Updated: 4/3/2015
This post looks into the best list of video cards for the money compiled using the specs, prices, performance tests, and user reviews from sites like Amazon, Newegg, and Toms hardware. All 5 of the video cards on this list are solid cards, especially if you are a gamer.
I am sure any of us would love to go out and buy the $600 video card and just be done with it. However, most of us don’t have that kind of money. So, it is often best to look for the best bang for the buck. That is what this list tries to accomplish. Let’s dive right in.
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 Super Clocked ACX 2.0 4GB GDDR5 Graphics Card
The GTX 970 is a solid card overall. This version of the GTX 970 is super clocked and comes from a top video card manufacturer EVGA. Right now, this card is currently right around $340. At this price point, it provides great performance. This card can pretty much handle any modern game you through at it running high settings. Also, according to its owners, another plus of this card is that it overclocks pretty well too.
Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 4GB GDDR5 Dual-X with Boost and OC version
This card is a beast that comes in right around the $200 dollar price point. The Sapphire Radeon R9 can handle all the latest games without too much trouble at all. You should be able to run most games on high settings as well with this card.
EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SuperSC ACX 2.0+ 2GB GDDR5 128bit
If you have right around $200 to spend, this is a solid card for the money. This card can still play the latest games easily and mostly at the highest settings. Many of its users also boost that it runs cool and quiet and doesn’t suck up a ton of power. Overall, you can’t go wrong with this card at this price.
EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti SC 2GB GDDR5 Graphics Card
If you are on a budget, the EVGA GeForce GTX 750Ti is a great card for the money. This card performs very well with games like battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Crysis, and StarCraft 2. You may not be able to play these games at ultra settings, but it can still handle them with ease on medium to high settings. This card should also have some staying power as well with how well it currently handles these games.
Sapphire Radeon R7 260X 2GB GDDR5 OC Version
Last but not least is the Sapphire Radeon R7 260X. This card is currently right around the $130 price point. This card boosts a ton of great reviews and provides great performance for the money. This is a card that can handle the latest games, although not on the highest settings. The Sapphire Radeon R7 260X should be able to handle the next generation of games at decent settings as well making this a great buy for anyone on a tight budget.
Generally speaking, you can’t really go wrong with any video card on this list. It really just depends on your budget and your particular needs. Know of another great card for the money? Let us know in the comments!
R7-265/270 is where my budget max is.
I hear you, I usually spend $200-250 when I buy a video card. However, I don’t run on super high resolutions normally. I know some setups need more GPU power.
my pc atm is i7 3770@ 4.7 ghz, Evga gtx 780 Classified, every year i spend 500-1000 on my gpu 🙂 guess i have ocd when it comes to graphics in game, i must turn on every setting to max uber if i cant well maybe i gota upgrade lol, love the site
Great article Dom ^^ that EVGA GeForce GTX 770 4GB SuperClocked GDDR5 256bit looks smokin hot ^^
Personally I think the R9 280x from sapphire is a better option at the moment.
Most games are pushing closely to using the full 2gb of vram (or going over it) on the 960 and for an extra 40$ or so coming with mantle support (I still think more games will adapt to using mantle #GOTEAMMANTLE) and free sync (cheaper than gsync for a monitor and performs very closely). I think its a more viable option if you don’t want to replace it in a year or so.
Thanks for the comment overlord! I agree that the R9 280X and 960 are also pretty solid cards as well assuming the manufacturer is a solid one.
around august my 6870 dies, had to beg to borrow to get the 260x in the post, using Trixx i got it from 1050/1500 to 1180/1650(6600) on stock power! like the factory oc’ed cards. runs high 60’s – low 70’s upping the fan profile.
Diablo III runs mid80 fps max settings.
works for me.