Updated on August 14, 2022
To get the finest picture and video quality and to work more efficiently with high-resolution graphics, getting the best graphics card under $500 for your computer is a wise investment.
Graphics cards under $500 are hard to come by, making it a challenge to make a purchase. It’s also important to consider your display and any other specifications you may have.
Buying a graphics card has never been easier thanks to our simplified purchasing process. Our graphics card buying guide has everything you need to know.
- Powered by GeForce GTX 1660 Ti integrated…
- Windforce 2x cooling system with alternate…
- Intuitive controls with AORUS engine
- 6GB 192 bit GDDR6
Our Top Pick!
Even if you’re a novice in the world of gaming, a powerful graphics card is the best way to ensure your success. No other graphics card can match the GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Ti’s feature set and price.
If you’re looking for the finest graphics card under $500, we think this one is the one.
12 gigabytes per second of data processing is possible with the GTX 1660 TI’s 1,830 MHz clock speed.
With a single HDMI port and three display connectors, you can easily connect the device to other display devices, such as laptops. In order to maintain a suitable temperature, it has two fans with curved blades rotating simultaneously.
To use your device and even record your experience wirelessly, get the software from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
PCI-E based graphics card interface guarantees a lag-free gaming experience with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 CPU. A great visual experience is further aided with an 8x PCI express interface and memory running at 800 MHz.
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2. EVGA GeForce RTX 2060
- Real Boost Clock: 1755 MHz; Memory Detail:…
- Real-time Ray tracing in games for…
- Single HDB fan offers higher performance…
- Built for EVGA Precision x1 – EVGA all-new…
Best Value For Money
|
Base Clock |
1,365 MHz |
|
Boost Clock |
1,755 MHz |
|
Memory Bandwidth |
336 GB/s |
|
GPU Cores |
1,920 |
|
Fans |
One |
The EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 is the best value for your money without sacrificing performance. It is the most cost-effective option.
If you’re a gamer looking for a low-cost card with ray-tracing capabilities, go no further than this graphics card.
The EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 has 30 RT cores, 240 tensor cores, and 1,920 CUDA cores in its NVIDIA TU106 Turing graphics processing unit. Also, it has the most recent GDDR6 video memory, which is 6 Gigabytes.
A single HDB, i.e., hydrodynamic fan, with a 2.75-slot GPU cooler helps keep the temperature in check, while the basic frequency of 1,365 MHz may be raised to 1,755 MHz.
A mini-ITX system with only two slots may not accept the 7-inch-long EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card, which requires up to three slots. Additionally, the card’s single 8-pin power connector and six distinct power phases allow for reasonable overclocking.
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- Core Clock (MHz): 1873 in OC Mode and 1847 in…
- WINDFORCE 3X with Blade Fan Design
- Integrated with 6GB GDDR5 192bit memory
- RGB fusion – 16.7M customizable color.
Best For Gamers
|
Base Clock |
OC Mode 1,645 MHz |
|
Boost Clock |
OC Mode 1,873 MHz |
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Memory Bandwidth |
192 GB/s |
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GPU Cores |
1,280 |
|
Fans |
Two |
The Gigabyte AORUS Xtreme GeForce GTX 1060 follows as the next powerful graphics card for gaming in our top graphics card under $500 ratings.
It’s all thanks to the NVIDIA® PascalTM GPU architecture, which features a 6 GB GDDR5 VRAM with a 192-bit memory and 16.7M RGB fusion RGB illumination.
The WINDGORCE 2X cooling system on the Gigabyte AORUS Xtreme GeForce GTX 1060 will allow you to play for hours without worrying about it overheating. This system comprises heat pipes constructed from pure copper, dual 100-millimeter fans, a significant-sized copper plate with direct touch technology, protection rear plate, and semi-passive 3D fans.
These two components work in tandem to keep the CPU and GPU cooler by transferring heat from the CPU and GPU cores to the heatsink.
For graphics cards, the inclusion of three display connectors and three native HDMI inputs is unusual, but that is exactly what the Gigabyte AORUS Xtreme GeForce GTX 1060 has. This lets you to connect up to four monitors at the same time, as well as virtual reality gears.
Because it is plug-and-play, no additional drivers or software are required.
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- Brand MSI, Model RX580ARMORMK2 8GOC
- Interface PCI Express x16, Chipset…
- Effective Memory Clock 8000 MHz, Memory Size…
- HDMI 2 x HDMI, Multi-Monitor Support 4
Best AMD Graphics Card Under $500
|
Base Clock |
1,257 MHz |
|
Boost Clock |
1,353 MHz |
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Memory Bandwidth |
256 GB/s |
|
GPU Cores |
2,304 |
|
Fans |
Two |
It’s hard to find a better AMD graphics card under $500 than the MSI Gaming Radeon RX 580 ARMOR MK2, which is the best option available.
This graphics card is perfect if you utilise many monitors for gaming or work, occasionally use virtual reality gear, or enjoy playing games at ultra-high settings.
Overclocked, the MSI Game Radeon RX 580 Armor MK2 is capable of clocking up to 1,380 megahertz (OC), 1,366 megahertz (gaming), and up to 1,340 megahertz (quiet). There is an 8 GB GDDR5 visual memory with a 256-bit bus width and an 8,000 MHz memory frequency for all modes.
Regardless of the specified frame rate per second, the display will be clear, crisp, and lag-free with no glitches thanks to the AMD FreeSync technology.
Furthermore, the MSI Gaming Radeon RX 580 ARMOR MK2 boasts two MSI TORX fans to ensure that temperatures remain within safe limits. Two fans, one with dispersion fan blades and the other with a standard fan blade, are used to provide proper cooling.
The Afterburner Overclocking Utility that comes with this graphics card makes overclocking a breeze.
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- Turing architecture, ray tracing cores,…
- 8gb 256-bit gddr6, 14gbps
- Ice storm 2. 0, our strongest cooling, metal…
- 4k ready, 4 display ready, super compACt 8.
Best High-End Option Under $500
|
Base Clock |
1,605 MHz |
|
Boost Clock |
1,770 MHz |
|
Memory Bandwidth |
448 GB/s |
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GPU Cores |
2,560 |
|
Fans |
Two |
The ever-popular ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mini rounds off our list of the top graphics cards under $500. Everyone agrees that this is the best high-end alternative available for less than $500 dollars.
The Turing architecture of the graphics card allows you to take advantage of AI and real-time ray tracing.
The ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mini has an HDMI 2.0 output and three display connections on the front of the card. The 2,560 CUDA cores and secure-API connectivity of this device make it ideal for multitasking and executing graphically heavy apps in addition to gaming.
An aluminium fin array and two 8-millimeter wide copper heat pipes on the GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mini keep the graphics card from overheating. IceStorm 2.0 cooling technology is used. The aluminium fin array and heat pipes remove heat from the system’s core.
Streaming videos and playing games at 4K resolution are both possible with the graphics card’s 1,770 MHz boost clock and its small 8.3-inch form factor, which makes it compatible with 99 percent of computer systems.
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Applications For Mid To High Range Graphics Cards
For cards meant for specific functionalities, check these detailed reviews
How To Boost Performance With GPU Overclocking
An inexpensive graphics card can have its base clock speed increased. Follow these steps to speed up your video card:
A stress test tool such as Heaven Stress Testing or 3DMArk should be downloaded and installed before you proceed.
The MSI burner will additionally display the current temperature as addition to the base clock and memory clock.
Try raising the core clock by 5% if the problem persists.
4 Try increasing the RAM clock speed to 100 MHz and see if it works.
10MHz of clock speed increase is tested in this step.
It’s possible that if everything looks good, you’ll be able to find out if the problem persists by running stress tests or a game at a higher clock rate.
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To avoid a system crash during the benchmark, lower the clock speed by 10 MHz.
Adjusting the temperature in MSI Afterburner 8.9 will ensure that everything is running at a stable level. The GPU core’s clock speed can now be increased by an additional 10 MHZ, as the temperature has risen.
Watch this instructional video to discover how to properly overclock your graphics card.
Video Card Maintenance & Troubleshooting
Your PC works tirelessly to ensure that you have an uninterrupted experience.. In order to retain this level of performance, you must take great care to keep the internal components in top condition.
Graphics cards can suffer from increased heat, reduced fan speeds and other issues with time, so this is very crucial. In the event that something like this occurs, the following actions should be followed:
Update the motherboard’s and graphics card’s drivers.
If the issue is resolved after turning off the sound system, try installing fresh sound drivers.
Installing fast cables for effective data transfer may be necessary if this fixes the problem.
Reduce the graphics card’s clock speed
Keep a stand fan close to the casing to further reduce the warmth.
Use MemTest86 and Prime95 to test your RAM and CPU.
Keep these things in mind while you care for your card, and it will serve you well for years to come:
Remove it from the system without causing damage to the ports and connectors.
Clean the fans and heatsinks with a brush and compressed air.
Remove any remaining thermal tape as well.
Remove the graphics card from its slot and clean it.
Install the latest drivers and other software.
Quick Guide To Graphics Card Pricing Points
Budget $50-$150
Graphics cards between $50 to $150 are a good bet for casual gaming, browsing the web at random, managing documents, and producing good video. They are a leg up to a random integrated video card and require a maximum of 400-watts to operate.
Take a look at our buying guide: $150 Best Graphics Card
Entry Level $150-$250
You’ll need a graphics card in this price range if you wish to watch videos at 1080p. Gaming at medium to high graphics and watching 4K, Blu-ray, or FHD videos can be done with these. These, too, will require up to 400 watts of electricity to run.
Mid-Range $250-$500
At high settings, these graphics cards are capable of running the most recent games at 1440p, and they can even be used to play at medium settings on 4K. The power consumption of these cards is estimated to be in the range of 400-450 watts. We’ll get into the specifics of the graphics cards under $500 later in the article.
Top-Range $500+
More expensive video cards are capable of handling the most demanding gamers and animators out there.
There is no limit to what they can do, from editing videos and photographs to playing high-quality games at ultra-high settings with an incredible refresh rate.
In addition to supporting VR, many of the current models on the market require 500 watts of power to run.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
Your PC works tirelessly to ensure that you have an uninterrupted experience.. In order to retain this level of performance, you must take great care to keep the internal components in top condition.
Graphics cards can suffer from increased heat, reduced fan speeds and other issues with time, so this is very crucial. In the event that something like this occurs, the following actions should be followed:
Update the motherboard’s and graphics card’s drivers.
If the issue is resolved after turning off the sound system, try installing fresh sound drivers.
Installing fast cables for effective data transfer may be necessary if this fixes the problem.
Reduce the graphics card’s clock speed
Keep a stand fan close to the casing to further reduce the warmth.
Use MemTest86 and Prime95 to test your RAM and CPU.
Keep these things in mind while you care for your card, and it will serve you well for years to come:
Remove it from the system without causing damage to the ports and connectors.
Clean the fans and heatsinks with a brush and compressed air.
Remove any remaining thermal tape as well.
Remove the graphics card from its slot and clean it.
Install the latest drivers and other software.
Conclusion
Some of the greatest graphics cards on the market were tested, reviewed, and compared by us. In the $500 price range, we recommend the GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Ti for its many features and capabilities
