Best Video Cards in 2019: The 17 Best GPUs for Gaming (for Any Budget)

PNY RTX 2080 Ti Overview

NVIDIA’s new ray-tracing technology  on their new RTX lineup of cards is a sight to behold. The only problem is that, while ray-tracing can provide a significantly enhanced visual experience for the games that support it, that really wasn’t the kind of feature that gamers were looking for out of the next generation of graphics cards. I think what games wanted most out of the next GPU generation was the ability to play their favorite games on higher resolutions and at higher refresh rates at a reasonable price.

And, while the new RTX lineup does help in that regard, the price that they are now available for isn’t quite justified by the small increase in performance they offer over the previous GTX 1000 series of cards.

Still, though, the RTX 2080 Ti and RTX 2080 are the most powerful single GPUs currently available. And, so if you are someone who wants to push a new 4K 144Hz monitor (technically, 4K 120Hz) or just run a 1440P 144Hz monitor at higher framerates, the 2080 Ti and the 2080 are currently your best options.

Right now, for the available 2080 Tis out there, we like EVGA’s XC ULTRA Gaming edition as it is currently one of the better priced 2080 Tis. It has a boost clock of 1650MHz, sports 11GB of GDDR5 memory, and comes in at a length of 10.6″. It does require a hefty 650W power supply to run, though, so if you’re upgrading your current system, make sure you have enough power to accommodate it.

Ultimately, the RTX 2080 Ti is going to allow you to max out games at 4K resolutions, or will let you run a 1440p/144Hz monitor with no problems.

*Just note, though, that if you are considering buying a RTX 2080 Ti, that there have been a higher-than-normal number of users that have had issues with their RTX 2080 Ti card.

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PNY RTX 2080 Overview

You really have two options if you want the best video card, but you don’t want to spend over $1,000 to get it. And, those options are the GTX 1080 Ti and the new RTX 2080. In terms of in-game performance, the RTX 2080 narrowly edges out the 1080 Ti in the majority of games.

However, when the RTX lineup first released, you could pickup a 1080 Ti for $100+ less than the 2080 Ti and, because of that, many enthusiasts were option for the 1080 Ti instead. As of right now, though, there seems to be a shortage of 1080 Tis, which have driven up their price, and now both the 1080 Ti and 2080 Ti cost about the same.

So, right now it makes more sense to go with the RTX 2080 to get the same performance and NVIDIA’s new ray-tracing technology for the same price. Just be sure that if you want to fully take advantage of this card that you pair it with a high-end G-Sync monitor in order to take advantage of NVIDIA’s variable refresh rate technology.

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Zotac GTX 1080 Ti Overview

While the GTX 1080 Ti isn’t NVIDIA’s latest high-end GPU offering, because of the high prices of their new RTX series cards, the 1080 Ti still is a viable option for anyone that is looking for a top tier graphics card.

I’ve listed Zotac’s AMP GTX 1080 Ti as it is a solid card and is typically one of the more affordable options.

Zotac’s card has a base clock of 1569MHz, sports 11GB of GDDR5 memory, and comes in at a length of 11.8″. It does require a hefty 600W power supply to run, though, so if you’re upgrading your current system, make sure you have enough power to accommodate it.

Ultimately, the GTX 1080 Ti is going to allow you to max out games at 4K resolutions, or will let you run a 1440p/144Hz monitor with no problem. It also easily meets Oculus‘ and HTC’s VR-headset requirements. So, if you’re looking for the best GPU on the market for your new gaming PC, then you’ll definitely want to consider the GTX 1080 Ti.

Right now, there does seem to be a shortage of 1080 Tis available, which has driven up their price to levels that are similar to the newer RTX 2080s. So, as of right now, I’d recommend going with an RTX 2080 for the same price, but if you can grab a 1080 Ti for $700 or less, it would at least be an option to consider over getting an RTX 2080.

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Gigabyte RTX 2070 Overview

The RTX 2070 is a solid graphics card option that will allow you to game on a 4K monitor or a 1440P 144Hz monitor with good framerates. And, in terms of how it stacks up against NVIDIA’s previous generation GTX 1000-series cards, the 2070 slightly outperforms the GTX 1080 in terms of in-game performance.

Right now the cheapest GTX 1080 costs about ~$100 less than the cheapest RTX 2070, so there still is an argument to be made for choosing the GTX 1080 over the RTX 2070.

However, right now, this Gigabyte RTX 2070 comes in at ~$530, and, at that price, that is lower than GTX 1080s were going for during the height of the GPU shortage crisis during the cryptocurrency boom. So, I can imagine that there are a lot of gamers out there who were waiting for GPU prices to settle who will see a ~$530 RTX 2070 as a steal.

In the end, the RTX 2070 is a great video card option at its current price range and if you don’t mind spending an extra ~$100 over the GTX 1080, you’ll get a small in-game performance boost as well as the ability to utilize NVIDIA’s new ray-tracing technology.

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ASUS RX Vega 64 Overview

Of the available RX Vega 64’s on the market, the ASUS RX Vega 64 is currently one of the better priced options. In terms on in-game performance, the Vega 64 is capable of running games at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor, or pushing games at a high framerate on a 1440P 144Hz monitor.

However, for quite a bit less than the Vega 64, you can get either an RTX 2070 or a GTX 1080, both of which will perform on par with—or exceed—the Vega 64 in the majority of games. The only reason why you might want to consider a Vega 64 over the 2070 and/or 1080, though, is if you are planning on getting (or already have) an AMD Freesync monitor. The fact that Freesync monitors are cheaper than G-Sync monitors will help makeup for the higher price tag of the Vega 64 over the 2070 and 1080.

The bottom line, though, is that, in terms of price-to-performance, the RTX 2070 and GTX 1080 are better options. For AMD diehard fans, though, the Vega 64 is your best option for a high-end AMD graphics card.

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ZOTAC GTX 1080 Overview

The price of the GTX 1080 has finally reached a price level that it probably would have been at had it not been for the cryptocurrency-GPU shortage crisis earlier this year. However, part of the reason for the GTX 1080s latest price drop is likely due to the release of NVIDIA’s new RTX lineup of video cards.

So, while the prices on the GTX 1080 are currently better than they have been since they were first released, the reality is that NVIDIA will likely stop producing them in the near future in order to push buyers to their new lineup of cards (which seems to be what is currently happening with their 1080 Tis.)

Still, though, if you don’t want to spend over $500 to get a new RTX 2070, you can currently grab a GTX 1080 for close to $450. That’s not a bad deal considering that the GTX 1080 only slightly trails behind the 2070 in terms of in-game performance.

Also, a GTX 1080 has a minimum power supply requirement of 500W compared to the RTX 2070s minimum requirement of 550W. So, you can save a little bit on a power supply if you opt for the 1080 as well.

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EVGA GTX 1070 Ti Overview

NVIDIA’s GTX 1070 Ti wedges right between the GTX 1080 and 1070 in terms of price and performance.

And, if you were looking at a GTX 1070, you might want to consider bumping up your budget and grabbing the 1070 Ti, because the jump in price at the moment isn’t too significant.

GTX 1070 cards have made their way down into the upper $300s, but you can grab a 1070 Ti for just a little over $400. So, there really isn’t that big of a price difference between the two cards.

In any case, the 1070 Ti is a decent option if your budget is specific enough and at a level to where you have a little more to spend than what the 1070s come in at, and a little less to spend on what the 1080s come in at.

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Gigabyte RX VEGA 56 Overview

Another possible option in the $400-$500 price range is AMD’s RX VEGA 56.

And, while it doesn’t perform quite as well as the cheaper GTX 1070 Ti, the RX Vega 56 will offer solid performance for the price for anyone who needs an AMD graphics card to pair with their AMD Freesync monitor.

Most benchmarks have it trailing behind the GTX 1080 and 1070 Ti and not far ahead of the GTX 1070 in most games, so if you already have a non-Freesync monitor (or you have a G-Sync monitor) you’ll likely want to look at the options from NVIDIA.

Hopefully, the price drops a bit and there are some third party cards out in the near future and, if so, these cards might offer better value.

But, unless you only choose AMD products, you’d probably be better off going with a GTX 1080, 1070 Ti, or 1070.

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EVGA GTX 1070 Overview

Don’t have quite enough to get the GTX 1080 or 1070 Ti? No worries, the new GTX 1070, which was released alongside the 1080 (or, rather a couple of weeks after) offers a better price-to-performance ratio and is definitely one of the top graphics cards in terms of value and performance currently available.

For a little under $400, the GTX 1070 gives you the ability to build a VR-ready gaming machine that can also push higher resolution monitors with ease.

So, whether you want to get an Oculus Rift, or if you want to game at 4K, the 1070 will allow you to do so.

And, with the holiday season approaching, expect to see a price drop in the near future.

If the price reaches the lower or mid $300s—which is what the original MSRP was—these will easily be one of the better price-to-performance cards on the market.

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PowerColor RX 580 Overview

If all you want to do is get a graphics card that will allow you to max out games on a 1080P monitor with high framerates, then your best bet is probably an RX 580 8GB card. You could make a case for the GTX 1060 6GB card, but since the RX 580 will perform similarly to the GTX 1060 in most games (if not outperform it) and it currently comes in at a lower price, in my opinion it is the better option.

Not to mention, if you want to get a new monitor that has a high refresh rate, you’ll likely want to get a display that comes with a variable refresh rate technology. And, since AMD’s variable refresh rate technology is a lot cheaper to obtain than NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology, going with an AMD graphics card is a better option for budget-oriented gamers.

So, not only does the RX 580 8GB cost less than the GTX 1060 6GB, but it also offers a lower cost of entry into high refresh rate gaming.

In the end, the RX 580 8GB graphics card is the perfect option for 1080P gamers who are working with a moderate budget, but who still want high framerates in their games.

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EVGA GTX 1060 Overview

The GTX 1060 is an excellent graphics card for people who have a moderate budget and who want to be able to max-out games on a 1080P monitor. However, the main downside of the GTX 1060 is the fact that its main competitor, the RX 580 8GB, offers pretty much identical performance (if not even better performance) while costing less.

The other problem with the GTX 1060 is that, if you want to pair it with a higher refresh rate monitor, you’ll want to get a G-Sync monitor in order to take advantage of NVIDIA’s variable refresh rate technology. Unfortunately, NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology costs more to implement in monitors than AMD’s variable refresh rate technology does (Freesync). And, so, the combined cost of pairing a GTX 1060 6GB graphics card with a G-Sync monitor is significantly more than pairing an RX 580 GB graphics card with a Freesync monitor.

So, overall, while the 1060 is a great card for the price, if you’re looking for the better all-around option, the RX 580 would be the way to go.

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PowerColor RX 570 Overview

The PowerColor RX 570 is one way to add not only a pop of color to your gaming set up but a boost to your graphics performance.

The 4 GB, 256-bit GDDR5 memory will eliminate screen tears and long rendering times while you’re gaming, and has a 1750MHz (7.0 Gbps) memory clock. The GPU uses the AMD Radeon RX 570 GPU and has a boost clock of 1284 MHz.

This GPU features 2048 stream processors, PCI Express 3.0, and has one DL-DVI-D, one HDMI, and three DisplayPort ports to give you several connectivity options.

Now that AMD’s RX lineup of cards are back and stock and aren’t overpriced due to cryptocurrency miners, they fit right between the GTX 1060 6GB and GTX 1060 3GB cards in terms of price and performance.

So, if you dont’ quite have the budget to reach up and get an RX 580 8GB or GTX 1060 6GB, but you don’t want to be limited in certain games by the GTX 1060 3GB’s lower VRAM, you might want to consider an RX 570.

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MSI GTX 1050 Ti Overview

The GTX 1050 Ti gets outperformed by the RX 570, but it does come in at a slightly lower price tag.

The coolest feature of the GTX 1050 Ti (and the GTX 1050, too) is the fact that you don’t need to hook it up to your power supply. It runs completely off of the power it draws from the PCIe port.

And, the minimum required power supply to run the 1050 Ti is a quality 300W unit.

That’s incredible!

That means that most people with an older desktop can upgrade to the 1050 Ti and enjoy being able to max out most games on a 1080p monitor.

Not too shabby for that price, considering you won’t also have to upgrade your power supply as well.

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ASUS RX 560 AERO Overview

The RX 560 trades blows with the GTX 1050 in most games and offers an additional option to choose from in the ~$100-$120 price range.

However, where the MSI RX 560 stands out is the fact that it comes with 4GB of VRAM as opposed to the GTX 1050’s 2GBs. This is important because newer games are starting to utilize more and more VRAM, and going with a lower VRAM card can force you to turn down settings in your favorite games.

So, while the GTX 1050 listed below is a bit less expensive, you may want to spend a little more to get some extra VRAM.

Ultimately, both cards are solid, but if you want better performance in today’s newer games, you’ll probably want to go with an RX 560.

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EVGA GTX 1050 Overview

The GTX 1050 is the less powerful and more affordable version of the GTX 1050 Ti. It is the perfect option for gamers who are on a tight budget, but who still want to be able to play most games on a 1080p monitor on higher settings.

Like the GTX 1050 Ti, the 1050 also draws all of its power solely from the PCIe port and, thus, doesn’t need to be hooked up directly to a power supply with 6 or 6+2 pin PCIe connectors.

It also only requires a 300W power supply to run, which means that even if you have an older pre-built machine, you can likely plug-in the GTX 1050 and get a significant upgrade in performance.

If you don’t quite want to spend ~$150 on a new GPU, you can definitely save a few bucks and get the GTX 1050.

Ultimately, if you don’t have much over $100 to spend, the GTX 1050 is a solid option. Although, because it only has 2GB of VRAM, it might not be as good of an option as the RX 560 listed above.

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XFX RX 550 Overview

The XFX RX 550 isn’t a high-performance graphics card. Rather, it’s an affordable option for lightweight gaming that gets the job done for 1080p gaming.

It’s also a good option if you have an older system in need of an upgrade before going all out for a higher-end solution.

The RX 550 has three outputs including a Dual Link DVI, and two HDMI ports. It also comes with 2GB of VRAM, which is nice considering older sub-$100 video cards typically came with only 1GB of VRAM

It has 512 stream processors and it is compatible with DirectX 12 on Microsoft Windows 10.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a cheap card that will let you run your favorite games on a 1080P monitor, then this RX 550 will serve you well—at least until you have enough to upgrade up to a higher-end option.

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Gigabyte GT 1030 Overview

The Gigabyte GT 1030 competes with the RX 550 in that both are super budget-friendly graphics cards that will work well if you are building a barebones entry-level system, or if you have an older system that needs to be upgraded in order to keep up with some of today’s newer games.

The 1030, like the RX 550, should be able to handle most games on a 1080P monitor on at mediumish settings. Although, for more demanding games, you will likely have to turn the settings down to low.

Also like the RX 550, the 1030 comes with 2GB of VRAM which should help it a bit more in newer games.

Ultimately, this card isn’t a long-term solution, but it will serve well as a last resort option if you have a super low budget.

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