5 best sub-$500 gaming GPUs in 2025
The sub-$500 gaming GPU range is pretty hot lately, especially because multiple cards are discounted due to the holiday season, and new generations are arriving within a few months. Budget gamers can score lucrative deals in the market these days, with powerful 4K cards available at throw-away prices.
This article lists five capable pixel pushers to buy under the $500 range. We have listed a diverse set of options, so choose one based on how much you have to spend and what features you prefer.
Note: This list is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions
The sub-$500 market has some powerful gaming GPUs today
1) Intel Arc B580 16 GB ($249)
The Intel Arc B580 12 GB is the latest kid in the block. It is powered by the new Battlemage architecture, which delivers high-performance gains in rasterization workloads, thanks to the Xe2 cores. Moreover, you get 12 GB of video memory at just $249, which makes it a great buy on a budget.
The Arc B580 is based on the BMG-G21. You get 20 Xe2 cores, with 2,560 shading units, 160 Texture Mapping Units (TMUs), and 80 Render Output Units (ROPs). Theoretically, the card is slightly faster than the RTX 2080 Super and about as capable as the RTX 3060 Ti. It beats both the costlier Radeon RX 7600 and the Nvidia RTX 4060, making it a very lucrative choice.
Pros:
- The B580 offers competitive 1440p gaming performance at its price.
- With 16 GB GDDR6, the card is future-proof for the latest games.
Cons:
- The ray tracing performance on the card isn't up to par with competitors.
- Intel's drivers are still not as optimized as Nvidia or AMD's.
- The card may be hard to find in certain regions.
2) AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT 12 GB ($339)
Last-generation cards have been lucratively discounted lately. Some more powerful options like the Radeon RX 6750 XT are now selling for less than $340, making it a decent option for high-framerate 1080p and 1440p gaming. The GPU is at par with the RTX 4060 Ti in terms of rendering prowess, earning it a recommendation on this list.
The RX 6750 XT is a slightly overclocked variant of the older 6700 XT. The card packs the Navi 22 GPU, which is a slightly cut-down version of the flagship Navi 22. Much like the Arc B580, it also packs 2,560 shading units. However, each of these units isn't comparable because of the difference in the underlying architectures.
This card also offers 12 GB of GDDR6 memory. In terms of gaming performance, it is more capable than the Arc offering, beating it by 10-15% on average.
Pros:
- The RX 6750 XT delivers decent 1440p performance.
- The card is easy to cool, with dual-fan options sufficient in most cases.
- Given its competitive price, the card delivers a lot of performance.
Cons:
- Ray tracing on the 6750 XT isn't as good as Team Green's options.
- Power consumption on this GPU is higher than competitors.
- The card isn't much faster than the original RX 6700 XT.
3) AMD Radeon RX 6800 16 GB ($394)
Another last-gen AMD gaming GPU that has been selling for attractive prices lately is the RX 6800 16 GB. The card was originally launched for 1440p and 4K gaming and continues to be a capable option for high-end gaming even to date. However, like every other AMD card, you'll miss out on class-leading ray tracing and upscaling performance.
The RX 6800 16 GB is powered by the flagship (but outdated) Navi 21 gaming chip. The stream processor has been boosted to 3,840. Moreover, you also get 16 GB of video memory, which should future-proof your rig for quite some time. In terms of performance, you can expect about 15% more framerates than the cheaper 6750 XT.
Pros:
- Excellent 1440p and 4K gaming performance.
- Generous 16GB GDDR6 memory capacity.
- Efficient power consumption at 250W TDP.
Cons:
- This gaming GPU's ray tracing lags behind Nvidia's offerings.
- Lacks DLSS-like upscaling technology. 3.
- Higher price compared to RTX 3070.
4) AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT 12 GB ($409.99)
Coming to newer gaming GPU launches from Team Red, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is a fantastic recommendation for 1440p and 4K resolutions going into 2025. The card has been built from the ground up to deliver superb performance in the latest titles and packs native hardware to run FSR 3.1 upscaling at its best.
The RX 7700 XT is powered by the Navi 32 GPU. It is one of the newer offerings from Team Red and packs all the architectural refinements that came with the RDNA 3 architecture, including improved ray tracing and upscaling performance. However, you will get 12 GB of VRAM, which, coupled with the specs cuts, means it isn't any faster than the last-gen RX 6800.
Having said that, this card will fall below the $400 mark in promotions, which is when it can prove to be a lucrative buy.
Pros:
- The RX 7700 XT is a superb 1440p gaming GPU.
- The improved RDNA 3 architecture delivers better performance-per-watt.
- The card is priced competitively for its performance capabilities.
Cons:
- The 12 GB VRAM buffer can be limiting in the near future.
- Ray tracing isn't AMD's strong suit yet.
- Compared to Nvidia's options, the power consumption of this gaming GPU is pretty high.
5) Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB ($499)
The Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB is our final (and the most expensive) recommendation in the sub-$500 range. While this isn't the most powerful GPU on this list, it can be one to opt for if you're looking for Nvidia technologies like CUDA, better ray tracing and upscaling performance, and more.
However, you'll have to shell out quite a premium on the card, which received quite some backlash for its pricing when it launched.
The RTX 4060 Ti is powered by the AD106 graphics processor. In terms of specs, it is severely cut down and doesn't improve over the last generation by a significant margin, especially in rasterization.
This drew quite some backlash at launch, with gamers comparing it to the RX 6700 XT and the 6750 XT, which deliver similar metrics at cheaper prices. However, the card packs strong ray tracing performance and power efficiency.
Pros:
- The 16 GB memory buffer future-proofs the gaming GPU.
- The card is decent for 1440p gaming and some workstation tasks.
- It is power efficient and comes in a variety of form factors and designs.
Cons:
- At $499, the RTX 4060 Ti is definitely quite costly for what it offers.
- The 128-bit memory bus limits the overall memory buffer.
- The rasterization performance of the 4060 Ti isn't much better than the 3060 Ti.
We have only listed the sub-$500 gaming GPUs that can handle all the latest games comfortably at 1080p and 1440p. Video memory buffers were also an important factor, given the ever-increasing demands of modern titles. All these options will give you a solid base for some time, and we encourage you to choose one based on how much you have to splurge.