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If you’re building or upgrading a desktop PC right now, you’ve likely noticed that lingering parts shortages have left the GPU market somewhat dry. Things seem to be getting a bit better, though, there are a few GPU deals floating around if you’ve got a sharp eye — and quick timing. We can hopefully make that search a little easier: Below, we’ve sniffed out the best GPU deals that are out there this month, along with a short buying guide to help you make the right choice.
However, in this market, shopping for a pre-built desktop might be a better choice, so be sure to check out these gaming PC deals, too.
Today’s best GPU deals
The Radeon RX 6700 XT is one of AMD’s new top-tier GPUs, roughly comparable to the Nvidia RTX 30-series. It’s more than capable of handling 1440p gaming or even 4K with a suitable monitor.
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AMD’s Radeon RX 580 is still one of the best values when it comes to 1080p gaming, and it’s ideal for a more mid-range PC build.
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If 1080p gaming is your goal and around $200 is your budget limit, look no further than the AMD Radeon RX 560 GPU.
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If your needs are very basic, the GeForce GT 730 will give you dedicated graphics processing power on the cheap. Ideal for super-budget PC builds or a pre-built desktop that lacks a dedicated GPU.
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For basic graphical needs and tasks such as video editing the Nvidia 710 with 2GB of VRAM is an ideal discrete GPU that’s easy on the wallet.
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The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 easily handles 1440p gaming at high to ultra settings, and can even do 4K gaming if you have a UHD monitor for it.
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It’s not a screaming deal, but this is still one of the better prices you’ll find right now on one of the best GPUs in the GeForce lineup.
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Moving up in price a bit brings us to the Radeon RX 6600, which is a very capable higher-end card that still offers a lot of value for its power.
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The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super hits a nearly perfect sweet spot between price and performance for 1080p Full HD gaming at 60 frames per second.
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It’s a little long in the tooth in 2021, but for the price, the Radeon RX 550 still offers decent performance for budget gaming PC builds.
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If Nvidia is your flavor, then the GeForce GTX 1650 is the card to get for playing the latest games at 1080p Full HD.
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The Radeon RX 6500 XT is one of the best entry-level 1080p-capable GPUs, and punches above its weight with 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM.
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Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1660 is the gold standard for budget-friendly 1080p gaming, allowing you to enjoy modern games at good settings without emptying your bank account.
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Need a GPU for light gaming or basic video editing? The GeForce GT 1050 Ti is a an affordable video card that fits the bill without emptying your wallet.
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We generally recommend the newer Nvidia GTX 16-series cards, but at this price point, it’s hard to do better than this last-gen GeForce GT 1030 GPU if you’re on a tight budget.
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It’s basic to be sure, but if your needs are modest and integrated graphics processing isn’t enough, the Radeon 5450 gives you a discrete GPU for a super-cheap price.
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How to choose a GPU
The cryptocurrency mining boom caused a crisis in GPU availability for several years (video cards being necessary to mine things like Bitcoin) causing prices to skyrocket, and if you remember that, then you know it was a dark time for PC builders for awhile. Thankfully, things have stabilized in recent years; on top of that, there are now plenty of surprisingly cheap GPUs that make 1080p/60 fps PC gaming more accessible than ever — and if you want to get into 1440p Quad HD or 4K Ultra HD gaming, you’ve got more than a few options there, too.
When shopping for GPU deals, the two big names you’re going to see are AMD Radeon and Nvidia GeForce. These are often sold under different brand names (such as XFX, MSI, Asus, and so on), but the GPU hardware itself — that is, the stuff that actually does the heavy lifting when it comes to graphics processing — is pretty much the same. The differences between card manufacturers will come down to details like heat sink efficiency and cooling capabilities. Be sure to read plenty of customer reviews, but generally speaking, you’re in safe waters sticking with a highly rated card from a reputable maker.
As far as choosing between AMD and Nvidia, you can’t really go wrong with either. Both companies make great graphics cards, and today, you can find cheap GPUs from either one that are capable of running modern games at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second (the standard for PC gaming). AMD Radeon cards are typically touted as the superior value, but Nvidia cards aren’t typically priced much higher and GPU deals mean you can often find the latest GeForce video cards for the same price you’d pay for an equivalent Radeon GPU. Also, don’t assume that because you have an AMD CPU that you need an AMD GPU. AMD CPUs pair perfectly well with Nvidia video cards.
Of all PC components, graphics cards cover perhaps the widest range of capabilities and price points. The AMD Radeon RX 500-series and 5500 cards deliver excellent 1080p performance and are a great value. In the same bracket are the Nvidia GeForce GTX 16-series cards (1650, 1650 Super, 1660, 1660 Ti, etc.). Expect to pay around $150-$250 for a cheap GPU in this category. On the higher end of the spectrum are the AMD Radeon RX 5000- and 6000-series cards and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 20-series and 30-series cards. These are naturally pricier, but are a better choice for enthusiast PC builds where 1440p or 4K gaming are a priority. We generally advise against the last-generation Nvidia GTX 10-series cards unless your budget is tight and you find a really good GPU deal on one.
One final consideration (but one that’s no less important for a gaming PC setup) is your monitor. A proper gaming monitor will have built-in vertical sync technology — either AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync — that’s made to work with one of the two GPU brands. Generally speaking, a FreeSync monitor is made for AMD cards while G-Sync monitors work best with Nvidia cards, but this isn’t a hard rule. Nvidia has been offering more cross-compatibility support for its cards lately, and many FreeSync monitors work fine with Nvidia GPUs (although you may have to use a DisplayPort cable instead of HDMI for the best results, so make sure your monitor supports that). Again, be sure to do your research when shopping for monitor deals to ensure your display is fully compatible with your GPU and vice-versa.
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