perform better!

I'd recommend RX470 for "Good" 1080p (Can't do all games at maximum settings.) and have GTX 1050Ti as an "honourable" because of low power consumption.

The RX480 8GB (as well as GTX 1060 6GB) is "Good" 1440p and maximum 1080p.

 

[CaptainTom]

Honest question for everyone here: WTF happened to Tom's Hardware?


The Haswell review had a "Yawn" in the title for only having a 10% IPC increase over IB, and yet now a near ZERO increase merits a glowing review?

When did TH become a puff-piece website that does nothing but shill marketing? I used to recommend this place to all of my new-to-PC friends, but now I avoid it like the plague. Nothing but ads and misinformation.

This is the website that in-depth analyzed micro-stuttering and proved that the R9 295X2 was fine with a 650w PSU.


Now TH considers a $400 1070 t be "Good for the money" over a $260 R9 Fury?!?!?!?! WTF?! This is pathetic!

 

[CaptainTom]

That's a big jump from the GTX1050Ti @ $150 to the RX480 @$425. Isn't there anything in the middle? I'm so confused.

The RX480 isn't $425, but rather $225 (for the 4GB version).
The tricky thing is that there are RX470 selling at the same price point as GTX1050Ti, and the RX470 perform better!

I'd recommend RX470 for "Good" 1080p (Can't do all games at maximum settings.) and have GTX 1050Ti as an "honourable" because of low power consumption.

The RX480 8GB (as well as GTX 1060 6GB) is "Good" 1440p and maximum 1080p.

I remember when "Best for the Money" meant "Best for the money". Now this is just a list of the newest graphics cards lmao.

The fact that they would even list the 1050 Ti or 1080 at all is a massive joke.

 

[RedJaron]

CaptainTom, you keep copy/pasting that complaint and it will be acted upon.

What's a joke about the 1050 Ti? It's comfortably and readily available for $140 right now. It handily trounces the 460, which forced the 460's price drop. The 470 and 480 are far above the 1050 Ti, but both those cards are at least $40 more. Considering most people set money caps for themselves when buying new components, a lot of people will be asking themselves, "What's the best GPU I can get for $150 or less?" Answer - 1050 Ti.

Yes, the 470 is on sale a few places right now in the $150 - $160 range, but if you're such an ardent reader as you claim, you'd know the monthly Best Of articles don't go by momentary sales such as Black Friday. Once those sales end, the card is back up to $180.

And if you would like to demonstrate a GPU that can serve up better 4K and VR performance than the 1080 for less money, I'm sure everyone is breathlessly waiting on your wisdom and insight.

 

[Olle P]

Yes, the 470 is on sale a few places right now in the $150 - $160 range, ... Once those sales end, the card is back up to $180.

Looking from my own horizon, Sweden, we've had 470's at about 1800 SEK since a week after GTX 1500 was released. (For example Sapphire OC cost 1790 from Oct 10 to Nov 24, and has then been fluctuating a bit. Hardly a "sale" price.)
When I wrote my previous post yesterday it was still true. As of today it seems like prices are more stable around 2000 SEK, possibly due to the last month's higher exchange rate.
By comparison most GTX 1050Ti right now come in the 1650 to 1800 price range.

Picking a recommendation today for 1080p gaming is tricky, to put it mildly. The optimum recommendation depends on budget vs what level of performance is "good enough" for the user.
Is it "good enough" to run today's games at moderate settings, or does one want to run the games released in 2019 at high settings as well? There are video cards available to cover that spectrum, with a price range to match!

 

[leandromg]

They were confused when putting the prices, they put the link of the GTX 1070 instead of the RX 480!

 

[RedJaron]

Olle, we go off US pricing since we can't track the many different VAT and other international prices factors. Most vendors still have the 470 in the $180 - $200 range, minus a few select models on sale this last week. I believe such a pricing note is in the article. If a particular component is priced more competitively in your country, that's a nice change for you.

The Amazon price links are dynamically generated by the site code, so if those prices are off, it's a code glitch and not representative of the writers using wrong pricing data in their recommendations.

 

[RedJaron]

what about these GPU's here?

That lists the 460, 750 Ti, and 950.

The 460 is already included in TH's list. It's faster than the 750 Ti and at this point only marginally more expensive.

The 950 has been replaced by the 1050 and 1050 Ti.

 

[kiniku]

I have an O/Ced 970 on a 2K 27". I play mostly MMOs with a shooter once in a while. For me upgrading with this gen would be throwing money away. But I definitely will keep an eye out for Vega and eventually the 1100 series?

 

[TechyInAZ]

I wouldn't of added the Titan X. Instead put a GTX 1080 SLI configuration as that costs almost the same and brings better performance.

 

[Rexer]

Sometime this month and the beginning of January '17, AMD is bringing out RX 490 and Nvidia's 1080ti. Probably after CES. Maybe we'lll see prices dropping for 480's and 1070's respectively. I hope, I hope, I hope. I'm a cheap guy. I gotta buy according to my budget and woman so I'm pretty much counting the moths in my wallet, too.

 

[PCDesignerR]

Just get a Titan Z and that will solve any issues you have related to graphics...

 

[dusty13]

I am sorry but this is not a very competent review in my opinion. it just is a list of the different cards now available in the current generation.

no evaluation of actual performance with current games vs how future proof they are (except basically a footnote in the 480 section), the link in the listing is incorrect for the 480 and thus presents the wrong price too and it does not even put an emphasis on price/performance.

this is very sloppy compared to previous times - and it reads in a ways that should basically have "sponsored by NVidia" at the end somewhere.

please get your act together, when average youtube channels put out more thorough reviews and listings than a tech-site that site is in trouble.

 

[PCDesignerR]

That seems like a fairly ignorant statement to make. If you are looking for a future proof card it's going to cost you and I don't mean the allowance your wittle parents pay you, it's gonna cost big boy money. As far as a well performing card for current games at less of a cost a GTX 1080 will be fine. Ok, so, you want to talk about the future. Right now the best card you can get short of purchasing a Titan Z is the GTX Titan X Pascal. Then in January-February the GTX 1080ti is coming out and if you have one of those there isn't anything you will have trouble with graphics wise for that time. So really it makes it sound a lot more like you really don't know any of your stuff than anyone here. I hope that this response was more to your satisfaction. Three choices: Titan Z is the top, then Titan X Pascal, and then GTX 1080. Correct me if I'm wrong but when the 1080ti comes out, it will still not go over the top of the performance of a Z but like I said, that card costs big boy money.

Also, if you want performance reviews for each or any of these cards go to Amazon.com and look up each one, or go to Newegg. Or you could just request one here and not be an asshat, or, you could do a proficient amount of Google searching and apart from the 1080ti you should be able to find a Toms Hardware performance review for each of these cards...

 

[ScrewySqrl]

the best cards article isn't designed to be a full review anyway. That's why there is a link to the full review on each entry!

 

[Bardebay]

Sorry,this is a off topic.
AMD and Nvidia is fighting here and there. Which one will be better at video editing?and which card?

 

[dominic_00]

whats the best nvidia card for under or around 250?

 

[Bardebay]

whats the best nvidia card for under or around 250?

There is many options for graphic cards,how ever,just check it out from Nvidia,and see what do you need it for,game,video editing,etc.