Dropped demand, clearance of older graphics cards, and price competition among current models make upgrading particularly attractive, especially in the mid-range segment. In addition, there are currently two hardware-hungry top titles launching with Anthem and the upcoming The Division 2.
Why are graphics cards currently relatively cheap? According to market researchers from Jon Peddie Research, manufacturers are still struggling with high inventory levels and a decreased demand following the boom around computing cryptocurrencies. According to forecasts, it is not expected that this will change in the first or second quarter of this year.
Currently, a major shift in the market is only expected in the fall when AMD is set to launch its new graphics processors featuring “Navi” architecture. At that point, there should be noticeable changes in the high-end sector starting from around 500 Euros, while currently, the mid-range is particularly interesting for the common gamer.
As with almost any PC hardware and its comparatively short relevance in terms of performance, interested parties should not keep waiting indefinitely, but buy when they need the performance: Otherwise, based on experience, upgrading will never happen.
Play as cheaply as possible – Which budget graphics card is worth it?
What should be the minimum graphics card? In terms of performance, ambitious gamers should not settle for a graphics card below the GeForce GTX 1060 and less than 6 GB of video memory if smooth frame rates in Full HD resolution without reduced graphics details are required for current games.
The model is being cleared out and will disappear from the market sooner or later, with prices in price comparison starting at around 200 Euros, such as in the case of the Zotac GeForce GTX 1060:
Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 at MediaMarktAlternative with free games: An equally worthwhile and often comparably powerful alternative is offered by AMD with the Radeon RX 580, which also provides a slightly more future-proof video memory variant with 8 GB, although its energy efficiency is lower.
The prices for the RX 580 start at around 185 Euros, for example for the PowerColor Radeon RX 580 Red Dragon V2. Additionally, it is currently possible to grab two games as download codes upon purchase, with The Division 2, Resident Evil 2, and Devil May Cry 5 available as options.
PowerColor Radeon RX 580 at MindfactoryThe wide-ranging mid-range in performance comparison
It can also be a bit more: Those who need slightly more power for achieving the highest frame rates and also for gaming at WQHD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels) currently have many options in the higher price range: Currently, the new GTX 1660 Ti, the RTX 2060, AMD’s Radeon RX Vega 56, and the GTX 1070, which is being cleared out, are all competing with relatively small performance and price differences.
The differences in features and performance of NVIDIA’s new and last generation of graphics cards have already been detailed in our market overview of current gaming laptops:
The colleagues from Gamestar.de have since averaged the FPS values of the mentioned graphics cards in Full HD and WQHD across various games during their testing of the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti:
Based on this, the following purchasing recommendations can be roughly made:
- Buy a GTX 1660 Ti if the RTX features of Ray Tracing and DLSS anti-aliasing are not needed and your budget is around around 260 Euros. Additionally, this model is also the most energy-efficient. For example:
- Buy a GTX 1070 if a good deal appears in clearance for under under 300 Euros and more future-proofing is preferred in terms of larger video memory (and the RTX features do not matter). For example:
- Buy an RX Vega 56 for around 300 Euros, if the three free games (The Division 2, Resident Evil 2, and Devil May Cry 5) along with 8 GB video memory are tempting, and the absence of RTX features and a higher power consumption are not concerns. For example:
- Buy an RTX 2060 starting at around 340 Euros, if you want the best possible performance with good energy efficiency in the mid-range and Ray Tracing and DLSS anti-aliasing are relevant in the games you play (Overview). Currently, there are also either Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, or Anthem as download codes available with participating partners. For example:
