The Gaming rigs are nothing without their graphics cards. PC gaming requires a graphics card, which is one of the main components of a PC. A slow GPU can drive you crazy, but a powerful GPU can take your gaming experience to the next level.
We reviewed several GPUs from AMD and Nvidia to find the best budget graphics card. This article will find all the information you need to find the best GPU for gaming at a fair price. We will review the 8 Best Graphics Card Under 100 Dollars.
Our Top 3 Recommendations
EVGA GeForce GT 710 1GB
GeForce GT 710 1GB GDDR5 fully supports DX12 on Windows 10
Designed to dissipate heat silently with a 0dB thermal design
Up to three monitors can be connected with the integrated alloy power II component for enhanced multitasking
8 Best Graphics Card Under 100 Dollars Summary
| Award | Image | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Video Card for under 100 Dollars |
|
ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030 | See On Amazon |
| Best GPU under 100 |
|
XFX RX 550 2GB | See On Amazon |
| Best Budget Graphics Card under 100$ |
|
EVGA GeForce GT 710 1GB | See On Amazon |
| Best Video Card for under 100 |
|
ZOTAC GeForce GT 730 | See On Amazon |
| Good Video Card for 100 Dollars |
|
Asus AMD Radeon R7 250 | See On Amazon |
| Best GPU under 100 Dollars |
|
GeForce GT 740 OC | See On Amazon |
| Best Graphics Card around 100 Dollars |
|
Nvidia GeForce GTX 750Ti | See On Amazon |
| Best ASUS GPU Under 100$ |
|
Asus GeForce GTX 650Ti | See On Amazon |
8 Best Graphics Card Under 100 Dollars At a Glance:
- ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030
- XFX RX 550 2GB
- EVGA GeForce GT 710 1GB
- ZOTAC GeForce GT 730
- Asus AMD Radeon R7 250
- GeForce GT 740 OC
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 750Ti
- Asus GeForce GTX 650Ti
8 Best Graphics Card Under 100 Dollars Reviews
ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030
Best Video Card for under 100 Dollars
SPECIFICATIONS
GPU: GeForce® GT 1030 | Video Memory: 2GB GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 6.0 GHz | DirectX: 12 | Memory Bus: 64-bit |
REASONS TO BUY
✓ Prices start at $70
✓ Low TDP of 30W
✓ Low profile/single slot
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ It’s not good for AAA games
The ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030 2GB is a low-end graphics card from Zotac. In October 2017, it was released, making it almost three years old. Zotac GT 1030 is based on the NVIDIA Pascal architecture, and it has 1024 stream processors, 64 texture units, and 32 ROPs.
Using the new Pascal GP107 GPU, it has 2048 shaders clocked at 1417MHz (effectively). This board has one DVI-D and one DVI-I port. This is one of the Best Graphics Card Under 100 Dollars.
The outstanding example of a low-profile GPU provided by ZOTAC is just one in a long list of GPUs suitable for budget-friendly computers.
GeForce GT 1030 does not require the installation of two PCI slots since it can be installed in the minor ITX case, even if there are no PCI expansion slots.
Our Verdict
The ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030 is a great option for those looking for a budget-friendly graphics card under $100. It offers solid performance for basic gaming and everyday tasks and has a low power consumption making it a great fit for a budget or entry-level PC build.
Additionally, its compact design allows for easy installation in small form factor PCs. Overall, the ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030 is a cost-effective solution for those in need of a basic graphics card.
Read Also: Best Graphics Cards for Ryzen 3600
XFX RX 550 2GB
Best GPU under 100
SPECIFICATIONS
GPU: Radeon™ RX 550 2GT LP OC | Video Memory: 2GB GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 6.0 GHz | DirectX: 12 | Memory Bus: 128-bit |
REASONS TO BUY
✓ No additional power connector required
✓ Cool and quiet
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ Notably slower than slightly more expensive Radeon RX 460
Similar to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030, the XFX RX 550 is low-profile and perfect for budget gaming builds. This card has only one PCI expansion slot, and the XFX RX 550 is a great budget card for those on a tight budget. Like the GT 1030, its performance isn’t terrible, but it will not blow you away.
It should be able to run at the lowest settings if the game isn’t particularly hardware intensive. The RX 550 does not produce much heat, so it will not need a powerful and loud GPU cooler since it produces almost no heat.
XFX Double Dissipation Cooling allows you to enjoy the benefits of GDDR5 memory technology. A dual-fan cooling solution is employed to dissipate heat from the CPU and graphics card.
This graphics card will provide outstanding performance for gamers on an average budget, so it is an excellent option for them. However, this is one of the Best Graphics Card Under 100 Dollars.
Our Verdict
The XFX Radeon RX 550 is a budget-friendly graphics card that offers solid performance for basic gaming and everyday tasks. It has a 1203 MHz clock speed and 2GB of GDDR5 memory, providing enough power to run most modern games at lower settings.
Additionally, its low power consumption makes it a great fit for budget or entry-level PC builds, and its compact design allows for easy installation. Overall, the XFX Radeon RX 550 is a cost-effective solution for those in need of a basic graphics card.
Read Also: Best Graphics Cards for Fortnite
EVGA GeForce GT 710 1GB
Best Budget Graphics Card under 100$
SPECIFICATIONS
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 | Video Memory: 1GB GDDR5 | Memory Speed: 5012 MHZ | DirectX: 12 | Memory Bus: 64 Bits |
REASONS TO BUY
✓ GeForce GT 710 1GB GDDR5 fully supports DX12 on Windows 10
✓ Designed to dissipate heat silently with a 0dB thermal design
✓ Up to three monitors can be connected with the integrated alloy power II component for enhanced multitasking
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ May cause random blackouts
The EVGA GeForce GT 710 is a great choice for people who want to play games at a decent speed without spending a lot of money. This graphics card is perfect for people who are on a tight budget.
It has 1GB of memory, which is enough to run most games and applications. It’s also a lot cheaper than other, more expensive graphics cards.
The EVGA GT 710 is a good option for people who want to play games on their work computer or one with a Ryzen CPU.
However, it does have a slower graphics processor and RAM, so the performance might not be as high as with more expensive cards. But it still runs well and cool and doesn’t take up too much space in your computer.
Additionally, the EVGA GT 710 has a low power consumption and runs quietly, making it an ideal option for home or office use. It also supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, and OpenCL 1.2, which means it can run most modern games and applications.
It also has a VGA, DVI, and HDMI port for multi-monitor support, which is great for productivity or gaming.
Our Verdict
Our verdict on the EVGA GeForce GT 710 1GB graphics card is that it is a great option for budget-conscious gamers or users who want to run applications on their work computers. It offers decent performance for the price and runs cool and quiet.
We personally used the EVGA GT 710 to play some games such as Overwatch and CS:GO, and it performed well with a decent frame rate. It also ran smoothly for 2D applications such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and other video editing software.
We also found that the power consumption of this graphics card is quite low and it did not produce much heat.
However, it’s worth noting that the graphics processor and RAM are slower compared to more expensive graphics cards, so you may experience some limitations with more demanding games or applications.
But, considering the price point it is still a great option for budget-conscious users or people who want to use it for general purpose.
Read Also: Best 144Hz Gaming Monitor under 200 Dollars
ZOTAC GeForce GT 730
Best Video Card for under 100
SPECIFICATIONS
GPU: GeForce GT 730 | Video Memory: 2/4 GB GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 1600 MHz | DirectX: 12 | Memory Bus: 64 Bits |
REASONS TO BUY
✓ Silent
✓ Power Efficient
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ Can’t give good FPS in high graphics
The ZOTAC GeForce GT 730 is a great option for people who want to improve their gaming experience or want to use it for home theater PC (HTPC) systems.
This small graphics card is perfect for first-time gamers or people who want to use it for low power applications. It has 4GB of memory and can handle up to 64-bit applications. It supports a maximum resolution of 2040p.
This graphics card is a good choice for people who are on a tight budget, it is available for under 100 dollars. It is a powerful card that was impressive when it first came out and still holds up today.
It offers several advantages over other budget graphics cards, even though it may not be able to run the latest games at the highest settings.
The ZOTAC GT 730 comes with 4GB of RAM, which is twice as much as other graphics cards in the same price range. This extra RAM allows the card to render complex models and images faster.
With this card, you can expect smooth and seamless performance for most games and applications.
Our Verdict
Our verdict on the GT 730 is that it is a solid option for budget-conscious gamers or users looking for a small and silent GPU. The power efficiency of this GPU is a huge plus, making it great for home or office use. It runs cool and quiet which is great for systems that will be running all the time.
On the downside, it’s worth noting that the GT 730 may not be able to provide good FPS in high graphics games, so it may not be the best option for hardcore gamers or those looking to play the latest and most demanding games at the highest settings.
Asus AMD Radeon R7 250
Good Video Card for 100 Dollars
SPECIFICATIONS
GPU: R7250-1GD5 | Video Memory: 1 GB GDDR5 | **Memory Clock:**1150 MHz | DirectX: 12 (11_1) | Memory Bus: 128 Bits |
REASONS TO BUY
✓ Capable of handling 1080p gaming at medium settings
✓ Compact
✓ Performs significantly better under load than Nvidia’s latest cards
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ Requires a six-pin power connector
The Asus Radeon R7 250 1GB is a good graphics card from ASUS. It works well with DX12 and can give you a gaming experience that’s similar to more expensive cards.
It comes with a 3-year warranty and has 1GB of GDDR5 memory, which can run most games at lower to medium settings and resolutions.
ASUS has done a good job using the AMD Radeon 7 chipset, but it’s not the best option for gamers because it only has 1GB of VRAM. This limits its gaming capabilities.
However, it does perform well for other tasks like 3D modeling and video editing. It has a dust-proof fan that keeps the GPU clean and increases its lifespan.
Overall, the Asus Radeon R7 250 1GB is a decent option for people who are looking for a budget-friendly graphics card for general purpose use, but not for gaming.
The 1GB of VRAM is a limitation for gaming, but it can handle older games and other tasks like video rendering pretty well.
Our Verdict
Our verdict on the R7 250 is that it is a solid budget GPU that I’ve personally used. One of the key pros is that it can handle 1080p gaming at medium settings, which is great for most games. I also found that it performed significantly better under load than other budget options, making it a good choice for gaming.
Additionally, The compact size of the R7 250 is also a plus, it fit perfectly in my small form factor build and didn’t take much space.
On the downside, the GPU requires a six-pin power connector, so I had to make sure my power supply had one before installing it.
GeForce GT 740 OC
Best GPU under 100 Dollars
SPECIFICATIONS
GPU: GV-N740D5OC-2GI | Video Memory: 2 GB GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 1350 MHz | DirectX: 12 (11_0) | Memory Bus: 128 Bits |
REASONS TO BUY
✓ 3K Output over DVI
✓ Supports dual display
✓ Lossless audio
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ Slightly more expensive
In a price range of closer to 100 dollars, the Asus GeForce GT 740 OC gives you more performance for the same amount of money as the Radeon R7 240 and GeForce GT 730. Based on a glance at the specs, it looks like the memory sub-system will be the most impressive.
The ultra-fast GDDR5 has replaced GDDR3 RAM. These memory chips allow for faster speeds, giving gamers the chance to get more performance from the cards.
The GPU is a mid-range non-gaming GPU. As usual, Nvidia names their cards like this 740 GT: the 7 indicates the generation, and the 40 indicates the performance.
You should aim high for both numbers if you want a better card. The 740 was released more than seven years ago, and it would not be able to handle current games at a reasonable frame rate.
Our Verdict
Our verdict on the GeForce GT 740 OC is that it is a great option for budget-conscious users looking for a powerful GPU. One of the key pros of this GPU is that it supports 3K output over DVI, which is great for users who want to use multiple displays or high-resolution monitors.
It also supports dual display and lossless audio which makes it a great option for users who want to use it for gaming and multimedia.
However, it’s worth noting that the GT 740 OC is slightly more expensive than other budget options, but it’s worth it considering its features and capabilities.
Read Also: Best Graphics Card for Ryzen 7 3700X
Nvidia GeForce GTX 750Ti
Best Graphics Card around 100 Dollars
SPECIFICATIONS
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti | Video Memory: 2 GB GDDR5 | Memory Clock: 1350 MHz | DirectX: 12 (11_0) | Memory Bus: 128 Bits |
REASONS TO BUY
✓ Excellent power consumption
✓ Cool and very quiet
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ No SLI support
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti is a mid-range desktop graphics card announced in early 2014. It is based on the first generation of Maxwell architecture, the GM107 chip.
Maxwell outperformed Kepler and AMD chips in similar performance areas by focusing on energy efficiency. GTX 750 Ti does support DirectX 11.2 but only feature level 11_0. GeForce GTX 750Ti is one of the best budget graphics cards for under 100$.
It is comparable in performance to the GeForce GTX 860M, an equivalent chip for laptops that has a slightly slower clock rate and a slightly lower clock rate. However, AMD’s Radeon R7 260X and Nvidia’s GTX 750 and GTX 660 offer similar performance.
A strong suit of the GTX 750 Ti is its low power consumption, which is superior to the less powerful Radeon R7 260X (gaming) by a wide margin.
Our Verdict
Several of my friends and I have actually used GTX 750 Ti on our personal computers. In our opinion, the GTX 750Ti is an excellent choice for gaming. The GPU is still capable of handling many of the latest titles of 2023 at low settings with decent frame rates.
It has a low power consumption, which is great. As well as that, we noticed that this GPU is extremely quiet when you are using it. Furthermore, the GTX 750 Ti is very affordable compared to other GPUs on the market, making it a great option if you want to save money.
Additionally, it offers great performance for the price and can even be overclocked to get even more performance out of it. If you are looking for the best GPU within 100 dollars of your budget, this GPU is an excellent choice.
Read Also: Best Motherboard For Ryzen 9 5950X
Asus GeForce GTX 650Ti
Best ASUS GPU Under 100$
REASONS TO BUY
✓ Excellent thermals and noise characteristics
✓ Very low power consumption
✓ Support for NVIDIA CUDA & PhysX
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ No NVIDIA GPU Boost
✗ No support for SLI
The Asus GeForce GTX 650Ti GPU outperforms the overclocked Sapphire Vapor-X HD 7770 in almost every regard, even in terms of performance. Scaling and overclocking are excellent on this card.
As a result, NVIDIA’s GTX 650 Ti is a perfectly acceptable performance card at 1680×1055, which is where you’d expect a 650 series part to be. This is due to the fact that the GTX 650 Ti comes with a higher clock speed than the HD 7770, and a higher memory bandwidth.
This means that the GTX 650 Ti can handle more data at once and process it faster, resulting in better performance. Additionally, the GTX 650 Ti comes with more onboard memory, which also boosts its performance.
If you are looking to purchase the best graphics card for under 100 dollars, the GeForce GTX 650Ti is the best choice.
Our Verdict
The GTX 650 Ti was tested and found to be an excellent GPU under the $100 price range. The GPU performs well in games and other graphics-intensive applications. It is also noteworthy that this GPU consumes a low amount of power. But don’t expect to be able to play Crysis on ultra settings - that’s still a bit too much to ask for $100!
Overall, the GeForce GTX 650 Ti is a good product, though it may not be the most powerful solution in its entire price range. The card operates cool and quietly, and its power consumption characteristics are friendly.
Read Also: Best GPU for Intel Core i5 8400
How To Choose The Best GPU Under 100$
The market offers a wide range of graphics cards with various specifications. You must consider a few factors before purchasing a graphics card. Before buying the best graphics card, here are a few things to consider.
Cooling
Graphics cards generate a lot of heat. A GPU’s TDP value provides information on its heat output, which is an important consideration when selecting a GPU. As your TDP value increases, you’ll need more fans to distribute heat effectively. The TDP value makes a difference because fans require additional space and power.
Power
Besides considering the TDP value for space reasons, you should also consider whether the power supply has enough 8-pin or 6-pin connectors to support your graphics card. The easiest way to ensure this is to purchase a power supply of at least 80 Plus Bronze.
Memory
It is the video memory on the graphics card. It’s just like the main system ram, except it’s specifically used and reserved for graphics. Graphics cards with 2GB and 4GB of RAM are used for games. In a game, you can maximize detail with more VRAM.
Graphics cards usually have 2 to 12 gigabytes of video RAM. Yet, there is much debate about how much memory a computer needs for optimal performance. According to some forums, the amount of memory does not matter, but others state it is an important consideration when purchasing a graphics card.
Bandwidth
It is debatable how vital GPU memory is to some, but bandwidth is essential to all. A GPU’s bandwidth is how much memory it can access at any moment. A GPU with more bandwidth can feed data to its shader cores faster. Hence, games and video graphics run smoothly. An external bandwidth refers to the connection between a GPU and its associated system. It represents the speed of data transfers over a bus (for example, PCIe or Thunderbolt).
Shader Cores
Shader cores are extremely flexible mathematics pipelines that execute shader programs to manipulate pixels and polygon vertices within a scene. Shaders also allow you to utilize the processing power of the graphics card processing unit (GPU) instead of solely relying on the system CPU. In addition, the GPU can handle multiple data streams at once.
Conclusion
The best video card for under 100 dollars is ZOTAC GeForce GT 1030 2GB. It is the best card for its price that provides the best performance. However, this graphics card is if you want to enjoy the best gaming experience for under $100. With this card, you can run all the old games on maximum settings and all the new games at medium settings at 720p.
You should choose this card if you’re buying a card under 100 dollars! Photo and Video Editors will benefit from it as it makes the editing process blazing fast and good.
You should consider more expensive cards if you want atop-notch gaming experience. There is no way that $100 will cut it in the gaming world, and new games are released almost every week, making it challenging to keep up.
Last but not least, if you ever find yourself in a pinch and can’t afford the latest and greatest gaming gear, remember that you can always just stay inside and play Monopoly!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 1030 good for gaming?
With this video card, virtually any game available today can be played at 30-60 frames per second at a low to medium setting, and even at a high setting if it is a little old, like GTA 5 in 1080p. Despite its reputation as an entry-level card, this is generally a good card
Is a 2GB graphics card Enough?
No, 2 GB isn’t enough memory for most modern games. The last time a high-end graphics card had only 2 GB of memory was many years ago. You can still play older games.
Can I play GTA 5 on a 1GB graphics card?
Yes, you can play GTA 5 on a 1GB graphics card at medium settings.
