The short answer
If you only want one recommendation per budget, it is these four. The rest of the page explains why, and what to leave on the shelf.
RTX 5060
$380For 1080p. The cheapest card on the list that holds 60 FPS in demanding games at that resolution: 64 on average. It has 8 GB of memory, so don't buy it with 1440p in mind.
CHECK PRICERX 7800 XT
$540For 1440p on a small budget. It is from 2023 and ASRock's own Amazon store still sells it new. It does 67 FPS at 1440p with 16 GB, and nothing under $600 is faster. It draws more power (263 W) and its ray tracing is weaker than an RX 9070's.
CHECK PRICERX 9070
$700For 1440p with no caveats. It does the same 70 FPS as the RTX 5070, costs $157 less and has 16 GB instead of 12.
CHECK PRICERX 9070 XT
$831For getting into 4K. 52 FPS native at 4K and 79 at 1440p. The RTX 5070 Ti reaches 58 but costs $399 more. With upscaling on, both clear 60.
CHECK PRICEAffiliate links: we earn a small commission at no cost to you. Full disclosure
Why the list looks so odd
Since late 2025 memory makers have been selling nearly everything they produce to AI data centres. A graphics card has a lot of memory in it, so there are fewer cards and they cost more. That explains nearly everything you are about to see.
The RTX 5090 is not on the list. On 30 September we found one listing at $11,565 and several with no price. There is no RTX 40 card either: the ones we checked were sold out or offered by a reseller above their launch price, and the same goes for the RX 7900 XTX. The RTX 50 SUPER cards expected this year have been postponed, according to the trade press.
The 15 cards, cheapest first
| Card | Price | 1080p | 1440p | 4K | Per FPS at 1440p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arc B570 * 10 GB | $260 | 49 | 34 | 19 | $7.6 | CHECK PRICE |
| Arc B580 12 GB | $370 | 54 | 38 | 22 | $9.7 | CHECK PRICE |
| RTX 5060 8 GB | $380 | 64 | 46 | 26 | $8.3 | CHECK PRICE |
| RTX 5050 8 GB | $420 | 52 | 36 | 20 | $11.7 | CHECK PRICE |
| RX 9060 XT 8GB 8 GB | $457 | 62 | 45 | 25 | $10.2 | CHECK PRICE |
| RX 9060 XT 16GB 16 GB | $530 | 64 | 47 | 29 | $11.3 | CHECK PRICE |
| RX 7800 XT * 16 GB | $540 | 92 | 67 | 45 | $8.1 | CHECK PRICE |
| RTX 5060 Ti 8GB 8 GB | $549 | 72 | 52 | 31 | $10.6 | CHECK PRICE |
| RX 9070 GRE 12 GB | $570 | 85 | 62 | 41 | $9.2 | CHECK PRICE |
| RX 9070 16 GB | $700 | 97 | 70 | 47 | $10.0 | CHECK PRICE |
| RTX 5060 Ti 16GB 16 GB | $789 | 72 | 53 | 34 | $14.9 | CHECK PRICE |
| RX 9070 XT 16 GB | $831 | 107 | 79 | 52 | $10.5 | CHECK PRICE |
| RTX 5070 12 GB | $857 | 97 | 70 | 46 | $12.2 | CHECK PRICE |
| RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB | $1,230 | 118 | 88 | 58 | $14.0 | CHECK PRICE |
| RTX 5080 16 GB | $1,653 | 130 | 99 | 66 | $16.7 | CHECK PRICE |
* Sold by ASRock's store on Amazon, not by Amazon. All the others are sold and shipped by Amazon.com.
Prices: what each product page on Amazon.com asked on 30 September 2026, before sales tax. They move every week.
FPS: our engine's estimates, not our own measurements. The average of five AAA games at high settings, native resolution, no upscaling. How far off the engine is
Three cards we would not buy
RTX 5050, $420
It costs $40 more than the RTX 5060 and is about 20% slower: 36 FPS at 1440p against 46. We have no explanation beyond this year's pricing mess. Look at both on the day you buy. Until the 5050 drops below the 5060, there is no case for it.
RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, $789
The 8 GB version is $549, so the extra 8 GB costs $240. For $89 less than the 16 GB card you can have an RX 9070, which also has 16 GB and is about 30% faster at 1440p.
RX 9060 XT 8GB, $457
It performs the same as the RTX 5060, give or take a frame, and costs $77 more. If you want this card, the one that makes sense is the 16 GB version at $530. We go through that in the 8 GB vs 16 GB VRAM guide.
Your processor counts too
The figures in the table were computed with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D so the processor stays out of the way. With an older one they can fall. An RTX 5070 with a Ryzen 5 3600 stops at 85 FPS at 1080p instead of 97. At 1440p it loses nothing, because there the card decides.
Before you pay, put your processor and the card you are looking at into the calculator. If you are torn between replacing one part or the other, we have a guide on which to upgrade first.
About upscaling
Every frame rate on this page is at native resolution. DLSS, FSR and XeSS raise them, sometimes by a lot, but how much depends on the game and the quality mode. We left it out rather than pick the most flattering number. If you play with upscaling, and at 4K nearly everyone does, expect more than the table says.
Check your pairing before you buy
The calculator tells you in a second whether your processor will hold back the card you picked.
Common questions
What is the best graphics card under $400?
The RTX 5060, at $380 on 30 September. It averages 64 FPS in AAA games at 1080p on high settings. The Arc B580 costs almost the same, is about 15% slower and has 12 GB of memory in exchange.
Can you buy an RTX 5090?
Not at a sensible price. On 30 September Amazon.com had one listing at $11,565 and several with no price at all. Its list price is $1,999.
Should I wait for prices to drop?
Nobody knows. Prices rose all through 2026 and the RTX 50 SUPER cards expected this year were postponed. If your current card does the job, waiting costs you nothing. If it doesn't, this is what the money buys today.