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Best Graphics Cards For The Money: October 2014
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1. Best Graphics Cards for the Money, October Updates

Detailed graphics card specifications and reviews are great, assuming you have the time to do the research. But at the end of the day, a gamer needs to know what the best graphics card is for their money. So, if you don’t have the time to research the benchmarks, or if you don’t feel confident enough in your ability to pick the right card, then fear not. We've compiled a simple list of the best gaming cards offered in any given price range.

October Updates:

We are impressed with Nvidia's "second-generation" Maxwell architecture, not just because of its impressive pixel-pushing prowess and low power usage, but because the company launched its desktop flagship at a price point low enough to disrupt the market. The GeForce GTX 980 boasts 2048 CUDA cores, 128 texture units, 64 ROPs, 1750 MHz GDDR5 RAM on an aggregate 256-bit memory interface, and a 165W TDP. Its performance is on par with the GeForce GTX 780 Ti, despite a significantly lower $550 MSRP. The other model is the 145W GeForce GTX 970, which hosts 1664 CUDA cores and 104 texture units, but features the same ROP count and memory bandwidth as Nvidia's 980. This results in Radeon R9 290X-class performance with a $330 price tag.

At $330, the impressive GeForce GTX 970 scores an easy recommendation. You might think the GeForce GTX 980 would be a no-brainer, too, but with the GeForce GTX 780 Ti being phased out and heavily discounted in the $440 range, the 980's appeal is diminished for now. For as long as it lasts, the GeForce GTX 780 Ti takes our top recommendation as a tremendous value.

Of course, there's more to Nvidia's new GM204 graphics processor than just raw performance; there are a lot of new features, too. You can read up on them in Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 And 980 Review: Maximum Maxwell.

I mentioned that the GeForce GTX 970 and 980's price points are disruptive. They certainly shaken up the graphics card market this month. Radeon pricing is down quite a bit in order to remain competitive. The R9 290X fell $130 to $370, the R9 290 shed $100 to $290, the R9 280X slipped $20 to $260, the R9 280 is down $15 to $205, and the R9 270X goes for a scant $160. Only the Radeon R9 290, 280 and 270X retain recommendations at their new price points though, due to tough competition.

Of course, Nvidia made its own adjustments. The discontinued GeForce GTX 780 Ti, 780 and 770 can be found at $440, $310 and $270, respectively, as inventory clears out to make way for the 970 and 980. At those prices, I'm only recommending the GTX 780 Ti. If you're interested in that card, buy it while it lasts. Nvdia's GeForce GTX 660 dropped $20 to $160, but it's not recommended against AMD's more powerful Radeon R9 270X. Finally, the efficient GeForce GTX 750 Ti is now $140 instead of $150, making it an even more interesting option for enthusiasts with low-end power supplies.

Nvidia also introduced GM204 in its mobile GeForce GTX 970M and 980M. The latter is essentially a desktop GeForce GTX 970 with one SMM disabled and a slightly lower GPU clock rate, representing a new high water mark in mobile graphics performance. The GeForce GTX 970M is significantly less capable though, with two fewer SMMs compared to the 980M and a crippled render back-end sporting 48 ROPs and a 196-bit memory interface. Despite this, the 970M is still quite a bit faster than the GeForce GTX 880M preceding it. For more information and specifications, check out Maxwell Goes Mobile: First GeForce GTX 970M Benchmarks.

Aside from new products, we tested VisionTek's liquid-cooled CryoVenom R9 295X2, a single-slot card with optional open-loop liquid cooling that does an effective job of keeping AMD's dual-GPU beast frosty compared to the reference model and its closed-loop liquid cooler. For more, read VisionTek CryoVenom R9 295X2: Two GPUs In One Slot. It's also interesting to note that Nvidia is Now Selling Original GTX SLI Bridges. These bridges match the style of the reference cooler on the company's high-end offerings like the new GeForce GTX 980.

On a final note, the Internet is running rampant with rumors of an upcoming mid-range GeForce GTX 960 and a high-end Radeon R9 295X. Neither Nvidia nor AMD will confirm the existence of these cards. But if the rumors are credible, we expect to see more information about them in the next month or two.

Some Notes About Our Recommendations

A few simple guidelines to keep in mind when reading this list:

  • This list is for gamers who want to get the most for their money. If you don’t play games, the cards on this list are more expensive than what you really need. We've added a reference page at the end of the column covering integrated graphics processors, which is likely more apropos for home, office, and basic multimedia usage models.
  • Be sure to check out our new performance per dollar comparison page, where you can overlay the benchmark data we’ve generated with pricing, giving you a better idea where your ideal choice falls on the value curve. The criteria to get on this list are strictly price/performance.
  • Recommendations for multiple video cards, such as two Radeon cards in CrossFire mode or two GeForce cards in SLI, typically require a motherboard that supports CrossFire/SLI and possibly a chassis with plenty of space to install multiple graphics cards. These setups also usually call for a beefier power supply than what a single card needs, and will almost certainly produce more heat than a single card. Keep these factors in mind when making your purchasing decision. In most cases, if we have recommended a multiple-card solution, we try to recommend a single-card honorable mention at a comparable price point for those who find multi-card setups undesirable.
  • Prices and availability change on a daily basis. We can’t base our decisions on always-changing pricing information, but we can list some good cards that you probably won’t regret buying at the price ranges we suggest, along with real-time prices for your reference.
  • The list is based on some of the best U.S. prices from online retailers. In other countries or at retail stores, your mileage will almost certainly vary.
  • These are new card prices. No used or open-box cards are in the list. While these offers might represent a good deal, it’s simply outside the scope of what we’re trying to do.
2. Best Entry-Level Graphics Cards: $130 and Under

Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For $70:

Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For ~$100:

Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For $120:

3. Best Mid-Range Graphics Cards: $140 to $200

Honorable Mention:

Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For ~$185:

4. Best Enthusiast Graphics Cards: $210 to $300

Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For ~$220:

Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For ~$290:

5. Best High-End Graphics Cards: $300 to $800

Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For ~$330:

Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For ~$440:

Honorable Mention:

6. Best Extreme Graphics Cards: Over $800 and Multi-Card Configurations

Honorable Mention:

More Honorable Mentions: Assorted Multi-Card Configurations

At $440, the GeForce GTX 780 Ti delivers such compelling frame rates that we find it hard to recommend multi-card configurations able to serve up better performance per dollar, since they sometimes suffer from inconsistent results in comparison to a graphics card with a single GPU.

We'll call out some of the most viable options though, mostly for folks who are running high-resolution triple-monitor setups or 4K displays: two Radeon R9 290 cards for $560, two GeForce GTX 970s in SLI for $660, and finally two GeForce GTX 780 Ti cards for $880.

7. Graphics Card Performance Hierarchy Chart

What about this other card that’s not on the list? How do I know if it’s a good deal or not?

This will happen. In fact, because inventory levels and prices change quickly, it’s guaranteed to happen. So how do you know if that card you’ve got your eye on is a good buy in its price range?

Here is a resource to help you judge if a card is a good buy or not. The graphics card hierarchy chart groups graphics cards with similar overall performance levels into tiers. The top tier contains the highest-performing cards available, and performance decreases as you go down the tiers from there.

You can use this hierarchy to compare the pricing between two cards, to see which one is a better deal, and also to determine if an upgrade is worthwhile. I don’t recommend upgrading your graphics card unless the replacement card is at least three tiers higher. Otherwise, the upgrade is somewhat parallel, and you may not even notice any worthwhile difference in performance.

At the request of readers, we've added mobile graphics and integrated chipsets to the hierarchy chart. We want to make it clear that there is very little performance data available for these graphics solutions. While the discrete video cards in the chart are placed in tiers based on a lot of information, many of the mobile and integrated devices in the chart are guesstimates based on their specifications. At worst, we doubt they’re more than one tier away from their actual performance, but this is something to keep in mind when considering mobile graphics chipsets.

Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart
GeForceRadeonIntel
Discrete: GTX Titan Z
Discrete: R9 295X2

Discrete: GTX 690Discrete: HD 7990
Discrete: GTX 780 Ti, 980, Titan Black


Discrete: GTX 780, 970, TitanDiscrete: R9 290, 290X
Discrete: GTX 590, 680, 770
Go (mobile): 980M
Discrete:  HD 6990, 7970 GHz Ed, R9 280X
Discrete: GTX 580, GTX 670
Go (mobile): 970M
Discrete: HD 5970, 7870 LE (XT), 7950, 280, 285
Discrete: GTX 660 Ti, GTX 760
Go (mobile): 880M
Discrete: HD 7870, R9 270, 270X

Discrete: GTX 295, 480, 570, 660
Go (mobile): 680M, 780M
Discrete: HD 4870 X2, 6970, 7850, R7 265,
Mobility: 7970M

Discrete: GTX 470, 560 Ti, 560 Ti 448 Core, 650 Ti Boost, 750 Ti Discrete: HD 4850 X2, 5870, 6950, R7 260X
Mobility: 7950M

Discrete: GTX 560, 650 Ti, 750
Go (mobile): 580M, 675M
Discrete: HD 5850, 6870, 7790
Mobility: 6990M

Discrete: 9800 GX2, 285, 460 256-bit, 465
Discrete: HD 6850, 7770, R7 260
Mobility: 6900M

Discrete: GTX 260, 275, 280, 460 192-bit, 460 SE, 550 Ti, 560 SE, GT 650, GT 740 GDDR5
Go (mobile): 570M, 670M
Discrete: HD 4870, 5770, 4890, 5830, 6770, 6790, 7750 (GDDR5), R7 250 (GDDR5)
Mobility: HD 5870, 6800M

Discrete: 8800 Ultra, 9800 GTX, 9800 GTX+, GTS 250, GTS 450
Go (mobile): 560M, 660M
Discrete: HD 3870 X2, 4850, 5750, 6750, 7750 (DDR3), R7 250 (DDR3)
Mobility: HD 4850, 5850, 7870M

Discrete: 8800 GTX, 8800 GTS 512 MB, GT 545 (GDDR5), GT 730 64-bit GDDR5
Go (mobile): GTX 280M, 285M, 555M (GDDR5)
Discrete: HD 4770
Mobility: HD 4860, 7770M, 7850M

Discrete: 8800 GT 512 MB, 9800 GT, GT 545 (DDR3), GT 640 (DDR3), GT 740 DDR3
Go (mobile): 9800M GTX, GTX 260M (112), GTS 360M (GDDR5), 555M (DDR3)
Discrete: HD 4830, HD 5670, HD 6670 (GDDR5), HD 7730 (GDDR5)
Mobility: HD 5770, HD 5750, 6600M/6700M (GDDR5), 7750M

Discrete: 8800 GTS 640 MB, 9600 GT, GT 240 (GDDR5)
Go (mobile): 9800M GTS, GTX 160M
Discrete: HD 2900 XT, HD 3870, HD 5570 (GDDR5), HD 6570 (GDDR5)
Mobility: 6500M (GDDR5), 6600M/6700M (DDR3), 7730M

Discrete: 8800 GS, 9600 GSO, GT 240 (DDR3)
Go (mobile): GTX 260M (96), GTS 150M, GTS 360M (DDR3)
Discrete: HD 3850 512 MB, HD 4670, HD 5570 (DDR3), HD 6570 (DDR3), HD 6670 (DDR3), HD 7730 (DDR3), R7 240
Mobility: HD 3870, HD 5730, HD 5650, 6500M (DDR3)

Discrete: 8800 GT 256 MB, 8800 GTS 320 MB, GT 440 GDDR5, GT 630 GDDR5, GT 730 128-bit GDDR5
Go (mobile): 8800M
Discrete: HD 2900 PRO, HD 3850 256 MB, 5550 (GDDR5)
Mobility: HD 3850

Discrete: 7950 GX2, GT 440 DDR3, GT 630 DDR3, GT 730 128-bit DDR3
Discrete: X1950 XTX, HD 4650 (DDR3), 5550 (DDR3)
Integrated: HD 7660D

Discrete: 7800 GTX 512, 7900 GTO, 7900 GTX, GT 430, GT 530
Go (mobile): 550M
Discrete: X1900 XT, X1950 XT, X1900 XTX

Discrete: 7800 GTX, 7900 GT, 7950 G, GT 220 (DDR3)
Go (mobile): 525M, 540M
Discrete: X1800 XT, X1900 AIW, X1900 GT, X1950 Pro, HD 2900 GT, HD 5550 (DDR2)
Integrated: HD 7560D

Discrete: 7800 GT, 7900 GS, 8600 GTS, 9500 GT (GDDR3), GT 220 (DDR2)
Go (mobile): 7950 GTX
Discrete: X1800 XL, X1950 GT, HD 4650 (DDR2), HD 6450, R5 230
Mobility: X1800 XT, HD 4650, HD 5165, 6400M
Integrated: HD 6620G, 6550D, 7540D

Discrete: 6800 Ultra, 7600 GT, 7800 GS, 8600 GS, 8600 GT (GDDR3), 9500 GT (DDR2)
Go (mobile): 7800 GTX, 7900 GTX
Discrete: X800 XT (& PE), X850 XT (& PE), X1650 XT, X1800 GTO, HD 2600 XT, HD 3650 (DDR3), HD 3670
Mobility: X1900, 3670
Integrated: 6520G, 6530D, 7480D
Integrated: Intel HD Graphics 4000
Discrete: 6800 GT, 6800 GS (PCIe), 8600 GT (DDR2), GT 520
Go (mobile): 7800, Go 7900 GS, 520M, 520MX
Discrete: X800 XL, X800 GTO2/GTO16, HD 2600 Pro, HD 3650 (DDR2),
Mobility: X800 XT, HD 2600 XT, 3650
Integrated: 6410D, 6480G

Discrete: 6800 GS (AGP)
Go (mobile): 6800 Ultra, 7600 GT, 8600M GT, 8700M GT, 410M
Discrete: X800 GTO 256 MB, X800 PRO, X850 Pro, X1650 GT
Mobility: HD 2600
Integrated: 6370D, 6380G

Discrete: 6800, 7300 GT GDDR3, 7600 GS, 8600M GS
Go (mobile): 6800, 7700
Discrete: X800, X800 GTO 128 MB, X1600 XT, X1650 Pro
Mobility: X1800, HD 5145, HD 5470 (GDDR5)

Discrete: 6600 GT, 6800LE, 6800 XT, 7300 GT (DDR2), 8500 GT, 9400 GT
Go (mobile): 7600 (128-bit)
Discrete: 9800 XT, X700 PRO, X800 GT, X800 SE, X1300 XT, X1600 PRO, HD 2400 XT, HD 4350, HD 4550, HD 5450
Mobility: X800, 3470, HD 5470 (DDR3), HD 5450, HD 5430, 6300M
Integrated: HD 6310, HD 6320
Integrated: Intel HD Graphics 3000
Discrete: FX 5900, FX 5900 Ultra, FX 5950 Ultra, 6600 (128-bit)
Go (mobile): 6800 (128-bit)
Integrated: 9300, 9400
Discrete: 9700, 9700 Pro, 9800, 9800 Pro, X700, X1300 Pro, X1550, HD 2400 Pro
Mobility: X1450, X1600, X1700, 2400 XT, X2500, 3450
Integrated: HD 3200, HD 3300, HD 4200, HD 4250, HD 4290, HD 6250, HD 6290 

Discrete: FX 5800 Ultra, FX 5900 XT
Go (mobile): 6600, Go 7600 (64-bit)
Discrete: 9500 Pro, 9600 XT, 9800 Pro (128-bit), X600 XT, X1050 (128-bit)
Mobility: 9800, X700, X1350, X1400, X2300, HD 2400
Integrated: Intel HD Graphics (Core i5-6x1), 2000
Discrete: 4 Ti 4600, 4 Ti 4800, FX 5700 Ultra, 6200, 8300, 8400 G, G 210, G 310
Go (mobile): 315M
Discrete: 9600 PRO, 9800 LE, X600 PRO, HD 2300
Mobility: 9700 (128-bit), X600, X1300
Integrated: Xpress 1250
Integrated: Intel HD Graphics (Core i3 5x0, Core i5-6x0)
Discrete: 4 Ti4200, 4 Ti4400, 4 Ti4800 SE, FX 5600 Ultra, FX 5700, 6600 (64-bit), 7300 GS, 8400M GS, 9300M G, 9300M GS Discrete: 9500, 9550, 9600, X300, X1050 (64-bit)
Mobility: 9600
Integrated: Intel HD Graphics (Pentium G)
Discrete: 3 Ti500, FX 5200 Ultra, FX 5600, FX 5700 LE, 6200 TC, 6600 LE, 7200 GS, 7300 LE
Go (mobile): 5700, 8200M, 9200M GS, 9100
Integrated: 8200, 8300
Discrete: 8500, 9100, 9000 PRO, 9600 LE, X300 SE, X1150
Mobility 9700 (64-bit)
Integrated: GMA X4500
Discrete: 3, 3 Ti200, FX 5200 (128-bit), FX 5500,
Go (mobile): 5600, 6200, 6400, 7200, 7300, 7400 (64-bit)
Discrete: 9000, 9200, 9250
Mobility: 9600 (64-bit), X300

Discrete: FX 5200 (64 bit)
Go (mobile): 7200, 7400 (32-bit)
Integrated: 6100, 6150, 7025, 7050
Discrete: 9200 SE
Integrated: Xpress 200M, Xpress 1000, Xpress 1150
Integrated: GMA X3000, X3100, X3500
Discrete: 2 GTS, 4 MX 440, 2 Ultra, 2 Ti, 2 Ti 200 Discrete: 7500 Integrated: GMA 3000, 3100
Discrete: 256, 2 MX 200, 4 MX 420, 2 MX 400 Discrete: SDR, LE, DDR, 7000, 7200 Integrated: GMA 500, 900, 950
Discrete: Nvidia TNT Discrete: Rage 128 Discrete: Intel 740

Now all that’s left to do is compare performance to your budget, and you'll be able to confidently decide which board is right for you - we even put in the legwork to help find you the best prices!

8. Conclusion: Performance Per Dollar

In an effort to further express the performance you get for every dollar spent on our recommendations, we're charting out the hierarchy of cards from today's story. The red, black, and blue bars represent how each card fares at 1080p, 2160p, and the average of the two, while the orange line indicates cost. If you mouse over the bar chart, you get a pop-up that shows performance relative to AMD's Radeon R9 295X2 (our current 100% ceiling). Mousing over the dots on the orange line yields a low price easily attainable on Newegg. Clicking a bar or dot gives you the option to shop for that card, taking you to a link of our pick in each category. Often, our choices give you a lower price than the average displayed.

Price 1080p v R9 295X2 2160p v R9 295X2 Avg v R9 295X2
GeForce GT 730 64-bit GDDR5 72.02 Amazon 11 10 11
Radeon HD 7770, Radeon R7 250X 100 Amazon 23 16 20
Radeon R7 260X 139.99 Amazon 25 18 22
GeForce GTX 750 Ti 140 Amazon 27 22 25
Radeon R9 270X 185 Amazon 37 31 34
Radeon R9 280 220.00 Amazon 43 36 40
Radeon R9 290 290 Amazon 61 58 59
GeForce GTX 970 330 Amazon 67 59 63
GeForce GTX 780 Ti 440 Amazon 67 60 64
GeForce GTX 980 550 Amazon 80 69 74
Radeon R9 295X2 1000 Amazon 100 100 100

At the beginning of the chart, you see significant performance gains for every dollar spent. Clearly, the Radeon R7 250X is the price/performance card to beat under $150, while the Radeon R9 270X takes top honors under $200. Nvidia's GeForce GTX 750 Ti offers performance similar to the Radeon R7 260X for a similar price. It might not be the best value play, but this Nvidia card remains attractive to gamers stuck with low-end power supplies they don't want to upgrade.

Price hike up quickly from the Radeon R9 270X to the R9 290, but performance jumps just as much. After that, what you'll pay steadily increases, while performance doesn't scale as aggressively.

As you approach the upper echelon of frame rates, your dollar doesn't stretch as far. But if you're a hardcore gamer who wants to experience the highest resolutions and most taxing detail settings, the most expensive cards in this list might be attractive. Just keep in mind that two GeForce GTX 970s are going to cost you $660, and they're going to perform about as fast as a Radeon R9 295X2 at $1000.

Summary

There you have it folks, the best cards for the money this month!

And remember that the stores don’t follow this list. Things will change over the course of the month and you’ll probably have to adapt your buying strategy to deal with fluctuating prices. Good luck!

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