Best graphics cards under $500

The 8 graphics cards we would buy in the US for $500 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

AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT 16GB about $500 Most for the money

AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB about $300

The list

1

AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT 16GB

16 GB GDDR6 · 263 W

About 43% faster than the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB, with 16 GB of video memory, enough for high textures in new games.

about $500 today
Buy now on Amazon
2

AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT 12GB

12 GB GDDR6 · 245 W

About 20% faster than the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB, with 12 GB of video memory, enough for high textures in new games.

about $450 today
Buy now on Amazon
3

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB

8 GB GDDR7 · 180 W

Close to the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB in speed, with 8 GB of video memory.

about $380 today
Buy now on Amazon
4

AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

8 GB GDDR6 · 150 W

The cheapest card on this list, with 8 GB of video memory.

about $300 today
Buy now on Amazon
5

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB

8 GB GDDR6 · 220 W

Close to the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB in speed, with 8 GB of video memory.

about $500 today
Buy now on Amazon
6

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB

16 GB GDDR6 · 165 W

Close to the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB in speed, with 16 GB of video memory, enough for high textures in new games.

about $500 today
Buy now on Amazon
7

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB

8 GB GDDR6 · 160 W

Close to the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB in speed, with 8 GB of video memory.

about $400 today
Buy now on Amazon
8

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 8GB

8 GB GDDR7 · 145 W

Close to the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB in speed, with 8 GB of video memory.

about $480 today
Buy now on Amazon

What to look for under $500

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 $500 in the US?

On our list it is the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT 16GB at about $500 today. About 43% faster than the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB, with 16 GB of video memory, enough for high textures in new games.

Which gives the most for the money?

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB at about $300: of the 8 here, it gives the most for each dollar.

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.