Hey whats up everyone? So I know you’ve already seen my best video cards list for the high end and the mid tier, but what about budget? After all, we’re not going to be blowing $300 for an occasional game of Starcraft 2.
This is an excellent card for the higher end of the budget lineup. The card performs very well in many games and while you probably won’t be cranking the settings to max on everything, it will still handle some of the newest and most graphically intensive games such as Battlefield 3.
For an idea of how it will perform in other games, please take a look at the benchmarks here. I consider an average frame rate of over 45 to be playable.
Another one of my favorites in the budget category is the EVGA GeForce GTX 460. Although it is a budget card of this generation since the 500 series Nvidia cards are out, this card was an excellent mid range card last generation and is still an excellent performer. In addition to the excellent performance, you are backed by EVGA’s legendary customer service and warranty program. Similarly to the Radeon HD6870 however, you probably won’t be cranking up to the max settings on every game.
*Note* This video card does occasionally have get some pretty good deals. The current price on Amazon is $165.99 however, there is also a $30.00 rebate making this video card only $135.99. At that price point, there are very few cards to match the performance of a Geforce GTX 460.
For an idea of how it will perform in games, please take a look at the benchmarks here. I consider an average frame rate of over 45 to be playable.
Power Supply
For those considering either of these cards, I recommend the Corsair TX650 power supply. These are excellent, proven, Seasonic built power supplies that will last you for at least the next couple of builds. Most importantly though, these will give you room to grow in case you decide to purchase a more powerful video card later on.
If you feel that this is all the video card you need for the future, you may consider the XFX Core Edition 550w power supply. This 80+ Bronze certified power supply is a Seasonic built unit just like the Corsair TX650, but comes at a lower wattage rating and a lower price tax.
