Good Graphics Card for under $300?

[MKDLMR]

Why does it seem impossible to find something good and affordable? 1440 resolution, 60 fps in most games maxed out. That looks to be 1070 and above required.

Why do the RX 480 8GB and 1060 cost so much and yet deliver so little? I guess they're okay for 1080 resolution, but why does it cost $400+ to get good fps on higher setting; it's not like I'm talking about 4k, which I'd love to have, but money . . . . :-(

 

[hang-the-9]

Just like everything, faster, better usually means more cost. I would not say a 1060 or an RX 480 deliver little, it's faster than cards that cost more before they came out.

So yes, if you want to play at 1440 with max settings you need a higher end card. No way around it. It's always been that way.

 

[MKDLMR]

Just like everything, faster, better usually means more cost. I would not say a 1060 or an RX 480 deliver little, it's faster than cards that cost more before they came out.

So yes, if you want to play at 1440 with max settings you need a higher end card. No way around it. It's always been that way.

Thanks for the reply. They just seem like subpar cards (not worth upgrading to) if you already have a 390 or 970 . . . :-/

 

[hang-the-9]

Just like everything, faster, better usually means more cost. I would not say a 1060 or an RX 480 deliver little, it's faster than cards that cost more before they came out.

So yes, if you want to play at 1440 with max settings you need a higher end card. No way around it. It's always been that way.

Thanks for the reply. They just seem like subpar cards (not worth upgrading to) if you already have a 390 or 970 . . . :-/

Well sure, if you already have a decent card then going to the same card in the same range of speed won't help you much. The 1060 is a replacement for the 960, so if you have a 970 there is no need to move from that unless you get a 1070 or higher. Going to a newer video card but one level lower won't gain you much if anything.

 

[MKDLMR]

Just like everything, faster, better usually means more cost. I would not say a 1060 or an RX 480 deliver little, it's faster than cards that cost more before they came out.

So yes, if you want to play at 1440 with max settings you need a higher end card. No way around it. It's always been that way.

Thanks for the reply. They just seem like subpar cards (not worth upgrading to) if you already have a 390 or 970 . . . :-/

Well sure, if you already have a decent card then going to the same card in the same range of speed won't help you much. The 1060 is a replacement for the 960, so if you have a 970 there is no need to move from that unless you get a 1070 or higher. Going to a newer video card but one level lower won't gain you much if anything.

That's a little bit confusing as the current gen seems to be $100 more expensive than the last gen when they were new.

 

[hang-the-9]

That's a little bit confusing as the current gen seems to be $100 more expensive than the last gen when they were new.

Yes the MSRP is higher overall, but for the same speed you pay less. Price per FPS is lower, price in the same range is higher, for now.

 

[MKDLMR]

That's a little bit confusing as the current gen seems to be $100 more expensive than the last gen when they were new.

Yes the MSRP is higher overall, but for the same speed you pay less. Price per FPS is lower, price in the same range is higher, for now.

That doesn't really make sense; aren't games getting more demanding so it then scales evenly (newer games require newer tech), but now with higher price tags?

 

[hang-the-9]

That's a little bit confusing as the current gen seems to be $100 more expensive than the last gen when they were new.

Yes the MSRP is higher overall, but for the same speed you pay less. Price per FPS is lower, price in the same range is higher, for now.

That doesn't really make sense; aren't games getting more demanding so it then scales evenly (newer games require newer tech), but now with higher price tags?

It does not have to make sense to you, but to the people making and pricing the cards. The cards are selling at the price points they are at, so are priced properly to the market for them. Of course you would want cheaper and cheaper and faster and faster, but you are not the one making money off the cards or what they need to price them after all the development and manufacturing costs come into play. Keep in mind that what consumers view as "the right thing" or "they should be doing this instead" is not what is usually good for companies to stay in business.

 

[MKDLMR]

That's a little bit confusing as the current gen seems to be $100 more expensive than the last gen when they were new.

Yes the MSRP is higher overall, but for the same speed you pay less. Price per FPS is lower, price in the same range is higher, for now.

That doesn't really make sense; aren't games getting more demanding so it then scales evenly (newer games require newer tech), but now with higher price tags?

It does not have to make sense to you, but to the people making and pricing the cards. The cards are selling at the price points they are at, so are priced properly to the market for them. Of course you would want cheaper and cheaper and faster and faster, but you are not the one making money off the cards or what they need to price them after all the development and manufacturing costs come into play. Keep in mind that what consumers view as "the right thing" or "they should be doing this instead" is not what is usually good for companies to stay in business.

Prices keep going up . . . I'd like to see my salary go up proportionately, like 33%