The Best 300 dollar graphics card in 2022
The graphics card in your PC has a significantly bigger impact on your gaming experience than any other component. Subpar graphics will ruin your experience even if you have the fastest CPU and plenty of RAM. Having saying that, upgrading your graphics card requires some research and planning.
There are various factors to consider before making a final decision, including compatibility, performance, and future upgradeability. In this article, we’ll explain the features of different graphics cards and help you find the best graphics card under $300. A good graphics card can keep your computer fast and efficient for years to come, while a bad one can slow it down and possibly even cause problems with programs or other components.
Best 300 Dollar graphics card
| Product Title | Design | Model |
|---|---|---|
| Best Pick |  | ASUS Geforce GTX 1050 Ti Pheonix OC |
| Great Pick |  | PowerColor Radeon Red Dragon 550 4 GB |
| Upgrade Pick |  | Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 OC 2 GB GDDR5 |
Graphics card with under 300$ release price
| Product Title | Design | Model |
|---|---|---|
| Best Pick |  | XFX Radeon RX 5600 XT Thicc II Pro |
| Upgrade Pick |  | MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X |
1. ASUS Geforce GTX 1050 Ti Pheonix OC
Cuda cores: 768| Boost Clock: 1,392 MHz| Base Clock: 1291 MHz | Memory: 4 GB GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 7 Gbps| Outputs: 1x Displayport, 1x HDMI and 1x DVI
The Asus Phoenix GTX 1050 Ti 4GB is the best 300 dollar graphics card right now. It has 768 Cuda cores and 4GB of GDDR5 memory. This GPU has a 1392 MHz boost Clock speed and 7 Gbps of Memory Clock speed.
The GTX 1050 Ti is the best option for playing MOBA games or some fewer graphics demanding games like CS: GO, GTA V, Fallout 4, and Far Cry Primal with High graphics settings. Compared to Nvidia GTX 950 and AMD 560 4GB, the GTX 1050 Ti is a better option. It can’t handle every latest game, so the only solution to play the latest games with this GPU is to lower the graphics settings and resolution. It can easily run most of the 2016-17 games with high graphics settings and some 2018 games with medium graphics.
As a small form factor GPU, the ASUS GTX 1050 Ti can be fitted into a small computer case. The other great thing about this GPU is that it consumes very little power, so a heavy power supply is not required to run this GPU. The GPU maintains average temperatures during Gaming but produces a little noise.
Overall, it is a great option for mid-level Gaming and video editing. It doesn’t require any heavy PSU or more space in a PC case, making it easy for those with an old pre-built PC.
Reasons to Buy
- Runs modern games at 1080p 60 FPS
- A great option for MOBA games
- Average temps during Gaming
- Small factor card
- Great energy efficiency
Reasons to Avoid
- Fans noise could be improved
- RX 470 performs better and has the same release price
2. PowerColor Radeon Red Dragon 550 4 GB
Cores: 512| Boost Clock: 1071 MHz| Base Clock: 1100 MHz | Memory: 4 GB GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 7 Gbps| Outputs: 1x Displayport, 1x HDMI and 1x DVI
The AMD Radeon RX 550 4GB is a low-budget gaming graphics card released for under 100 dollars but currently selling for 200-250 dollars. It has 512 Cuda cores and 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, which has a Memory Clock speed of 7 Gbps.
The RX 550 4GB is not the best choice for Gaming, but it provides the best performance at this price. In Gaming, It provides better performance than Nvidia GT 1030 2GB and GTX 750 Ti 2GB.
If you play games like Valorant, CS: GO, GTA V, League of Legends, and Overwatch, then RX 550 4GB can be a great option for you. Playing the latest games is not possible with this graphics card, and it’s much slower than the Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti. But, It can easily run GTA V with 60 FPS at High graphics settings, Overwatch with 90 FPS at low graphics settings, and Valorant with 80+ FPS with Medium graphics settings.
All-inclusive, The PowerColor RX 550 4GB is a good option for Gaming. The GPU runs very cool and can provide very appealing graphics in many famous games. But, we think it’s selling for a very higher price. For current pricing, under 150 dollars could be better.
Reasons to Buy
- Runs many good games smoothly at 1080p.
- Provides better gaming performance than GTX 1030 and GTX 750 Ti.
- Better temperatures
- Consume less power
- Small size GPU
- No power connectors required
Reasons to Avoid
- Current pricing is not good
- Because it’s an old GPU so it’s Hard to find one.
3. Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 OC 2 GB GDDR5
Cuda Cores: 584| Boost Clock: 1518 MHz| Base Clock: 1266 MHz | Memory: 2 GB GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 6 Gbps| Outputs: 1x HDMI and 1x DVI
If you are looking for a very low-power consuming graphics card that can run many games at 1080p with decent graphics settings, then the Gigabyte GT 1030 2GB can be the best graphics card for under 300 dollars.
The Gigabyte GT 1030 2GB has 384 Cuda Cores and 2 GB of GDDR5 memory. It has a Boost Clock speed of 1518 MHz which is 3% better than the reference model.
Many gamers are still playing games like GTA V and CS: GO, and this GPU can smoothly run these games at 1080p with High graphics settings. Like the RX 550 4GB, GT 1030 can’t provide that much gaming performance, but it’s 60% more power-efficient.
It ran GTA V smoothly at 1080p High graphics settings by providing 50+ FPS, CS: GO runs with 80+ FPS at High graphics, Valorant with 150+ FPS with High graphics, and Fortnite ran smoothly at Performance mode. But, not recommended for playing the latest games like AC: Odyssey, RDR2, Apex Legends, etc.
Overall, the Gigabyte GT 1030 OC is an excellent low-power GPU for Gaming. It can also be the best option for you if you have an old pre-built GPU with a 200-250 Watt power supply. It also runs some good games with reasonable graphics settings; also, the GPU remains super cool during Gaming. The price is still for this GPU; 100-120$ can be a reasonable price for this GPU.
Reasons to Buy
- Runs some good games at 1080p
- Very power efficient
- No power connectors required
- Excellent temperatures
- Runs very quiet
- Small size GPU
- Supports 4K 60 Hz video
- Improves Graphics design performance
Reasons to Avoid
- Slower than RX 550 4GB
- Higher pricing
Graphics card with under 300$ release price
1. XFX Radeon RX 5600 XT Thicc II Pro
Cores: 2,304| Boost Clock: 1620 MHz| Base Clock: 1465 MHz | Memory: 6 GB GDDR6 | Memory Clock: 12 Gbps| Outputs: 1x HDMI and 3x DisplayPort
The XFX AMD RX 5600 XT Thicc II Pro is the best graphics card released for under 300 dollars. It is also the most powerful GPU in the under 300$ category.
This GPU has 2304 Cuda Cores and 6 GB of GDDR6 Memory. It has a Boost Clock speed of 1620 MHz which is 4% higher than the reference model, and has 12 Gbps of Memory Clock speed.
The XFX RX 5600 XT can easily handle every latest game at 1080p with Max out graphics settings; even 1440p gaming lovers can enjoy high graphics gaming. The performance of RX 5600 XT is very close to Nvidia RTX 2060. This RX 5600 XT beats the Nvidia GTX 1660 Super by providing almost 15% better performance. We can say that the XFX RX 5600 XT is a future-proof card for 1080p Gaming.
We tested some games at 1440p and Ultra graphics settings, and the results were superb. This card provided 60 FPS in The Witcher III, 33 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 85 FPS in Hitman 3, 75 FPS in Forza Horizon 4. If we talk about high refresh rate gaming at 1440p, Even then, it was second to none. The Rainbow Six Siege provided 138 FPS, 91 FPS in Apex Legends, and 110 FPS in Overwatch.
Features and some Drawbacks
There are some good features as well as some drawbacks to this Graphics card. However, its drawbacks can be overlooked. Let’s talk about the excellent features of this GPU. The GPU has great cooling performance and has extremely quiet fans. It also has an idle fan stop feature. The energy efficiency is also very improved, and this GPU consumes less power than Nvidia RTX 2060 and GTX 1070 Ti. Also, in some games, RX 5600 XT performance is better than GTX 2060 Super.
The drawbacks are minor, and many people may ignore them. The Ray-tracing performance of this GPU is not good. Also, its multi-monitor power draw is high, and there is no VRM temperature monitoring.
Overall, The XFX RX 5600 XT Thicc II Pro is an excellent 300 dollar graphics card. It is a future-proof option for 1080p Gaming also an excellent pick for 1440p and 1080p high refresh rate gaming. In terms of features, this GPU also offers a lot for its price bracket.
Reasons to Buy
- Provides performance close to RTX 2060 and GTX 1080
- Cheaper than RTX 2060 and GTX 1080
- Only 10$ price increase over MSRP
- Fans are extremely quiet, even under load
- Good cooling performance while Gaming
- Idle Fan stop
- Backplate included
- Great energy efficiency
- Good overclocking potential
Reasons to Avoid
- Bad Ray tracing performance
- Multi-monitor power draw is high
- No VRM temps monitoring
- Fan control configuration can be made better.
2. MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X
Cuda cores: 1,408| Boost Clock: 1,830 MHz| Base Clock: 1530 MHz | Memory: 6GB GDDR6 | Memory Clock: 14 Gbps| Outputs: 3x Displayport, 1x HDMI
The MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Super is the best budget Graphics card under 300 Dollars; actually, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super was released for under 250$. But this MSI version is 30$ premium over MSRP.
The MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X is one of the most premium version of GTX 1660 Super. It has 1408 Cuda Cores and 6 GB of GDDR6 Memory. The Boost Clock speed is 1830 MHz, which is 3% better than the reference model.
The MSI GTX 1660 Super is the best option for 1080p Gamers. It can easily run every latest game at 1080p with Ultra graphics settings. Its performance is very close to Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1070 8 GB. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT is also 14-15%% faster in 1080p gaming. Its previous version, GTX 1660, is almost 10-12% slower. The 1080p Ultra graphics setting allows 85% of the latest games to run at 60 frames per second and 99% of them at 30 frames per second.
The MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X comes with excellent features. The GPU delivers superb cooling performance without making any fan noise. MSI has also included the Idle fan stop features, which shuts down the fans during light usage. The MSI GTX 1660 Super is also very energy efficient, 8% more than GTX 1070 8 GB. You can also gain 7-9% more FPS by Overclocking this GPU. The only downside is that it doesn’t support RTX and DLSS, but that’s fine for this category GPU.
Overall, the MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X is a good 300-dollar graphics card for 1080p Gaming. It also has superb features like great cooling, good Overclocking potential, and great energy efficiency.
Reasons to Buy
- Superb cooling performance
- Very quiet fans
- Performance very close to GTX 1660 Super and GTX 1070 8 GB
- Can runs many games at 1440p with high graphics
- Exceptional overclocking potential
- Idle fan stop feature
- Has a Backplate
- Very good energy efficiency
- Factory Overclocked
Reasons to Avoid
- A little expensive then reference model
- Can’t support RTX and DLSS feature
Conclusion
The 300$ budget is very good for selecting a GPU because the graphics cards in this budget can easily run every latest game at 1080p with high or ultra graphics settings. We have selected graphics that are available for under 300$ right now and also the best graphics cards that were released under 300 dollars.
Currently, the best GPU that you can get is the Asus GTX 1050 Ti. The GPU can run many latest games at 1080p with high graphics settings.
The best graphics card that was released under the 300$ price segment is the XFX Radeon RX 5600 XT Thicc II Pro. It can easily run every latest game at 1080p with Max out graphics settings. This GPU can easily handle 1440p Gaming.
