When it comes to gaming computers, the graphics card plays the most integral part. Without a graphics card or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), you will never be able to run the newest gaming titles that are graphically demanding with great visuals. Even a 1500 dollars laptop will be unable to run games if it does not come with a dedicated graphics card. We here suggest you our recommendation for the best cheapest 4k graphics card out there in the market right now.
When it comes to gaming you don’t always need to spend a whole lot. There are only a few main components that you need. A great CPU like the Ryzen Zen 2, a compatible motherboard, and a GPU. In their recent article, The Tech DJ talked about how you can choose an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 motherboard in various budget options. Below we focus on choosing a 4k GPU under a budget.
Over the years, monitor display technology has improved a lot. The Full HD 1080p resolution’s introduction changed the gaming industry, and monitors with Full HD resolution managed to display the smallest of details and offered great gaming and viewing experience with its sharp images and textures. Back in 2014, LG kicked things up a notch with its first 4K display system. The 4K resolution claims to deliver four times the sharpness and detail compared to a traditional Full HD resolution.
The introduction of 4K into the gaming world changed everything for gamers. Suppose you already own a powerful high-end gaming computer, and you are not using a 4K. In that case, you are missing out on a greater gaming experience. Nvidia launched its own Nvidia 4K technology for the gamers using their 4K supported graphics cards that improve the visuals even more when using a 4K system. This article lists the two best and Cheapest graphics cards that will enable you to game in 4K.
My Recommendations for Best Cheapest 4k Graphics Card
1. MSI GEFORCE RTX 2060 SUPER
You can always expect superior quality and excellent gaming performance when it comes to Nvidia. These are integrated with state-of-the-art technology and the newest gaming features such as their original real-time ray tracing.
Nvidia took the original GeForce RTX 2060 to the next level with the new and improved SUPER edition that brings in more features and technology. Featuring the NVIDIA Turing architecture and real-time ray tracing the MSI RTX 2060 Super delivers you up to 6 times better performance than the previous generation Nvidia cards with the Pascal architecture. To step up the game, even more, Nvidia also throws new AI capabilities and new-gen shaders with 4K support into the mix.
With GDDR6 technology and 8GB of VRAM at your disposal, you can be sure to easily tackle the newest and most graphically demanding triple-A titles at Ultra HD and 4K resolutions with ease. The support for DirectX 12 is a great bonus for PC gamers enabling them to add graphic effects to their video games and bringing their favorite games to life. The RTX 2060 super also features Nvidia’s G-Sync technology. This eliminates screen tearing at high refresh rates allowing gamers to get the best frame rates without lag and stutters.
MSI GeForce RTX 2060 Super comes with a chassis with a gunmetal finish with a mirror panel between the two fans and the Nvidia logo and the SUPER branding in green color. The card comes with an 8-pin connector whereas the original RTX 2060 came with a 6-pin one. The output panel includes a pair of DisplayPort 1.4 outs, a single HDMI 2.0 port, a USB-C/VirtualLink ti support VR headsets, and a DVI-D port for users with 60Hz monitors.
The RTX 2060 Super supports Nvidia’s 4K technology allowing you to push your gaming experience to the limit with crisp visuals and sharp details on a 4K monitor. Although you won’t obtain full 60 FPS at 4K resolution, considering the price of the card, it performs pretty well, delivering about an average of 40 FPS with most of the games we tested at 4K. The RTX 2060 Super can be your budget 4k graphics card if you are looking for one.
Key Specifications:
- Boost Clock: 1695 MHz
- Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060Â SUPER
- Graphics Ram Size: 8GB GDDR6 256 Bit
- Thermal solution: TWIN FROZR
- Power Consumption: 175 W
- Power Connectors: 8-pin x 1
2. XFX Thicc III Ultra AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
In graphics technology, AMD is the only one that can compete with Nvidia when it comes to gaming. AMD has revolutionized the gaming industry with its affordable and powerful graphics processors that perform just like if not better than the Nvidia cards of the same price range.
The Radeon 5000 series from AMD features their top-of-the-line GPUs that promise to deliver solid performance and lag-free gameplay. The XFX’s AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the superior model to the original RX 5700 and features the AMD Virtual Super Resolution. That allows gamers to simulate their games at higher resolutions even on displays with a lower resolution by rescaling them. Using this will enable you to obtain details and resolutions that rival 4K even on a display with Full HD 1080p resolution.
The Radeon RX 5700 XT features the new RDNA Navi architecture with multi-level cache hierarchy, and new compute unis to deliver the best fluid-like performance in graphically demanding games. AMD put a lot of effort into providing a lag-free experience to the users by integrating the Radeon FreeSync and Radeon Anti-Lag technology into the GPU. The Anti-lag feature drastically reduces input lag for smooth and immersive gameplay. The FreeSync technology works shoulder to shoulder by eliminating screen tears on monitors with higher refresh rates and offering stutter-free gameplay.
The RDNA architecture brings in tons of new features, including the Radeon Image sharpening that sharpens images to deliver crips visuals without loss in frame rates. The AMD FidelityFX utilizes multiple high-quality post-processing effects for freeing up your GPU and reduce overhead.
With 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, the 5700 XT provides a bandwidth of up to 448 GB/s to push your gaming limits. 14 GB/sec of memory speed, 64 ROP units, 160 texture units, and 2,560 stream processors all come together to deliver the most immersive gaming experience.
AMD kept it pretty simple in terms of design, with 5700 XT sporing a sleek grey look with a single fan and a dent in the middle. The chassis feature the RADEON branding in red in the middle and a few red accents. The 5700 XT is probably the cheapest graphics card out here that supports 4K gaming.
Key Specifications:
- Boost Clock: 1810 MHz
- Graphics Coprocessor: AMD RX 5700 XT
- Graphics Ram Size: 8GB GDDR6 256 Bit
- Game Clock: 2025MHz
- Power Connectors: 8-pin x 2
3. ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2060 Super Advanced Overclocked – Cheapest ASUS 4K Graphics Card
Asus release their ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2060 O8G-EVO graphics card is a more powerful version of the original RTX 2060. Its Turing architecture boasts Tenson Cores that boost the performance of the technology. The Asus RTX 2060 Super Evo OC features a chunky aluminum backplate design to prevent PCB, trace pathways, and other precious components from flex and trace damage.
With 267 x 118 x 58mm dimensions, this edition is a little larger compared to the founder’s edition. The Asus RTX 2060 Super Evo OC has a 2.7-slot footprint that will take three slots on your motherboard. If we talk about its overclocking and cooling, the graphics card features two Axial-tech fans with longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure.
In terms of connectivity, it comes with two HDMI 2.0b ports, two DisplayPort 1.4s, and a VR headset via USB Type C ports, along with a single DVI-D port. The Asus Dual RTX 2060 Super O8G-EVO graphics card has a higher boost frequency of 1830 MHz, making it a notch faster than the founder edition card.
With dedicated ray-tracing hardware, the RTX 2060 Super has an improved overclocking performance over its AMD rival that enables fast real-time ray tracing of objects and environments with physically accurate shadows. The GPU Tweak II provides intuitive performance that makes monitoring performance and streaming in real-time easier than ever. Lastly, the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2060 O8G-EVO is the right choice for enthusiasts who want to play games at 4K resolution.
Key Specifications:
- GPU clock speed: 1710 MHz
- Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER
- Graphics Ram Size: 8GB GDDR6 256 Bit
- Memory Clock: 14000 MHz
- Digital Max Resolution: 7680×4320
4. EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Black Gaming
When Nvidia releases their NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card, it becomes apparent that this GPU is incredibly powerful to give you incredible new levels of gaming realism, power efficiency, speed, and immersion. The graphics card not just maxes out the 12 nm “TU104” Turing silicon, but it also offers higher GPU clock speeds and faster 15.5 Gbps GDDR6 memory. It is where the EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Black comes in; it comes at clock speeds matching the NVIDIA Founders Edition with the same power limits.
With Turing architecture, EVGA is specially designed to handle the graphical demands of 4K gaming. The graphics card has a 26.5 x 11.5 cm dimension and features two hydrodynamic bearing fans that keep the card cool and reduce fan noise by 15%. EVGA HBD fans are using six heat pipes on their thermal solution to ensure maximum cooling during intense gaming.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX platform enables real-time ray tracing of objects and environment in games for cutting-edge and hyper-realistic graphics. The RTX 2080 SUPER features three standard DisplayPort 1.4a, an HDMI 2.0b, and a VirtualLink connector, that enables next-gen VR headsets to connect with devices using a single USB Type-C connector.
With Nvidia Ansel, gamers can capture screenshots at up to 32 times the screen resolution, pointing the camera in any direction. The EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Black graphics card truly shows the next-generation VR performance compared to the previous-generation graphics card and brings the power of real-time ray tracing and AI to your games. Overall, it’s the best budget 4K graphics card for gaming to buy in 2022.
Key Specifications:
- Boost Clock: 1815 MHz
- Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA RTX 2080 Super
- Graphics Ram Size: 8GB GDDR6 256 Bit
- Memory Clock: 15500 MHz
- Digital Max Resolution: 7680×4320
5. Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC
The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC 8G is Gigabyte’s mid-range and high-end graphics card for 4K gaming and is based on NVIDIA’s latest 2070 Super GPU. The RTX 2070 Super features the WindForce 3X Cooling System that uses multiple techniques to deliver highly effective cooling with little noise. It comes with three 82 mm fans with a unique design, reducing the turbulence, and enhancing the airflow pressure.
The card’s 3D Active Fan provides semi-passive cooling allowing the fans will remain off when the GPU is in a low load. Further, the RTX 2070 Super has 6 composite copper heat pipes that combine thermal conductivity and phase transition to manage the heat transfer efficiency. The Gigabyte RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC comes with 8-pin + 6-pin PCIe power connectors and requires at least a 650W power supply.
The RTX 2070 Super is a dual-slot card measuring 286.5 x 114.5 x 50.2 mm with a white GIGABYTE logo on the solid metal backplate. Speaking of connectivity, the RTX 2070 Super Gaming OC has the standard three Display port 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and USB Type-C for video output.
The graphics card features 8GB of GDDR6 RAM with a higher boost clock speed of 1815 MHz yielding 448 GB/s bandwidth. GIGABYTE use AORUS Engine for overclocking that provides you full control over your GPU. Moreover, the company is offering a 4-year warranty for added peace of mind.
Key Specifications:
- Boost Clock: 1815 MHz
- Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070
- Graphics Ram Size: 8GB GDDR6 256 Bit
- Memory Clock: 14000 MHz
- Power Connectors: 8-pin + 6-pin
- Digital Max Resolution: 7680×4320 @60Hz
Things to Consider When Looking for a 4K Graphics Card
Choosing the right graphics card is not an easy task when there are so many options available in the market. You’ll need to keep in mind that not every graphics card will be the same, some of the graphics cards are faster than others and depending on a number of factors. There’s so much to consider, from the type of monitor you’re using to the resolution to the game settings you plan to play at.
Below is the list of important factors you need to keep in mind when shopping for your best budget 4K GPU.
Graphics Memory
For 1080p gaming, a card with 4GB of graphics memory is enough, but if you’re gaming at very high resolutions such as 4K, 8GB or more is ideal for a smooth gaming experience.
Resolution
Another important factor to consider what resolution you will be playing games at. The higher the monitor’s resolution more is the more pixels will need to render on each frame. If you’re planning to play games on a 4K monitor, make sure to get a high-end graphics card.
Refresh Rate
Monitors with a high refresh rate can deliver much smoother gameplay, but they will also force your graphics card to work harder to reach its full potential. If your monitor has three-digit refresh rates, you’ll need to buy a higher-end graphics card in order to accommodate it. Alternatively, if your monitor peaks around at 60Hz and 1080p, there’s no need to spend extra for a powerful card.
Connectors
Another thing you’ll want to check on the graphics card is what kind of PCIe connector port the graphics card has. Make sure that the power supply you are getting has the appropriate PCIe connectors to accommodate your graphics card. A high-end 4K graphics card requires two 8-pin PCIe connectors.
Ports
You’ll also need to check what kind of ports your monitor supports. Some use HDMI while some use Display ports, it’s possible your monitor support both. Nowadays, most of the cheapest 4K graphics card supports HDMI 2.0 and the DisplayPort 1.4 connectivity.
Noise & Cooling
The more expensive and powerful graphics card may come with a higher clock rate or better cooling. But if you don’t have an unlimited budget, you can select any of these cards in the above list that is equipped with quality cooling options to keep your CPU cool.
PC case
The other thing you’ll want to check is whether or not it can fit inside of the computer case you have chosen. You can analyze the height, length, and thickness of the graphics card you are considering. Also, check the maximum graphics card clearance on the case you are considering to see if it can fit in your pc case or not.
Final Words
There are numerous options available in the market, all you need to know about your needs and budget in order to find the best 4K graphics card for PC gaming. Before buying one for yourself, you need to look for some important features such as resolution, compatibility, noise, frame rate, motherboard, etc.
We hope this guide of the best cheap 4K graphics card will help you to find the right product for your needs. If you have any concerns about this guide, let us know in the comment section below.
