Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3060 and RTX 3050: The best budget graphics cards you can buy right now
It can be tough to find a high-end Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 graphics card that's within your budget. Restocks are rare, and any available stock may cost a premium. An RTX 3080, whose suggested retail price is $699, can end up costing you twice or triple that amount. The good news is that you can save a lot of money by getting the RTX 3060 and 3070 models, which still provide excellent gaming performance.
Top products in this article:
Best lower mid-range GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, $399 and up
Best AMD alternative: AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, $379 and up
Best budget graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, $329 and up
Budget GPUs from the RTX 3000 line have been easier to find (and don't go as high in price) as their top-end counterparts. You'll find an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, for example, at around $700 on Amazon right now. While that's still double its suggested price, it's still much more affordable than a $2,000-plus RTX 3080. (The price tends to be lower during restocks.)
If you don't need to play the latest PC games at the absolute highest settings or 4K resolution, a budget graphics card will satisfy your gaming needs. We found the current lowest prices and availability on the best budget graphics cards from Nvidia (and AMD) and gathered them here for your convenience. If you can't find one you want right now, we're also keeping track of any changes in price and stock, so keep checking in.
How to get early access to budget Nvidia RTX 3000 card restocks
Best Buy has recently rewarded its paying Best Buy TotalTech members with exclusive, front-of-the-line access to restocks of hard-to-find products like the PlayStation 5 and Nvidia RTX 3000 graphics cards at retail price. Having exclusive early access to new releases and restocks is an unofficial perk for TotalTech members, but Best Buy is likely to offer it again for future restocks.
(Note that Best Buy is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Nvidia Founders Edition models.)
If you're still struggling to find a particular Nvidia RTX 3000 GPU at its suggested retail price, signing up for a TotalTech membership might be your way in. A Best Buy TotalTech subscription will cost you $200 per year and includes up to two years of product protection on most Best Buy purchases, 24/7 Geek Squad tech support, free delivery and installation and free, two-day shipping.
Subscribe to Best Buy TotalTech, $200 per year
The best deals on budget Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 graphics cards
Restocks of the budget graphics cards from the GeForce RTX 3000 series happen now and then. When they do, prices on these GPUs tend to drop to a more palatable level, especially for budget consumers. We're keeping an eye out for any restocks. In the meantime, we'll help you find the best deals on RTX 3000 graphics cards like the RTX 3060 and the RTX 3050.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a great option for budget-minded gamers who aren't seeking a 4K gaming experience. With 4,864 CUDA cores spread across 38 Streaming Multiprocessors (SM), this Nvidia GPU is designed to deliver excellent 1080p PC gaming with ray tracing.
Best Buy restocked this Nvidia GPU in early February along with the RTX 3070, but that batch sold out quickly.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, $399 and up
StockX has the RTX 3060 Ti available for under $800 for the time being.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founder Edition, $815
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
A solid successor to the RTX 2060, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 delivers strong 1080p gaming performance while keeping its power consumption low and boasting a robust cooling solution. It's a little more expensive than its predecessor, but it remains a great option for budget-minded gamers who want to get into the RTX 3000 line. And its small form factor means it can fit right into small gaming PC cases.
Most RTX 3060 we're finding right now are over $600, but sub-$550 options are on hand if you look hard enough.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, $329 and up
The Nvidia EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB XC is at $569 at StockX, and it's the cheapest you'll find at that retailer.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
If you want ray tracing -- tech that simulates real-life behavior of light in graphics rendering -- without spending a lot, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 is the most affordable way to do so in the RTX 3000 family. This budget GPU offers ray tracing while delivering solid 1080p performance and keeping things cool inside your gaming PC.
You can find after-market RTX 3050 GPUs at under $500 right now.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, $249 and up
You'll find the Nvidia EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC at $410 at StockX.
Affordable AMD graphic cards worth considering
When looking for budget offerings, it's wise to consider an AMD GPU. Even if its graphics cards have risen in price in the last couple of years, AMD GPUs are still generally more affordable -- and often easier to find -- than their Nvidia counterparts.
AMD Radeon RX 6600
As AMD's answer to the RTX 3060, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers 1080p gaming performance that's almost on par with its Nvidia rival, as well as low power consumption. It only has 8 GB of VRAM, however, next to the RTX 3060's 12 GB. But 8 GB should be enough for 1080p gaming.
And right now, we're seeing after-market AMD RX 6600 units at under $500, with the XFX Speedster SWFT210 currently priced at $480.
AMD Radeon RX 6600, $329 and up
Even less than the XFX Speedster is the AMD Gigabyte Radeon RX 6600, which is $459 at StockX.
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
A step above the RTX 6600 in performance, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT takes on the Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti. It's designed to deliver robust 1080p performance at the highest settings at $20 cheaper.
You'll also find after-market versions at around $50 less than its direct competition, like the Gigabyte Radeon RX 6600 XT Gaming OC.
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, $379 and up
At StockX, the AMD Gigabyte Radeon RX 6600 XT Gaming 8G OC is $548.
AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT
Despite being $50 cheaper than Nvidia's RTX 3050, the RX 6500 XT boasts a solid 1080p gaming performance, low power consumption and great heat management. The RTX 3050's ray tracing performance, according to reviewers, is better, but if you're looking for the most economical option, this one is worth considering.
That's especially because you'll find the XFX Speedster QICK210 AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT at under $300 and not much more than its suggested retail price.
AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT, $199 and up
You'll also find the AMD PowerColor Radeon RX 6500 XT a bit cheaper at StockX.
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