The Best Mid-Range Graphics Cards Below $300 in May 2021
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The Great GPU Shortage of 2021 is unfortunately still a thing. And it’s not just the latest cards from AMD and Nvidia that are affected – even mid-range cards from the current and previous generations are hard to find at normal prices.
In other words, now is not the best time to go shopping for a new GPU. Expect longer delivery times as well as above-normal prices on graphics cards in stock (if in stock at all).
We will still keep this page updated based on MSRPs, to provide an overview of the market based and what would be the best graphics cards below $300 under normal circumstances.
On this page:
NVIDIA Vs. AMD
Buy Now or Wait – Navigating the Shortage
Best GPU below $300 (MSRP): Radeon RX 5600 XT
Best Nvidia alternative: GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
~$30 More: RTX 2060
~$30 Less: GTX 1660 Super
Summary and notes
CPU Pairing and PSU Requirements
NVIDIA Vs. AMD Below $300 (MSRP)
Both AMD and Nvidia released new high-end cards in late 2020, and as of mid-2021, mid-range variants are also available – at least in theory. What we are actually seeing, however, is that previous-gen cards like the RTX 2060 have reentered production to partly make up for the extreme shortages and huge demand. For now, the Nvidia GTX 1660 Super (or 1660 Ti) and AMD’s RX 5600 XT are still the top choices in the mid-range segment around $300 (MSRP) if you can find them.
Last update on 2021-07-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Unfortunately, these cards are rarely in stock at this point and prices are well above MSRP. If you need a new GPU right now, it might be a good idea to set up notifications and look into preorder options from several stores.
Nvidia’s RTX 2060 has reappeared on the market in 2021. But although some aftermarket varieties like EVGA’s RTX 2060 KO used to be priced below $300, this is not the case at the moment.
AMD’s mid-range king, the Radeon RX 5600 XT, would also normally sell for under $300, but availability is scarce and prices are still inflated at this time. If you manage to find the right card, however, some versions of this card (but not all) offer about the same real-world gaming performance as an RTX 2060.
The RX 5600 XT is also faster than the previous mid-range king, the GTX 1660 Ti, in most games.
To put the RX 5600 XT, RTX 2060, and GTX 1660 Ti into some perspective, here’s an indication of how they perform (without ray tracing) compared to some adjacent cards.
Bottom line: Based on the suggested retail prices, the AMD RX 5600 XT is theoretically the fastest GPU below $300 in May 2021. (see also: our complete guide to the best RX 5600 XT cards).
The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is a less viable alternative today. It lacks the RTX features (ray-tracing and DLSS) of its higher-end siblings and also performs worse on average than the RX 5600 XT. Also, the GTX 1660 Super is normally a much better deal than the Ti, since it’s only slightly slower and usually a lot more affordable.
Buy Now or Wait? Navigating the GPU Shortage
Upgrading your GPU is the most effective (and cost-effective) way to breathe new life into your gaming PC. But even early adopters rarely upgrade more often than once every 1–2 full generations (as opposed to the annual ‘refresh’, which is usually just a minor update of the current architecture), i.e. about once every 2–4 years. But the most common reason to upgrade is probably when stuttering in the latest AAA title becomes too annoying.
One reason to postpone a GPU purchase is to time one of the major generational releases. Under normal circumstances, this reason would be particularly valid right now, as a new generation of mid-range graphics cards is (theoretically) ready to be rolled out.
The problem as of early 2021 is, of course, that it’s nearly impossible to find the latest GPUs at normal price levels right now. Nvidia’s RTX 30-series including the RTX 3060 (which would have been close to being the best GPU below $300 with its attractive $329 MSRP) is out of stock everywhere at the time of writing. The situation is no different for AMD’s RDNA 2/Radeon RX 6000-series cards.
Even mid-range cards that have been around for a while, such as AMD’s RX 5600 XT and Nvidia’s GTX 1660 lineup, are hard to locate – unless you are prepared to pay much more than you would have last year. Better (though far from great) options are to set up notifications when retailers receive a rare batch of cards or to preorder and wait, where such an alternative is available. The used market may still be your best bet to pick up a good mid-range card at a reasonable price.
Our top picks of the best cards under $300 MSRP are nevertheless still the same:
Best GPU Under $300 (MSRP): Radeon RX 5600 XT
AMD’s Radeon RX 5600 XT GPU was launched in 2020 and is based on the first-gen Navi (RDNA) architecture, which replaces the much less efficient Vega and Polaris architectures. The first new cards to roll out were the higher-end RX 5700 and 5700 XT, later followed by the entry-level RX 5500 XT and this mid-range RX 5600 XT.
This GPU was initially intended to compete with Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. But then Nvidia suddenly lowered the price on its faster, ray tracing-enabled GeForce RTX 2060 to compete directly with the RX 5600 XT. This in turn prompted AMD to improve the specs of the 5600 XT to help it stay competitive. As a result, the RX 5600 XT is almost as fast as the RX 5700 – and considerably faster on average than the GTX 1660 Ti that it was originally meant to compete with.
Now, with similar performance as the GeForce RTX 2060, the RX 5600 XT stands out as one of the two most attractive graphics cards for around $300 from a price/performance perspective. What you likely want to check before buying is that you get a card with the updated specs, mainly faster memory (VRAM) that runs at an effective 14 Gbps instead of 12 Gbps such as these:
| Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 5600 XT | XFX RX 5600 XT THICC II PRO | PowerColor Radeon RX 5600 XT |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  | |
| Clock: Core / Gaming / Boost | 1400 MHz / 1615 MHz / 1750 MHz | 1465 MHz / 1560 MHz / 1620 MHz | 1355 MHz / 1560 MHz / 1620 MHz |
| Memory Speed | 14 Gbps | 14 Gbps | 14 Gbps |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 8,064 GFLOPS | 7,465 GFLOPS | 7,465 GFLOPS |
| Memory Bandwidth | 336 GB/s | 336 GB/s | 288 GB/s |
| Recommended PSU | 350 W | 350 W | 350 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 3x DP | 1x HDMI 3x DP | 1x HDMI 3x DP |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
As with many other GPUs today, RX 5600 XT-based cards are in very short supply. You could try searching for:
All of the RX 5600 XT cards use the same GPU of course, meaning that it has 2,304 shaders and 10.3 billion transistors. It’s paired with 6 GB of GDDR6 video memory (VRAM), with a 192-bit memory bus. The main differences between the aftermarket cards are the cooling solutions and the core/boost clocks. Unlike Nvidia, AMD also specifies a “game clock”, which indicates what clock speeds to expect in normal gaming loads.
The cards mentioned above are either already at the faster 14 Gbps, or will get there using a BIOS update. You can find these updates on the manufacturers’ support pages. New BIOS files for Sapphire’s Radeon Pulse XT is available here, for PowerColor’s Red Devil/Dragon here, and Gigabyte’s card here, for example.
Best NVIDIA Alternative: GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
As mentioned previously, AMD’s RX 5600 XT was originally intended as a competitor to Nvidia’s former mid-range king, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. For the reasons mentioned above, that didn’t happen, so the 1660 Ti now finds itself at a slightly lower market position.
While the GTX 1660 Ti is still a good mid-range GPU that will easily handle any AAA game from 2021 at 1080p, it lacks the ray-tracing features from the RTX lineup. And in terms of relative performance, the RTX 2060 and RX 5600 XT are about 15% faster.
When it comes to the price/performance calculation, the GTX 1660 Ti is also challenged by Nvidia’s own GTX 1660 Super, which is only slightly slower but usually much more affordable.
| GIGABYTE GTX 1660 Ti OC | EVGA GTX 1660 Ti XC | MSI GTX 1660 Ti Gaming | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Clock: Core / Boost | 1500 MHz / 1800 MHz | 1500 MHz / 1845 MHz | 1500 MHz / 1800 MHz |
| Memory Clock (Effective) | 12 GHz | 12 GHz | 12 GHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 5,530 GFLOPS | 5,668 GFLOPS | 5,530 GFLOPS |
| Memory Bandwidth | 288 GB/s | 288 GB/s | 288 GB/s |
| Recommended Power Supply | 450 Watt | 450 Watt | 450 Watt |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 3x DisplayPort | 1x DVI 1x HDMI 1x DisplayPort | 1x HDMI 3x DisplayPort |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
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The 1660 Ti is available in every conceivable size and many are factory overclocked, but rarely by amounts that motivate a significantly higher cost. If you can fit a full-size card in your build, a card with a dual-fan (or triple-fan) cooler is normally the best choice even if it’s slightly more expensive.
~$30 More (MSRP): GeForce RTX 2060
Nvidia was a comfortable performance and efficiency leader for years and launched the RTX 20 lineup in 2019. The direct generational successor to the RTX 2060 is the RTX 3060. This card was announced at CES 2021 and under normal circumstances it may have been the mid-range king right now.
Due to the shortages however, the RTX 2060 has once again entered production. If you manage to pick one up, it is still an excellent graphics card for 1080p gaming. It also performs well at 1440p.
As it’s an RTX card, you also get the RTX-exclusive ray-tracing and DLSS features. In addition to its 1920 shading units, the RTX 2060 comes with 30 ray-tracing (RT) cores and 240 Tensor Cores. You should however be aware that the RTX 2060 is not quite powerful enough to provide a consistent 60 FPS with “RTX on” in most games, but if you’re OK with lower frame rates, real-time ray tracing is undoubtedly a nice visual bonus.
Other parts of the RTX 2060’s specs are quite similar to the Radeon RX 5600 XT, with 6 GB of GDDR6 video RAM and a 192-bit memory bus that offers the same bandwidth. At this time, it’s impossible to buy a new $299 RTX 2060 Founder’s Edition, and the same goes for most aftermarket models.
| ZOTAC GeForce RTX 2060 6GB | EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 KO | MSI GeForce RTX 2060 Ventus XS OC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Clock: Core / Boost | 1365 MHz / 1680 MHz | 1365 MHz / 1680 MHz | 1365 MHz / 1710 MHz |
| Memory Clock (Effective) | 14000 MHz | 14000 MHz | 14000 MHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 6,451 GFLOPS | 6,451 GFLOPS | 6,566 GFLOPS |
| Memory Bandwidth | 336 GB/s | 336 GB/s | 336 GB/s |
| Recommended PSU | 450 W | 450 W | 450 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 3x DP | 1x HDMI 1x DP 1x DVI | 1x HDMI 3x DP |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
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At this time you will not be able to find any factory-overclocked, premium models of the RTX 2060 at prices close to $300, but the effect of these overclocks are normally small at any rate. For the time being, the entry-level Zotac and EVGA models are usually the most reasonably priced.
~$30 Less (MSRP): Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super
Since the launch of the more affordable GTX 1660 Super (or 1660S), the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is in an awkward position. The 1660S actually uses the same GPU as the regular GTX 1660 but has been paired with faster GDDR6 video memory. This has resulted in a level of performance that trails the 1660 Ti by just single-digit percentages.
Considering that the GTX 1660 Super is a great deal more affordable (normally), this card offers much better value than both the Ti model and the original 1660. While it can’t compete with the RX 5600 XT or RTX 2060, opting for the 1660S should save you $30 at the very least.
| EVGA GTX 1660 Super Sc Ultra | PNY GTX 1660 Super 6GB XLR8 | MSI GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Stream Processors | 1408 | 1408 | 1408 |
| Base Clock / Boost Clock | 1530 MHz / 1815 MHz | 1530 MHz / 1830 MHz | 1530 MHz / 1785 MHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 5,153 GFLOPS | 5,153 GFLOPS | 5,111 GFLOPS |
| Max Memory Clock | 14 GHz | 14 GHz | 14 GHz |
| Memory Size | 6 GB GDDR6 | 6 GB GDDR6 | 6 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 336 GB/s | 336 GB/s | 336 GB/s |
| Recommended Power Supply | 350 Watt | 350 Watt | 350 Watt |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
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RX 5600 XT Vs. RTX 2060 Vs. RX 5700
Here’s a video from the web comparing actual performance in a number of games including Battlefield V, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, Metro: Exodus and others. What makes this particularly interesting is that the resolution is 1440p, instead of the 1080p resolution that these graphics cards are intended to target.
Summary and Recommendations
Under normal circumstances, the mid-range $300 price point offers great value and lots of alternatives. AMD has finally replaced its – by today’s standards highly inefficient – GCN (Graphics Card Next) architecture with RDNA (Radeon DNA). The newer cards offer some very tough competition for Nvidia in the mid-range segment, and that’s especially true for the Radeon RX 5600 XT (when provided with the right specs).
Unless the GeForce RTX 2060 is temporarily priced lower, the RX 5600 XT currently offers the best performance below $300 (if you can find one in stock at its suggested retail price).
Nvidia’s driver stability and RTX features, including real-time ray tracing and DLSS, still make the RTX 2060 a compelling option if priced right. The upcoming RTX 3060 is expected to offer significantly higher performance than the RTX 2060, but will also be a bit more expensive. If you are in no rush and your budget allows it, this card might be worth waiting for.
None of the Nvidia cards at this price range supports SLI, i.e. multi-GPU setups, which might otherwise be an upgrade route down the line. The corresponding AMD Crossfire/CrossFireX technology is enabled for the RX 5700 and RX 5600 XT, on the other hand. Unfortunately, AMD’s driver support for multiple GPUs has historically been somewhat lacking compared to Nvidia, meaning that this sort of upgrade is not overly attractive.
As for graphics cards from previous generations, the closest one from Nvidia would be the GeForce GTX 1070, which offers about the same performance as a GTX 1660 Ti. But it’s also less efficient and usually too expensive. And the AMD alternatives are even worse – there are very few reasons if any, to invest in a Radeon RX Vega 56 or Vega 64 today. These cards are considerably less efficient than the RX 5600 XT or RX 5700, on top of which the prices are still unreasonably high.
Some of the video cards listed above come with a slight factory overclock compared to the reference clocks. In most cases, factory overclocks are in the single-digit percentages and only marginally improve performance. This is generally not worth a hefty premium over a non-overclocked card. How much a GPU can be overclocked by the user mainly depends on individual chip quality – otherwise known as the “silicon lottery”.
On the other hand, larger cooling solutions with additional fans can be a worthwhile investment. All other things being equal, more fans keep temperatures as well as noise to a minimum. It will also be of help when overclocking. If you are building in a roomy ATX case, as opposed to an mITX or mATX, consider a dual- och triple-fan card.
CPU Pairing and PSU Requirements
Both the Radeon RX 5600 XT and GeForce RTX 2060 require a single 8-pin connector.
To get the most out of your new mid-range GPU, the rest of your PC build should correspond reasonably well to your choice of video card. However, in terms of gaming performance, you won’t gain much by opting for an expensive high-end CPU.
In our view, a good baseline CPU pairing is the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 5600X or an Intel Core i5-11600K. You may need a better CPU for other reasons than gaming, but in terms of frame rates, you will get diminishing returns beyond what you get with one of those processors. To have your games run faster, your money is better spent on a faster GPU.
As for the power supply (PSU), some third-party manufacturers recommend a 350W minimum for the RX 5600 XT (AMD’s PSU recommendation is 550W) and 450W for the RTX 2060. The TDP (Thermal Design Power) for the graphics cards is 160W in both cases. A 350W PSU is definitely on the low side, leaving you with very little headroom for overclocking and other components, but 500W should be more than sufficient for most builds.
Any such power supply on the market will provide you with the single 8-pin PCIe power connector (or more likely two) that you need to hook up to your GPU.
Building with a tighter budget? Then check out our guide to the top GPUs below $200.
Hi Jesper,
I consider myself to be the typical 60fps 1080p gamer when time allows, so these mid range cards are obviously the sweet spot. I don’t follow hardware or gfx card price movements as I generally just upgrade and forget about it.
I’m looking to upgrade and only recently became aware that Nvidia is soon to release the RTX 3000 series and AMD are doing something similar with their Big Navi cards. Historically do such releases have any downward pressure on mid range cards like those discussed in the above article, or is it more like a two speed economy with the impact largely resigned to those who want to game at 1440 or 4K?
tldr; should everyone be holding off from buying a new graphics card right now?
Hi Grant,
That is a very good question. High-end releases typically don’t affect current mid-range card prices by much or at all in the short term. But the RTX 3060 is also likely to arrive soon (sooner than RTX 2060 did by comparison). It could also be aggressively priced if needed to undercut what AMD releases in the same performance bracket (Navi 22).
In that case, this should definitely put some downward pressure on the current mid-range cards in the relatively near future. But those are many ifs and buts, of course.
Grant,
From, what I have seen, yes, 4k and 1440 it is like a Corvette vs a Ferrari. Both are greater, just that one is greaterer.
Hi Jesper!
I’m currently trying to figure out which graphics card is the best fit for my build for 200-300$. I was thinking about the gtx 1660 super but not sure if it’s too much or too little, I’m not really an expert 🙂
My current build has:
gtx1050 2 or 3 gb
ryzen7 1800x
asus b350-plus
16gb crucial ram
not sure about the power suply
I mostly play cs:go and want a card that can give me at least 200fps in every map at relatively low resolution but I’m buying mafia and also play gtaV sometimes so was wondering what was the best fit for me.
I also have 2 monitors (the one I play is 144hz) not sure if that makes any difference in the matter.
Thought you had great advice for the other people so maybe you can help me out.
Hey Seb!
The 1660S is my personal favorite from the current crop of mid-range cards. It’s almost as fast as the 1660 Ti, but usually much cheaper. By itself, this GPU will be able to give you a 200+ fps average in CS:GO, but CS:GO is also one of the older and less demanding games where your CPUs single-core performance (1st-gen Ryzen’s main weakness) might become a bottleneck, particularly at low resolutions.
I still have no doubts whatsoever that you can go above a 144fps average at 1080p to match your monitor. Mafia Definitive and GTA V will also run well. Not at such high frame rates but at least 60+ fps (more at lower settings, of course).
Thanks for the feedback and I will probably buy the 1660s when I can find one in sale. I also asked the same thing in the under 200$ guide so you can just ignore it :).
Also would you recommend any particular 1660s or are they all pretty much the same? Don’t really get why they have such difference in prices if they are the same model.
Sounds like a great plan, best of luck!
My personal preference when choosing a card (any GPU) is to go with a larger cooler if it fits and the price difference is minimal. They usually run cool and with less noise (though the 1660S TDP is only 125W, so no cooler will be taxed too hard). All 1660S cards use the manufacturers’ standard coolers, so there should be few surprises.
And I agree with you in questioning the large price differences. A small premium might be fine in my view if you get better cooling. But just a slight factory overclock, as is often the case, has never been much of a selling point.
this is exactly the article I was looking for! Well put-together and extremely helpful, I’ll definitely be looking at a 5600xt for my current build. Your other article on choosing a 5600xt is also great
Thanks a lot! Glad that it helped 🙂
Hey Japser. I’m currently building my first gaming pc and having an issue with finding correctly advertised GPUs. The prices in your article was updated 12 days ago, but none of prices listed here reflect the actual prices. Some of the links you’ve shared take us to either site where the item is $150 to almost 2x the MSRP price you gave us. My question is, why are computer parts or accessories price points so unstable?
Thank you for this great article! I haven’t been able to locate the EVGA 2060 KO in Canada for my new build, so all the info here has been a huge help on figuring out a replacement. Thanks!!!
Could someone tell me the best build on a say 900-1000$ budget for a pc, monitor, keyboard, mouse thanks would be helpful
Hey thx in advance Mr Jesper Berg
the guide is good , anyway do you have any relation with håkan berg the king of birds ?
Hey Pand, thanks! Haha, no I hadn’t even heard of this King of birds, so I had to look him up. A fun guy. His comedic use of Wittgenstein’s duck-rabbit makes me wish I was related 🙂
Need a new vid card but prices are out of hand dam bitcoin miners