Best graphics cards under $250

The 6 graphics cards we would buy in the US for $250 or less, ranked on what matters for gaming. Every price here comes from recent store listings or the launch price, not a guess.

Best overall

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 8GB about $250 Cheapest good pick

AMD Radeon RX 6400 4GB about $160

The list

1

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 8GB

8 GB GDDR6 · 130 W

About 214% faster than the Radeon RX 6400 4GB, with 8 GB of video memory.

about $250 today
Buy now on Amazon
2

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 8GB

8 GB GDDR6 · 115 W

About 114% faster than the Radeon RX 6400 4GB, with 8 GB of video memory.

about $250 today
Buy now on Amazon
3

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

6 GB GDDR6 · 70 W

About 57% faster than the Radeon RX 6400 4GB, with 6 GB of video memory; fine for eSports, tight for new AAA games.

about $250 today
Buy now on Amazon
4

AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT 8GB

8 GB GDDR6 · 107 W

About 43% faster than the Radeon RX 6400 4GB, with 8 GB of video memory.

about $220 today
Buy now on Amazon
5

AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT 4GB

4 GB GDDR6 · 107 W

About 29% faster than the Radeon RX 6400 4GB, with 4 GB of video memory; fine for eSports, tight for new AAA games.

about $200 today
Buy now on Amazon
6

AMD Radeon RX 6400 4GB

4 GB GDDR6 · 53 W

The cheapest card on this list, with 4 GB of video memory; fine for eSports, tight for new AAA games.

about $160 today
Buy now on Amazon

What to look for under $250

Video memory: 8 GB still runs most games at 1080p, but new AAA games at high textures want 12 to 16 GB.
Power supply: check your PSU has the watts and the 8-pin (or 16-pin) cable the card needs. The PSU calculator tells you in a minute.
Processor: an old CPU can hold a fast card back. Try your pair in the bottleneck calculator before you buy.

Questions

What is the best graphics card under $250 in the US?

On our list it is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 8GB at about $250 today. About 214% faster than the Radeon RX 6400 4GB, with 8 GB of video memory.

Are these the final prices?

No. They come from recent store listings and launch prices, converted on 2026-10-30. Prices change daily and differ by shop, so press Buy now to see today's price and offers.

Is 8 GB of video memory enough?

For 1080p and eSports, yes. Some new AAA games at high textures run out of 8 GB and stutter, so at 1440p or for the next few years of games, 12 GB or more is the safer pick.