Finding the best cheap graphics card deals shouldn’t be overlooked if you’re looking to build your own gaming PC. As the beating heart of any respectable setup, it’s incredibly important to make sure you’re getting the right GPU and paying the right price for it. With graphics card prices finally settling back into some form of normality it’s finally a great time to be thinking about upgrading, too. To help our readers get the best GPU for their needs, we’ve rounded up all the best graphics card prices and deals into one handy page right here, factoring in US, UK, and Australian retailers.
As you probably already know, graphics card prices have been on a wild ride over the past two years or so. Initially, we saw a huge surge in demand brought on by the cryptocurrency mining fad. That’s very much trailed off now and we’re starting to see more and more graphics card deals crop up at the major retailers worldwide.
While Nvidia cards are still a little pricey (demand remains high), many AMD cards are actually falling below their recommended launch MSRP currently. This means it’s possible to get some best graphics cards on the market without completely breaking the bank at the moment – something that was unheard of just 12 months ago. Overall, it’s a great time to be building a gaming PC, although we’d always urge that buyers weigh up their options carefully before committing.
That’s where our graphics card deals page comes in handy. Not only do you have the best prices here but you’ll also find a ton of unbiased no-nonsense buyers’ advice should you be unsure about what card to go for.
Today’s best graphics card prices and deals
We’ve rounded up the best graphics card prices we’ve found this week just down below. This chart is particularly handy if you want a quick overview of the market as a whole right now. Note, prices can still fluctuate rapidly from day to day now so allow for a bit of wiggle room with the following table – it’s not uncommon to see cards fluctuate $10 to $20 up or down on a regular basis.
High-end graphics cards comparison
The fastest GPU you can buy
The current performance king from Nvidia. The RTX 4090 is a pricey buy but a card that’s offering a significant jump up in performance versus the previous 3090. Recommended for enthusiasts or professional use mainly, this card is capable of high-end ray-traced gaming performance at native 4K resolution. It is, however, massive overkill for 1440p.
Read our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 review
High-end 4K gaming performance
Sitting just below the RTX 4090 in the most recent generation of Nvidia cards is the RTX 4080, which is aimed at a more enthusiast/consumer market. This card is another 4K gaming monster that’s capable of fantastic performance across the board. We do, however, find the launch price of $1,199 off-putting since it’s a big jump versus the $699 of the RTX 3080.
Read our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 review
Last generation’s Nvidia flagship
If you can pick it up for a reasonable price, the last-gen RTX 3090 is still a fine choice for 2023. We wouldn’t recommend paying more than $1,000 since the latest mid-range RTX 4070 Ti can out-perform it in the vast majority of gaming applications, but the RTX 3090 is a fine card nonetheless – even for 4K gaming.
Read our Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 review
AMD’s top card is a great buy
Quite possibly the best high-end graphics card deal right now, we’re huge fans of the RX 7900 XTX here at TechRadar. While it’s exceptionally power hungry – and Ray tracing performance still lags behind Nvidia – the RX 7900 XTX matches favourably against the RTX 4080 when it comes to outright price to performance. It’s a fantastic 4K card and one that we recommend highly to those with a $1,000 budget.
Read our AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX review
A solid 4K graphics card
For $100 less than the ‘XTX’ you can also consider the The RX 7900 XT. This is another great value 4K enthusiast card from AMD but one we think sits somewhat awkwardly in the market when compared to the full-fat XTX model. In short, if $899 is your budget then we highly recommend this one, otherwise, we’d say spend $999 to get the XTX, which is slightly better value in our books.
Read our AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT review
Last generation’s AMD flagship
The RX 6950 XT is another last-gen card that’s a good buy if you can find it at a reasonable price. While it’s outclassed by the latest RX 7000 series cards in 2023 in regards to raw performance metrics, the RX 6950 XT still has exceptional gaming chops. Generally speaking, it can handle 4K gaming pretty well but ray-tracing performance lags behind the RTX 3090 and RTX 3080 from team green.
Read our AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT review
Mid-range graphics cards comparison
A superb 4K and 1440p card
Quite possibly the best value card right now from Nvidia, the RTX 4070 Ti is going to get you next-gen high-end performance for a reasonable price (relatively speaking). Generally speaking, this one is aimed at the high-end 1440p gamers but third-gen RT cores and the latest architecture make it capable of even 4K gaming – within reason, due to the 12GB VRAM.
Read our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti review
The value sweet spot for most gamers
The RTX 4070 is the follow-up to the exceptionally well received RTX 3070 and a fantastic choice for most gamers who want a good balance between price and performance. It’s an exceptional 1440p performer that comes in at under $600 and can even handle most games well enough at 4K. Our only complaint with this one is that it comes in at $100 pricier at launch versus the previous iteration, which equates to a 20% jump in price.
Read our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review
A premium card that’s worth a look
While the RTX 3080 is technically a last-gen high-end card, it sits favorably in the mid-range for 2023 – especially if you can pick one up for cheap. We definitely wouldn’t rank it above the later RTX 4070 Ti for outright gaming chops, but it’s still a capable card for 1440p and even 4K gaming if you can get one for a reasonable price.
Read our Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 review
One of our favorites from last gen
The RTX 3060 Ti has always sat in a comfortable place value-wise in our opinion. It’s of course not the quickest or latest card in the range anymore but straddles the middle ground between a high-end 1080p card and a reasonably priced 1440p card in our opinion. In some cases, it gets pretty close to the higher-end RTX 3070 in performance while usually being a fair bit cheaper.
Read our Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti review
The best mid-range AMD GPU for now
We’re still waiting on AMD to release its new mid-range 7000 series cards as of early to mid 2023 but the older RX 6800 XT offers a great mid-range choice in the meantime. This RTX 3080 rival offers great 1440p performance in most titles and is often found at relatively reasonable prices too. Just note that it lags behind the equivalent Nvidia card for Ray-tracing performance.
Read our AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT review
Another strong 1440p performer
The RX 6700 XT and the mid-cycle-refresh RX 6750 XT are both strong mid-range contenders from AMD. Again, they lack the Ray-tracing prowess of similarly priced Nvidia cards but they still have plenty of power to give you superb performance at 1440p resolutions. These cards are due to be replaced fairly soon but they’re worth keeping an eye out for if you can get a particularly good price.
Read our AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT review
Budget graphics card comparison
The most popular GPU on steam
Yep, according to a recent Steam hardware survey the RTX 3060 is currently the most popular GPU, followed closely by the older RTX 2060 and GTX 1060. These cards are popular for a reason with exceptional 1080p performance at a price that’s not too outrageous. It’s not strictly a ‘low-end’ card but the RTX 3060 is going to get you great bang for the buck if it’s in your budget.
Read our Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 review
Ray tracing and DLSS on a budget
The RTX 3050 is Nvidia’s latest iteration of its ‘budget’ model but it’s a great card in its own right. Not only is it reasonably priced, but it’s a fantastic 1080p performance thanks in no part to the latest architecture and support for clever new upscaling tech like DLSS. All of this adds up to around a 70% performance increase versus the older GTX 1650.
Read our Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 review
Older but still recommended
The RX 6650 and RX 6600 are really great 1080p cards that can be found readily available at most retailers for prices cheaper than the equivalent RTX 3060 from Nvidia. As with most AMD cards of this older generation, Ray Tracing performance lags behind the Nvidia rivals but don’t skip over these cards if you’re on a budget. Both are capable of running most games at ultra settings at 1080p and 60 frames per second.
Read our AMD Radeon RX 6600 review
AMD’s budget offering
The RX 6500 XT has a pretty colored reputation due to its lukewarm reception back at launch. At the time, it was pretty pricey for the performance it offered, which wasn’t that much better than the previous iteration. In the time since release, however, it’s come down to a sensible price that reflects its status as AMD’s budget card. While we’d recommend other cards if you can afford them the RX 6500 XT is still a solid 1080p performer that can handle most games at high graphical settings.
Read our AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT review
Intel’s best card – for now
The Arc A770 is currently the quickest card in the new Arc range of GPUs from Intel. While it’s not perfect (drivers are still a little rough around the edges) it’s an incredibly compelling lower to mid-range choice thanks to its raw price to performance ration. Generally speaking, you’ll be able to find the Arc A770 for cheaper than the RTX 3060, while it potentially out performs it in some titles while also offering fair Ray-tracing performance.
1080p performance on a budget
The Intel Arc A750 is team blue’s ‘mid-range’ card in the new Arc range and a fantastic alternative to the RX 6500 and RTX 3050. It’s similarly priced to these more budget-orientated cards while offering performance that’s in some cases close to the RTX 3060 and RX 6600. While drivers are again a little rough round the edges, the Intel Arc A750 is one of the best graphics card deals on the market right now for those looking to spend under $300.
Frequently asked questions
Are graphics card prices back to normal now?
Yes and no. The days of massive graphics card shortages and outrageous eBay scalpers are firmly in the past now. That said, some cards still stubbornly sell for prices that exceed MSRP, even years after the initial launch dates in some cases.
Compounding this issue is inflation and the propensity for manufacturers to offer the latest cards at a higher starting price versus the older models. For example, the latest RTX 4070 from Nvidia comes in at $599 at launch – which isn’t bad – but it’s actually 20% more than the $519 asking price for the previous RTX 3070. Next gen cards on the whole are still pretty in-accessible to budget gamers looking to spend under $500.
There are a few exceptions to this, however. For example, Intel’s new Arc range of graphics cards are shaping up to be great budget options that get more compelling with each driver update. Both AMD and Nvidia have yet to release their next-gen budget cards too, so there’s potential for some great value cards in 2023 and 2024.
Why were graphics card prices so high?
Put simply, it’s because demand massively outstripped supply from early 2020 to late 2021. The global pandemic, chip shortages, and the continued popularity of using GPUs for cryptocurrency farming were all compounding factors here.
While there are a lot of disagreements in regards to these factors, it’s generally agreed that cryptocurrency mining is the main culprit. For example, The Economist last year published a report that found a strong correlation between the rise of second-hand GPU prices and the value of Ethereum – the most popular cryptocurrency for GPU mining. Interestingly, they also compared these values to CPU prices, which were seemingly unaffected by the rise of Ethereum, suggesting increasing demand from gamers isn’t to blame overall.
That said, no one can deny that the popularity of PC gaming hasn’t boomed over the past few years. For context, Steam, the world’s biggest online PC gaming platform saw a 20% increase in the number of titles purchased via its store in 2021 and a staggering 50% increase in hours played. Subsequently, it’s no surprise that graphics cards – the most vital component in any respectable gamers rig – were in short supply.
What’s the best bang for the buck graphics card?
The best cheap graphics card is going to depend on your requirements – specifically, do you need a card that’s capable of running games on a 1440p monitor or do you just need something for 1080p? If you can settle for a smaller monitor you’ll generally be able to get a card that offers better bang for the buck.
For example, something like the Intel Arc A770, Nvidia RTX 3060, or AMD RX 6600 XT are all great choices for a card that can play games at ultra graphical settings at 1080p resolution. The Arc A770 in particular is a card that’s capable of outstanding performance for the price, although driver issues with older games in particular have seen some prefer to opt for the tried and true RTX 3060 and RX 6600 XT. If you’re going to be playing DX12 (recent) titles, then the Arc A770 is a fantastic choice right now, however.
If you’re looking to run a 1440p monitor, then you may be able to get away with the Arc A770 or an RTX 3060 if you’re willing to sacrifice a few settings or can accept playing a demanding game at sub-60 FPS. For high performance, however, something like the RTX 4070 is a notable choice for 1440p since it’ll easily run nearly any game at ultra settings over 60fps thanks to DLSS. At $599 / £599 it’s not a cheap card, but it’s arguably offering a lot of value for enthusiast gamers since it’s fairly future proof and will even play most titles at 4K with reasonable performance.
The best online retailers for graphics cards
Here’s a list of the best retailers to check in for graphics card prices specifically. We’ve linked directly to the relevant pages, so all you need to do is follow these links and bookmark them.
- In the US:
- Nvidia
- Best Buy
- Amazon
- B&H Photo
- Newegg
- In the UK:
- Nvidia
- Overclockers
- Scan
- Novatech
- Ebuyer
- In Australia:
- Scorptec
- Mwave
- PLE Computers
As a first port of call, for Nvidia cards we’d recommend checking in at the official site primarily for both the US and UK. They sell founders edition cards for their retail price, so you absolutely won’t get upcharges for buying direct. As you’d expect, however, Nvidia sells out very quickly indeed and you’ll have to be prepared to jump on a card if you see one for a normal price.
Best Buy, B&H Photo, Amazon and Newegg are all good retailers to check in on in the US, although you’ll want to keep an eye out for inflated prices at the latter two. In the UK, we’d recommend going to Overclockers specifically and signing up to price notifications on the specific graphic card deals your looking for.
If you’re looking for an RTX 3080 specifically, we’ve got a separate where to buy Nvidia RTX 3080 guide that’s updated daily with the latest information – we recommend checking in there if you’re looking for this premium card.
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