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The Best Mid-Range Graphics Cards Below $300 in July 2020Earlier in 2020, AMD released its brand new mid-range GPU, the Radeon RX 5600 XT – and at a $279 price point (MSRP), it instantly became a price/performance leader. Only days later, Nvidia countered by lowering the price on its ray tracing-enabled GeForce RTX 2060 Founder’s Edition to $299. In yet another twist, AMD announced [...] The post The Best Mid-Range Graphics Cards Below $300 in July 2020 appeared first on Gaming PC...
Earlier in 2020, AMD released its brand new mid-range GPU, the Radeon RX 5600 XT – and at a $279 price point (MSRP), it instantly became a price/performance leader. Only days later, Nvidia countered by lowering the price on its ray tracing-enabled GeForce RTX 2060 Founder’s Edition to $299.
In yet another twist, AMD announced a new official video BIOS configuration to enhance the RX 5600 XT’s performance to compete with the RTX 2060. Unfortunately, all third-party manufacturers were not able or willing to implement the upgrade, so the situation is not exactly crystal clear in the mid-range segment at this time.
This page will hopefully clear things up, because as of July 2020 it’s actually easier than ever to secure 60 FPS/1080p (or even 1440p) for less than $300 for your gaming PC.
To help you pick the right card, we have sifted through every relevant spec sheet and professional review out there, and below is a summary of our conclusions. As usual, we are also comparing some more affordable as well as some more expensive cards to help you get your bearings on the current GPU market in the $300 range.
On this page:
NVIDIA Vs. AMD
Best GPU below $300: GeForce RTX 2060
Best Value Below $300: Radeon RX 5600 XT
~$20 Less: GTX 1660 Ti
~$30 More: RX 5700
Summary and notes
CPU Pairing and PSU Requirements
NVIDIA Vs. AMD Below $300
Some gamers prefer AMD while others prefer Nvidia for a whole variety of reasons. AMD has not been particularly involved in the high-end market in recent years, but thanks to its new RDNA (Navi) architecture and the RX 5600 XT, there is once again healthy competition in the mid-range segment.
Last update on 2020-06-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Nvidia’s advertised $299 RTX 2060 Founder’s Edition has barely ever been in stock in the first half of 2020, but some aftermarket cards with the same GPU are priced below $300. EVGA’s RTX 2060 KO was introduced at $299 and Zotac lowered the pricing on its compact 2060 Twin Fan model, which is suitable for Mini-ITX builds.
Check today’s price on the EVGA 2060 KO: Amazon, Newegg
Several aftermarket varieties of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT also sell for less than $300. And thanks to the last-minute BIOS updates requested by AMD, some versions of this card (but not all) offer about the same performance as an RTX 2060. Interestingly, these BIOS updates also resulted in some Radeon RX 5600 XT cards being almost as fast as the RX 5700, so AMD is now competing with itself in this price range. In addition, these cards are practically always faster than the previous mid-range favorite GTX 1660 Ti.
To put the RX 5600 XT, RTX 2060, and GTX 1660 Ti into some perspective, here’s an indication of how they perform (without ray tracing) compared to some adjacent cards.
Bottom line: Considering the overall performance and Nvidia’s RTX features (ray-tracing and DLSS), the RTX 2060 is undoubtedly the best GPU below $300 at this time. However, certain varieties of the RX 5600 XT offer similar performance at a lower cost, albeit without the ray-tracing hardware. Although it used to be a mid-range favorite, there are few reasons why anyone should opt for the GTX 1660 Ti today, since it lacks RTX features and performs worse on average than the RX 5600 XT (right now the GTX 1660 Super is a better deal than the Ti).
Best GPU Under $300: GeForce RTX 2060
Nvidia has been a comfortable performance and efficiency leader for several years and launched the RTX lineup in 2019. The overall performance lead is still intact thanks to the high-end RTX 2080 Ti and 2080 Super. However, AMD is definitely back in the fight up to the upper mid-range GPU market.
To better compete with AMD, Nvidia opted to lower the price tag on its lowest-tier card in the RTX range, the reference GeForce RTX 2060 Founder’s Edition to $299. Like the RX 5600 XT, the RTX 2060 is a superb graphics card for 1080p gaming, and it will perform very well at 1440p as well.
As it’s an RTX card, you also get the RTX-exclusive ray-tracing and DLSS features. In addition to its 1920 shading units, the RTX 2060 comes with 30 ray-tracing (RT) cores and 240 Tensor Cores. You should however be aware that the RTX 2060 is not quite powerful enough to provide a consistent 60 FPS with “RTX on” in most games, but if you’re OK with lower frame rates, real-time ray tracing is clearly a very nice visual bonus.
Other parts of the RTX 2060’s specs are quite similar to the Radeon RX 5600 XT, with 6 GB of GDDR6 video RAM and a 192-bit memory bus that offers the same bandwidth. At this time, the $299 RTX 2060 Founder’s Edition is still hard to find, but a limited number of aftermarket models are available at a similar price point.
| ZOTAC GeForce RTX 2060 6GB | EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 KO | MSI GeForce RTX 2060 Ventus XS OC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Clock: Core / Boost | 1365 MHz / 1680 MHz | 1365 MHz / 1680 MHz | 1365 MHz / 1710 MHz |
| Memory Clock (Effective) | 14000 MHz | 14000 MHz | 14000 MHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 6,451 GFLOPS | 6,451 GFLOPS | 6,566 GFLOPS |
| Memory Bandwidth | 336 GB/s | 336 GB/s | 336 GB/s |
| Recommended PSU | 450 W | 450 W | 450 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 3x DP | 1x HDMI 1x DP 1x DVI | 1x HDMI 3x DP |
| Price from* | $299.99 | $384.42 | $365.31 |
| Product Link | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
At this time you will not be able to find any factory-overclocked, premium models of the RTX 2060 at prices close to $300, but the effect of these overclocks are normally small at any rate. For the time being, the entry-level Zotac and EVGA models are usually the most reasonably priced.
Best AMD Alternative: Radeon RX 5600 XT
AMD’s Radeon RX 5600 XT GPU was launched in early 2020 and is based on the Navi (RDNA) architecture, which replaces the much less efficient Vega and Polaris architectures. The first new cards to roll out were the higher-end RX 5700 and 5700 XT, later followed by the entry-level RX 5500 XT and the mid-range RX 5600 XT, i.e. this card.
This GPU was initially intended to compete with Nvidia’s mid-range GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. But in a surprise move, Nvidia lowered the price on its faster, ray tracing-enabled GeForce RTX 2060 to a point closer to the RX 5600 XT. This prompted AMD to radically improve the specs of the 5600 XT to keep it competitive. As a result, the RX 5600 XT is almost as fast as the RX 5700 XT — and considerably faster than the GTX 1660 Ti that it was originally meant to challenge.
Now, with similar performance as the GeForce RTX 2060, the RX 5600 XT stands out as one of the two most attractive graphics card below $300 from a price/performance perspective (the other one being the RTX 2060). What you need to make sure before buying is that you get a card with the faster BIOS, or that one is available so that you can update it to improve its performance significantly. Some cards are not eligible for this update, but the following are (listed specs are post-update):
| Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 5600 XT | PowerColor Red Dragon RX 5600 XT | Gigabyte RX 5600 XT Gaming OC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Clock: Core / Gaming / Boost | 1400 MHz / 1615 MHz / 1750 MHz | 1355 MHz / 1560 MHz / 1620 MHz | 1130 MHz / 1670 MHz / 1750 MHz |
| Memory Clock (Effective) | 14000 MHz | 14000 MHz | 14000 MHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 8,064 GFLOPS | 7,465 GFLOPS | 8,064 GFLOPS |
| Memory Bandwidth | 336 GB/s | 336 GB/s | 288 GB/s |
| Recommended PSU | 350 W | 350 W | 350 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 3x DP | 1x HDMI 3x DP | 1x HDMI 3x DP |
| Price from* | $289.99 | $289.99 | $255.19 |
| Product Link | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
All of the RX 5600 XT cards use the same GPU of course, meaning that it has 2,304 shaders and 10.3 billion transistors. It’s paired with 6 GB of GDDR6 video memory (VRAM), with a 192-bit memory bus. The main differences between the aftermarket cards are the cooling solutions and the core/boost clocks. Unlike Nvidia, AMD now specifies a “game clock”, which indicates what clock speeds to expect during normal gaming loads.
Again, it’s very important to be aware of the differences between the aftermarket RX 5600 XT cards. You should make sure that you are getting a card that gets a BIOS update to improve performance. For the cards mentioned above, such a BIOS update is available. Get it for the Sapphire Radeon Pulse XT is available here, for PowerColor’s Red Devil/Dragon here and Gigabyte’s card here.
~$20 Less: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
As mentioned previously, AMD’s RX 5600 XT was originally intended as a competitor to Nvidia’s former mid-range king, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. Things didn’t turn out that way, and now the 1660 Ti finds itself at a slightly lower market position.
But although it’s no longer as fast as the best GPUs you can now buy for under $300, it’s still a great mid-range graphics card. The GTX 1660 Ti has the same VRAM setup as the aforementioned cards, but fewer shaders/transistors. It also lacks the ray-tracing features from the RTX lineup. In terms of relative performance, the RTX 2060 and RX 5600 XT are about 15% faster, making this an acceptable price difference.
The GTX 1660 Ti will handle any AAA game in 2020 with ease at 1080p. By dialing back the settings, it will handle 1440p as well. Since pricing has taken a downward turn thanks to AMD’s reappearance in the segment, the FPS/$ value is very reasonable.
| GIGABYTE GTX 1660 Ti OC | EVGA GTX 1660 Ti XC | MSI GTX 1660 Ti Gaming | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Clock: Core / Boost | 1500 MHz / 1800 MHz | 1500 MHz / 1845 MHz | 1500 MHz / 1800 MHz |
| Memory Clock (Effective) | 12 GHz | 12 GHz | 12 GHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 5,530 GFLOPS | 5,668 GFLOPS | 5,530 GFLOPS |
| Memory Bandwidth | 288 GB/s | 288 GB/s | 288 GB/s |
| Recommended Power Supply | 450 Watt | 450 Watt | 450 Watt |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 3x DisplayPort | 1x DVI 1x HDMI 1x DisplayPort | 1x HDMI 3x DisplayPort |
| Price from* | $279.99 | $289.99 | $297.99 |
| Product Link | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
The 1660 Ti is available in every conceivable size and many are factory overclocked, but rarely by amounts that motivate a significantly higher cost. If you can fit a full-size card in your build, a card with a dual-fan (or triple-fan) cooler is normally the best choice even if it’s priced slightly higher.
~$30 More: AMD Radeon RX 5700
AMD’s last-minute decision to upgrade the RX 5600 XT left its own RX 5700 in an awkward position. The reason is that, compared to the RX 5600 XT, the RX 5700 is now only about 5-10% faster on average.
However, the RX 5700 offers better specs, including an extra two gigabytes of GDDR6 video memory and a much higher memory bandwidth due to a 256-bit memory bus (compared to the 5600 XT’s 192-bit bus). You also get some additional overclocking headroom with the RX 5700.
Still – although it’s a bit faster than both the RX 5600 XT and the GeForce RTX 2060 on average – it doesn’t make sense to pay much more for the RX 5700 than for its slightly slower sister model. The good news is that the price tags on these cards are in many cases much lower than they used to be, so it might be a reasonable upgrade after all.
| Asus Dual RX 5700 EVO OC | PowerColor RX 5700 Red Devil | Gigabyte RX 5700 Gaming OC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Clock: Core / Game / Boost | 1515 MHz / 1675 MHz / 1750 MHz | 1610 MHz / 1725 MHz / 1750 MHz | 1565 MHz / 1720 MHz / 1750 MHz |
| Memory Clock (Effective) | 14 GHz | 14 GHz | 14 GHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 8,064 GFLOPS | 8,064 GFLOPS | 7,949 GFLOPS |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448 GB/s | 448 GB/s | 448 GB/s |
| Recommended PSU | 450 W | 450 W | 450 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin, 1x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin, 1x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin, 1x 6-pin |
| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 3x DP | 1x HDMI 3x DP | 1x HDMI 3x DP |
| Price from* | $410.79 | $379.99 | $359.99 |
| Product Link | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
RX 5600 XT Vs. RTX 2060 Vs. RX 5700
Here’s a video from the web comparing actual performance in a number of games including Battlefield V, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, Metro: Exodus and others. What makes this particularly interesting is that the resolution is 1440p, instead of the 1080p resolution that these graphics cards are intended to target.
Summary and Recommendations
Right now you get better value at the mid-range $300 price point than just a few months ago. AMD has finally replaced its – by today’s standards highly inefficient – GCN (Graphics Card Next) architecture with RDNA (Radeon DNA). The newer cards offer some very tough competition for Nvidia in the mid-range segment, and that’s especially true for the Radeon RX 5600 XT (if it’s combined with the right BIOS).
Nevertheless, thanks to the recent price cuts it’s now the GeForce RTX 2060 that offers the best performance below $300. And as a bonus, you get the RTX features including real-time ray tracing and DLSS, which certainly add to the value of this card.
While real-time raytracing can make for some stunning visuals, the RTX 2060 is the entry-level RTX card and you shouldn’t expect flawless 60 FPS performance with “RTX on” in most games, but it’s still an attractive feature.
None of the Nvidia cards at this price range supports SLI, i.e. multi-GPU setups, which might otherwise be an upgrade route down the line. The corresponding AMD Crossfire/CrossFireX technology is enabled for the RX 5700 and RX 5600 XT, on the other hand. Unfortunately, AMD’s driver support for multiple GPUs has historically been somewhat lacking compared to Nvidia, meaning that this sort of upgrade is not overly attractive.
As for graphics cards from previous generations, the closest one from Nvidia would be the GeForce GTX 1070, which offers about the same performance as a GTX 1660 Ti. But it’s also less efficient and usually more expensive. And the AMD alternatives are even worse. There are very few reasons if any, to invest in a Radeon RX Vega 56 or Vega 64 today. These cards are considerably less efficient than the RX 5600 XT or RX 5700, on top of which the prices are still high.
Some of the video cards listed above come with a slight factory overclock compared to the reference clocks. In most cases, factory overclocks are in the single-digit percentages and only marginally improve performance. This is generally not worth a hefty premium over a non-overclocked card. How much a GPU can be overclocked by the user mainly depends on individual chip quality — otherwise known as the “silicon lottery”.
On the other hand, larger cooling solutions with additional fans can be a worthwhile investment. All other things being equal, more fans keep temperatures as well as noise to a minimum. It will also be of help when overclocking. If you are building in a roomy ATX case, as opposed to an mITX or mATX, consider a dual- och triple-fan card.
CPU Pairing and PSU Requirements
Both the Radeon RX 5600 XT and GeForce RTX 2060 require a single 8-pin connector.
To get the most out of your new mid-range GPU, the rest of your PC build should correspond reasonably well to your choice of video card. However, in terms of gaming performance, you won’t gain much by opting for an expensive high-end CPU.
In our view, a good baseline CPU pairing is the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, or an Intel Core i5-9600K. You may need a better CPU for other reasons than gaming, but in terms of frame rates, you will get diminishing returns beyond what you get with one of those processors. To have your games run faster, your money is better spent on a faster GPU.
As for the power supply (PSU), some third-party manufacturers recommend a 350W minimum for the RX 5600 XT (AMD’s PSU recommendation is 550W) and 450W for the RTX 2060. The TDP (Thermal Design Power) for the graphics cards is 160W in both cases. A 350W PSU is definitely on the low side, leaving you with very little headroom for overclocking and other components, but 500W should be more than sufficient for most builds.
Any such power supply on the market will provide you with the single 8-pin PCIe power connector (or more likely two) that you need to hook up to your GPU.
Building with a tighter budget? Then check out our guide to the top GPUs below $200.
The post The Best Mid-Range Graphics Cards Below $300 in July 2020 appeared first on Gaming PC Builder.
Best Graphics Cards Under $200 – 2020 (July)
If you are building a mid-range gaming PC on a budget, the graphics card best suited for that build is in the $180 – $220 price range – and now is a good time to buy one. Nvidia recently refreshed its mid-range Turing-based GeForce cards with Super versions that greatly improved the price/performance ratio. And [...] The post Best Graphics Cards Under $200 – 2020 (July) appeared first on Gaming PC...
If you are building a mid-range gaming PC on a budget, the graphics card best suited for that build is in the $180 – $220 price range – and now is a good time to buy one. Nvidia recently refreshed its mid-range Turing-based GeForce cards with Super versions that greatly improved the price/performance ratio. And earlier in 2020, AMD launched the Radeon RX 5500 XT based on the Navi architecture, which is much more efficient than the cards it replaced.
On this page, we have rounded up the best graphics cards below $200, or close to that mark (GPU prices fluctuate a lot). To make sure you get the most value for your money, we’ve also added some more affordable cards as well as some slightly more expensive models, some of which might be a better option for you depending on your budget.
Table of Contents:
AMD Vs Nvidia
Best AMD GPU below $200: RX 5500
Best Nvidia GPU below $200: GTX 1650 Super
~$10-30 More: GeForce GTX 1660/1660S
Still Great Value: Radeon RX 570
No PCIe power: GeForce GTX 1650
Summary and notes
AMD vs. Nvidia Below $200
Nvidia has been a clear performance leader in the high-end market for several years, but as of 2020, AMD is once again highly competitive at least in the entry-level and mid-range price ranges. This is mainly thanks to its new Navi/RDNA architecture, which is a lot more efficient and capable than its predecessor.
In the sub-$200 range, the Nvidia GPU to consider right now is the GeForce GTX 1650 Super (or 1650S), whereas the best AMD GPU is the recently-launched Radeon RX 5500 XT (or possibly a previous-gen GPU, more on that later).
Last update on 2020-06-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
From just looking at the spec sheet, the Radeon RX 5500 XT looks like a far more powerful GPU, with its additional shaders and more raw performance than the GTX 1650 Super.
However, in terms of actual gaming performance, it’s a tight race. The RX 5500 XT comes out ahead in some games but the GTX 1650S performs better in others.
On the whole, both will serve you well in 1080p gaming and offer good value in terms of FPS/$. In the long term, an 8 GB version of the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT would be an even better choice thanks to its additional VRAM, but they rarely sell for less than $200.
Here’s a quick look at relative GPU performance using benchmark scores from Futuremark’s 3DMark Time Spy. (DirectX 12). We’ve included some additional GPUs for the sake of comparison and will be discussing some of them below.
This is not an exact measurement of relative gaming performance, but still a reasonably accurate indicator of what to expect in games on average.
Bottom line: The “FPS/$” equation changes on a daily basis along with GPU prices, but lately they have been rather stable for the competing GeForce GTX 1650S and Radeon RX 5500XT. Which one would we consider the best GPU below $200? An RX 5500XT with 8GB of VRAM is arguably the most attractive option. However, if the choice is either a 4GB RX 5500 XT or a 1650S, Nvidia’s better driver support makes the GTX 1650 Super a winner.
Best AMD GPU Below $200: Radeon RX 5500 XT
AMD has finally updated its entry-level and mid-range offerings with much more power-efficient GPUs than the old Polaris-based RX 570, 580 and 590. The RX 5500 XT offers about the same performance as the RX 580 (or even the RX 590) while using less power. One 8-pin PCIe connector is sufficient for the RX 5500 XT, and the recommended minimum power supply is now just 350 W (TDP is 130 W). The actual gaming performance tends to be marginally above the GTX 1650 Super but below the GTX 1660 (although it should technically be faster than both).
| XFX RX 5500 XT Thicc II Pro 8GB | ASUS RX 5500 XT Dual 8GB | GIGABYTE RX 5500 XT OC 4GB | MSI RX 5500 XT Mech 4GB OC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |  |
| Stream Processors | 1408 | 1408 | 1408 | 1408 |
| Base Clock / Boost Clock | 1607 MHz / 1845 MHz | 1647 MHz / 1865 MHz | 1607 MHz / 1845 MHz | 1257 MHz / 1366 MHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 5,196 GFLOPS | 5,248 GFLOPS | 5,196 GFLOPS | 5,196 GFLOPS |
| Max Memory Clock | 14 GHz | 14 GHz | 14 GHz | 14 GHz |
| Memory Size | 8 GB GDDR6 | 8 GB GDDR6 | 4 GB GDDR6 | 4 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 224 GB/s | 224 GB/s | 224 GB/s | 224 GB/s |
| Recommended Power Supply | 350 Watt | 350 Watt | 350 Watt | 350 Watt |
| Price from* | $209.99 | $209.99 | $179.99 | $189.99 |
| Product Link | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
Note that we are listing cards with both 8 GB and 4 GB of video memory (VRAM). An 8 GB card will, on average, improve frame rates in the single-digit percentages. But in some cases, additional VRAM will also allow for more details and higher resolutions (e.g. 1440p) with less significant performance drops. If the price difference is small, we definitely recommend the 8 GB variety, but never pay too much for a factory overclocked card.
Best Nvidia GPU Below $200: GTX 1650 Super
Only a few months ago, Nvidia was barely competitive at all below the $200 mark, but this has changed completely in 2020. The GeForce GTX 1650 Super offers excellent value at its current price point. Compared to the (non-Super) GTX 1650, the 1650S is much faster and its performance is closer to the GTX 1660. In other words, it’s really a “Super” version of the card.
As opposed to the standard GTX 1650, the Super version requires one 6-pin PCIe power connector but draws much less power than equivalent cards from the previous generation. Because it’s an affordable card, GTX 1650 Super designs tend to be small and compact. If you have room for a video card with two fans in your case, this is usually a better option, all else being equal.
| Gigabyte GTX 1650 Super WindForce OC | Gigabyte GTX 1650 Super OC | MSI GTX 1650 Super Gaming X | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Memory Size | 4 GB GDDR6 | 4 GB GDDR6 | 4 GB GDDR6 |
| Stream Processors | 1280 | 1280 | 1280 |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 4,493 GFLOPS | 4,454 GFLOPS | 4,493 GFLOPS |
| Max Memory Clock | 12000 MHz | 12000 MHz | 12000 MHz |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192 GB/s | 192 GB/s | 192 GB/s |
| Recommended Power Supply | 350 Watt | 350 Watt | 350 Watt |
| Core Clock / Boost Clock | 1530 MHz / 1755 MHz | 1530 MHz / 1740 MHz | 1530 MHz / 1755 MHz |
| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1x DP | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1x DP | 1x HDMI 3x DP |
| Price from* | $169.99 | $159.99 | $189.99 |
| Product Link | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
The MSI Gaming X is a full-size card with excellent cooling performance and OC potential, but Gigabyte’s more reasonably priced dual-fan WindForce model is a strong competitor. For small form factor builds, Gigabyte also offers a 1650 Super with a single 90 mm fan.
~$10–30 More: GeForce GTX 1660/1660S
The GTX 1660 is based on Nvidia’s Turing architecture and was launched in 2019. It can be seen as a direct successor to the GTX 1060, but it’s considerably faster (15-20%) and more efficient. At this writing, the GTX 1660 is in the process of being replaced by the GTX 1660 Super, which has caused prices to occasionally drop to prices near $200.
At that price point, the original GTX 1660 cards offer one of the best FPS per dollar ratios of all current GPUs.
| Gigabyte GTX 1660 OC WindForce | PNY GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC | Asus GTX 1660 Super OC Phoenix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Stream Processors | 1408 | 1408 | 1408 |
| Memory Size | 6 GB GDDR5 | 6 GB GDDR5 | 6 GB GDDR6 |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 5,153 GFLOPS | 5,153 GFLOPS | 5,069 GFLOPS |
| Memory Clock | 8004 MHz | 8004 MHz | 8004 MHz |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192.1 GB/s | 192.1 GB/s | 192.1 GB/s |
| Recommended Power Supply | 350 Watt | 350 Watt | 450 Watt |
| Core Clock / Boost Clock | 1530 MHz / 1830 MHz | 1530 MHz / 1830 MHz | 1530 MHz / 1800 MHz |
| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 3x DisplayPort | 1x DVI 1x HDMI 1x DisplayPort | 1x HDMI 3x DisplayPort |
| Price from* | $255.83 | $229.99 | $229.99 |
| Product Link | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
Compared to the AMD alternatives, the GTX 1660 is faster than the previous-gen RX 580 or even the RX 590 in actual games, although both of the AMD GPUs offer better FP32 performance. In other words, you get great performance for 1080p and 1440p gaming and this one would be our favorite if it was only slightly cheaper.
If you are willing to spend an additional $30 more for about 15% performance improvement (essentially getting what you pay for), then the GeForce GTX 1660 Super is also worth mentioning. The difference compared to the non-Super is that the 1660 Super uses faster GDDR6 VRAM. It has the same amount of shaders and transistors.
| EVGA GTX 1660 Super Sc Ultra | Asus TUF GTX 1660 Super OC | ZOTAC GTX 1660 Super TF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Stream Processors | 1408 | 1408 | 1408 |
| Base Clock / Boost Clock | 1530 MHz / 1830 MHz | 1530 MHz / 1845 MHz | 1530 MHz / 1785 MHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 5,153 GFLOPS | 5,196 GFLOPS | 5,027 GFLOPS |
| Max Memory Clock | 14 GHz | 14 GHz | 14 GHz |
| Memory Size | 6 GB GDDR6 | 6 GB GDDR6 | 6 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 336 GB/s | 336 GB/s | 336 GB/s |
| Recommended Power Supply | 350 Watt | 350 Watt | 350 Watt |
| Price from* | $270.29 | $229.99 | $294.00 |
| Product Link | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
Great Value: AMD Radeon RX 570, 580 & 590
If you’re simply looking for the maximum amount of frames per second for every dollar invested – then AMD’s previous generation of mid-range GPUs is still worth a look. The Radeon RX 570 GPU was a price/performance king for quite some time, but today you can also find an RX 580 or even an RX 590 at great price points.
These cards are much less efficient than the Navi generation but do well in terms of raw performance, and let you play most AAA titles at 1080p/60fps, as well as 1440p with reduced quality settings.
| PowerColor Red Dragon RX 570 | XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS XXX Edition | Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 580 | PowerColor Red Dragon RX 590 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |  |
| Stream Processors | 2048 | 2304 | 2304 | 2304 |
| Boost Clock / Max OC Clock | 1469 MHz / 1545 MHz | 1257 MHz / 1366 MHz | 1360 MHz / 1366 MHz | 1469 MHz / 1545 MHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 5,120 GFLOPS | 6,295 GFLOPS | 6,295 GFLOPS | 7,119 GFLOPS |
| Effective Memory Clock | 7 GHz | 8 GHz | 8 GHz | 8 GHz |
| Memory Size | 4 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory Bandwidth | 224 GB/s | 256 GB/s | 256 GB/s | 256 GB/s |
| Outputs | 1x DVI, 2x HDMI 2x DP | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 3x DP | 2x HDMI, 2x DP 1x DVI | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1x DP |
| Recommended Power Supply | 500 Watt | 500 Watt | 500 Watt | 500 Watt |
| Price from* | $179.99 | $169.99 | $165.59 | Price not available |
| Product Link | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
Although it’s far less efficient than the much newer RX 5500 XT and GTX 1650 Super, the Radeon RX 590, in particular, is a bit faster on average and can often be found for less than $200. And that makes it the fastest GPU in that price range, but due to the age and relative inefficiency of this chip, a lower price is normal.
Most RX 590 cards (as well as 580/570) use dual-fan cooling solutions, which is practically a must on this power-hungry GPU. For more info on additional models, see our more comprehensive RX 590 roundup.
Here’s a video from the web that compares the relative performance of the RX 590 to the GTX 1650 Super.
No PCIe Power: GeForce GTX 1650
If you are limited by your power supply and can’t (or don’t want to) replace it – or simply want an Nvidia card that’s more affordable than the GTX 1650 Super or 1660 – the GeForce GTX 1650 is the one GPU under $200 that you should be looking at. It replaces the 1050 Ti and offers better performance at roughly the same price. This card will go nicely with your G-Sync monitor and produce good frame rates in eSports titles at 1080p. It can’t compete with AMD cards in the same price range, but it is a competent and highly efficient chip for a power-deficient, entry-level gaming build.
Among the 1650 cards, we consider the MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Gaming X 4G a good buy, mainly because it comes with a considerable factory overclock and uses a tried-and-tested, dual-fan design. It will let you play all the latest AAA titles at acceptable frame rates, but you will have to use lower settings in more demanding titles such as Metro Exodus. Casual games like Fortnite, on the other hand, will easily run at 60FPS/1080p.
Let’s compare some of the GeForce GTX 1650-based alternatives.
| MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Gaming X | ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1650 OC | Zotac Gaming GeForce GTX 1650 OC | Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1650 Windforce OC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |  |
| CUDA Cores | 896 | 896 | 896 | 896 |
| Core Clock / Boost Clock | 1485 MHz / 1860 MHz | 1485 MHz / 1830 MHz | 1485 MHz / 1695 MHz | 1485 MHz / 1785 MHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 3,333 GFLOPS | 3,279 GFLOPS | 3,037 GFLOPS | 3,199 GFLOPS |
| Memory Clock (Effective) | 8 GHz | 8 GHz | 8 GHz | 8 GHz |
| Memory Size | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory Bandwidth | 128.0 GB/s | 128.0 GB/s | 128.0 GB/s | 128.0 GB/s |
| Required PSU | 300 Watt | 300 Watt | 300 Watt | 300 Watt |
| Price from* | $154.99 | Price not available | $137.99 | $149.86 |
| Product Link | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
*Prices are updated automatically every few hours but are subject to change between updates. See ‘Last update’ information at bottom of the page.
MSI’s card has some of the highest factory overclocks on the market but it’s closely followed by Asus’ popular Strix model (OC version). Unless you’re building in a micro-ATX or mini-ITX case with limited space, dual-fan options are the way to go. As of May 2020, some GTX 1650 boards are equipped with GDDR6 memory instead of GDDR5. This improves memory bandwidth and overall performance, but the clock rates have unfortunately been lowered to even out the difference. However, some early testing indicates that GDDR6 boards are 5–10% faster, so this is a feature worth looking for.
Summary
These are the best graphics cards close to or below $200. Whatever your budget is and your preferred games, these cards offer great price-to-performance value. However, as of June 2020, the GTX 1650 Super or the Radeon RX 5500 XT are the best cards from Nvidia and AMD, respectively, and the RX 5500 XT 8GB is arguably the most future-proof. AMD’s Radeon RX 570/580/590 may also offer excellent value depending on current prices.
Especially the RX 590 is an attractive option if you don’t mind its higher power consumption. As a consolation, it’s the latest and most efficient version of the Polaris GPU. What that means is that you may need a bigger power supply unit (PSU) and sometimes an additional PCIe cable to power them. In the case of the RX 580 Nitro+, for example, you need one 8-pin and one 6-pin auxiliary (PCIe) power connector, whereas no GTX 1650 Super uses more than a single 6-pin connector.
If you have no choice but to use a PCIe slot-powered card, the GTX 1650 (non-Super) offers much better value than the old GTX 1050 Ti, but it’s less powerful than all the other cards we’ve listed – even with the addition of GDDR6 VRAM.
One putative advantage for AMD is that the RX cards support dual-GPU setups, i.e. CrossFireX. Nvidia’s corresponding SLI feature is not available with entry-level and mid-range cards. On the other hand, using two GPUs is hardly ever a better option than buying a single, more capable card.
A side note, but a topic worth mentioning, is factory overclocking. Several of the above graphics cards come with slightly higher clock rates compared to the reference models, which is often – but not always – also reflected in the price tag. It doesn’t necessarily have an impact on how much the card can be overclocked by the user.
Each and every GPU chip is unique quality-wise and therefore the chips’ overclocking capability varies. Unfortunately, you never know exactly how capable it is before you buy (this is why it’s called the “silicon lottery”). The main difference is that a factory-overclocked card is guaranteed to work at the specified clock rates, which is not the case otherwise. In some cases, pricier and factory-overclocked cards also have better cooling solutions than budget GPUs.
About System and PSU Requirements
You need at least one of these to power any of the above cards except the GTX 1650.
You certainly don’t need a monster gaming rig to power mid-range graphics cards around the $200 price range. The most important thing is to ensure that your power supply unit (PSU) is up to the task.
The most demanding of the cards we’ve been looking at here are the ones based on the Radeon RX 580 and RX 590 GPUs. AMD recommends a 500 Watt PSU for the entire system. However, this will, of course, depend on how power-efficient the rest of your system is. Typical board power is 185 Watts for the reference design RX 580, but overclocked cards will use a lot more.
So, most such cards need at least one 8-pin PCIe power connector and sometimes one 8-pin and one 6-pin connector coming from the PSU. If your power supply does not have any auxiliary PCIe power connectors – and for some reason, you can’t upgrade it (such as in a custom, small form-factor PC) – then your best option from the above are the GeForce GTX 1650S. These cards only draw power straight from the motherboard.
Other than the PSU, your other PC components should preferably at least be fairly recent. The processor (CPU) does affect what frame rates you’ll be getting to some extent, but the difference will be quite small if you’re using any AMD Ryzen or Core i5 from the past few years. Older AMD CPUs in general and some older Intel Core i3 CPUs, in particular, may have a more severe negative effect on game frame rates.
If you already own a good mid-range CPU and want better gaming performance, upgrading to a faster GPU will yield more noticeable results compared to upgrading the CPU. Check our guide to the fastest GPUs below $300.
The post Best Graphics Cards Under $200 – 2020 (July) appeared first on Gaming PC Builder.
The Fastest M.2 NVMe SSDs in July 2020
Moving to faster storage can shave seconds off most of your PC activities – from booting up your OS to loading apps and games. If you are currently booting from a hard drive, there is simply no other component that will have a comparable effect on your user experience than an SSD. But not all [...] The post The Fastest M.2 NVMe SSDs in July 2020 appeared first on Gaming PC...
Moving to faster storage can shave seconds off most of your PC activities – from booting up your OS to loading apps and games. If you are currently booting from a hard drive, there is simply no other component that will have a comparable effect on your user experience than an SSD.
But not all solid state drives are created equal. If you have an available PCIe M.2 slot on your motherboard (desktop or laptop), then this is where to install your system drive. The best m.2 drives are also compatible with the modern storage interface protocol NVMe.
Table of Contents
- What is NVMe and do I need it?
- Fastest VS best value M.2 SSD
- Best M.2 NVMe SSDs 2020 (May)
- What drive is the best for gaming?
- Will it work in my desktop/laptop PC?
- How to choose the right capacity
What is NVMe and is it necessary?
Image credit: Intel
SSD performance boils down to is how fast it lets you move data from storage (non-volatile, slow) to DRAM (volatile, fast).
NVMe – short for non-volatile memory express – was created to make the most out of solid state drives in combination with the PCI Express (PCIe) interface. Its predecessor AHCI (paired with SATA) was originally intended for mechanical hard drives. The newer protocol includes many efficiency improvements to deal with parallel transfers and the low-latency nature of SSDs. If you want to learn more about NVMe, check this introduction by Intel.
When shopping for a new SSD, it’s important to remember that M.2 is just a form factor that says nothing of performance. Some M.2 SSDs operate over the SATA interface, making them no different from a 2.5″ drive as far as performance goes. If you have any relatively modern motherboard, it most likely has a PCIe/NVMe-capable (usually much faster) M.2 slot, so this is the type of drive to look for.
Fastest Gen4 Vs. Gen3 M.2 SSD
If you want an M.2 SSD that is consistently fast in all areas – and don’t mind paying a bit more – you can opt for one that uses MLC (multi-level cell) Flash memory chips. But if you don’t work with storage-heavy applications, you won’t notice the difference compared to a drive based on 3D TLC (triple-level cell) memory. TLC-based drives are more affordable but can be as fast as MLC-based SSDs by clever use of caching technologies.
All other things being equal, MLC drives also offer better endurance than their triple-level cell counterparts. But for a vast majority of users, TLC endurance is more than enough, and the difference in performance is insignificant in most cases. As of now, nearly all of the leading M.2 SSDs in both the PCIe 3/Gen3 and the PCIe 4/Gen4 categories use TLC memory. So for a fair comparison, we will stick to this memory type in our top picks of each:
Last update on 2020-06-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Fastest PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD: Sabrent Rocket Gen4
If and only if you have a motherboard that supports PCI Express 4.0, then this is a suitable SSD. At this point, only AMD X570 boards with a Ryzen 3000-series CPU and 3rd-gen Threadripper motherboards support the interface in the consumer space. As of the mid-2020, all PCIe 4.0-capable SSDs are still based on the same Phison PS5016-E16 controller and 3D TLC NAND combo, resulting in about the same performance. The other, nearly identical drives include (among a few others):
- Gigabyte Aorus Gen4
- Corsair Force MP600
- Patriot Viper VP4100
- Seagate Firecuda 520
- Adata XPG Gammix S50
PCIe 4.0 SSDs are known to run quite hot compared to their PCIe 3.0 counterparts, so unless you have a motherboard with a built-in heatsink (often supplied with X570 boards), a heatsink may be a useful addition to a Gen4 SSD. The Corsair MP600 is available with or without a heat spreader, as is the Sabrent Rocket Gen4, while the Seagate Firecuda 520 ships without one. Some drives, such as the XPG Gammix S50, are only available with a heatsink.
When combined with the right motherboard, you will get amazing transfer rates of up to 5 GB/s with any of these Gen4 drives. Again, this is only with a compatible motherboard/CPU combo – otherwise, these drives will max out at PCIe 3.0 speeds, or about 3,500 MB/s.
Check prices (Rocket Gen4): Amazon, Newegg, Amazon UK
Best PCIe 3.0 NVMe M.2 SSD: Samsung 970 PRO
No single drive will take home the crown as the fastest M.2. SSD in every benchmark or practical use case. However, our choice as the best general performer in the PCIe 3.0 segment in the second quarter of 2020 is the MLC-based Samsung 970 PRO – a drive that still tops many performance charts in the M.2 PCI Express category.
It’s also considered one of the most reliable. Samsung’s performance and reliability track record in the SSD segment has been almost flawless for nearly a decade, so it’s a very comfortable recommendation.
The 970 PRO comes with Samsung’s proprietary controller and MLC chips, as well as an excellent endurance rating of 1,200 TBW (1TB) or 600 TBW (512GB). Unfortunately, the 970 PRO is only available in two capacities: 512 GB and 1 TB, which limits your choices. It may also be a questionable choice when looking at the performance/$ equation because the cost per GB is well above average. Samsung announced a PCIe 4.0-enabled Samsung 980 PRO at CES 2020, but it was not yet available at the time of writing.
Check prices: Amazon, Newegg, Amazon UK
Read more about the 970 PRO in our SSD database >>
Best Value/Performance (PCIe 3.0): Samsung 970 EVO Plus
This will ultimately depend on today’s prices for the best M.2 SSDs on the market (scroll down for a more comprehensive list). Nevertheless, Samsung’s 970 EVO Plus is much more affordable than the PRO but very close in terms of raw performance. Although it doesn’t use premium MLC NAND, this drive is among the very best – and will likely remain so until we see more competition in the PCIe 4.0 segment.
Check prices: Amazon, Newegg, Amazon UK
Read more about the 970 EVO Plus in our SSD database >>
On the same note, also consider the more affordable yet well-rounded PCIe 3.0 Sabrent Rocket which offers an attractive mix of value and performance. This drive comes with a Phison E12 controller and Toshiba TLC NAND – a high-end combo that puts it nearly on par with the 970 EVO but at a significantly lower cost.
12 of the Fastest M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs in 2020
There are alternatives to all of the above of course. Some of which could be better options if the price is right, so don’t stop reading just yet. In the following list we’ve put together some of the best-performing, recently released drives. They are ordered by sequential performance first, random second. Because of the drives’ different controllers and memory types, these numbers are only an indication of actual performance.
| # | Name | Max. sequential read/write (MB/s) | 4K random read/write performance (IOPS) | Endurance rating (terabytes written) | Check Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Sabrent Rocket Gen4 (1TB) | 5000/4400 | 750K/750K | 1800 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 2 |  | Gigabyte Aorus Gen4 (1TB) | 5000/4400 | 750K/700K | 1800 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 3 |  | Corsair MP600 Gen4 (1TB) | 4950/4250 | 680K/600K | 1800 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 4 |  | Samsung 970 PRO (1TB) | 3500/2700 | 500K/500K | 1200 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 5 | | Samsung 970 EVO PLUS (1TB) | 3500/3300 | 600K/550K | 600 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 6 |  | Adata XPG SX8200 Pro (1TB) | 3500/3000 | 390K/380K | 640 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 7 |  | PNY XLR8 CS3030 (1TB) | 3500/3000 | N/A | 1665 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 8 |  | HP EX950 (1TB) | 3500/2900 | 410K/370K | 650 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 9 |  | Corsair Force MP510 (960 GB) | 3480/3000 | 280K/700K | 720 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 10 |  | WD Black SN750 (1TB) | 3430/3000 | 515K/560K | 600 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 11 |  | Intel SSD 760p (1TB) | 3230/1625 | 340K/275K | 576 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
| 12 |  | Intel Optane SSD 800P (118GB) | 1450/640 | 250K/140K | 365 TBW | Amazon Newegg Amazon UK |
Remember that the Gen4 SSDs on top of the list requires a PCI Express 4.0-capable motherboard (X570 chipset) to run at full speed. In other words: don’t pay extra for a Gen4 SSD unless you own a suitable motherboard or plan to upgrade soon.
High-End Alternative: Intel Optane 800p
The last drive on our list should also be considered a high-end option. Although its sequential performance might not sound like much, Intel’s Optane 800p is faster than all other M.2 SSDs in certain areas. Its extremely low latency makes random performance at low queue depths particularly good, which is an advantage in a system drive. The reason why it’s hard to compare it with other SSDs is that it uses Intel’s proprietary 3D XPoint memory instead of ‘normal’ NAND Flash.
Unfortunately, it also comes with a much higher cost/GB than competing drives and is only available in two tiny capacities – 58 GB and 118 GB. Read more about it here, or head straight to AnandTech for the most detailed review online.
Check prices: Amazon, Newegg, Amazon UK
Which is the Best M.2 SSD for Gaming?
For the average user, the difference between an SSD and a hard drive in terms of user experience is very clearly noticeable. The effect of shifting from one type of SSD to another will not be nearly as dramatic.
All storage-intensive tasks that move lots of files around will be affected by an SSDs capability. However, a faster SSD will not necessarily shorten loading times in games by large amounts. Here’s an interesting test from the web, comparing an M.2 PCIe SSD (970 Pro) versus an older 2.5″ SATA SSD (plus a mechanical hard drive) when loading various games:
Here’s a summary of the data:
| Game | Loading from HDD | Loading from 2.5" SATA SSD | Loading from 970 Pro (PCIe/NVMe) | Decrease/Increase, (NVMe Vs SATA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destiny 2 | 45s | 31s | 29s | -6% |
| Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | 71s | 27s | 21s | -22% |
| DOOM | 65s | 49s | 47s | -4% |
| Civilization 6 | 27s | 18s | 17s | -6% |
| Far Cry 5 | 25s | 10s | 11s | +10% |
| Path of Exile | 23s | 3s | 3s | +0% |
| World of Warcraft | 36s | 7s | 6s | -14% |
| Skyrim Special Edition | 20s | 9s | 12s | +33% |
| Witcher 3 | 13s | 7s | 5s | -29% |
| Total | 325s | 161s | 151s | -6% |
Source: YouTube user Alexandr iuneWind
With these results in mind, it is probably safe to assume that a comparison of individual high-end M.2 PCIe SSDs will result in small differences as far as gaming is concerned. The usual price/performance calculation will serve you well. Of course, all seconds saved add up to minutes and hours in the long run, so a fast M.2 NVMe SSD is still a key component in a high-end PC. But in most cases, you should not expect the sort of radical performance gains that you see when coming from a traditional hard drive.
Will it Work in my Laptop/Desktop PC?
For the listed drives to work with your computer, it must have the proper slot and support for PCIe/NVMe. But there may be exceptions: Even without an M.2 slot on your (desktop) motherboard, you may still be able to use one in a full-size PCIe x4 slot using an adapter. But if you want to run your OS from the drive, your motherboard must still support booting from PCIe, which is no guarantee with older motherboards.
All recent, high-end ATX-size motherboards, on the other hand, include at least one M.2 slot and will be able to run a modern SSD at PCIe 3.0 speeds at a minimum. With an older board, you might not be so lucky. In any event, it’s always best to check the manual before buying a new drive.
Keying and Sizes
M.2 SSDs (and other M.2 cards) come in different sizes and some motherboards – particularly in laptops – will only hold a drive up to a certain size. They also have different sets of notches (keying) that will prevent you from installing it the wrong way.
M.2 Keying and Size
Three different key types or ‘notch styles’ may be used by M.2 SSDs: B, M or B&M. The socket can be either B or M, but not both.
High-end SSDs, as well as recent motherboards, will have to use an M-key slot, as this is the only type that provides four lanes of bandwidth, or 20 Gbit/s, also known as PCIe x4. B-key supports ‘only’ PCIe x2, or 10 Gbit/s.
On many motherboards, the connector itself or the PCB next to it will be labeled with the keying. Otherwise, check the specs or the manual. Likewise, M.2 card length might be stamped on the board, looking something like this:
High-capacity drives have additional memory chips mounted on the card and may require more space in some cases. The M.2 standard allows for cards of five different lengths, with the number format meaning width-length in millimeters. All sizes are the same width, so the two most common, 2280 and 2242, are 80mm and 42mm long, respectively (and so on). All sizes:
- 2230
- 2242
- 2260
- 2280
- 22110
Not all motherboards – and much less all laptops – can accommodate the longest cards and some might not even support the common 2280 size (the format used by most of the drives listed above). 22110 drives are however very rare.
Also, don’t confuse M.2 and mSATA, which is another, older standard. These slots may look similar on the motherboard, but they’re not compatible. M.2 SSDs may also use the SATA interface, but that doesn’t mean it’s an mSATA drive.
Yes, it really is a bit confusing, but fortunately, M.2 2280 is the most common standard by far, so it’s actually hard to get it wrong. But just to be safe:
Checklist Before Buying an M.2 SSD
- Check the drive’s interface and M.2 keying, e.g. B+M-key/M-key (all PCIe x4 SSDs are M-key).
- Make sure it matches the slot on your motherboard or in your laptop. You can usually find this information on the specs page.
- Also ensure that the length of the drive is supported, e.g. 2280 or 2242 (numbers in bold are millimeters).
To sum things up about keying and interfaces: it might sound complicated, but really isn’t. If you are building a high-end PC based on a Z170, Z270, B350/B450, X370/X470 chipset, it will likely have an M-key slot. And if so, most of the popular M-key or B+M-key drives will work. But there are a few exceptions, so it’s best to double-check.
Choosing the Right Capacity
You can hardly ever have too much storage space, but all of it doesn’t have to be super fast. There is no reason to use an expensive, high-end SSD to store family photos or your Steam library backups.
Speaking for myself, a primary 1 TB SSD is enough to hold the stuff I use on a regular basis. That includes the OS, all work-related apps, and a few games – basically what I want quick access to on a regular basis. The rest is mostly distributed on some affordable terabytes of hard drive space.
What capacity you need is always a personal question. If you just want a really fast computer for work (and who doesn’t?), you can probably get by with as little as 128 GB and use hard drives for the rest. However, when looking at the price/performance ratio (performance is usually improved in larger capacities), 240 or 256 GB drives offer a much more attractive entry-level price point. If you want to install any larger number of games, 1 TB should be considered a minimum size.
Most importantly, you want to boot from your fastest drive. That means it must be able to store the OS and all of its associated files (such as caches and swap). And it’s not that much:
- Windows 10 (64-bit): 20GB
- MacOs Mojave: 12.5GB
- Ubuntu 17.04: 25GB
- Manjaro 18 (Arch): 30GB
- Linux Mint 19.1 (Debian/Ubuntu): 20GB
- Elementary OS 5 (Debian/Ubuntu): 15GB
- Fedora 29: 10GB
- OpenSuse 42.3: 5GB
Those numbers may or may not be a minimum requirement, but also add – at the very least – the amount of RAM in your system to be on the safe side (to make room for the swap file). Office apps are usually not that demanding either, with MS Office taking up about 4 GB of space on your SSD. Games tend to use a lot more but can range in size from a few hundred megabytes to dozens of gigabytes, so there is no simple answer. On the other hand, loading games from a slower device (but preferably still an SSD) is still a viable option, as seen above.
The post The Fastest M.2 NVMe SSDs in July 2020 appeared first on Gaming PC Builder.
The 7 Best GTX 1660 SUPER Graphics Cards for Your 1080p Gaming PC
Nvidia’s original GeForce GTX 1660 took a back seat to its more powerful and expensive GTX 1660 Ti sister model. As of 2020, however, the GTX 1660 has been superseded by the GTX 1660 Super, which is sold at about the same price point. And in terms of performance, the Super is actually closer to [...] The post The 7 Best GTX 1660 SUPER Graphics Cards for Your 1080p Gaming PC appeared first on Gaming PC...
Nvidia’s original GeForce GTX 1660 took a back seat to its more powerful and expensive GTX 1660 Ti sister model. As of 2020, however, the GTX 1660 has been superseded by the GTX 1660 Super, which is sold at about the same price point.
And in terms of performance, the Super is actually closer to the Ti than to the original 1660. Although it uses the same TU116 chip as the latter, the VRAM is now GDDR6 instead of GDDR5, which significantly boosts memory bandwidth and performance. This makes the Super variety an attractive option for gamers who want something more powerful than a budget GPU, but also something less costly than an upper mid-range card.
Compared to previous generations, the GTX 1660 Super (or 1660S) is significantly more powerful than the GTX 1060 and AMD’s RX 590, 580, and 570, so it’s also a suitable upgrade for current owners of those graphics cards.
For a closer look at performance, this is how the GTX 1660S stacks up in the 3DMark DX12 Time Spy benchmark (averages from different systems):
This is just a single benchmark and all games are a bit different but for the most part, it is quite representative of what you get. All in all, the GTX 1660S is a great choice for 1080p gaming. While it can’t compete with the upper mid-range GPUs in 1440p, most games will run well enough at 1440p if you lower the game’s detail settings.
Based on clock speeds, cooling capabilities and other features, these are our top picks from the current crop of 1660 Super-based cards.
Last update on 2020-07-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Had the GTX 1660S been a more power-hungry and heat-generating card, a large and efficient cooling solution would be a bigger priority. Its TDP is however only 125 W, so there is hardly a need for a bulky triple-fan solution to cool this card. The MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X uses a tried and tested design with great-looking RGB highlights, but the ASUS Dual GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini is also an attractive card. As a bonus, it’s less expensive and will fit in mini ITX gaming cases (or even an Intel NUC 9 kit).
There are other attractive options as well. Depending on the daily price fluctuations could make one of them the best choice.
The 7 Best GTX 1660 Super Graphics Cards
So, let’s have a look at some of the best GTX 1660S-based video cards from different manufacturers. Since this is a mid-range card, there won’t be any souped-up water cooled custom designs. Most manufacturers use tried and tested designs that are used for other mid-range GPUs.
With this in mind, we’ve sorted the cards based on professional reviews and user opinions. If none are available, we may look sideways at other GPUs from the same manufacturer that uses an identical cooling solution. You can find links to reviews and additional information in our database entries for the specific models.
MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Super Gaming X
True to their habit, MSI offers a factory overclocked Gaming X version of the GTX 1660S. However, if you prefer to experiment yourself – or don’t want to pay extra – there’s also a non-X model available (if you manage to find one, as they appear to be a very rare breed).
The Gaming X has a boost clock of 1,830 MHz out of the box, and it is likely possible to further stretch those values using MSI’s excellent Afterburner overclocking tool. To keep performance consistent and temperatures low, MSI has equipped this card with the Twin Frozr 7 Thermal Design, which consists of two fans that continuously cool a heatsink, which is also designed for good aerodynamics.
This identical cooling solution with RGB accents is also used on other, considerably more expensive cards. It takes up a little bit more than two PCI slots, however, so it might be a tight fit for small form factor PC builds.
Performance-wise, this card has some of the highest out-of-the-box clocks and therefore performs above average. On the downside, it’s also a bit more expensive. Read more about the Super Gaming X, including professional reviews, here.
- Effective cooling system
- Great OC potential
- RGB accents
- Priced a bit too close to the Ti model
ASUS Dual GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini
The ASUS Dual GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini is a very compact graphics card, made to fit Mini-ITX builds and even an Intel NUC 9 kit. That doesn’t mean that cooling will be insufficient, as this design is used for cards all the way up to the powerful RTX 2070. Cooling the GTX 1660S – which is just a GTX 1660 GPU paired with GDDR6 – is not nearly as demanding, so the small format isn’t nearly as much of an issue.
Two factors are in favor of the Asus Dual Mini 1660S, namely that this card both comes with a decent factory overclock and a very reasonable price tag. It’s unlikely to offer as much overclocking headroom as the premium MSI variety, but when the price/performance equation is considered, this Asus card is arguably the better choice.
- Good choice for a compact build
- Small factory overclock
- Very reasonably priced
- Not much OC headroom
Best Affordable 1660S: ASUS Phoenix GTX 1660 Super OC
Nvidia’s GTX 1660(S) chip is quite efficient and well-suited to small form factors. It’s also one of the more affordable GPUs, which makes it more likely to be used with low-key designs. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it helps keep the prices down without necessarily sacrificing much.
This card is part of Asus’ latest Phoenix lineup, which was also used for Pascal GTX cards. Like other cards in the series, it’s a short, single-fan card, but this one has a bit more height to it than some other “mini” GTX 1660s. Asus ships this card either with stock clocks or with a minor factory overclock (indicated by OC in the name). At 1800 MHz (instead of 1785 MHz), this is an OC of less than 1% and definitely not something you should pay extra for, in our humble opinion.
One of the more interesting features of this card is that it’s dust resistant. The card comes with an IPX5 rating, which means resistant and not fully dust-proof (that would probably be impossible for a graphics card). But it does have some protection that should be useful for a long life span.
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- Good single-fan cooling
- Fits in most ITX cases
- IP5X dust resistant
- Insignificant factory OC
Best Triple-Fan Option: Gigabyte GTX 1660 Super 3X WindForce
Although the GTX 1660 Super is a relatively frugal GPU with a 125W TDP, you can never go wrong with a more effective cooler. A triple-fan card is quite bulky and won’t fit in compact PC cases, but if you have room to spare, an extra fan will improve cooling while in most cases producing less noise than dual-fan (and certainly single-fan) cards given the same load. You will also have better chances of overclocking thanks to the lower temperatures.
Gigabyte’s comprehensively tried and tested 3X WindForce design is used with a wide variety of GPUs, with the GeForce GTX 1660S being one of the least demanding chips. The fans spin in opposite directions, which allegedly helps maintain good airflow, and it’s apparent from more demanding cards that it works well enough.
All in all, the end result is a package that offers great cooling in larger cases along with excellent OC potential. The Gigabyte GTX 1660 Super 3X WindForce is available either with or without a factory overclock from the default 1785 MHz to 1860 MHz, which is the highest factory OC of all current 1660S cards.
- Highest factory OC (optional)
- Great cooling solution
- Includes backplate
- Very large for a 1660S
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Super
Compact, ITX-sized cards with one or two fans have become increasingly common in the entry-level and mid-range segment, as they usually provide sufficient cooling for today’s efficient GPUs. You can still find a number of full-size varieties, but these are usually a bit more expensive.
ROG Strix is Asus’ premium line of graphics cards and other gaming components and it includes a ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1660 Super. It’s main selling points are an efficient cooler and an optional factory overclock to 1815 MHz (boost) in the Advanced model of the card. Compared to more expensive Strix GPUs, the design of the Strix GTX 1660S is rather uninspiring and doesn’t include the RGB accents of more expensive varieties. Then again, it doesn’t come with the corresponding premium pricing.
- Slight factory OC (Advanced model)
- Competent cooler
- Reasonably priced
- Uninspiring design compared to other Strix cards
EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Super Sc Ultra
Next on our list is the EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Super Sc Ultra, which is one of two different GTX 1660S designs from EVGA. One is a single-fan ITX-size card simply called “Black,” which is normally EVGA’s naming for cards that ship with standard clock frequencies. The other one is this card – the GTX 1660 Super Sc Ultra. This design is also available in a “Black” version with standard clocks in addition to a model overclocked to 1830 MHz (from the default 1785 MHz).
Compared to the ASUS Strix and MSI Gaming X, this card is much more compact, but the dual-fan cooler is more effective than all of the single-fan varieties in the market. On the downside, reviewers have found it to be somewhat noisy in gaming loads, which is why we are placing it near the bottom of our list. Of course, you can adjust the fan curves yourself and the GTX 1660 Super Sc Ultra still a great card with a tried and tested design, so this shouldn’t hold you back if it’s sold at an attractive price point.
- Good cooling capacity
- Very compact dual-fan design
- Fair price point
- Too aggressive fan curve out of the box
MSI GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS 6G
Another interesting and similarly compact alternative to single-fan alternatives is MSI’s Ventus XS 6G OC. It’s slightly bulkier overall than single-fan cards overall, but quite a bit shorter than full-size cards. In any event, it should be a good fit for most gaming machines – and not just physically.
Like most of the best GTX 1660 Super graphics cards, the Ventus is available with a factory OC. In the overclocked version, MSI has increased the boost clock to 1815 MHz, which isn’t the highest overclock from the standard 1785 MHz.
What makes this card an interesting option in our view is the competent cooling solution in spite of its small measurements. MSI has also included a backplate to improve durability.
- Two fans and factory OC
- Will fit into most builds
- Comparatively affordable
- Not as compact as other ITX options
Summary and Buyer’s Guide
With that, let’s summarize the pros and cons of these different GTX 1660 Super models.
- If you care about aesthetics as well as performance – and don’t mind paying a bit more for features such as attractive RGB lighting – then the MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Super Gaming X 6G is one of your few choices. What might make it a tough sell is the narrow price gap between this card and entry-level Ti cards that offer better performance.
- If you want the best possible combination of low cost and good (cooling) performance, we will stick with our recommendation of the dual-fan ASUS GeForce GTX 1660 Dual Mini.
- For a combination of value and an easy fit in compact builds using an mITX or mATX case, the Asus Dual Mini is still a great choice, but the single-fan Asus Phoenix usually costs less and the cooling solution is still sufficient.
All of these cards use trusted designs from major manufacturers, so reliability should not be an issue unless you are exceptionally unlucky. In terms of real-world performance, the difference between the cards will be small, but you may have more success overclocking cards with additional/more efficient fans. And last but not least: Also compare the GTX 1660S with other affordable cards to see which GPU offers the best price/performance ration today.
The post The 7 Best GTX 1660 SUPER Graphics Cards for Your 1080p Gaming PC appeared first on Gaming PC Builder.
How To Buy Games on Steam Using PayPal
1. Go to the Store Page of the game you will buy then click the Add to Cart Button. 2. Click Purchase for myself (or as a gift). 3. Select PayPal as payment method and click the Continue button. 4. Click the PayPal button to log in to your PayPal account. [...] The post How To Buy Games on Steam Using PayPal appeared first on Gaming PC...
1. Go to the Store Page of the game you will buy then click the Add to Cart Button.
2. Click Purchase for myself (or as a gift).
3. Select PayPal as payment method and click the Continue button.
4. Click the PayPal button to log in to your PayPal account.
5. Log-in with your PayPal account.
6. PayPal Checkout will be shown to you. Select the PayPal Balance option. The game’s price will be deducted to your balance, or select Visa to deduct directly from your credit or debit card.
7. You will be directed back to Steam to review your purchase. Check the Steam Subscriber Agreement check box and click the Purchase button to complete your purchase.
8. You receive a notification for your purchase. You can print the receipt or view it from your email associated with your Steam account or PayPal account.
9. You can now install the game you purchased.
Happy Gaming!
The post How To Buy Games on Steam Using PayPal appeared first on Gaming PC Builder.
How To Buy Games on Epic Games Using PayPal
1. Sign-in to your Epic Games launcher, go to Store tab, and select the game you want to buy. 2. If the game has more than one editions, click the View Offers button. 3. Click the Buy Now button of you selected edition. 4. On Payment Method window, select PayPal option and [...] The post How To Buy Games on Epic Games Using PayPal appeared first on Gaming PC...
1. Sign-in to your Epic Games launcher, go to Store tab, and select the game you want to buy.
2. If the game has more than one editions, click the View Offers button.
3. Click the Buy Now button of you selected edition.
4. On Payment Method window, select PayPal option and click the Add Paypal & Save button. If you checked the Do not save my PayPal information option, you will need to authorize Epic Games again to use your PayPal as Payment Method for your next purchase.
5. You will be directed to PayPal login. Log in with your PayPal account.
6. Click the Agree & Pay button to authorize Epic Games to use your PayPal as Payment Method.
7. You will be directed back on Epic Games Checkout window. Click the Place Order button.
8. Wait while Epic Games is confirming your order. If successful, an email receipt will be sent to you. Log-in to your PayPal account on a browser to view the receipt.
9. Your new game will be added to your library.
Happy gaming!
The post How To Buy Games on Epic Games Using PayPal appeared first on Gaming PC Builder.
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