The Best Video Cards For Your Money: May 2012
The Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 2GB is making a comeback, this time as the best video card for $200!
The best video cards for your money?
By that, I mean the cards that offer the best performance at a given price. Why would you want that, you ask?
Because you want the best bang for the buck, because you want the best possible card for your hard-earned money and because you want the highest FPS possible!
However, I do realize that not everyone has the time to read detailed video card reviews nor does everyone have the ability to make sense of video card specifications.
This is why I write this guide for you: To help you save your time, sanity and money by doing the research for you and letting you know what are the best video cards for your money.
Keep in mind:
1- These video cards recommendations are for gamers who desire the best bang for their buck, or in other words, the best performance/features for their money. These video cards are way overkill if you don’t play videos games.
2- This list is based on the best U.S. prices for new video cards from NewEgg and/or Amazon that I’ve seen as of May 19th 2012.
3- Each video card performance will vary depending on the game. Some games run better on Nvidia cards and some run better on AMD cards.
4- The resolution that I mention below should only be used as a guideline to give you an idea of the capability of the video card on recent games.
May 2012 update:
Nvidia launched the Geforce GTX 670, the GTX 680 and the GTX 690
Based on the GK104 chip, the GTX 670 and GTX 680 are available for $400 and $500 respectively. As for the GTX 690, it’s a dual-GPU video card available for $1000.
The GTX 670 and 680 are the best video cards available at their respective prices, while the GTX 690 gets slightly outperformed by two GTX 680 in SLI for the same price.
On the positive side, the GTX 690 makes SLI easy if you don’t want to mess with two cards and it also offers an option to those of you who only have a single PCI-Express 16x slot available for a video card.
Unfortunately, their high popularity results in scarce stocks, with the GTX 670/680/690 being out of stock more often than not. The situation seems to have slightly improved since their launch though, as the offer is starting to catch up to the demand it would appear.
Price cuts:
The GTX 560 Non-Ti got a price cut since the last update, getting recommended as the best card for $175. The GTX 570 is down to $270, making it as a recommendation this month for the best card at that price.
The GTX 560 Non-Ti should remain in stock for a while, seeing as the GTX 660 isn’t here yet, but I don’t know how long stocks of the GTX 570 will last, considering that the GTX 670 has been launched.
AMD price cuts on the Radeon HD 7xxx series:
To remain competitive vs Nvidia’s new GTX 6xx video cards, AMD have cut the prices on their Radeon HD 7xxx cards.
The Radeon HD 6950 2GB, which used to be out of stock everywhere, is making a comeback at the $200 price point, outperforming the Geforce GTX 560 Ti while costing less.
Best video card for $65:
$39.99 after a $25 Mail-in Rebate!
$65 – Gigabyte Radeon HD 6670 1GB
A new addition to the Best Video Cards for your money, the Radeon HD 6670 video card is a fine card if you have a limited budget, especially with the mail-in rebate brining its price down to only $40!
Note that this video card doesn’t require an additional source of power or in other words, you don’t need to connect any PCI-Express 6/8 pins power cable to it, it gets all the power that it needs from the PCI-Express 16x slot.
Good to know:
This video card will do the job at 1280 x 1024, 1440 x 900 and 1680 x 1050 although you might have to lower details in some games.
Low-profile alternative:
Need a video card to fit in a smaller case that only accepts low-profile cards? No problem. The $63 – MSI Radeon HD 6570 1GB Low-Profile is a low-profile card, that’s currently available with a $20 Mail-in Rebate, bringing down its cost to only $43!
Best video card for $90:
$90 – HIS Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5
Replacing the previously recommended HIS Radeon HD 6750 that’s equipped with GDDR3 memory, the HIS Radeon HD 5750 offers higher performance, at the same price, thanks to its GDDR5 memory.
On top of that, its equipped with a better cooler, resulting in lower temperatures and lower noise.
$90 Mail-in Rebate alternative:
If you don’t mind mail-in rebates, the $110 – XFX Radeon HD 6770 1GB offers better performance than the Radeon HD 5750 and be obtained for $90 with the $20 Mail-in Rebate.
Good to know:
- This video card will do the job at 1280 x 1024, 1440 x 900 and 1680 x 1050 although you might have to lower details in some games.
Best video card for $120:
$120 – XFX Radeon HD 7770 1GB
Replacing the previously recommended Radeon HD 6770, the Radeon HD 7770 is significantly faster.
As a matter of a fact, it even trade blows with the $140 recommendation, the Radeon HD 6850 (which remains faster on average though).
It will do the job at 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050 and even 1920 x 1080 although you might have to lower details in more recent and more demanding games.
Geforce competition:
For $114, there’s the Geforce GTX 550 Ti, but unfortunately it’s no match for the Radeon HD 7770, getting outperformed in pretty much all games.
Best video card for $140:
Radeon HD 6850 1GB
I’m recommending the Radeon HD 6850 1GB once again, seeing as there’s currently a $30 price gap between the Radeon HD 6850 1GB and the more powerful $160 Radeon HD 6870 and a $35 price gap between the Radeon HD 6850 1GB and the Geforce GTX 560 1GB.
The Radeon HD 6850 1GB supports DirectX 11 and will do the job at 1680 x 1050 and even 1920 x 1080 although you might have to lower details in more recent and more demanding games.
Best Video Card for $175
Available fo $153.99 after a $20 Mail-in Rebate
Gigabyte Geforce GTX 560 1GB
Replacing the Radeon HD 6870, whose price has been creeping up to $170, the Gigabyte Geforce GTX 560 with its 830MHz core frequency is slightly faster, which is why I’m now recommending it for $174.
There’s also a $20 Mail-in Rebate available, bringing its cost down to only $154!
What games can this video card handle?
The Geforce GTX 560 1GB is capable of handling pretty much any game at a resolution of 1680 x 1050 with maximum visual quality. 1080p (1920 x 1080) gameplay is usually not a problem either, although you might have to scale back details in more demanding games.
Finally, it is DirectX 11 compliant, HDCP ready, able to handle HD content (e.g. Blu-Ray) and stream audio over HDMI.
Best video card for $200:
Radeon HD 6950 2GB
Replacing the Geforce GTX 560 Ti is the Radeon HD 6950 2GB, as it’s a notch faster on average, while costing $30 less!
V.S. the Geforce GTX 560 Non-Ti, the Radeon HD 6950 2GB clearly offers better performance, especially in demanding games.
Do note that this particular model from Sapphire comes with a nice dual-fan cooling, to keep temperatures and noise in check
What games can this video card handle?
The Radeon HD 6950 2GB is capable of handling pretty much any game at a resolution of 1680 x 1050 with maximum visual quality. 1080p (1920 x 1080) gameplay is usually not a problem either, although you might have to scale back details in the most demanding games.
Finally, it is DirectX 11 compliant, HDCP ready, able to handle HD content (e.g. Blu-Ray) and stream audio over HDMI.
Best Video Card for $270:
EVGA Geforce GTX 570
Following a recent price cut, I’m now recommending the Geforce GTX 570 at the $270 price point
It outperforms the $200 Radeon HD 6950 2GB, the $260 Radeon HD 7850 and the $290 Geforce GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores, making it an excellent choice for $270.
This particular EVGA Geforce GTX 570 comes with a nice dual-fan cooling, to keep temperatures and noise in check
What games can this video card handle?
This card is capable of handling pretty much any game at a resolution of 1680 x 1050 with maximum visual quality. 1080p (1920 x 1080) gameplay is usually not a problem either, although you might have to scale back details in the most demanding games.
Best video card for $350:
Radeon HD 7870 2GB
For $350, the Radeon HD 7870 outperforms the Nvidia Geforce GTX 570 by a good margin while consuming 82W less at load, according to AnandTech.
This card will run any game at 1920 x 1200 (or 1080 for 1080p) maxed out, with less or more AA/AF, depending on the game, as well as most games at 2560 x 1600 without any problem.
Gaming on multiple monitors is also possible, although you might have to turn settings down, depending on the game.
That said, if you can afford an extra $50, I highly recommend going with the $400 Geforce GTX 670 recommended below, as it clearly outperforms the Radeon HD 7870.
Best video card for $400:
Gigabyte Geforce GTX 670 2GB
Launched in May 2012, the Geforce GTX 670 is a solid addition to the world of video cards.
It outperforms the Radeon HD 7950 3GB by a good margin, consumes quite a bit less power and offers great overclocking potential. I invite you to read the AnandTech review for more information.
See the following links to see how it performs:
- V.S. the $200 Radeon HD 6950 2GB
- V.S. the $270 Geforce GTX 570
- V.S. the $360 Radeon HD 7870 (which is not recommended simply because you’re just better off spending $40 more to get the much more powerful GTX 670).
- V.S. its big brother, the $500 Geforce GTX 680.
This particular Gigabyte Geforce GTX 670 has an excellent three fans cooling system and it has 6pin+8pin pci-e power connectors, while the reference GTX 670 design has only 2x6pin. This does help further more with overclocking.
What games can this video card handle?
This card will run any game at 1920 x 1200 (or 1080 for 1080p) maxed out, with less or more AA/AF, depending on the game, as well as most games at 2560 x 1600 without any problem. Gaming on multiple monitors is also possible, although you might have to turn settings down, depending on the game.
Alternative
$450 – SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7970 3GB OC Dual-Fan
That particular model comes with a dual-fan cooling system, for improved cooling and lower temperatures, making it an excellent candidate for overclocking.
Best Video Card For ~$500:
Geforce GTX 680 2GB
Simply put, this card features the fastest single-GPU on the market. It’s not only faster than the Radeon HD 7970, but it also consumes about 30W less at load,according to AnandTech.
The GTX 680 introduces “GPU Boost”, which is similar to the Turbo found on modern Intel and AMD CPUs. Simply put, under high load, the video card will boost its frequency, while remaining within its power budget (TDP) and remaining at safe temperatures, to boost performance.
If you want the fastest video card without messing with Crossfire, SLI or dual-GPU video card setups, this is the way to go.
On the downside, there’s such an high demand for it that it’s out of stock everywhere, so you might want to subscribe to “Auto Notify” on Newegg, to get an e-mail when it’s back in stock to get it 
Alternative
- $550 – EVGA SuperClocked Signature GTX 680 2GB
Best Video Card for $700:
Two Radeon HD 7870 2GB in Crossfire
If you want higher performance than what the fastest video card offers, what do you do? You team up two video cards together!
For $700, you get two Radeon HD 7870 2GB in Crossfire, which have no problem outperforming two GTX 580 in SLI and have no problem outperforming a single GTX 680 as well.
Best Video Card for $800:
Two Gigabyte Geforce GTX 670 2GB in SLI
Outperforming two Radeon HD 7950 in Crossfire for the same price and having a slight advantage over two Radeon HD 7970 in Crossfire (~$900), two Geforce GTX 670 in SLI are a force to be reckoned with for $800.
They are also a “bargain” compared to two Geforce GTX 680 in SLI, offering performance that isn’t that far behind, while costing $200 less.
Best Video Card for $1000:
Two Geforce GTX 680 2GB in SLI
If you want the best performance possible, without consideration for anything else, two Geforce GTX 680 in SLI are the way to go. If you choose to go with such a setup, make sure to have:
- A motherboard that supports SLI
- A case with a high airflow to handle the heat dissipation
- A very solid power supply to handle the power consumption
Single card with dual-GPUs alternative:
If you don’t want to mess with two cards in SLI and would rather get a single card that offers nearly the same performance, consider the $1000 – GeForce GTX 690 4GB, which is basically two Geforce GTX 680 in SLI on a single card, with slightly reduced frequencies.
Note that this is a 11″ long video card, so make sure that it fits in your case before buying it.
Overkill:
You consider getting three or four Geforce GTX 680 in SLI, thinking that more is better. As a matter of a fact, it’s not.
Simply put, drivers support for Triple/Quad-SLI is overall pretty poor, resulting in equivalent or even lower performance than two cards too often to be worth it in my opinion. If you don’t run in a CPU bottleneck before that is. In other words, it’s not worth dropping that much cash for a solution that doesn’t work at its best more often than not.
Worse of all?
Most of the time, such setups are bottlenecked by the CPU anyway, even with an Ivy Bridge CPU (less if you overclock it, but still). I avoid recommending such setups as they are not suitable for most of you. Besides, if you know that you want such a setup and are ready to pay for it, you most likely know what you’re doing and don’t need this guide to begin with.
A few important recommendations and notes regarding video cards:
1- Get the latest version of the video card drivers directly from AMD or Nvidia. This will ensure that you get the latest bug fixes and the best performance possible from your video card(s).
2- To confirm whether Crossfire or SLI is working or not, use GPU-Z which will show that information to you in the last field at the bottom of the program.
3- SLI Guide: How to enable SLI, check if SLI is enabled, actually working in your game and what to do if it’s not is a great guide from the Notebook Review forums.
4- When using two or more video cards in Crossfire or SLI, you want to connect your monitors into the top video card, i.e. the video card that is the closest to the CPU.
5- Most video cards require one or two PCI-Express 6 or 8 pin power connector(s) to be plugged into them to function properly. Make sure that your power supply comes equipped with enough 6 and/or 8 pin connectors for your video cards.
Conclusion
What’s coming up in the next few months?
AMD
Radeon HD 7970 1GHz Edition?
There are rumours that AMD is planning on launching a Radeon HD 7970 with a stock GPU frequency of 1GHZ (1000MHz) instead of the current 925MHz. This would be thanks to improved yields on the Radeon HD 7970 chips. Note that some partners are already offering cards that are clocked at 1GHz, Powercolor even offers one running at 1.1GHz.
If that does happen, I do wonder how AMD will name the card (7980? 7970 XT? 7970 GHz Edition?) to differentiate it from the current crop of Radeon HD 7970s. The other questions are what will be the price (Nvidia’s GTX 670 and 680 are giving AMD serious competition at their current price points) and whether partners will introduce even faster versions of the 7970?
Nvidia
Geforce GTX 660 in August?
Nvidia is rumoured to launch the GTX 660 in August, which seems a bit far if you ask me, since that’s in 3 months. Seeing how fast they launched the GTX 670/680/690, it’s a bit odd to see them wait that long. Then again, the GTX 660 is probably based on a different chip, so Nvidia probably need time to be finish the design and enough time to produce enough cards to be ready for the demand for the card at launch.
Category: The Best PC Parts For Your Money
