Best Graphics Cards For The Money July 2013
1-Best Graphics Cards For The Money July 2013
2-Best Entry-Level Graphics Cards: $100 And Under
In this month's graphics card update, we talk about Nvidia's new GeForce GTX 760 and the impact this impressive product is already making on the market. We also discuss a lot of the pricing moves that affect our recommendations this time around.
Detailed graphics card specifications and reviews are great—that is, if you have the time to do the research. But at the end of the day, what a gamer needs is the best graphics card within a certain budget.
So, if you don’t have the time to research the benchmarks, or if you don’t feel confident enough in your ability to pick the right card, then fear not. We at Tom’s Hardware have come to your aid with a simple list of the best gaming cards offered for the money
July Updates:
The big news since last month is the introduction of Nvidia's GeForce GTX 760, which is based on the GK104 graphics processor with six SMX partitions enabled and a 256-bit memory bus. The complete configuration sports 1152 CUDA cores, 96 texture units, and 32 render output units. A 980 MHz base clock rate helps compensate for the reduction in performance potential due to a lower number of shaders, and a GPU Boost rating of 1033 MHz further helps improve performance when the thermal headroom allows.
At the end of the day, you'd have a hard time telling the difference between a GeForce GTX 760 and the old 670. However, you'll be more inclined to notice that the 760 sells for $250, while the GeForce GTX 670 launched at $400 a little over a year ago. Needless to say, this card quickly became one of our favorites, delivering great frame rates at 1920x1080. Check our our comprehensive launch coverage in GeForce GTX 760 Review: GK104 Shows Up (And Off) At $250.
AMD has a less-discussed, but still interesting card headed our way: the Radeon HD 7730. This should be the first GCN-based card to show up under the Radeon HD 7750. We're assuming it's going to replace the VLIW-based Radeon HD 6670 and 6570 with 384 shaders and a 128-bit interface complemented by DDR3 or GDDR5 memory. More on the 7730 soon.
AMD has a less-discussed, but still interesting card headed our way: the Radeon HD 7730. This should be the first GCN-based card to show up under the Radeon HD 7750. We're assuming it's going to replace the VLIW-based Radeon HD 6670 and 6570 with 384 shaders and a 128-bit interface complemented by DDR3 or GDDR5 memory. More on the 7730 soon.
Aside from new hardware, prices are hopping all over the place. For instance, the GeForce GTX 660 Ti dropped $25 to $265, but it's still too expensive next to the much more attractive GeForce GTX 760. AMD's Radeon HD 7950 Boost price is down to $270, but that's also too pricey next to Nvidia's GTX 760.
Fortunately for AMD, two other Radeon models were adjusted significantly enough to affect our recommendations. First, the Radeon HD 7790 is now $130, taking the win from Nvidia's slightly slower GeForce GTX 650 Ti. Second, the Radeon HD 7850 2 GB is now within $10 of the GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost 2 GB, making the AMD option viable. This is especially the case if you're interested in the company's current game bundle, which includes Far Cry: Blood Dragon, Tomb Raider, and BioShock: Infinite.
Some Notes About Our Recommendations
A few simple guidelines to keep in mind when reading this list:
- This list is for gamers who want to get the most for their money. If you don’t play games, then the cards on this list are more expensive than what you really need. We've added a reference page at the end of the column covering integrated graphics processors, which is likely more apropos.
- And remember to check out our new performance per dollar comparison page, where you can overlay the benchmark data we’ve generated with pricing, giving you a better idea where your ideal choice falls on the value curve. The criteria to get on this list are strictly price/performance. We acknowledge that recommendations for multiple video cards, such as two Radeon cards in CrossFire mode or two GeForce cards in SLI, typically require a motherboard that supports CrossFire or SLI and a chassis with more space to install multiple graphics cards. They also require a beefier power supply compared to what a single card needs, and will almost certainly produce more heat than a single card. Keep these factors in mind when making your purchasing decision. In most cases, if we have recommended a multiple-card solution, we try to recommend a single-card honorable mention at a comparable price point for those who find multi-card setups undesirable.
- Prices and availability change on a daily basis. We can’t base our decisions on always-changing pricing information, but we can list some good cards that you probably won’t regret buying at the price ranges we suggest, along with real-time prices from our PriceGrabber engine, for your reference.
- The list is based on some of the best U.S. prices from online retailers. In other countries or at retail stores, your mileage will most certainly vary.
- These are new card prices. No used or open-box cards are in the list; they might represent a good deal, but it’s outside the scope of what we’re trying to do.
| BEST PRICES FOR TESTED PRODUCTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AX6670 1GBK3-H Radeon HD 6670 Gr | NCIXUS.com$76.99 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| FX-775A-ZNP4 Radeon HD 7750 Vide | Amazon.com$104.24 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| Radeon HD 7770 Graphic Card - 10 | Amazon.com$116.99 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| R7790-1GD5/OC Radeon HD 7790 Gra | PROVANTAGE$126.67 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost Video C | Amazon.com$169.99 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| PowerColor Radeon HD 7850 2GB 25 | Amazon.com$159.99 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| ZT-60901-10M GeForce GTX 660 Vid | Newegg.com$194.99 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| 02G-P4-2761-KR GeForce GTX 760 V | Amazon.com$249.99 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| GeForce GTX 770 Video Card (2 GB | Newegg.com$399.99 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| GeForce GTX 780 Graphic Card - 8 | Amazon.com$649.99 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| GTXTITAN-6GD5 GeForce GTX TITAN | NCIXUS.com$999.99 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
| GTX690-4GD5 GeForce GTX 690 Vide | PROVANTAGE$983.28 | SEE MORE OFFERS | |
Comments
Post a Comment