Every fan of games knows that a video card is one of the main components of a personal computer. It depends on her performance in productive games. However, not everyone can purchase a game model. In this case, cheap video cards come to the rescue, which, despite the cost, do a good job even with the latest releases. Many are skeptical of such models, following the stereotype: the more memory, the higher the speed. Let's see what you need to pay attention to when choosing and which is currently considered the best graphics card.
Cheap doesn't mean bad
More recently, before the ruble fell, it was not so difficult to find a video card at a low price. In 2016, it is problematic to choose even the cheapest video cards. Today, there is no computer except among the elderly. Therefore, manufacturers of "iron" regularly release new models in order to make a profit. At the same time, the cost of video cards is not going to fall. It should be noted that with the increase in the number of models, the quality of hardware also increases. Today, even cheap cards have all the modern capabilities and functions, while not suffering from overheating and rapid failure.
A bit about video memory
There are many misconceptions, from which it follows that even cheap video cards must have a number of mandatory parameters. They did not appear from scratch. Probably the most common misconception is the amount of memory. Many users believe that the speed of work and performance in games completely depends on this indicator. Here, everything is far from so simple. This stereotype appeared at the very beginning of the computer age, when every megabyte of video memory was very important. We can agree that at that time this item was very important when choosing a video card.
In those days, a video card with a small amount of memory could not boast of good performance, most games were very slow, and some did not start at all. It follows that 32 megabytes of video memory is significantly better than 16. Sellers took this misconception of users into service and began to actively use it. They easily manage to sell video cards of the younger series to a not very versed person, but with a huge amount of memory.
Accelerator video memory itself does not have a special role for speed. It is necessary for storing textures and loading them quickly. Therefore, the higher the setting, the more memory is needed. However, one thing to consider is the speed of the GPU. If the GPU is too weak, then even expensive models with large amounts of memory will not be better than the cheapest video card. Therefore, in budget models you should not particularly focus on this parameter.
Cheap graphics cards in 2016
So, let's move away from theory and move on to models. To find cheap gaming video cards on the Internet is quite simple. Over the past quarter, eminent manufacturers have posted several interesting models at affordable prices on the shelves of electronics stores.
NVIDIA GeForce GT 210
The cheapest video card, which is popularly called the "gag". It will not work with her to play the latest games at the maximum graphics settings. The card is intended more for office use. However, it will be possible to play in older releases.
The 3D accelerator is being assembled by Gigabyte. The component received only 1 GB of memory, runs at a clock frequency of 1.2 GHz, type - GDDR3. The frequency of the GPU is 590 MHz. A primitive bus with a capacity of 64 bits is used. The video card is capable of producing a picture in a resolution of up to 2560 x 1,600 pixels. Supports DirectX version 10.1. One can only dream of water cooling and be content with a fan with a radiator. However, the cost is able to surprise, which does not exceed 3000 rubles. Users praised the video card, despite its poor performance. Many liked its noiselessness and low power consumption.
NVIDIA GeForce GT 730
An interesting and inexpensive graphics card compiled by MSI. It is positioned as a solution for offices and undemanding users, but it launches many games well. In the latest releases, of course, you will have to set the settings to the minimum.
The graphic chip from Nvidia - GT 730 was the basis. It is one of the simplest and is installed in budget models. It differs from its predecessors by a clock frequency increased to 1006 MHz. The video memory in it is only 1 GB, but GDDR5 operates at a frequency of 5 GHz, which is not bad for a cheap 3D accelerator. The bus received a bit capacity of 64 bits. There is support for version 12 of DirectX, which is a definite plus. Can display a picture with a resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels. Like cheap counterparts, received active cooling. You can buy a video card for 4000 rubles. Reviews about the model are extremely positive. Users were satisfied with DirectX 12 support and high resolution.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti
One of the best graphics cards at an affordable price. The prefix Ti makes it clear that the model is not a simple “plug” for running office applications. The performance of the video card is enough to launch even gaming innovations, many of them will go without problems at high and medium graphics settings.
The manufacturer is the well-known company Palit. The basis was the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti GPU , clocked at 1.2 GHz. For storing textures and their processing meets 2 GB of memory. Type - GDDR5, frequency - 6 GHz. A fairly modern 128-bit bus is installed. There is support for only 11.2 version of DirectX. Able to display a picture with a maximum image of 4096 x 2160 pixels. Active cooling is used. Unfortunately, I did not get support for SLI. The cost of a video card is 9000 rubles. Due to good performance, the accelerator received a lot of positive reviews from fans of games. Despite the price, the chip runs even modern games without problems.
AMD Radeon HD 7850
A good option for fans to play in the latest releases. I didn’t get serious functionality, but it attracts with a low price. Most often used in office PCs.
The manufacturer of the 3D accelerator is Sapphire. GPU - Radeon HD 7850, clocked at 920 MHz. It boasts 2 GB of memory type GDDR5, frequency - 5 GHz. The bus width is 256 bits. Supports resolution up to 2560 x 1600 pixels. For cooling, a radiator and a fan are used. Pleased with the presence of SLI mode. You can buy a video card for 8000 rubles. The accelerator has received many good reviews from users and experts.
Reviews
All the cheap graphics cards presented received pretty good user reviews. Of course, they earned recognition due to their low cost. During operation, there are no problems with overheating. Almost all of them can be overclocked, which will add performance. Despite the cost, they cope with most games.