Intel Budget PC Gaming Build: GPU
While all of the components we are selecting here today are what we would go with, and priced from vendors we trust, it is always a good idea to shop around as deals on these, or other good options, pop up from other reliable vendors all the time. With that said, let’s dive right into the next order of business.
GPU
XFX RX XXX Edition Radeon RX 570 $139.99
60 FPS
- Better Performance Than Reference Card
- Very Good 1080p Gaming
- 1440p Gaming Possible To Decent
- Decent Overclocking Potential
30 FPS
- Small Price Premium
- Does Not Feature XFX’s Hard Swap Fan Design
GPU Alternate
Intel Core i5-10400 $176.99
60 FPS
- It Will Technically Render GPU Tasks
- Included HSF
30 FPS
- Value Is Dependent On Usage
- It’s Integrated Graphics, And Not Good Integrated Graphics
Similar to what we saw in our Mid-Range PC Gaming Build Guides and AMD Budget PC Gaming Build Guide to date, we are leading things off today we have an AMD based GPU solution. While AMD still struggles to compete in the top end of the market, when we move mid-market, where most sales exist, AMD is solidly competitive and even downright ahead at times.
So, our number one pick for a GPU for this build today is the XFX RX XXX Edition Radeon RX 570 once more. For users looking for good 1080p gaming performance and a shot at some 1440p, this card has your name written all over it. XFX has given it a factory overclock so it performs better than the reference design and there is even a bit of margin for some more overclocking if you really work at it. That’s a lot of performance for an entry-level product and it is no slouch out of the box.
Stepping back a little bit on the budget brings us to looking at using the integrated UHD 630 Graphics found in our i3-9300. Integrated graphics are never going to best a similar generation standalone solution but they can, in a limited fashion, allow users to start to play some games. While the performance of AMD’s APU’s has been quite good for what they are, Intel’s take at integrated graphics has been less good. Gaming can be done at even lower settings than with an AMD solution and when money frees up you can always add a dedicated GPU. So, the i5-10400 is at least a way to get started if you manage expectations appropriately.