The best cheap graphics card prices and deals for July 2024
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 ensure you get the right GPU and pay the right price for it. With graphics card prices finally starting to return to somewhat normal levels, it’s finally a good time to think about an upgrade too. To help our readers get the best GPU for their needs, we’ve collated all of the best graphics card prices and deals into one handy page, covering US, UK, and Australian retailers.
What is your price range?
1. High quality
Over $650 / £600 / AU$900
2. Mid range
Approximately $450 / £400 / AU$750
3. Budget
Under $300 / £250 / $AU400
As you probably already know, graphics card prices have skyrocketed over the past two years. Initially, we saw a huge increase in demand due to the cryptocurrency mining craze. That has largely died down now, and we are seeing more and more graphics card deals popping up at major retailers around the world.
While Nvidia cards are still a little pricey (demand remains high), many AMD cards are currently falling below their recommended introductory price. This means that it’s possible to get your hands on some of the best graphics cards on the market without completely breaking the bank right now – something that would have been unheard of just 12 months ago. Overall, it’s a great time to be building a gaming PC, though we’d always urge buyers to carefully weigh up their options before committing.
That’s where our graphics card deals page comes in. Here you’ll not only find the best prices, but also a ton of unbiased, no-nonsense buyer advice if you’re not sure which card to buy.
High-end graphics card comparison
High-end graphics cards represent the very best and most advanced offerings from Nvidia and AMD. They are designed from the ground up to push the boundaries of graphical performance in the latest games, typically at 1440p and even 4K resolutions. As you might have guessed, these cards don’t come cheap – ranging in extreme cases to over $1,500 / £1,500.
For that reason, we wouldn’t recommend these high-end graphics cards to everyone. They may be overkill for consumer-level gaming, and will likely be severely limited unless you pair them with a suitably powerful processor. That said, if you’re an enthusiast who wants the smoothest possible action on a high-end monitor, there’s no real substitute for a suitably beefy GPU in your rig.
Mid-range graphics card comparison
Most gamers will probably opt for mid-range graphics cards if they are performance-oriented and don’t mind spending a bit of money. For example, if you have a 1440p monitor and want to play the latest games smoothly at a relatively high graphics setting, then this is a good price range to aim for.
These cards tend to have lower power requirements than high-end GPUs, but can still offer a good level of performance depending on the game. They can also handle 4K gaming relatively well at some point, but 4K gamers are probably better off with a higher-end option if they want to future-proof their setup.
Budget graphics card comparison
Don’t let the name fool you – budget graphics cards are actually quite good. If you want to game smoothly at 1080p resolution, for example, they should be more than capable of delivering enough power for most games. They’re also great for games that require less power, such as older titles, eSports titles, or strategy titles where the graphics take a back seat to the gameplay.
Cheaper graphics cards also tend to require less power and come in smaller form factors, which can be especially useful if you’re planning on building a PC in a more compact chassis. Overall, they’re a great choice in their own right, though we obviously wouldn’t recommend them to gamers who need the best performance on the market.
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 now well and truly over. That said, some cards are still stubbornly selling for prices well above their MSRP, in some cases years after their original launch date.
This problem is further exacerbated by inflation and the tendency of manufacturers to offer their latest cards at a higher starting price than older models. Nvidia’s latest RTX 4070, for example, cost $599 at launch – not bad – but it’s actually a 20% premium over the $519 the previous RTX 3070 demanded. Next-gen cards, in general, are still pretty inaccessible for budget gamers looking to spend under $500.
There are a few exceptions, however. For example, Intel’s new Arc-series graphics cards appear to be great budget options that are becoming more attractive with each driver update. Both AMD and Nvidia have yet to release their next-gen budget cards, so there’s potential for some great value cards in 2023 and 2024.
Why were graphics card prices so high?
Simply put, it’s because demand far exceeded supply from early 2020 to late 2021. The global pandemic, chip shortages, and the continued popularity of GPUs for cryptocurrency farming all played a role.
While there is much disagreement about these factors, it is generally agreed that cryptocurrency mining is the main culprit. For example, The Economist published a report last year that found a strong correlation between the rise in 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 that increasing demand from gamers overall is not to blame.
That said, no one can deny that the popularity of PC gaming hasn’t increased in recent years. For comparison, Steam, the world’s largest online PC gaming platform, saw a 20% increase in the number of titles purchased through its store in 2021, a staggering 50% increase in playing hoursIt’s no surprise then that graphics cards, the most important component of any decent gaming PC, were in short supply.
Which graphics card offers the best value for money?
The best budget graphics card will depend on your needs – specifically, do you need a card that can run games on a 1440p monitor, or do you just need something that can run at 1080p? If you can tolerate a smaller monitor, you can generally get a card that offers more bang for your 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 delivers excellent performance for the price, though driver issues with older games in particular have led some to opt for the tried and true RTX 3060 and RX 6600 XT instead. If you’re going to be playing DX12 (and recent) titles then the Arc A770 is a fantastic choice right now though.
If you want to use a 1440p monitor, you might be able to get away with the Arc A770 or an RTX 3060 if you’re willing to sacrifice a few settings or can play a demanding game at sub-60 FPS. For high performance though, something like the RTX 4070 is a notable choice for 1440p, as it can easily run almost any game at ultra settings above 60 FPS thanks to DLSS. At $599 / £599 it’s not a cheap card, but it arguably offers great value for enthusiast gamers as it’s reasonably future-proof and can even play most titles at 4K with reasonable performance.
The best online retailers for graphics cards
Here is a list of the best retailers to look at specifically for graphics card prices. We have linked directly to the relevant pages, so all you need to do is follow these links and bookmark them.
As a first port of call for Nvidia cards, we recommend checking in on the official site, primarily for both the US and UK. They sell founders edition cards at their retail price, so you definitely won’t be getting any extra charges if you buy them direct. As you might expect, Nvidia sells out very quickly though, and you should be prepared to grab a card if you see one at a regular price.
Best Buy, B&H Photo, Amazon, and Newegg are all good retailers to check out in the US, although beware of inflated prices with the latter two. In the UK, we recommend heading over to Overclockers specifically and signing up for price alerts on the specific graphics card deals you’re looking for.
Are you specifically looking for an RTX 3080? We have a separate guide with information on where to buy the Nvidia RTX 3080 . It is updated daily with the latest information. We recommend checking it out if you are in the market for this premium card.
