These Graphics Playing cards Are The Worst Bang For Your Buck Proper Now

The GPU market has been in an odd place because the rise of crypto mining and its reliance on high-end video playing cards. The costs on graphics playing cards have been closely impacted, with new video playing cards usually outpacing their producer instructed retail worth (MSRP). Stock shortages and tariff points are additionally making issues worse.

These points have now additionally filtered right down to mid-range and price range graphics playing cards, particularly as folks look to these choices due to the shortages and inflated prices of high-end graphics playing cards. In the case of price-to-performance metrics, discovering the correct graphics card can begin to get greater than somewhat difficult for customers.

You may pay nicely over $4,000 for the most recent RTX entry from Nvidia, however that does not essentially make it a superb worth. Shoppers can discover it extremely complicated to see new budget focused graphics cards from corporations like Nvidia marketed at an inexpensive MSRP, solely to then see typically over a 100% markup when searching for these playing cards on-line.

The RTX 5090 is a powerful piece of {hardware}. It is probably the most highly effective client graphics card presently in the marketplace, and the value matches that energy with a $1,999 MSRP. The issue with this card is that it is presently promoting nicely above that MSRP. It wasn’t unusual to see listings for the RTX 5090 at over $5,000 at launch on websites resembling eBay. Even in the present day, 5090s checklist at roughly $2,600 on sale at retailers resembling Amazon and Newegg, making them a poor alternative. 

At CES 2025, Nvidia touted its RTX 5070 card alongside its upcoming AI game tools with NVIDIA ACE. The RTX 5070 is a 12GB graphics card that Nvidia claims was as highly effective because the earlier 12 months flagship card, the RTX 4090. What we acquired as a substitute was a graphics card that confirmed solely very minor efficiency boosts over the RTX 4070, and solely confirmed spectacular numbers through the use of multi-frame technology. 

In 2025, we’re in a spot the place 8GB of VRAM simply is not going to chop it for very lengthy. Whereas it could suffice on sure current video games with lowered settings, having an 8GB graphics card means your PC is basically dwelling on borrowed time. That is why the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB is a horrible worth at over $400 for restricted efficiency. You may be needing to improve the cardboard sooner relatively than later, particularly should you intend to run the most recent AAA video games.

One may assume dropping again a technology can be a good suggestion to get extra for much less. This is not essentially the case with the present market, as proven with the RTX 4080 Tremendous and its MSRP of $1,000. Whereas this 16GB card remains to be a powerhouse, it is presently itemizing on-line beginning at a staggering $1579. A $600 markup is much an excessive amount of for a card that may be equaled in efficiency by different playing cards at virtually half that price.

Going even additional again is not a lot assist for these trying to sport on a price range. The GTX 1650 Tremendous has been Nvidia’s workhorse card for a number of years. This 4GB graphics card is not going to get you far in the present day, particularly not with something over 1080p, so you’d assume that it will not less than be priced nicely. The GTX 1650 Tremendous is listed on-line for $269, giving it horrible price-to-performance worth when you possibly can simply discover 16GB playing cards with trendy options for practically the identical price.

It is clear that Nvidia’s video playing cards wrestle with worth stability. The older GTX line of playing cards had been praised for their power and value after they launched. Almost a decade later, the GTX 1060 remains to be being bought new for $239. The 3GB of VRAM might have been ample in 2016, however will solely bottleneck most trendy video games and depart you feeling such as you threw cash down the drain.

AMD is thought for its impressive CPU offerings and fewer for its graphics playing cards. That is why the Radeon 9070 XT had folks excited when this powerhouse card was introduced at an inexpensive $600 MSRP. AMD was then caught taking part in with the value of its playing cards earlier than launch, basically offering faux MSRPs. It is clear then that this card isn’t priced accurately with a present 56% markup to its MSRP, that means you’re paying far an excessive amount of for what you’re getting proper now.

You may then assume then that the RX 9070 would make for a greater worth when in comparison with its XT massive brother. Its extra cheap $550 MSRP makes the RX 9070 an intriguing possibility, however with it additionally just lately seeing a virtually 50% markup, the RX 9070 turns into a poor price-to-performance proposition at over $800.

The Radeon RX 7900 XTX was a overvalued card earlier than it was launched, however after launch, it regarded as if AMD might have oversold issues. Retailing for simply over $1,000, the RX 7900 XTX pricing did not make a lot sense, particularly contemplating the RX 7900 XT was solely about $100 much less with little distinction between the 2. Its worth will get worse because the RX 7900 XTX has seen a virtually 40% enhance in its MSRP, whereas the RX 7900 XT has seen a slight drop from its unique worth.

The Radeon RX 6700 XT looks as if a superb deal on paper. This 12GB video card launched on March 3, 2021 with an MSRP of $379, focusing on the mid-range gaming house. If you’re trying to decide this card up in the present day, you’re going to discover that the RX 6700 XT has turn out to be a horrible worth. Some new Gigabyte playing cards are itemizing at over $800, a staggering markup that makes the RX 6700 XT a card to keep away from for these trying to get one of the best bang for his or her buck.

The Radeon RX 5600 XT launched on January 21, 2020 with an MSRP of $279. It was a superb worth for 6GB when it hit the market. The cardboard then confronted provide points through the pandemic, which noticed costs spike — as was the case for a lot of playing cards launched on the time. The issue is that in 2025, the RX 5600 XT is listed on-line for over $500, nicely over its MSRP from 5 years in the past.

The 8GB Radeon RX 6600 may seem like a card that could be value your cash should you plan to stay to 1080p gaming. It may well maintain up with most titles because of its RDNA 2 structure, not less than till you begin enabling VRAM heavy options resembling ray tracing and reflections. The cardboard merely cannot sustain with one thing just like the 12GB RTX 3060, a card that outpaces it in most facets and shall be much more future-proof for lower than $50 extra.