Best Graphics Card Under $300 in 2026 (New and Used)

$300 used to buy a brand-new RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT. Not in late 2026: memory costs pushed graphics card prices up all year, and the cheapest new RTX 50 card, the RTX 5050, now sells for over $400. So what can you really get for $300? A few new cards, and some very good used ones. Here are the best picks, the cards to avoid, and how to buy used safely.

Quick answer: the best graphics card under $300 right now is a used RTX 3070 ($270) or RTX 3060 Ti ($265): both beat any new card at this price. If you want new, the Intel Arc A750 ($223) or Arc B570 ($290, when in stock) are the only good options. For AMD, a used RX 6650 XT ($230) or RX 7600 ($265). On a tight budget, a used RX 6600 (~$199) still plays everything at 1080p. Skip the new RTX 3050 and GTX 1660 Super: they are poor value.

Why $300 buys less in 2026

• Memory prices: AI data centers use so much memory that the GDDR6 and GDDR7 on graphics cards cost much more than a year ago. Price trackers measured the RX 9000 series up about 48% and the RTX 50 series up about 66% year over year.
• The budget cards left $300 behind: the RTX 5050 (launch price $249) sells for about $420, the RTX 5060 ($299) for about $470, and the RX 9060 XT 8GB ($299) for about $500 at US stores in late October 2026.
• Intel's Arc B570 and B580 are the cheapest current cards, but they are often out of stock.

That is why the used market matters more than ever. Read our news piece AMD Radeon GPU Prices May Rise Again for the full story.

The best graphics cards under $300

The score is the one used in our GPU Tier List and Compare Hardware tool: RTX 3060 = 100. A card with 140 is about 40% faster.

Graphics card	New or used	Typical price	Score	VRAM	Best for
RTX 3070	Used	~$270	144	8 GB	Best overall: 1080p Ultra, 1440p High
RTX 3060 Ti	Used	~$265	126	8 GB	1080p Ultra with DLSS
RX 7600	Used	~$265	115	8 GB	Best AMD for 1080p, FSR 3
RX 6650 XT	Used	~$230	112	8 GB	AMD value pick
RTX 3060 12GB	Used	~$300	100	12 GB	Games that need more video memory
Arc A750	New	~$223	100	8 GB	Best new card under $300
Arc B570	New	~$290 (when in stock)	~95	10 GB	New, newer features, more VRAM
RX 6600	Used	~$199	97	8 GB	Best cheap card: 1080p Medium–High

Used prices are typical eBay sold prices from FpsGen's October 2026 price data. New prices are US store prices from early November 2026. Both move every week.

Best overall: used RTX 3070 or RTX 3060 Ti

At around $270, a used RTX 3070 is about 44% faster than an RTX 3060 and plays almost every game at 1080p Ultra or 1440p High. You also get DLSS, which is the best upscaler in most games, and solid ray tracing.

The RTX 3060 Ti is a little slower (score 126) for about the same price, so buy whichever you find in better condition. Compare them in RTX 3070 vs RTX 3060 Ti.

The catch: both have 8 GB of video memory. That is enough for 1080p, but in some new games at 1440p you will need to lower textures. Read How Much VRAM Do You Need for Gaming?

Best new card: Intel Arc A750 or Arc B570

If you don't want a used card, Intel is the only maker selling decent new cards under $300 right now:

• Arc A750 (~$223): as fast as an RTX 3060 on our scale, with 8 GB. The best new FPS per dollar.
• Arc B570 (~$290 when in stock, $219 launch price): about as fast in reviews, but with 10 GB of video memory and Intel's newer architecture and drivers. If you find it near its launch price, it is the better buy.

Before you buy an Arc card: your motherboard must support Resizable BAR (turn it on in the BIOS) and ideally PCIe 4.0. On older PCs (Intel 9th gen / Ryzen 2000 and older), Arc cards lose a lot of performance: buy a used NVIDIA or AMD card instead.

Best AMD: used RX 7600 or RX 6650 XT

• RX 7600 (~$265 used): about as fast as an RTX 4060 at 1080p, low power, and supports AMD's frame generation. See RTX 4060 vs RX 7600.
• RX 6650 XT (~$230 used): almost as fast for less money. A great card for 1080p High.

Both have 8 GB and work with FSR 3 upscaling and frame generation in supported games.

Best cheap card: used RX 6600

At about $199 used, the RX 6600 plays new games at 1080p Medium to High, uses little power (a 450 W power supply is enough) and is easy to find. It is the card to buy if your budget is closer to $200 than $300. See how far it is from an old favorite in RX 6600 vs RX 580.

Cards to avoid under $300

• New RTX 3050 6GB ($250) and GTX 1660 Super ($224): much slower than a used RX 6600 for more money. The GTX 1660 Super also has no ray tracing.
• GTX 1080 Ti and RX 5700 XT: still fast on paper, but they have no hardware ray tracing. A growing list of new games needs it to start at all.
• RTX 5050 at $400+: a fine card, but not at that price. Wait for a sale close to its $249 launch price.
• Any card with less than 8 GB for new games.

How to buy a used graphics card safely

1. Buy where you are protected: eBay with buyer protection, or a local seller you can meet and test with.
2. See it running: ask for a video of a game or a stress test running for 10 minutes, with temperatures under about 85 °C.
3. Check the price: our PC Price tool shows typical used prices, so you know if a deal is real.
4. Look for damage: bent pins on the connector, missing screws, or fans that rattle.
5. Ex-mining cards are not automatically bad, but avoid cards with very hot memory or dead fans.

Will it work with your PC?

• Processor: an RTX 3070-class card needs at least a modern 6-core CPU (Ryzen 5 5600, Core i5-12400 or better). Check yours with our Bottleneck Calculator, or see Best CPU for RTX 5070 and RTX 5060 for pairing advice.
• Power supply: 550 W for an RTX 3060 Ti / RX 6650 XT / RX 7600, 650 W for an RTX 3070. Make sure your power supply has the right PCIe power connectors.
• Your games: check what your new card can run in Can I Run It, or estimate your FPS with the FPS Estimator.
• Upgrading a GTX 1060 or 1660? See Best GPU Upgrade for GTX 1060 and GTX 1660.
• Building a whole PC? See Best Gaming PC Build Under $700.

FAQ

What is the best graphics card under $300 in 2026?

A used RTX 3070 or RTX 3060 Ti gives the most performance. If you want a new card, the Intel Arc A750 or Arc B570 are the best options.

Can you buy a new RTX 5060 for $300?

Not in late 2026. The RTX 5060 launched at $299, but it sells for about $470 at US stores. Even the RTX 5050 costs over $400.

Is a used graphics card worth it?

Yes, if you buy with buyer protection and see it running first. In 2026, a used RTX 3070 at $270 is much faster than any new card at that price.

Is 8 GB of VRAM enough in 2026?

For 1080p, yes, with textures on High instead of Ultra in some new games. For 1440p, 10 to 12 GB is safer.

What is the best GPU under $200?

A used RX 6600 at about $199. It plays new games at 1080p Medium to High.

Should I wait for prices to drop?

If your current card still runs your games, you can wait for sales like Black Friday. If you need a card now, used cards are the best value: new prices have mostly gone up in 2026.

New prices from ComputingForGeeks (US Amazon, October 30, 2026) and GPUPrix (November 6, 2026). Used prices and gaming scores from FpsGen's hardware data (eBay sold prices, October 2026). Price trend from 3D Center via our AMD price report. Arc requirements from MaxMyBuild. Prices change every week: check before you buy. Last checked November 7, 2026.