3 Best GPUs for Gaming under $125

Curated picks for GPU for 125$ or less under $125 (What Is The Primary Use For This Gpu?: Light - Heavy Gaming).

1. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super

$95

Estimated Starting Price

The best overall performer in this price range, offering excellent 1080p gaming and decent efficiency for your Ryzen 5 5500 system.

Key Features

6GB GDDR6 VRAM
Excellent 1080p performance
Reliable driver support

Full Description

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super is a mid-range graphics card based on the Turing architecture, released to provide high-performance 1080p gaming at an accessible price point. It features 6GB of GDDR6 memory, which offers a significant bandwidth upgrade over the original GTX 1660, resulting in smoother frame rates in modern titles. While it lacks dedicated hardware for real-time ray tracing and DLSS, it remains a highly capable card for eSports titles and older AAA games. The card is known for its power efficiency, typically requiring only a single 8-pin power connector and fitting into most standard PC cases. In the current secondary market, it is frequently sought after by budget-conscious builders looking for reliable performance under $125. Its compact design and low thermal output make it an excellent choice for small form factor builds or upgrading older pre-built office PCs.

Additional Features

6GB GDDR6 VRAM
1408 CUDA Cores
192-bit Memory Interface
14 Gbps Memory Speed
Turing Architecture
DisplayPort 1.4
HDMI 2.0b
Dual-Link DVI-D
NVIDIA Ansel support
NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible

2. AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB

$75

Estimated Starting Price

A budget-friendly powerhouse with 8GB of VRAM, which helps significantly in modern games that demand more memory.

Key Features

8GB GDDR5 VRAM
Strong value for money
Capable 1080p gaming

Full Description

The AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB is a legacy graphics card based on the Polaris architecture, originally released in 2017. Despite its age, it remains a popular choice in the budget segment for 1080p gaming due to its 8GB of VRAM, which allows it to handle modern textures better than many entry-level cards. It features 2304 stream processors and a boost clock speed of up to 1340 MHz. While it lacks modern hardware-accelerated ray tracing and advanced upscaling technologies like FSR 3 frame generation, it remains capable of running many titles at medium settings. It is frequently found on the secondary market, making it a staple for ultra-budget PC builds. Users should note that it requires a 6-pin or 8-pin power connector and has a higher power draw compared to modern efficient GPUs.

Additional Features

8GB GDDR5 VRAM
2304 Stream Processors
Polaris 20 Architecture
14nm FinFET process technology
Support for DirectX 12 and Vulkan

3. AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB

$100

Estimated Starting Price

A more power-efficient alternative to the RX 580, offering modern architecture and 8GB of VRAM for better longevity.

Key Features

8GB GDDR6 VRAM
High power efficiency
Modern RDNA architecture

Full Description

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB is a budget-oriented graphics card based on the 7nm RDNA architecture, designed primarily for 1080p gaming. Released as a successor to the RX 580, it offers improved power efficiency and support for modern features like PCIe 4.0. The 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM provides a significant advantage over the 4GB variant, allowing for better texture quality in modern titles. While it is no longer a top-tier performer, it remains a capable entry-level card for eSports titles and older AAA games. Its compact form factor makes it suitable for smaller PC builds, though it lacks the ray tracing capabilities found in newer generations. Overall, it serves as a reliable, cost-effective solution for users on a strict budget looking to build or upgrade a basic gaming rig.

Additional Features

7nm RDNA Architecture
8GB GDDR6 Memory
128-bit Memory Interface
PCIe 4.0 Support

Comparison Table

Attribute	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super	AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB	AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB
Price (USD)	95	75	100
VRAM Capacity (GB)	6	8	8
VRAM Type	GDDR6	GDDR5	GDDR6
Architecture Generation	Turing	Polaris	RDNA
Power Efficiency	High	Low	Very High
User Rating	4.5	4.0	4.2
Modern Feature Support	Good (Driver Stability)	Basic

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3 Best GPUs for Gaming under $125

1. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super

Key Features

Full Description

Additional Features

2. AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB

Key Features

Full Description

Additional Features

3. AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB

Key Features

Full Description

Additional Features

Comparison Table

Summary

Which One to Pick and Why

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super

AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB

AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB