Best Budget PC Graphics Cards

AMD's new Radeon HD 7770 graphics processor is the first of their new budget class of graphics cards. At stock speeds, the Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 isn't really much better than the previous Radeon HD 6870 graphics card in terms of performance or features. What makes the difference here though is the overclocking potential. Overclocking the card is very easy to do with AMD's Overdrive feature in their own Catalyst drivers and help push it past the previous generation. It should be able to handle games up to 1920x1080 resolutions with moderate to high detail levels and possibly some filtering depending upon the game engine. The only real downside is that the pricing could be better than the currently $160 which puts it on part with many Radeon HD 6870's. The card is a double width design but relatively short to fit in most cases. It features 2 mini-DisplayPort, 1 HDMI and 1 DVI connectors. It also draws less power requiring just one PCI-Express 6-pin power connector and a recommended 450 watt power supply.

NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 560 is a graphics processor that can perform pretty much equally to the Radeon HD 6870. In fact, in some games it will actually do a bit better but it falls short in others. The EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Superclocked pushes the base clock speed of the processor higher up to 850MHz to give it a bit more performance. It should handle games up to 1920x1080 with no problem and even a bit beyond that but with fewer filters. A minimum 450W power supply is required along with two 6-pin PCI-Express graphics power connectors. Priced around $200.

While the new Radeon HD 7750 is available for well under $150, the performance is a bit disappointing on a cost basis when compared with the previous generation of cards. Because of this, the Radeon HD 6870 1GB cards often offer better overall performance and at a reduced cost. The XFX Double D Radeon HD 6870 1GB is one of a growing number of cards that can be found for under $150 with rebates. Gaming should be able to handle the 1920x1200 resolutions with no problem but it does have a bit more of a problem with high levels of filters on newer game titles due to the 1GB of video memory. The card features a unique double fan design that is different from your typical reference design that should help keep the card cooler. It features 2 mini-Displayport, 2 DVI and one HDMI video connectors. It is a double width card design and recommends a 500 W power supply with two 6-pin PCI-Express graphics power connectors.

NVIDIA has revived its previous naming system with some of their mid-ranged cards which can lead to some confusion. The GeForce GTX 550 Ti is one of the lowest of the GTX performance series of cards but it still offers solid performance. The ASUS model uses a non-reference cooler that offers improved cooling and noise. The advantage is that this allows buyers to play around with overclocking the card with the ASUS voltage tweak software to try and get a bit more performance from the card. It can easily support games at 1920x1080 but has to sacrifice detail and filters for higher resolutions. At least a 350W or higher power supply with a single 6-pin PCI-Express power connector is required. Priced around $130.

While AMD has released several of the new 7000 series graphics processor, they still haven't introduced their lowest budget class cards yet. Those looking to get a low cost option for their desktop would best be served by the Radeon HD 6770 graphics card. This model from Sapphire comes in just under $100. This Direct X 11 card isn't well suited to gaming at 1920x1080 resolutions except for some games at lower detail levels but it can achieve 1600x900 very reliably. Of course, don't expect to be using any filtering either. The card is a double width design and features one DVI, one HDMI and one VGA connector. It requires a single 6-pin PCI-Express power connector and is recommended to have a 400 watt power supply or higher.

While NVIDIA is now on the GeForce 500 series cards for performance, those looking for a less expensive card will have to rely on the older 400 series. The GeForce GT 440 isn't going to be winning any performance awards but it does provide sufficient performance for casual gaming at a very low price. It is fully Direct X 11 compatible and can run games up to 1600x900 without any filters but will struggle on many games at higher resolutions. Unlike other cards, this model only takes up a single card slot in width and doesn't require additional power connectors. It is still recommended to have a 300W power supply though. Priced around $80.